Evaluation key to UK Government Communications Plan | jane wilson

Executive Director of Government Communications, Alex Aiken is a man on a mission, and I sense in a hurry.

He was like a greyhound in the slips this morning as he prepared to speak at the launch of the 2013-2014 Government Communications Plan, and?once on his feet, his messages were delivered at a pace.? He outlined his ABC of government communication as Audience, Brevity and Conversation and insisted that Whitehall communicators must raise the standards and foster a greater culture of collaboration ? both internally and with the external world.? He also stressed the importance of reflecting government?s focus on winning the global race and ensuring the UK leads the world in government communication.? And all this before ten past eight in the morning!

The Communications Plan, which is available online has much to commend it.? It is clear, sets out the year?s strategies, priorities and resourcing issues.? It re-stresses the current focus on effective and efficient communication models, builds on the work done on the Government Communication Competency Framework and summarises the core communications plans for each of the departments and their ALBs.? This is Alex?s ?100 days? statement and it is clear that Whitehall communicators have been set a high bar.

But the standout point from this morning?s meeting was the emphasis on research, planning and most of all evaluation.? This is welcome and no surprise.? Alex Aiken has a track record in this area and the work done whilst he was in charge of comms at Westminster Council is well known and award winning.? Now, with feet firmly under his Cabinet Office desk, he has made it clear that each government communication activity must have an evaluation plan that sets out:

• Clearly defined communications objectives linked to policy or business objectives
• Clear performance metrics focused on outcomes
• A strong emphasis on data sources
• A timetable for sharing results

To help practitioners, the GCN and Shared Communications Service are developing further guidance, tools, training and support including templates, dashboards and suggested performance metrics. This is all really encouraging, reflects best practice and I hope that we at CIPR can assist in supporting this work through guidance and communication with our own members.

At this stage in the political cycle and against a recent? history of significant cuts in marketing and PR budgets and resources, this is all a big ask.? This is not typically a time when collaboration and new working practices blossom.? But internal structures and support (including professional development opportunities)?do appear to have been?put in place to help make this plan a reality and the direction is certainly clear.

There is a huge potential cultural upside to this strong focus on evaluation and evidence based reporting.? Many of those doing great work in government communications are feeling battle weary and undervalued by senior departmental colleagues.? The more they have the support and resources?to present hard evidence for the results of their work, the more valued and integral communications may become to the business of government.? There?s nothing like the thud of hard data on a board table to get a minister?s attention!

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Source: http://thatwilsonthing.com/2013/06/20/evaluation-key-to-uk-government-communications-plan/

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