corporate relations strategy

Corporate

Relations

StrategyApril 2008

Prepared byMary Krinberg

Corporate Relations StrategyApril 2008

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CONTENTS

PART I .................................................................................................................................. 5

1 Introduction.................................................................................................................... 5

2 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 6

3 Purpose and Scope........................................................................................................ 7

4 Strategic Framework...................................................................................................... 8

5 Corporate Vision, Mission and Values ......................................................................... 95.1 Corporate Vision................................................................................................ 95.2 Corporate Mission ............................................................................................. 95.3 Corporate Values............................................................................................. 105.4 Stakeholders ................................................................................................... 10

6 Brand and Market Positioning..................................................................................... 116.1 Why Council’s brand is important..................................................................... 116.2 Brand Values and Market Positioning .............................................................. 12

7 Environmental Analysis............................................................................................... 137.1 External Environment – Key Issues ................................................................. 137.2 Organisational Environment – Key Issues ....................................................... 13

PART II ............................................................................................................................... 15

8 Goal............................................................................................................................... 15

9 Principles...................................................................................................................... 15

10 Objectives.................................................................................................................... 15

PART III .............................................................................................................................. 16

11 Marketing Communication ................................................................................. 1611.1 Policy............................................................................................................. 1611.2 Community .................................................................................................... 1711.3 Organisational Capability ............................................................................... 24

12 Public Participation.................................................................................................... 2812.1 The Base Line ............................................................................................... 29

12.1.1 Corporate Principles (ref. Item 9): ................................................... 2912.1.2 Benefits of effective consultation: .................................................... 2912.1.3 Organisational Requirements: ......................................................... 3012.1.4 Challenges: ..................................................................................... 3012.1.5 Areas for consultation:..................................................................... 3112.1.6 General Guidelines: ........................................................................ 3112.1.7 Participation Planning Cycle............................................................ 33

12.2 Strategies ...................................................................................................... 3312.3 Policy............................................................................................................. 34


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12.4 Organisational Capability ............................................................................... 3412.5 Community .................................................................................................... 36

13 Customer Service....................................................................................................... 3813.1 Current Situation............................................................................................ 3813.2 The Desirable Future..................................................................................... 3813.3 The Benefits .................................................................................................. 3913.4 Key Pre-requisites ......................................................................................... 3913.6 Making it happen ........................................................................................... 41

13.6.1 The Model ....................................................................................... 4113.6.2 The People...................................................................................... 4213.6.3 The Structure .................................................................................. 4213.6.4 Training........................................................................................... 4313.6.5 Information and Systems................................................................. 4313.6.6 Policies, Processes and Procedures ............................................... 4413.6.7 Operating Environment ................................................................... 4413.6.8 Implementation Steps...................................................................... 4513.6.9 Evaluation ....................................................................................... 46

Appendices:

Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................ 45Appendix 2 ............................................................................................................ 50Appendix 3 ............................................................................................................ 67Appendix 4 ............................................................................................................ 68Appendix 5 ............................................................................................................ 69Appendix 6 ............................................................................................................ 71Appendix 7 ............................................................................................................ 77


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PART I

1 Introduction

Historically, the products and services provided by government were not subject to competition; there was no market; consumers could not switch suppliers; and control of product quality could be influenced only through limited means: the ballot box, the media and feedback to the government authority and its elected representatives.

Successive policy developments and directions, however - particularly introduction of the National Competition Policy (1995) - have required government to become more competitive, transparent, community and customer oriented. At the same time, consumer power has increased, bringing with it greater expectations about the range, quality and pricing of products and services delivered by suppliers, including government. This has led to a fundamental shift in the relationship between government and consumer.

Like private sector enterprises, government needs to have the support of its customers – particularly local government, whose customers are on their doorstep.

For Council, the relationships it has with its customers and community, based on their experiences with and perceptions of the organisation, are central to its success. Customers need to trust and respect the organisation they deal with. They need to understand what the organisation stands for, what it offers and how that benefits them; that the offer represents quality and value for money; that they will receive efficient and courteous service; that they will be listened to and can influence the organisation by expressing their views and opinions.

For Tweed Shire Council, the relationships built on meeting these needs are a critical measure of effectiveness and can become an enduring asset for the organisation, its community and customers.

For staff, the quality of these relationships will assist in harnessing their energies and motivating them in their work, encouraging greater cooperation and providing focus on what they are ultimately working for.


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2 Executive Summary

The Corporate Relations Strategy addresses the areas of Communication, Public Participation and Customer Service, all of which are critical to the organisation’s success, both operationally and in the eyes of its customers and community.

The environment in which Council operates has changed significantly over recent years, requiring Council to examine the services it delivers and reconsider the ways in which they are delivered. A strong influence in this respect is the changing nature of its customers and community who expect a stronger voice in Council decisions; require more information and understanding of the way it operates; and expect and demand higher levels of service.

The strategy has, therefore, been developed in response to recognised organisational and community needs. It provides strategic direction and identifies key actions to be taken over the next two years, with strongest focus on accomplishment in the first year.

It is informed by research with staff, information from the community, discussion with other local governments, desktop research and evaluation of best practice in leading government authorities. It considers broad directions and issues arising from development of the 10 Year Business Plan and takes its lead from the plan’s agreed “Community Enabling” model of governance.

A strategy of this nature draws heavily on the organisation’s philosophy and approach to business –its vision, mission and values. These, however, did not properly reflect Council’s goals, direction or the characteristics of the organisation it needs to be if it is to provide the leadership required to manage the challenges facing Tweed Shire. Therefore, the strategy proposes a new vision, mission and values set, which have been workshopped with Council management.

While it recognises objectives of each program area, there are no higher order corporate objectives to which these programs contribute in a clear and unambiguous manner. This has been discussed with management and will be addressed in coming years through corporate priorities.

Recommendations made in this document represent a significant development in Council operationswith implications for its people, processes, planning, and culture.

Among these are adoption of a One Council – One Brand strategy that mandates the sole use of an updated Council logo to identify all its services, products, facilities and activities. Others recommend a new communications unit structure that consolidates complementary activities; instituting annual community research; developing proficiency in issues management and strategic communication planning and redevelopment of the corporate web site.

Council currently devotes considerable resources to community consultation, but does not see a commensurate return on investment for itself or the community. Therefore, recommendations are made for a new Public Participation framework, centralising management of all public participation activities and bringing the conduct of all community consultation in house where it can be managed in a coherent and coordinated manner.

Finally, it proposes and details the requirements to establish an integrated customer service unit comprising a call centre, web services and two “one-stop-shops” staffed by a team of multi-skilled and highly trained officers. This proposal has been supported by recommendations made in the recent internal Administrative Review, the 10 Year Business Plan, and by many staff interviewed over the course of developing those documents and this strategy.

Evaluation methods are proposed for each topic area. This will allow Council to test the efficacy of this strategy and the initiatives it proposes. More importantly, it will give insight into how Council is actually performing in the eyes of the community.


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3 Purpose and Scope

At its highest level, the Corporate Relations Strategy is intended to provide an integrated and coordinated approach to Council’s management of relationships with its customers and community.

The three areas considered as the basis of those relationships are marketing communication, public participation and customer service. While each can be seen as a discrete function, they are interdependent in that they support each other in achieving the strategy’s objectives and together, contribute to achieving the overall goal of improving relations between Council and the community.

Specifically, the Corporate Relations Strategy provides:

The overall corporate relations objectives

A “whole-of-Council” approach to the organisation’s marketing communication, public participation and customer service.

A basis and structure for effective and efficient resource allocation

Direction to improve organisational culture, capacity and capability

Recommended process and system improvements

A flexible and achievable program that can be regularly monitored to ensure it is on track and adapts to emerging issues

In doing so, it identifies specific strategies and actions in the following areas:

External communication

Branding and corporate identity

Reputation and issues management

Web site and intranet operations

Internal Communication

Customer service, both as a function and a philosophy

Public Participation planning and management

Conduct of community consultation

Staff skilling, training and support

It is not a tactical plan for individual projects and activities, but provides the framework and approach within which these can be developed.

The timeline for the strategy extends through the life of the Management Plan (2010), but it should be reviewed each year to ensure that it is on track, adapts to changes in the marketplace and operating environment, and maintains its relevance to contemporary issues in the Shire. It should be fully updated during the 2010/11 planning cycle.


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4 Strategic Framework

TOOLS AND TACTICS

POLICY COMMUNITY ORGANISATION CAPABILITY

IMAGE –BRAND & MARKET

POSITIONING

OBJECTIVES

TACTICS

STRATEGIES

EVALUATION AND LEARNINGSRESEARCH AND FEEDBACKENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

10 YEAR PLAN CONSIDERATIONS

MANAGEMENT PLAN AND

PROGRAMS

Identity, based on corporate vision, mission and values, informs Council’s desired Image –its brand and market positioning, which are influenced by analysis of the external and internal environments and the 10 Year Business Plan. The desired image should ideallyalign with the actual image, which is the view the community holds of Council.

Objectives for Marketing Communication, Public Participation and Customer Service are drawn from the above and are informed by the Management Plan and Program objectives.

Strategies flow from these the objectives, with key Tactics and Tools highlighted.

IDENTITY –CORPORATE

VISION, MISSION AND VALUES


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5 Corporate Vision, Mission and Values

Council’s identity is the sum total of what the organisation says and does,its values, behaviours and aspirations, its services and products, and is represented internally and externally by its brand. A strong and unambiguous identity is essential to guide staff in the way they work, the way they treat each other and the community, and to understandhow their performance contributes to “something greater”.

In November 2007, a workshop was held for the Corporate Management Team (CMT) to consider the currency and relevance of the Corporate Vision, Mission and Values, which are core elements of Council’s identity and underpin this strategy by encapsulating its long term direction, focus and attitudes.

It was generally agreed that these elements should be updated, and many suggestions and opinions were expressed. It was also recognized that changes would need ratification by the new Councillors to be elected September 2008.

5.1 Corporate Vision

Council’s current Vision is: “The Tweed is to become the premier area in which to live, work and visit.”

While succinct, the statement is general and open to wide interpretation; therefore, the CMT workshop discussed aspects of a more clearly articulated vision. For the purposes of this strategy, the revised version is:

“The Tweed will be recognised for its desirable lifestyle, strong community, unique character and environment, and the opportunities its residents enjoy.”

5.2 Corporate Mission

Council’s current Mission is: “In partnership with the community, balance people’s aspirations for development and enhancement of the unique environment by providing affordable quality services in a competitive manner.”

This is not logical in structure and suggests a narrow scope of activity revolving around development and the environment. Further, Council’s role appears limited to service provision and does not acknowledge higher order activities such as community building, economic development, strategic partnering – points participants generally agreed on.

Therefore, considering the input given, the working statement developed for this strategy is:

“Working with community and partners, provide leadership in facilitating and delivering services that manage growth sustainably, create opportunity, and enhance the value of our civic and natural assets for this and future generations.”

IDENTITY -VISION, MISSION

& VALUES


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5.3 Corporate Values

Council’s current Values are:

Responsive Accountable Impartial Consistent Transparent Conscientious Respectful

These are somewhat limited to the idea of doing an honest job well and do not communicate the characteristics of a modern, dynamic organisation; therefore, a wider range of values was consideredat the CMT workshop, with a decision that the working values would be:

Transparency Customer Focus Fairness Reliability Progressiveness Value for money Collaboration

5.4 Stakeholders

Internal stakeholders for this strategy are Council Administrators, management and staff.

External stakeholders are the media, other government agencies, business, industry, professional, service and community groups. Individual community members are also stakeholders and a useful insight to their different roles is provided in the 10 Year Business Plan developed by Deidre Bruenand paraphrased here:

Ratepayer: I want to ensure that as a Board member of Council, you are providing public value through the right mix of programs and services; you have your priorities right; you are using resources wisely and efficiently; and most importantly, you are achieving results.

I want to be engaged in your strategic planning. I want transparency in your dealings so I know you are acting with propriety and professionalism. And I want to see evidence of your performance.

Customer: I get good service elsewhere, so I expect it from you – on the phone, in person oronline. I want courtesy, respect, convenience, reliability and responsiveness. I want to be listened to when I am unhappy and to see some recourse when things go wrong.

If you bounce me around from person to person, waste my time or give inconsistent advice, I will be unhappy and will let you know. If you treat me poorly or if your services disadvantage any member of my family, I will tell everyone about it, including the media – and your reputation will be damaged.

Citizen: I want to feel good about my council and community. I want to feel I belong here and I want to see Council addressing community concerns, whether they are about small matters, like litter and graffiti, or bigger issues like environmental protection or reducing crime. Actually I want it all and I don’t want to hear about the bottom line.

I expect Council to be equitable, helping those less advantaged, and where necessary, acting as an honest broker. You can appeal to my higher motives of fairness and social justice, environmental responsibility, neighbourliness. Symbolic actions, celebrations and the like are important as well as safe roads and beaches.


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6 Brand and Market Positioning

6.1 Why Council’s brand is important

For Council, as for any organisation, particularly one with such a diverse range of products, services, operations, customers and staff, it is a central marketing requirement that the organisation has astrong and explicit brand. Internally, the brand represents Council’s identity. Externally, the brand represents Council’s image, which is the sum total of the community’s perceptions of, and experiences with the organisation, its services and products.

For an organisation to be successful, there should be a close alignment between identity (what Council thinks of itself) and image (what the community thinks of Council).

A strong brand can be seen as a corporate asset, its value being the extent to which the community supports, accepts, adopts and works with the organisation’s corporate agenda. This helps developtrust in Council as a civic leader engaging with, serving, and responding effectively to its community. With that trust, Council can better achieve its vision.

A strong brand, around which positive relationships have been built, can also stand Council in good stead during adverse times, with residents inclined to be more forgiving than would otherwise be the case.

In customer relationships, the brand represents the “contract” that exists between Council and the community. It enables them to recognise the scope and value of Council’s products and services, and (ideally) perceive that they are delivered in an effective, integrated manner.

For staff, with their individual work unit responsibilities and goals, it unites and brings an organisational focus on whom and what they are working for. Further, a strong and recognisable brand that is held in good repute will help Council attract skilled staff in an increasingly competitive market.

Managing the brand closely and consistently, therefore, has significant implications:

It presents Council as a unified ogranisation, implying the integration of activities that customers expect and avoiding perceptions of service fragmentation.

It helps ensure that the community recognises Council and its work at a glance, ensuring it does not go unnoticed or attributed elsewhere.

It assists people in understanding what Council is doing with their money through clear and immediate identification with the entity to which they pay their rates, fees and charges.

It provides leverage for the promotion of Council initiatives, providing them with a level of awareness and credibility they might not otherwise attract.

It assists in lengthening the lifespan of communication initiatives. Activity aligned with a well-recognised logo and visual consistency will usually be retained longer, recalled faster.

Along with its visual standards, it ensures a uniform, professional standard of presentation so that image does not oscillate between conflicting positions or standards.

It connects staff as members of the same family and helps eliminate “them and us” tendencies.

It stands as a reminder to staff of the service promise made to customers.

It focuses Council’s efforts and achievements in competitive marketplaces, for example, in attracting good, skilled staff.

IMAGE - BRAND & POSITIONING


& VALUES


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6.2 Brand Values and Market Positioning

While corporate values guide Council’s actions and behaviours, Brand Values – which are drawn from the corporate set – represent the main qualities Council would like people to observe in its work performance. The November 2007 CMT workshop considered this and a decision was made that they should mirror the corporate values and be expressed through the Market Positioning Statement.

Therefore, the market positioning for this strategy is that:

“Council would like the community to think of it as an organisationthat is transparent, customer-focused, collaborative, fair, reliable, gives value for money, and is progressive in its thinking.”

As this statement represents the image Council would like to project, it should be reflected in the work performance and customer interactions of all staff. It should be a frame of reference for the question: “Is what we are saying or doing consistent with our desired image?

This statement, and its specific dimensions, should be tested and tracked in ongoing community research to identify what gaps, if any, exist between Council and community perceptions. Council will then have a better view of how it is regarded; will be able to determine how the dimensions of its behaviour rate; and can develop strategies to address any shortcomings.


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7 Environmental Analysis

7.1 External Environment – Key Issues

Using the PEEST (Political, Economic, Environmental, Social and Technological) model as the basis of analysis, the key issues impacting development and execution of this strategy are highlighted below. They are based on observation, experience, interviews, anecdotal evidence, literature research, contemporary best practice. Mitigation measures are addressed in later Strategies and Actions.

Interim State Government administration of the shire - diminished local representation at present.

Uncertain political environment at the State level and historical issues at the local level. Upcoming Council elections likely to be robust, with criticism of current arrangements and direction possible.

Council’s image is inconsistent, lacking a cohesive brand strategy or an agreed communication style. (While staff believe the image is positive, there is no statistically valid community research to confirm or refute this.)

Characteristics of the community: lower than State averages in the areas of employment, income, education; attitudes of long term residents v. new arrivals; local community orientation v. “whole of shire” attitude; power of informed activists v. those not engaged; population dispersal (town centres, villages, rural); “hard-to-reach” community sectors; community increasingly “time poor”.

Lack of public understanding of, or interest in what Council does and why. (Research shows a strong link between how familiar people are with a service, product or organisation and how favourably they are likely to view it.)

Dominance of environmental, land use and sustainability issues in public debate.

Increasingly fragmented usage of media, no strong local news media.

No dedicated customer service function, limited web service capability to manage increasing community pressure for higher quality services, standards and accessibility to Council information.

Increasingly vocal community demanding more influence on and involvement in Council decisions and actions. Council’s consultation activities not highly regarded by community.

Use of and reliance on technology rapidly growing in all sectors, while many people still rely on traditional avenues for communication and service information.

7.2 Organisational Environment – Key Issues

Corporate culture is one of “doing” rather than facilitation, strategic planning, knowledge management and learning. With current vision, mission and values set not reflecting theorganisation Council needs to be to meet the challenges facing it, change strategies facesignificant barriers. Full management commitment is required to make it happen.

High level cross-Divisional corporate priorities not articulated in Council’s Management Plan –restricted to discrete program areas. (Objectives of this strategy should be based on supporting the corporate objectives and should align with the Department of Local Government’s New Directions.)


& VALUES

IMAGE – BRAND & POSITIONING

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

KEY ISSUES


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No formalised, regular community research conducted to measure (and respond to) satisfaction about Council’s performance or relative importance of services. It is a powerful planning tool anda basic requirement for improvement, consistent with Department of Local Government directions. The alternative is “Council knows best”.

Value and importance of contemporary communication and consultation practices and directionsnot widely understood, generally considered an “add-on” or reactive tool, not always factored into project or activity budgeting. Generally, insufficient lead time is given to prepare effective plans and tools.

Communication audit conducted for this strategy reveals organisation-wide inconsistency in quality and style of communication and design; lack of a corporate identity, strategic communication planning, communication protocols and processes and standards; misuse of Council brand and proliferation of sub-brands.

Communication not centrally coordinated resulting in a fractured presentation, missed

opportunities, no prospects for cross-promotion and a less than professional image. There is no corporate control or perspective on what communication should be undertaken, nor is there an agreed approval process.

Insufficient corporate communication budget and no specific allocation or ability to quantify communication spend across the organisation’s various division and programs.

Up to $400,000 (est.) spent annually on community consultation with insufficient return on investment. Limited staff time and resources, absence of clear outcomes and benefits, inconsistent approaches and community dissatisfaction with process underlie doubts about the value and importance of community consultation to Council.

No central coordination point for consultation; no documented planning framework or consistently applied methodology; no formalised record-keeping or scheduling processes. Corporate learnings not systematically captured and documented for future use.

Customer service well-intentioned, but not an organisational driver for improved performance, nor is it a specific area of responsibility in the organisational structure.

Limited understanding of contemporary customer service practices, processes, technology toenable Council to efficiently manage and respond to current requirements and rising expectations.

Technical/professional staff whose skills could be more productively employed, spendingsignificant amounts of time dealing with customers without benefit of enabling corporate systems and information repositories.

Rising operating costs, greater service demands, cost shifting resulting in increasing pressure on Council budget and program allocations.

The 10 Year Business Plan currently being developed has identified a need to review services and delivery options.


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PART II

8 Goal

The overall goal of this strategy is to improve relationships between Council,its community and customers, thereby increasing levels of participation, satisfaction and support for the activities Council undertakes on their behalf.

9 Principles

The broad principles that inform the objectives of this strategy are based on commitments made in Council’s Communication and Customer Service Policies. They are that:

Council recognises its obligation to provide the community with clear, accurate and timely information about its plans, decisions, policies, procedures, services and products.

Council supports the right of citizens to participate in decision making that affects their future and, to that end, will ensure that their concerns and needs are known and considered.

Council recognises that customers require and deserve prompt, courteous, accurate and efficient service in all their dealings with the organisation.

Council values its staff and seeks to develop their skills and to support and guide them with effective systems, policies, processes and structures.

10 Objectives

1. A predominantly positive image of Council among its customers and community.

2. A well-informed community that recognises the scope and purpose of Council activities, services and products

3. A community that has the information to make knowledgeable decisions, form considered viewsand become more self-sufficient.

4. An engaged community that participates productively in Council decision-making.

5. An effective and efficient approach to managing customer enquiries, requests and transactions at the first point of contact.

6. Greater professional capability and capacity among staff.

7. Improved internal culture of communication and collaboration.

8. Relevant policies, processes and technology to support improved performance, productivity and efficiency.

9. More appropriate and effective use of financial resources, staff time and skills.


& VALUES

IMAGE – BRAND & POSITIONING

GOAL AND OBJECTIVES


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PART III

11 Marketing Communication

Council recognises that communication is everybody’s business and is integral to the organisation’s success. Its position oncommunication is stated in the Corporate Principles (Item 9):

Council recognises its obligation to provide the community with clear, accurate and timely information about its plans, decisions, policies, procedures, services and products.


As there are natural synergies between the three topic areas (Marketing Communication, Public Participation and Customer Service), some strategies, particularly in Organisational Capability, will support multiple objectives and relate to more than one topic area.

Key Actions, tools and tactics for each strategy are recommended and focus on those that have potential for significant impact, an acceptable cost-return ratio, and are within reasonable resourcing and capability levels. Comments are made to clarify, expand or highlight issues arising.

11.1 Policy

STRATEGIES KEY ACTIONS AND COMMENT

1 Unite all operations undera “One Council - One Brand” strategy applying the logo as the sole brandmark for all departments, activities, assets, services, products, facilities.

Ensures consistent, professional image and that all Council does and provides is attributed to it, particularly activities around community and cultural life.

a. Engage graphic designer to update logo to more contemporary design that reproduces well in all applications, ensuring logo is inseparable from the words “Tweed Shire Council”.

b. Engage graphic designer to develop a Corporate Identity Style Guide covering logo use, print and web design, facilities and works signage, corporate livery.

Designer to modify an existing Style Guide (available) and develop pre-printed templates for in-house publications (fact sheets, brochures, report covers).

c. Progressively de-market all existing logos, whether used internally or externally, and introduce “signature” graphic devices where persuasive business case exists.

Devices may use colour codes, graphic features, or distinctive typeface, but must ensure dominance of Council logo. Where leveraging a branded State program, that symbol may be used within style guidelines.

d. Develop policy to restrict and specify use of updated logo to Council, approved partners, contractors, grant providers, sponsorships, and to distinguish its use from Coat of Arms.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

STRATEGIES

POLICY

COMMUNITY TOOLS & TACTICS

ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT


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“One Council – One Brand” Policy to require all TSC assets, facilities, communications, web, signage, sponsorships display logo according to guidelines. Specify use of the Coat of Arms for statutory purposes only.

(Note: New waste contract to ensure clear use of logo along waste/recycling message.)

2 Develop supporting policies to reflect Council’s communication commitment and principles and support corporate image.

a. Develop new Communication Policy, incorporating directions from this report, to replace current policy that focuses on consultation.

b. Develop Tweed Link editorial policy to ensure balance and independence. (Some stakeholders see Council bias, while others see need for more restrictions.)

c. Develop comprehensive website policy to address access, privacy, currency, subsites and external links.

To build value of corporate site, subsites should not be developed. Only quality external sites should be linked, appearing as a window within Council web page.

11.2 Community


3 Evaluate activity and performance through regular research oncommunity interests, needs, attitudes and satisfaction.

Identify gaps in performance; relative importance and levels of satisfaction with programs; factors contributing to dissatisfaction.

a. Conduct annual telephone survey of 300 – 400 residents to determine satisfaction with performance and program importance; identify community needs; evaluate effectiveness of Council communication.

b. Establish ongoing Citizen’s Panel as resource for community research. (See details in Public Participation, 12.4 /6a).

c. Communicate results to staff, highlighting achievements and areas for improvement, and communicate summarised results to community. This assists internal planning and helps promote transparency and encourage public participation.

4 Protect reputation and support service delivery in the event of a crisis or issue impacting Council operations, the community’s safety, or their perceptions of the organisation.

Protect reputation and support service delivery in the event of a crisis or

Establish a process to ensure communication channels and messages to the public, the media, staff and other stakeholders are managed consistently, in a planned and timely manner.

a. Identify major operating risks (e.g. major service or system failure, workplace fatality, financial governance) and develop a basic, adaptable communication plan to detail the actions required, sequence, stakeholders and protocols.

CMT identify risks likely to become public. Develop fact sheets with messages, contact details and educate staff on their role and responsibilities.


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major issue impacting Council operations, the community’s safety or their perceptions of the organisation.

b. Liaise regularly with State Agencies to monitor effectiveness ofresponse and communications protocols to manage likely natural disasters (e.g. flood, fire).

Enable remote access for information updates on website. Investigate blogging for staff or community updates.

c. At project or policy planning stage, identify issues likely to have negative community impacts and develop communication strategies according to priority.

Regularly monitor media, community comments and complaints to proactively identify trends or emerging issues.

d. Identify ongoing issues likely to escalate as result of an incident in the community (e.g. community/school safety) and develop annual information campaigns timed to events (e.g. seniors’ week, back-to-school).

Develop and ensure ongoing availability of fact sheets, noting Council and other agency responsibilities and contacts.

e. Ensure activities and practices in any one program area do not negatively impact public credibility of work in another area.

If, for example, roadworks were planned in a sensitive environmental area, communication would need to consider impact on Council’s “green credentials” and plan accordingly.

f. Strive to reduce number of Confidential Items listed in Business Papers.

Ongoing community concern. Consider providing overview of issue and resulting decision according to level of unrest.

g. Educate and raise awareness among staff of values-based behaviour.

All staff to understand their actions are seen as actions of Council. Communicate at induction and reinforce in Performance Reviews.

5 Increase residents’ knowledge and understanding of Council’s services, products, decisions and practices.

Increased knowledge and understanding is known to positively impact community satisfaction and will support effective community participation.

a. Update look and layout of Tweed Link and expand content to consolidate role as Council’s primary news channel. Requires more structure and investment to maximise value.

a. i Produce in two colours and investigate use of spot colour; update masthead; develop layout templates to streamline design; introduce industry-standard In Design software/training.

a. ii Ensure headlines, particularly Council’s good news, focus on benefits to readers or actions they should take. Mix of Council news and community feature on front page and restrict use of single stories.


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5 continued:

Increase residents’ knowledge and understanding of Council’s services, products, decisions and practices.

a. iii Include monthly “What’s On” column and regular community interest or quality of life features that align with Council programs. (Community interest stories increase relevance but should not take precedence over Council news.)

Include regular information on scheduled public works e.g. roads, kerbs, sewers.

a. iv Plan regular expanded editions with more editorial to profile themes (sustainability, environment, community services, development and planning) and topics (budget, large consultations and projects, responsible animal ownership).

Use Link for highly summarised annual community report and apply that funding to support expanded editions. Expanded editorial for other topics could be supported by program/project advertising (advertorial) budgets.

a. v Ensure coverage or advertising in Link does not substitute for media coverage, with all staff providing information for both channels.

a. vi Develop closer ties to the web, directing readers to the site for expanded coverage, with relevant backgrounders and reports.

b. Develop understanding of Council’s strategic direction and priorities by linking communication to four corporate themes, incorporating Council’s five program areas. (See Figure 1 at end of this section.)

Themes, expressed as outcomes or statements of purpose, can anchor all communication, signalling Council’s direction and giving context for its activity. They represent all that Council does and a focus for cross-departmental collaboration.

c. Develop Key Messages for each communication theme. (See Figures1 and 2 at end of this section.)

Need not be used verbatim, but the sentiment should be woven into as much communication as possible, including quotes, speeches and statements.

d. Design and produce a corporate suite of brochures about popular services and educational topics - environment, libraries, recreation and culture, food and health, immunisation, gardening and composting, planning and regulation, etc.

Review existing material and add new material as determined during annual planning cycle.

e. Develop a Residents’ Kit for print and web to inform about the shire, the community, Council, relevant government contacts.

Contracted writer to develop content & structure; outsourcedesign. Mail to new ratepayers with first notice.

f. Following elections, propose a regular mayoral radio session and column in local newspaper.


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5 continued:

Increase residents’ knowledge and understanding of Council’s services, products, decisions and practices.

g. Target relevant industry bodies and professionals to inform onmajor policy developments and changes via workshops/e-zines.

h. Prominently sign major public works with logo and brief information about the project, start/completion dates, investment – to promote understanding of activity, impacts and expenditure.

i. Make greater use of shopping centre displays and opportunities at festivals/events to communicate on major projects,themes/major topic areas, consultations.

Develop standing set of materials for ongoing programs. Develop project-specific display materials as required.

j. Investigate synergies with potential partners to conduct community workshops, e.g. nurseries for natives, weeds, composting; seniors’ Clubs for safety.

Level of Council support to be negotiated. Investigate leveraging off existing external programs.

k. Investigate opportunities to distribute targeted information through relevant service providers and retailers, e.g. doctors’ surgeries, nurseries, dog pound.

l. Centralise school education activities and develop consolidated education kit on web, with information about resources, speakers, tours, booking requirements.

School education conducted independently by some units, but no consolidated approach to managing as an integrated program, possibly with additional modules, e.g. dog ownership.

6 Re-develop Council’s web site to position as its major communication channel and source of information.

As well as technical skills, the web site requires a strong communication and customer focus and leadership to improve utility and user relevance.

a. Establish Internet Group to provide high level guidance and direction for re-development of site architecture.

Re-development may require external resourcing. Give priority to areas most used or potentially “sticky” e.g. images of lost dogs.

b. Re-design site “look and feel” to make corporately consistent and use design templates throughout (ref. new Style Guide, Strategy 1b).

Home page design is currently “top heavy” - needs more structure and clarity. Research best practice sites and re-design with “hot topic” buttons prominent on home page.

c. Improve search and A – Z facilities as a matter of priority.

Neither facility works quickly or effectively. Common searchterms not recognised, e.g. no results returned for “rubbish”; and

“cats and dogs” are listed in A – Z as “acquiring cats and dogs”.

No hierarchy in results or ability to determine relevance of PDF documents listed.


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6 continued:

Re-develop Council’s web site to position as its major communication channel and source of information.

d. Reduce use of PDFs as narrative page content and write descriptive material specifically for the site as a priority.

Nominate specific authors from each unit and train in web writing using available guidelines and examples

e. Provide links in content to related topics and documents (PDFs) for more comprehensive information and more intuitive structure.

f. Develop interactive Calendar of Events enabling access by community members to add/update event details. Designed to draw viewers and consolidate events and festivals information.

g. Develop self-administering capability in Community Directory forgroups to update their details, per protocols to be developed.

Updating to be a requirement for listing unless special circumstances prevail.

h. Enable re-publishing from a global repository to update content simultaneously in more than one location.

Enables greater accuracy and currency as implications exist for publication of outdated material.

i. Develop web form for on-line submission of comments and feedback (see Consultation), with prominent home page link.

j. Publish usage stats regularly to help staff understand visitor patterns and interests and clarify relative importance of content.

k. Implement content updating regime and monitor currency to reduce likelihood of outdated material being published.

l. Enable remote access and blogging for nominated staff to update site in emergencies.

Public use can be considered as a future element, but will require monitoring and provisions regarding usage and content.

(Note: Other digital media have not been recommended due to input v. utility imbalance.)

7 Engage the media as partners in, and a valuable avenue for the provision of informationto the community.

Focus on creating and influencing media coverage and, in the process, develop stronger relationships.

a. Develop media schedules for major projects/initiatives/long running or behavioural change campaigns to gain extended coverage, i.e. time releases according to milestones, story focus, spokesperson, etc.

Early involvement in project planning is essential for longer range media and communication planning.

b. Develop exclusive stories, using standard media release template, for targeted outlets; media kits and photo/story “packages” for major initiatives and announcements, e.g. LEP, budget.


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7 continued:

Engage the media as partners in, and a valuable avenue for the provision of information to the community.

.

.

Requires slight modification to Media Policy, along with dedicated time and resourcing (beyond current levels).

c. Develop online “News Bureau” as central resource for media, with executive and Councillor bios and images; contacts; news releases and images; new service and product information, backgrounders, reports.

Investigate feasibility of uploading brief video clips of activities as resource for television news broadcast. Would require in-house capability and equipment

d. Produce non-technical concept and design plans in reader-friendly format for clear reproduction in media, publications, consultation materials. Applies to staff and consultants.

e. Require technical staff to provide all relevant background information with media release briefs and, where possible, quality photographs.

(Note: The need to chase basic information impacts productivity of communication staff).

8 Increase Council profile as leaders in, and active members of the community.

This will support Council’s overall leadership role and, therefore, its corporate values.

a. Encourage appropriate staff to offer speaking engagements and educational workshops at community/service group gatherings.

As this supports staff development, consider training/coaching in public speaking.

b. Encourage appropriate staff to draft feature articles for major industry and trade publications.

Communication unit assesses interest at target publication,edits copy, manages distribution.

c. Encourage staff to deliver conference papers by funding attendance if papers are accepted. (Builds Council profile among peer organisations and peak industry bodies.)

d. Establish Council presence at key community markets on weekend preceding and following Local Government week (talk to a planner, worm farming, native plants, sustainability).

Use displays, provide information and consider prizes, e.g. Win a Worm Farm.

e. Promote next elections through media, Tweed Link and workshops to raise interest in running for Council, with the aim of broadening interest and accessibility by de-mystifying the process.


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Figure 1. Themes and Key Messages, ref. 11.2 /6b above

The Themes and Key Messages are suggested and can be refined over time or as needs dictate. Programs and projects may cross between themes, but should be aligned with the most logical for the purpose, or with the theme that needs stronger reinforcement. Ultimately, the aim is to articulate theoutcomes (the themes) that Council is working for.

THEMES KEY MESSAGE

A strong and active community

(e.g. parks and recreation, community services, participation, accessibility)

Improving residents’ safety and well being (to build a strong and active community)

Supporting cultural life (to foster a strong community)

Working together to …

Improving residents’ quality and enjoyment of life to …

A safe and prosperous shire

(e.g. community and road safety, roadworks, economic development, infrastructure)

Providing residents with high quality services (to develop a safe and prosperous shire)

Creating local employment opportunities (to develop a strong and prosperous shire)

Helping our community live/travel safely to …

Keeping our community on the move to …

A progressive and well-managed shire

(governance, infrastructure, economic development – could also link to other areas, e.g. LEPs)

Planning that balances social, environmental and economic needs (to shape a prosperous and well managed shire)

Building essential infrastructure (to support a progressive and well-managed shire)

Constantly improving the way we work to …

Serving our customers and community to …

A sustainable and healthy environment

(e.g. water, catchment management, land use planning)

Managing growth for now and the future (to ensure a sustainable and healthy environment)

Protecting and enhancing our natural assets (to ensure a sustainable and healthy environment)

Encouraging residents’ to do their part to …

Figure 2. Linking to the Big Picture

Identify target audiences and stakeholders

Identify project impacts, issues, benefits, actions

Identify Theme & Key Messages to link activity tothe ‘Big Picture’

Weave theme & messages into communication material


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11.3 Organisational Capability


9 Build staff skills toimprove organisationalcommunication capability.

Communication is a shared responsibility across Council, with the communications unit responsible for overall direction, media, major communications and issues management.

a. Establish an integrated work unit responsible for corporate communication, festivals and events, the website and public participation to maximise collaboration and value of staff skills.

a. i One additional FTE; other positions relocated from within current establishment. See detail, Appendix 1.

a. ii Redevelop all communication unit PDs to clarify responsibilities, accountabilities, skills required. Review levels.

b. Develop annual corporate training program, with guidance in writing communication materials, web copy and plain English customer letters.

Training should be repeated for all relevant staff each year to reinforce quality guidelines and use of support tools.

c. Produce a corporate Style Guide for Writing (example at Appendix 2). Use for training and make available on intranet to develop a common corporate “voice” and simplified writing style

d. Establish Communication Group comprising communication “champions” in relevant work units.

Regular meetings to build cross-organisational links; identify barriers, opportunities, expand awareness and skills.

e. Maintain and develop skills of communication staff through

ongoing training and exposure to new practices and directions.

Attendance at professional training programs and conferences. Develop library of reference materials and subscribe to professional publications.

10 Provide the systems, processes and tools to support staff development, skills and commitment.

Assists all staff to improve communication skills and awareness and results in greater productivity for Communication staff.

a. Introduce communication planning into budget and management planning cycle to identify priorities and directions for the year; enable resource planning; minimise last minute demands and amount of reactive work; evaluate cross-promotion opportunities. (See Communication Planning Schedule, Appendix3).

Plan longer term campaigns to address community education and behavioural change issues; analyse and action issues arising from research and feedback.

b. Ensure formal and informal project management includes communication planning as an essential part of the process that


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10 continued:

Provide the systems, processes and tools to support staff development, skills and commitment.

.

is addressed in budget.

Identifies the need for multi-part campaigns or one-off activity and where there is a need to begin building public awareness about complex policy issues.

c. Evaluate all significant communication plans and selected one-off communications to determine effectiveness and impact. (Example template provided at Appendix 4.)

Evaluation methods to be determined at planning stage –requests for information, attendance, uptake of materials, feedback, etc.

d. Develop a Communications section with policy and toolkit on intranet for easy reference by staff.

Include corporate identity and writing style guides, relevant communication templates; tips on writing and design advice for in-house publications.

e. Progressively develop an intranet photographic library as a resource for use in Council communications.

e. i Develop an Image Release Form for people whose images may be used publicly in Council communication or on the web.

f. Ensure all publications are written or endorsed by the Communications unit to ensure quality control; provide direction; and manage the corporate view of communication.

Liaise with Communications unit for input prior to beginning work and for editing and approval at draft stage.

g. Develop on-line Publication Request Form for all communication tools, identifying owner, subject, date, objective, estimated and actual costs, distribution methods, budget number).

Requests sent to Communications.

Improves standards and quoting process; enables tracking of all publications produced.

h. Establish panel of providers for desktop publishing, graphic design and print work and encourage their exclusive use. Limit in-house design work, but provide templates and advice for necessary occasions.

Panel required to conform with corporate identity Style Guide.

i. Disband Communications Committee and implement the skilling, monitoring, evaluation, and feedback mechanisms detailed in this report.

These include on-line comment facilities, community research, citizen panel input, skills development and training, process improvements, management reporting.


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10 continued:

Provide the systems,processes and tools to support staff development, skills and commitment.

j. Introduce annual staff awards for excellence in work practice (indoor staff) and customer service (front line staff) to build pride in achievement.

Nominations by Coordinators and Managers; short listing by directors, awards presented by Mayor or General Manager.

k. Assign Communications an account number in corporate budget to capture, manage and evaluate costs.

11 Develop culture and system of internal communication to improve staff satisfaction, knowledge and understanding of Council activities.

Designed to develop internal culture of communication and learning and support staff in their role as ambassadors in the community.

a. Conduct bi-annual (or more) General Manager briefings to all staff, with relevant officers also presenting on matters of wide relevance and interest.

First meeting following budget adoption to communicate major directions and projects; establish culture and values; build cross organisational links; acknowledge and than staff.

Second meeting before end of year to report on progress, achievements; update on major issues.

b. Conduct team briefings at divisional, departmental and work unit levels to cascade information to all staff. Place “Communication” – internal and external – on CMT, departmental and unit agendas as a standing item. (See Internal Communication Model, Appendix 6.)

Briefings to inform on local issues; provide detail on relevant decisions and major projects; acknowledge progress and achievements; embed good internal communication practice.

c. Develop a weekly e-bulletin (printed for outdoor staff) to provide regular news briefs about significant Council decisions, operational matters, projects, activities and developments relevant to majority of staff.

Items to be brief with detail of how to get more information, if required. Contents at top, with internal page links to article.Incorporate material normally sent to “All Recipients” unless time-critical.

d. Re-develop “The Insider” as a key (monthly) tool to inform about staff achievements and acknowledgements, staff movement, learning and development opportunities, social news, on-the-job human interest snippets. Include outdoor staff activity, interests.

To build organisational spirit and connections between staff; create sense of personal value and respect for others’ achievements. Occasional updates from General Manager and Directors about their activities to promote understanding.

Move responsibility for production to Communications Unit.

e. Develop HR section on web site with staff pictures and brief role description to help reduce “silo” culture and build staff links.


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11 continued:

Develop culture and system of internal communication to improve staff satisfaction, knowledge and understanding of Councilactivities.

f. Develop updated, comprehensive Induction Process to ensure that staff understand how Council operates; who does what; the corporate values; the policies relevant to their work areas.

Consider a biennial refresher for existing staff to embed “the way we do things”.

Consider producing a corporate video that features all areas of Council activity and ensure that departments conduct local induction for new staff, including information about the systems, technologies and policies used.

g. Conduct annual “speak up” staff survey to highlight emerging or ongoing issues and to track culture.

Low cost on-line survey tools available. Off-line surveys for outdoor staff as necessary.

h. Include “Communication” as a competency in performance planning and reviews (along with effectiveness in modelling corporate values) - to place a performance value on communication for all staff.

i. Place “Communication” as a standard inclusion at end of staff reports in Council Business Papers - to ensure that communication needs, impacts and issues have been considered and planned for.


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12 Public Participation

In the context of this document, Public Participation is regarded as a set of actions and efforts, underpinned by a philosophy and set of values, that connect Council and the community in decision-making about policy, program and service issues.

Public participation contributes to developing Community Engagement, wherein citizens are actively involved in the social, political and civic life of their community. Active involvement by citizens is regarded as a hallmark of a healthy community.

The elements of public participation are illustrated in the model developed by the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) and show the progression of public involvement across the spectrum of participation:

Increasing Levels of Public Involvement (IAP2)

Inform Consult Involve Collaborate Empower

For practical purposes, the key stages can be described as:

Information sharing, where the community and stakeholders receive balanced, accurate and relevant information on decisions, policies, plans and strategies. It is often used when Council hasalready made a decision or when there is only one way that Council believes it can progress a project.

Community Consultation, where an active two-way communication relationship exists between Council and the community. At this level, Council seeks feedback on proposals to identify important community issues and perspectives that can influence and assist decision making - actions that havebeen identified as a significant factor in building local trust in a council. Information sharing is a prerequisite for consultation, which is the main focus of this document.

Public Participation, where a collaborative relationship/partnership exists between Council and the community, facilitating involvement in shaping decisions that affect community life. Information sharing and consultation are elements of participation, which also involves forums such as workshops, advisory and steering committees.

Many factors limit the level of involvement possible: State or National legislation may prescribe specific activities; project characteristics may determine what can or should be done. For Tweed, like many councils, the focus is on information and consultation and, in some cases, participation. At no point do these replace the democratic process of decision-making by elected representatives who make the final determinations. They are part of the process and support councillors in their role.

Through information sharing and community consultation, Council can comply with relevant requirements of the Local Government Act 1993. Through increasing participation, Council will align activity with the Community Enabling model of governance supported in its 10 Year Business Plan.

GOALS ANDOBJECTIVES

STRATEGIES

POLICY

CAPABILITY TOOLS & TACTICS

COMMUNITY


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12.1 The Base Line

Council has identified a number of issues with the process and outcomes of its approach to community consultation. These cross the areas of Policy, including guidelines and principles; Process, including internal systems and procedures; Capability, including skills and knowledge; Tools and Tactics. Linking and informing them are a range of perspectives that are the base line around which strategies have been developed. Therefore, it is important that there is general consensus on the following:

12.1.1 Corporate Principles (ref. Item 9):

Council supports the right of citizens to participate in decision making that affects their future and, to that end, will ensure that their concerns and needs are known and considered.


12.1.2 Benefits of effective consultation:

To Council

Builds greater support for resulting plans and policies; reduces potential for conflict at late stage of projects

Identifies challenges and opportunities not previously considered

Provides access to local knowledge about what is likely to work and what is not

Improves communication and transparency

Builds respect for Council by showing interest in, and acting on what citizens think and feel

Builds confidence, respect and support for professional staff

Informed and active electorate can defend democratic processes and help ensure opportunistic and “nimby” views do not prevail

Promotes community development and connections

Increases participation in strategic policy development, not just “backyard” issues.

To the Community

Shows that their opinions matter and they can be involved in decisions that affect them

Contributes local expertise and knowledge to a topic

Enhances Council accountability

Develops understanding of Council activities and processes

Improves access to Council decision makers

Builds knowledge and skills, enabling more effective participation in community life

Individual and group empowerment and confidence – strengthens community networks

Community equipped – informed and active –to defend democratic processes and ensure limited views do not prevail.


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12.1.3 Organisational Requirements:

There is a strong policy commitment to effective consultation and participation

There is an agreed and coordinated approach across all areas

Training and support programs are in place to skill practitioners/staff

Effective tools and processes are developed to guide and assist staff

Consultation methods match organisational capability and readiness

There is a clear understanding of resources needed and commitment to providing them

There are effective information capture and retrieval systems to build a knowledge base

Management has sufficient risk appetite to consult on important but difficult issues

There is a strong commitment to continuous learning through analysis and evaluation.

12.1.4 Challenges:

A number of organisational and community challenges exist and Council recognises that these need mitigation to ensure consultation provides real value to all concerned. Primary among these are:

ISSUE MITIGATION

Citizen uncertainty that their views will be considered - perceived lack of impact.

Be clear about objectives and what is open to negotiation/change and what is not; feedback to participants regarding key issues raised in consultation and impact of their input on proposal/decision.

Participant and staff dissatisfaction with past consultation experiences and processes.

Accept situation and demonstrate improvement to build faith over time. Educate staff on the new approach and the resources. Promote new approach to community.

Issues sometimes presented as a fait accompli creating antagonistic environment.

Do not consult if decision is pre-determined or if consultation appears tokenistic. Take information sharing approach via written or face-to-face communication.

The controversial nature of some areas of consultation, particularly land use planning.

Provide highly skilled facilitator; identify proponents and encourage attendance; identify contentious issues in advance and prepare responses; be clear about reasoning and shortcomings of alternative options.

Conflicting values and objectives amongst participants that cannot always be reconciled.

Skilled facilitator publicly acknowledges and summarises differences, finds areas for agreement/compromise. Aim for representative balance of participants.

Difficulty of getting representative population samples to attend.

Identify all stakeholders in advance and give “pre-advertising” notification of intent to consult; structure consultation methods to suit participant needs; develop comprehensive database of contacts; promote well; use “snowballing” for referrals within target group/s.


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ISSUE MITIGATION

Consultation processes favour the more articulate and visible over those lacking in social and economic status.

Tailor methods to participant needs; use skilled facilitation, accessible language presented in digestible “lumps, easily interpreted graphical material. Enable less formal submissions to be made via mail, telephone, on-line and provide “talking points” in submission forms to assist.

Topic may not appear relevant – until changes affect people directly.

Target affected populations with clear, concise information about how they will be impacted or benefited, what they can do about it and why they should.

Feelings that “we have told you before - why are you asking again?”

Explain what information was obtained from previous consultations, how it has been or will be used, and why the information you need now is different.

Long project time lines cause participants to lose interest, become frustrated with the process, drop out of further stages of consultation.

Clearly explain and graphically map timelines and steps at the first consultation. Record details of participants who want to stay involved and regularly update them on progress and issues.

Internal views that dilute commitment: We don’t have the time, money, staff; people won’t understand the issues; “noisy minorities” will dominate; it may invite trouble or raise expectations.

Effective systems, processes, staff skills and planning methods will increase confidence. Reinforce policy commitment regularly and communicate positive outcomes internally.

12.1.5 Areas for consultation:

Although the decision about undertaking Consultation is specific to the issue at hand, it should generally be considered for:

Major strategies and policies, particularly concerning land use

Targeted policies and strategies (place or issue-based)

Operational and service issues and performance

Works in the public realm

Known community concern about an issue

Proposed policies or plans likely to have significant impact on shire lifestyle or environment

Proposals requiring significant redirection of funds

Understanding of community needs, priorities or values to support planning

Resolving differences and exchanging feedback

Situations where there is a need to cooperatively formulate solutions.

12.1.6 General Guidelines:

Timing

Participation should not occur so late that it becomes tokenistic or merely confirms decisions already made. Activity should occur when citizens have the best chance of influencing outcomes.


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Access

Participation should be accessible to all groups and individuals in the target population. They should be carefully identified and be as representative as possible. Consultation methods should suit the issue, circumstances and participant characteristics. Technical staff should ensure that resource materials are easy to read and understand – and of a high quality.

Effectiveness

Be clear about how decisions will be made and how input will impact decision making. Make resource materials easy to read and understand and give participants the opportunity to become well-informed. Planning should be done well in advance, with the method matching the scope and issue being consulted on. Enable most people to satisfy their needs at the first consultation exercise; continue informing those who express interest in later consultations.

Relevance

There should be a strong likelihood that some recommendations emerging from the process will be adopted. If they are not, a public explanation should be provided to develop faith in the process. The impacts or benefits should be made clear and real to people.

Resourcing

Skilled facilitation is essential to ensure the process is fair and not dominated by a narrow group of participants. Staff facilitators should be well-trained and able to take an independent stance. As skills and internal systems develop, processes will become more time and cost effective.

Evaluation

Evaluation methods, both qualitative and quantitative, should be developed to assess the value of the consultation and identify areas for improvement. Feedback to the community after consultation is over, and when final decisions are made, is essential. Learn from each consultation


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12.1.7 Participation Planning Cycle

Consistent and comprehensive planning, supported by clear processes, is perhaps the greatest influencing factor in improving outcomes and return on the investment Council makes in consultation. The ability to store and access information will streamline and improve the quality of planning.

12.2 Strategies

The following strategies are grouped in the areas of policy, organisational capability and community, with key actions, tactics and tools detailed where appropriate.

Clarify purpose & advise Communications Unit of intent

Data from previous consultations and research

Policy, planning tools and templates

Determine clear, measurable objectives and timing

Identify target populations to involve

Consult with internal stakeholders

Determ

ine staff, financial, physical resources needed

Decide on

evaluation m

echanisms

Finalise plan, obtain approval,

record details

Confirm form/s of consultation to be

conducted and timelines

Seek input from Communication

staff

Conduct consultation

activities

Eva

luat

e in

put

and

outc

omes

–gi

ve fe

edba

ck

Review process and capture learnings

Stored referencematerial

PARTICIPATION PLANNING CYCLE Figure 12.1.7a


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12.3 Policy


1 Develop a Public Participation policy and resource base that provides clear and comprehensive direction to all staff involved.

a. Develop a new Public Participation Policy that reflects directions proposed in this document.

b. Develop a Public Participation Planning Guide that includes:

definitions; principles; guidelines and requirements for conducting consultation; description of consultation methodologies, with examples and advice about their application

a planning template with checklist to ensure key aspects of the consultation are considered and recorded; an IAP2 impact assessment matrix; a tactics matrix indicating what tools should be considered according to level of impact.

The Tool Kit should provide the information required, but be as succinct as possible to ensure its utility to daily activities.

(Note: These elements need not be developed from scratch asexcellent examples are available for modification from various local governments, Warringah, Darebin, Liverpool and Parramatta among them.)

c. Educate relevant staff on the policy and toolkit and ensure their understanding and commitment (mandatory) to using it.

d. Make Resource Manual available on the intranet for staff reference. When Manual is first used for a consultation, make the policy and a brief outline of the Tool Kit available on the web.

12.4 Organisational Capability


2 Centralise the management and coordination of Council’s Public Participation program for greater consistency, effectiveness and utilisation of skills.

a. Establish an expanded Communications unit responsible for the management of marketing communication, festivals and events, media, the web and public participation.

(Note: The structure of this unit, mentioned previously in Communication, is detailed at Appendix 1. The unit should work closely with all departments involved in consultation.)

3 Develop cross-departmental knowledge, expertise and involvement in public participation.

a. Establish a Public Participation Reference Group comprising “champions” from departments involved in the process to monitor and review progress; identify improvements; provide reports to CMT; ensure collaboration across relevant work units.

(Note: At least one group member should attend all consultation activities to learn and evaluate.)


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b. Progressively train group members through organisations such as the IAP2 and flow this to other staff through mentoring and advice. (Train two members each year.)

c. Delegate tasks involved in developing the Public Participation Framework to group members to support learning and collaboration.

d. Join existing public participation government networks and invite skilled practitioners to attend occasional meetings to exchange information and knowledge.

e. Develop a Participation resource on the intranet to include policy and tool kit, electronic planning templates and matrices, and a database to log consultation information for ongoing reference:

Completed plans, outcomes, evaluation, participant details. Summarise knowledge gained about local issues, history, attitudes, demographics, pressure groups and “power brokers”.

4 Consolidate the conduct of consultation activities within Council and external specialists.

a. Limit the conduct of public consultation to skilled staff and a panel of local facilitators. Use of specialists while Council training is underway will provide interim (and ongoing) support and a learning opportunity for interested staff. External facilitators may also be used in situations where Council needs to be at “arm’s length” from the consultation.

Develop requirements and advertise and Expression of Interest for skilled local facilitators.

Council staff should undertake the planning wherever possible; alternatively, project consultants should use Council processes and provide all relevant information to Council for recording and reference.

(Note: Details would be negotiated with external project consultants to ensure access to information, availability of materials and presence of technical representative, as required.)

5 Ensure awareness, consistency and importance of consultation planningwithin Council.

Ensure awareness, consistency and importance of consultation planningwithin Council.

a. Introduce consultation planning into budget and management planning cycle to enable resource planning.

Require that all relevant staff are educated on policy and Tool Kit and that consultation plans have Director approval.

b. Ensure all internal stakeholders are consulted as shown inFigure 12.1.7a to avoid over-consultation with any one group or area; identify internal scheduling conflicts and external consultation opportunities (e.g. community event).

c. Place “Consultation” as a standard inclusion at end of Council Business Papers to confirm internal consultation has occurred and to provide early advice to other stakeholders.

d. Inform staff of planned and current consultations through weekly e-bulletin (see Marketing Communication); brief front line staff and provide relevant public documents.


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12.5 Community


6 Establish a community resource for ongoing feedback and comment to Council.

a. Recruit interested members of the community into a Citizens’ Panel, aiming for a representative group of approx. 500 – 800members. (Seek avenues, e.g. “snowballing” to increase numbers in under-represented areas.)

Purpose: Provide considered input regarding plans, priorities, services, performance, consultations. Involve in, surveys, polls, focus groups as desirable. Particularly useful for broad brushstroke perspectives on issues.

Structure panel into four geographical groups: Tweed Heads and Tweed Heads South, the coastal villages, Murwillumbah and the rural villages. Involve in area-specific and shire-wide issues.

Enter details into searchable database (by age group, interest, location, preferred method of contact and avenue for comment). Enable database to also capture details of those who have participated in a consultation – for feedback and/or further information about consultations (ref. Strategy 3/e above).

Investigate incorporating Community Directory information into database to develop a consolidated contact register.

Key staff, including members of the Participation Group, to meet with each locality group during the year to maintain momentum and stimulate information sharing. All should be invited to at least one Council function each year, e.g. Volunteers’ Day.

Maintain contact through regular e-newsletters about current consultations/outcomes of past consultations, community research, and other areas of common interest.

(Note: A detailed information kit from Parramatta City Council, including manual, enrolment form, example report, example newsletter to panel is attached for reference.

7 Build awareness of, and interest in participation through alternative channels.

a. Develop an e-participation section on the website to include:

Information about current and recent consultations.

Participation Policy and summary of the new approach.

Build awareness of, and interest in participation through alternative channels.

Information on how to participate via elections, Community Access, Citizens’ Panel, Consultations, Matters for Public Comment; Management Plan and Budget, FOI.

b. Enable interactivity to comment via web on Council services, performance, priorities, decisions.

c. Conduct online surveys, as required, using inexpensive survey software (also used for staff surveys).

a. Enable blogging for consultations in progress.


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8 Review current approach to providing input and feedback; making submissions and comments –particularly on development issues.

To encourage submissions, include thinking points/topics to stimulate and improve quality of input – specify deadlines.

b. Provide information and web form to enable submissions through the website e-consultation section – specify deadlines.

c. Provide dedicated email address for comment during individual consultations.

d. Consider a telephone Hot Line for high impact projects –investigate automation (leave contact details for call back) or staffing by existing or casual staff (university social planning or marketing students).

e. Monitor comments and submissions to identify trends and issues. In all cases, request contact details to provide feedback and promote further opportunities for participation.


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13 Customer Service

Along with increasing pressure for greater productivity, flexibility and transparency, State Government guidelines and legislation require that local government adopt a much stronger customer andcommunity focus.

Customers no longer excuse poor performance. They have experienced great service from other successful enterprises and want the same – or a reasonable approximation - from government. This has created a need for Council to develop a stronger customer focused culture and service delivery model. This is supported by the Principles detailed in Item 9:

Council recognises that customers require and deserve prompt, courteous, accurate and efficient service in all their dealings with the organisation.


13.1 Current Situation

The Corporate Relations Report, the internal Administrative Review and initial recommendations of the 10 Year Business Plan have all raised the need for Council to develop an effective customer service solution. Staff interviewed during these developments have also supported the move, noting the significant shortcomings of the present arrangement.

Clearly, Council is unequipped to effectively manage existing customer service demands, and will fall further behind the faster the shire grows.

This strategy does not detail current limitations, which have already been identified, but outlines the benefits, requirements and steps that should now be taken toward developing a full service customer contact centre.

It should be noted that establishment costs are significant and while many benefits and efficiencies will be realised in the short term, they will continue accruing over time.

13.2 The Desirable Future

Within three years, Council will have a full service customer contact centre that manages the significant majority of all customer interactions and transactions through its consolidated counter services, call centre, the web and email.

Its staff will be highly trained, with great interpersonal and technology skills, and will be respected across the organisation.

New systems and technologies will have improved capability and capacity, and knowledge management will be enhanced across the organisation. Productivity will be increased through improved and new processes.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

STRATEGIES

POLICY

CAPABILITY TOOLS & TACTICS

COMMUNITY


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The organisation will be more resilient, having demonstrated its flexibility and capacity for major change. Staff will have greater confidence in their ability to make and manage change.

Customers will rate highly the quality of the customer service they receive and appreciate the investment Council has made in them and their needs.

13.3 The Benefits

For Council, the singular benefits are that a dedicated customer service function can reduce costs, increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction and support. It can be the catalyst to make improvements across the entire organisation and increase the quality of all services. And it will improve Council’s public image and reputation.

More specifically, it can:

Free professional staff to concentrate on their core duties without being diverted by the need to handle routine enquiries and transactions.

Reduce frustration and time spent by staff juggling enquiries and requests outside their area of expertise, thereby increasing job – and customer satisfaction.

Reduce the time spent per customer interaction – on the phone and in person.

Initiate process improvements that streamline the way people work and develop new processes that deliver better service faster.

Accelerate the development and adoption of new information and knowledge management systems that bring productivity gains across Council.

Propel the expansion of on-line services (eBusiness) and bring greater customer focus to the website.

Spur integration between departments and a more outward focus across the organisation.

Provide the focus for an evolving organisational culture with a strong customer service ethos.

Reduce customer frustration with not knowing where to get information, receiving inaccurate or insufficient information and feeling that they are getting the “run-around”.

Enable customers to complete most of their business, whether that is an enquiry, service request or financial transaction, at the first point of contact, thereby increasing satisfaction.

Over time, constrain growth in departmental staff numbers.

13.4 Key Pre-requisites

Introducing this new function will be a major change that will impact all areas of the organisation and there will be resistance in some quarters. There may be concern about directing resources into a new function when existing areas are already feeling strain; fear that it will come to mean that “the customer is always right”; and a lack of understanding about its real value. Therefore, it will requirestrong and demonstrated commitment at the executive and corporate management team levels.

Being information-dependent, it will require the digitising of records, data cleansing, a reliable cadastre and good systems interoperability. As this is an organisational requirement, it is recommended that contractors/consulltants be engaged to speed the process.

The investment, although staged, will be significant both in terms of capital and operating costs, and management should commit to fully implementing each stage at a scheduled time. Full efficiencies will not be truly realised until all contact points are managed, but it will take considerably longer if a piecemeal approach is taken, with momentum and enthusiasm lost as a result.


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13.4.1 Information gathering

To determine system and resource requirements, information is needed about the phone calls received by Council each day at all relevant facilities. Without it, there is no realistic way to determine the hardware required for agents (call centre operators); how many lines are required (Council would transition to using a single number); what types of calls are received; what times are busiest; or what telephone system or enhancements are appropriate.

a. Therefore, a simple call register should be developed, with all staff instructed to log all calls received over a period of three weeks. Each department would develop a list of call types for their area (request for mowing, information about park facilities, opening hours, payments, etc.) and logthe details: time of call, call type, and whether the call was completed, transferred or unresolved.

The burden this places on staff is recognised, however, the data is essential for planning.

According to information in the Administrative review, some parts of Council receive 300 calls per day, though no other information is available. A very rough estimate, based on Council size and shire population is that the number would be anywhere from 100,000 to 125,000 per annum. Of those, calls that would be transferred directly from the call centre would be either personal, for a specific business contact, or of a type not handled in the centre (e.g. highly technical). In those cases, however, the agent would perform a “warm transfer”, asking the caller’s name and nature of the call to inform the recipient or to identify if the agent can manage the call at that point.

b. Staff should be advised that the use of voicemail, where available, is preferred so that unanswered calls can also be registered. This should continue as an interim customer service measure until the call centre is operating. (Note: With a functioning call centre, voicemail should be restricted and all phones answered. Agents waiting on the end of an unanswered or “voicemailed” phone will waste their time and the caller’s.)

c. Staff on all counters at Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads should maintain a similar register to determine the walk-in traffic, for which there are no statistics.

d. At the end of the recording period, average total daily numbers and numbers per hour can be estimated. Analysis of call types will show which are most common, to prioritise requirements for information collection: Q and As, procedures and policies, regulations by enquiry type. It will also point to which processes are missing and which require streamlining. (Over time, call centre agents will become an increasingly valuable source of this information: handling many calls of the same types will reveal where processes are lacking.)

e. Due to Tweed’s proximity to South-East Queensland, it is recommended that the DirectorTechnology and Corporate Services begin establishing networks within the region, specifically with the Australian Teleservices Australia (Qld) network, the peak industry body for contact centres and a great source of information, advice and contacts. Further, attendance at their national conference at the Gold Coast, September 17 – 19 is highly recommended.

(The NSW Local Government Customer Service Network is another well-regarded group, suggested contact Pauline Webb, Customer Service Manager, City of Canada Bay – DataWorks system.)

13.5 Evolving the culture

Developing a culture that values customer service is essential to the organisation’s success and that of its contact centre. While a plan for cultural change is outside the brief of this strategy, some key actions are recommended:

a. That the General Manager begins a process of communication with staff, using the system outlined in Section 10, Marketing Communication, to inform and educate staff on the new corporate vision, mission and, particularly, the values.


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b. That during this process, staff be advised that Council is considering the establishment of a full service contact centre: why, how and what it will mean to staff.

c. That, as a later part of this process, a schedule of meetings to accommodate all staff be developed and a dynamic speaker (such as Steve Simpson from the Gold Coast) be engaged to talk about customer service.

d. That all PDs, even those slated for review, include as performance measures: values-based behaviours with a focus on customer service; knowledge of the organisation; technology uptake (as appropriate) and compliance with policy and guidelines.

e. That outdoor staff are well-engaged as they are in public view, often under less than ideal circumstances. They need to “walk the talk” and ensure that their work practices meet Council’s own performance and environmental standards. When activity will inconvenience residents, they should notify them in advance – in person or via a standardised letterboxed note of what is occurring, why, and in what time frame.

13.6 Making it happen

The Corporate Relations Strategy does not present a detailed implementation plan, which is outside the scope of its brief; however, it does detail the key elements and issues involved in establishing an integrated customer service function and gives broad direction on sequencing the major phases and key steps. It provides a detailed view of requirements that Council will consider in determining the preferred direction for customer service.

13.6.1 The Model

Web-based services are the most efficient and cost effective for Council, followed by call centre, then face-to-face services. However, the overwhelming customer preference now, and into the near future, will be for personal contact. Therefore, the recommendation is that Council concentrate first on its call centre, which will realise the greatest benefits faster, and this should be established in the first financial year.

Call migration describes the way in which a call centre progressively takes responsibility for calls that currently go to the switch, single or hunt group numbers. A call migration plan would need to be developed so that call centre staff are not overwhelmed and have time to build performance, capacity and knowledge. This would likely take three months. Areas of highest demand that will make the most impact on customers and on professional staff time should be prioritised.

The aim would be to migrate current in-person contact to more convenient call centre services over time. This means developing a close and efficient counter service that is not designed to grow in size. While most councils have first concentrated on expanding counter services, this is generally because

it is the lowest change option, requiring less initial investment, but delivering fewer benefits. It is a cautious approach, but one that only delays the inevitable.

Counter service at Tweed Heads, which is the larger business centre, should have second priority, followed by Murwillumbah counter services. (Discussion about additional contact points follows later in Physical Environment.) These phases should be scheduled to go live in year two, although benefits will already be flowing to counters as staff will already be cross-skilled.

Once call centre operations are bedded down and while counter services are being re-developed, there should be a focus on progressively expanding web services in a manner that does not negatively affect call centre priorities. Major development should occur in years two and three.

The preferred hierarchy for contact is “go online, call us, come in and see us” and that should be Council’s longer term direction. However customer behaviours and preferences dictate that the short term solution be “call us, come in, go online” and the medium term be “call us, go online, come in”.


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13.6.2 The People

Contact centre staff are the heart of the operation and the face of Council; unless they are the right people with the right attitude, skills and knowledge, success will be severely compromised.

The Administrative Review identified a number of opportunities to staff the contact centre from within Council. While this would be preferable, and internal staff should be considered first, it is not recommended that compromises be made.

Contact staff need to be able to learn quickly and manage stress; adhere to processes; have excellent computer skills; be reliable and team-oriented; have good interpersonal skills that can be made great; be service-oriented with a willingness, interest and commitment to providing excellent service. Disposition, behavioural and attitudinal qualities are therefore more important than existing skills, which can be learned where the capacity exists.

So important are the characteristics of good contact centre staff that their recruitment is a specialised field. While recruitment costs are therefore higher, the worth has been demonstrated beyond dispute. This is something Council should consider, particularly in engaging its first, and most important, intake.

While it may mean an initial increase in FTE, natural attrition over time and re-deployment, if necessary, would restore balance and help to constrain growth.

Further assistance will be needed, however, during the planning and set-up periods. A suitably experienced professional would be required for a relatively short duration to develop a detailed implementation plan in consultation with Council staff. Another (or the same) equally qualified professional would be required for an implementation period of up to three months to manage pre-, “go- live”, and post-implementation periods. This person should be teamed with a highly capable member of staff seconded to the project, to assist and gain knowledge that can be retained within the organisation. This staff member would also benefit from involvement in implementation planning.

Those required for each project could be consultants or customer service coordinators/call centre managers seconded from another council, the latter being preferable.

13.6.3 The Structure

The rough assessment is that seven staff will be needed for the call centre. This is based on an early estimate of call volumes and considers shrinkage (RDOs, sick and annual leave, training). An additional three would be required for Murwillumbah counter operations and three for Tweed Heads.

All these staff should be cross-skilled to work on counter and telephone to manage peak time and place demands. Implications for cross-skilling are noted below, under Training and in Operating Environment.

Of the seven at Murwillumbah, one would be a Coordinator, responsible for managing all aspects of operations at Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads and reporting to the Director Corporate Services. One of the remaining six, one would initially need to be team leader (two may prove necessary), working counters and telephones, but also taking responsibility for making on-the-spot decisions, coaching, mentoring. One of the three at Tweed Heads should also be a team leader. While this structure may appear somewhat top-heavy, the needs will be there – and missed if not in place at the outset.

It is strongly recommended that the staff complement comprise both full and part time workers as this will provide the greatest flexibility. If staff are absent and coverage is required, it is much easier to ask a part timer to fill the gap. This arrangement would also match the needs of a wide range of capable workers whose lives do not suit full time work.

Position Descriptions for staff in an indicative council contact centre have been provided previously.


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13.6.4 Training

The quality of staff is such a critical success factor that initial training, ongoing training, monitoring and coaching have a higher priority in this environment than most others.

If well-planned, the initial staff intake could be trained by a combination of the external resource, a Registered Training Organisation, and work unit staff who can educate agents on their activities and processes. Training would include the what and how to of services delivered by each department; training in the various software systems used by Council, telephone techniques, customer management skills, teamwork and rostering, conflict resolution, complaints management and usage of telephone codes and reporting systems.

Staff will require ongoing training as work units introduce new products, policies, events, and change procedures. Their competencies and skills need to be monitored, with coaching and guidance available.

Tweed Heads staff operate in a difficult environment, removed from central support structures, but faced with high customer demand. Therefore, they would need full involvement in the trainingprogram, which would be run from one central location. They would also need exposure to the call centre environment. (This could be delayed until Murwillumbah staff are trained, which would allow coverage in Tweed Heads while those staff attend training.)

13.6.5 Information and Systems

Determining Council’s telephony system requirements (including call management information system, call recording capability, call routing, soft phones, VOIP etc.) and hardware will be the responsibility of its IT specialists and no attempt is made to detail those requirements here. (Note: IVR is not recommended except where external circumstances cause high call volumes about the same topic, e.g. water outages, or internal situations cause long delays in call answering. Then, a recorded message is appropriate as the call opens.)

The key IT systems that manage property, land, people and addresses are Dataworks and Proclaim. It is noted that both of these are now Technology One products and Council should be moving to Name and Address Registers that are integrated and quality assured.

Within DataWorks, staff can record customer details, attach workflow tasks, report on each customer contact and monitor the status of a work request. The addition of Webforms and its associated workflows is said to automate business processes and improve response times, while the addition of Access allows customers to make web requests that are submitted directly to DW.

Perhaps more important than the telephony or IT systems is the knowledge itself. Because staffcannot be expected to remember everything about how the myriad of requests are handled, and because this information is constantly changing, a knowledge repository will need to be developed. Agents must be able to quickly access this knowledge repository confident that what they find is complete, accurate and current.

Analysis of calls logged during the research phase and further discussion with staff will result in a wealth of information that should be prioritised to produce a “hit list” of the most important. (Lower priority information can be progressively added.) This should then be used to develop an A – Z directory of products, services, policies and procedures. The directory will be the lifeline for customer service staff, linking the knowledge of work unit staff to customer service through to the customer.

With a customer on the line, there is no time for double-checking against other sources, sothe A – Z should be the single source of information. Work units would need to update content as soon as a change was made, while agents would need to be able to correct apparent errors.


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Although the information repository can be stored on the network, a section of the intranet is preferable. It needs logical structure and navigation paths and a well-designed search engine that is fast and easy to use. Without this, agents will not be able to find required information during the limited duration of a customer's call.

13.6.6 Policies, Processes and Procedures

Once the “hit list” of information priorities becomes clear, work unit staff should critically examine the related processes and, if they are not lean, clear and customer-oriented, they should change them. If processes aren’t documented and rely on memory or individual judgement, that should change now.

Likewise, when customer service staff are engaged, they will need to establish their own processes and procedures such as cash handling, call handling, reporting, dealing with difficult or abusive customers, coaching and call monitoring, work scheduling, training, and fulfilment (mailing requested brochures, reports, plans). The Customer Service Charter and Complaints Policy should also be reviewed to align procedures with the new operating environment.

From the people to the processes and policies, the training, technology, the physical environment, performance measures and targets, right through to service evaluation, there are extensive requirements for information. However, much of it is already available. The customer service “industry” is highly accessible and help is available from many sources. Particularly relevant are other local councils and their state-wide customer service networks that are generally very willing to share their information, which Council can adapt and modify to suit its needs.

13.6.7 Operating Environment

a. It is recommended that the call centre be established at Murwillumbah as this is where it will have the greatest cultural impact; where it can best establish the necessary cross-departmental collaboration; and where the systems operate most effectively.

Certainly, Tweed Heads or the Tweed Coast would be more accessible to a larger labour pool, and a future move should be considered (say, within five years when call centre refurbishment or expansion may be needed) in line with needs to base other services in other locations.

b. The design of the call centre should preferably be done by a firm experienced in the area, with input from staff and a call centre professional. Murwillumbah’s “one-stop-shop” should also be designed at this time.

The number of work stations should be based on the ideal mix of full and part time workers (whose paths may cross during busy periods), with an allowance for growth.

Given the fast-paced environment where staff are constantly “on”, industry Workplace Health and Safety standards call for a “break out” room where staff can de-compress without leaving the immediate environment.

c. Expanding Council’s counter service presence is not recommended as this avenue should becomeprogressively less important. However, it would be wise to make some allowance for co-location of a part-time resource in a coast library or other central facility Council may consider establishing.

d. The Murwillumbah foyer will need to be re-designed to accommodate a fully-functioning “one-stop-shop” and some minor re-design may benefit the Tweed Heads office.

e. Allowance should be made in counter design to accommodate a planner to handle DA lodgements. “Para planners” can perform most of the required functions, if they are considered in that department’s staffing. It is recommended that this service be offered during specific periods, say, for two hours each morning and afternoon.


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Whether building services needs a similar arrangement needs to be carefully considered. Counter staff may be able to deal with many enquiries, with professional staff on call and able to meet at a discreet table or in a room such as now exists in the Murwillumbah foyer.

e. Kiosk services have been raised as a possibility and while they extend access, they do not necessarily improve it and are not currently as effective as any of the three mechanisms discussed here. Further, they do not reach a market not already served by a superior method. Therefore, kiosks are not a recommended investment at this point.

f. The call centre should operate during office hours, with after hours calls routed to an external provider as currently occurs, although these arrangements should be reviewed to ensure a quality match.

g. Counter services should open at the same time but close 15 minutes early to allow for cash balancing, additional receipting and other closing tasks.

h. Once a month, on the day of week with the lowest number of customer contacts, counters should open one hour later or close an hour earlier to allow time for team meetings which are essential for communications and team building. The call centre would need to operate with a skeleton staff during this time and back-up administrative support would be needed on reception.

i. Because of the specialised nature of work in customer service, a local area agreement would need to be negotiated to allow for variation in working arrangements, giving greater flexibility and capacity to handle customer requests when they are at their highest peaks.

This would mean staggering start and finish times, different lunch periods of 30 minutes with two x 10 minute rest periods throughout the day, but no change in overall full time hours.

j. Working arrangements should also address the need to rotate staff between the Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads operations. These staff can learn much from each other and should be equallyskilled and knowledgeable about operations in both locations. Local area agreements would need to address this, particularly as the new Customer Service Officer roles would be sufficiently different from current roles as to require different skill and competency sets – and a new PD.

13.6.8 Implementation Steps

Although an implementation plan should list and timeline all activities in detail, the major year one steps will be to:

Begin collecting data on telephone and walk-in traffic

Clarify that the pre-requisites are in place

Begin the process of evolving the culture

Develop the detailed implementation plan

Clarify system/technology requirements and begin development/enhancement/testing

Engage designer/architect for call centre and future counter arrangements

Begin developing the knowledge base

Identify “hot spots” and start streamlining or documenting processes

Recruit staff

Train staff

Test all call centre systems and processes

“Go live” in the call centre according to migration plan


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Complete full migration.

13.6.9 Evaluation

Both counter and call centre services will need to develop a range of performance targets for reporting, evaluation, staff and service improvement. In its early phases, the Grade of Service (GOS) target for the call centre would likely be 70/30; meaning staff would aim to answer 70% of calls within 30 seconds. With the call centre operating at its optimum, the GOS target would be 80/20.

Another key target is call resolution rate and the call centre should aim to resolve 80% of call enquiries/requests at the first contact point.

Reports should also be produced to identify the number of work requests logged, delivery times against service standards, requests completed, uncompleted and in progress.

Effectiveness of the integrated customer service approach should be measured and tracked in the previously recommended annual residents’ surveys, online feedback and Citizen Panel surveys.

The customer service unit should also encourage customers to complete feedback forms following counter transactions and the call centre should regularly conduct call-backs to survey customers who have used this service.

Wider evaluations should be made during annual performance reviews of all staff and the previously recommended staff surveys should be used to track the evolution of culture.


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APPENDIX 1 - Communications Unit Structure:

To ensure Council has the capacity to innovate, it needs staff with specialised skills in marketing communication, brand management, strategy planning and development, customer relationship management, issues management, public relations, communication, media and copywriting.

It also needs skills in, and centralised coordination of its public participation activities. As participation and consultation require many of the same skill sets, management and planning for this function should reside in the Communications unit.

As previously discussed, the web needs leadership with a strong communications and customer focus, which is found in the Communications unit. The website administrator should, therefore, be re-assigned to the Communications unit, but continue to liaise closely with IT on technical matters.

Finally, the management and conduct of events and festivals, whether they are Council or community activities, requires many similar and complementary skills. Greatest opportunity to leverage these skills and provide support would be realised by transferring the festivals management function from Community Services to the Communications unit.

Given the extended scope of activity and responsibilities for the unit, marketing support will clearly be needed and it is recommended that this resource be allocated to the unit from within the organisations’ existing administrative pool (should relevant recommendations of the Administrative Review proceed). While it is projected that this would need to be a full-time position, a job split should be trialled initially to allow a thorough evaluation of needs. The role would need a motivated individual with strong organisational, communication and computer skills (see Responsibilities, following).

The new structure would comprise five full time positions (an increase of one FTE) and one (initially) part time marketing support officer. Specifically, this would mean:

Re-designing the Civic Liaison Officer role to create a Marketing Communication Coordinator/Manager role

Creating a Public Relations/Participation Officer role Retaining the Journalist role but with a revised position description Part-time marketing support from the current staff complement, possibly progressing to a

second FTE to assist across the unit, particularly with consultation and events management. Transferring the web administrator position to Communications Transferring the festivals officer role to Communications.

The result would be one integrated unit with complementary responsibilities and skills that are currently spread across the organisation. The quality and quantity of service would immediately be improved, as would productivity and outcomes.

The increase in costs associated with the new position should be covered by savings realised in ending the outsourcing of community consultation, which is estimated to be a significant cost. Although not easily quantifiable, further efficiencies would be realised by freeing up much of the time that other staff, who have other responsibilities and skill sets, now spend on specialised marketing communication activities.

No change in the line of reporting is proposed and the Coordinator/Manager should work with the General Manager at the strategic level.

Responsibilities:

The Marketing Communication Coordinator/Manager would be responsible for:

Research and development – planning and coordinating community and staff research; actively monitoring developments in the industry and the community; benchmarking; market analysis

Corporate Relations – customer satisfaction management and analysis; improvement strategies


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Brand and image management Strategic communications – identifying internal and external needs and priorities; developing

communication strategies and campaigns; channel management; advertising Management of public participation strategy Campaign implementation for major and multi-part initiatives Business Development – internal and external communication systems, procedures, policy, local

and organisational skills development Preferred provider (panel) arrangements and managing the interface with designers and

contractors Reporting, budget and other management functions.

The Public Relations Officer would be responsible for:

Media planning, management and relations Media kits and releases; copywriting and speechwriting Publications management and video production Sponsorship and civic event management (in consultation with Festivals Officer, as appropriate) Promotional activities Web communications advice and writing Public participation planning, consultation programs advice and assistance Developing and implementing communication plans Planning corporate communications such as the annual report Developing internal communication tools.

The Journalist would be responsible for:

Writing and producing the Tweed Link Assisting with media relations and writing Writing and producing internal communications, including The Insider (monthly) and a weekly

e-bulletin Writing corporate communications such as the annual report

The Marketing Support role would:

Manage scheduling and administration for civic events and provide assistance to festivals Assist with publications requests, approvals and maintain the request register Provide administrative support to the conduct of community consultation programs Maintain registers of consultation activities and identify needs and opportunities Provide desktop publishing and support Liaise with suppliers regarding quotes, billing and production.

The Festivals Officer and Web Administrator positions would work closely with the Coordinator/Manager and the Public Relations Officer. Their role descriptions should be reviewed to ensure the scope of activity and responsibilities are clear and that they are aligned with directions of the new Communications unit.


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Reporting:

Marketing Communication Manager/Coordinator

General Manager

Participation / PR Officer

OrganisationalAdministrative Pool

Web Administrator JournalistFestivals Officer

Marketing Support Officer p/t


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APPENDIX 2 - STYLE GUIDE FOR WRITING

1 INTRODUCTION

Tweed Shire Council is a plain language organisation. Why? It’s simply good business and good customer service.

Plain language reduces frustration for customers and the need for Council to provide follow-up letters, explanations and phone calls. It also shows respect. The use of difficult words, technical jargon, lengthy and convoluted sentences can be interpreted as condescending by a reader and reinforce views that Council operates in another world.

As our language is always changing, and because even strict grammarians cannot always agree on what is right or wrong, this manual is a guide only. It is not intended to impose a single writing style on the organisation, but to provide guidelines that will help staff communicate more clearly and to establish certain conventions that will bring a more consistent style and ‘voice’ to Council communication.

This is important to Council’s image as a professional and credible organisation.

If situations arise where the guidelines compromise text when space is limited (eg. copywriting), or conflict with a publication’s design, then staff should be flexible and use common sense in their writing.

2 TIPS FOR GOOD WRITING

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Would it make sense to someone who doesn’t work for Council? Does it sound heavy-handed, too technical or use ‘legalese’ unnecessarily?

Use simple sentences. Break up complex and compound sentences. Long, involved sentences don’t make you a better writer.

Brevity is the key. Re-read your work and ruthlessly cut what isn’t necessary.

Avoid tautology. Don’t say the same thing twice, as in

‘an innovative, new idea’ ‘a new initiative’

Avoid hyperbole and don’t stretch the truth. Push for facts in your material.

Highlight the benefits to the audience early in the text. Why do they need to know this information? If you want them to do something about it, include a clear call to action.

If you are delivering unwelcome news in a letter, say it up front and follow with your reasons. Readers want to know the bottom line first and then the explanation.

Use active language wherever possible, eg. “The installation of heat shields…” should be rewritten as “installing heat shields…”.

Make your letter, publication or web page look easy to read. Are paragraphs too long? Is there enough white space around the text? Have you used too many different fonts?

When writing emails, avoid capitalising words so you don’t appear to be ‘shouting’ at the reader. (Remember that Council emails are also Council records.)


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Avoid an overly conversational tone or colloquialisms such as ‘pretty good’

3 YOUR AUDIENCE

Before you start to write, particularly promotional copy, always consider the following:

Who are you trying to reach? What does your audience know now? What is their current behaviour? What do you want them to do? Are you trying to inform, educate or encourage your readers? Is there any research that would help you understand your audience better?

Council promotional material goes to a wide and diverse audience and should be written with the broadest possible reach in mind. Language and literacy levels are generally pitched at a reading age of 12 years. Most newspapers use a similar age.

Council letters are generally directed to an individual and should be mindful that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not necessarily desirable, nor is the use of authoritarian, bureaucratic language and dense sentence construction.

Web content is generally casual and friendly because we are trying to engage a wide variety of readers as quickly as possible.

4 STANDARDS AND PREFERENCES

While there may be different views about these standards and preferences, the key is to have a consistent approach across the organisation. The following standard reference works have been used in developing this manual.

Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (comprehensive authority on writing, grammar and punctuation)

The Little Book of Style (easy-access abridged version of above Style Manual)

The Penguin Working Words (takes account of Australian English usage)

The Elements of Style (Strunk & White, 4th Edition)

The Macquarie Dictionary

4.1 Council Voice and Tone

When deciding voice and tone for Council copy, consider:

the topic

communication tool (letter, web page, brochure, etc.)

audience (individual, organisation, specific group of people, broad community)

relationship (most relevant in letter writing where your relationship with the recipient will guide the level of formality you use)

4.1.1 First Person

Appropriate when you are speaking from Council’s point of view.


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“We support equity and diversity in the workplace.”

4.1.2 Second Person

Appropriate to convey a friendlier tone. Use the second person ‘you’ when directly engaging the reader in dialogue about a particular topic or action.

“You are welcome to borrow any library materials if you have a valid library card.”

Addressing the reader directly can often mean a friendlier tone, but don’t alwaysassume the reader is the subject of the document. For example, ‘educating a child’, may be preferable to ‘educating your child’ if the information is also relevant to people without children.

4.1.3 Third Person

Appropriate when describing Council’s activities and stance from an objective point of view.

“Council supports equity and diversity in the workplace.”

Don’t worry about using a combination of first/second/third person voices. It’s quite natural to switch voices when trying to give a human face to Council activities, as seen below.

“Council supports equity and diversity in the workplace (third person). In 2007, we launched our Indigenous employment and training initiative (first person). If you’d like more information about Council’s training policies, please contact us on ….(second person).”

4.1.4 Active Voice

Active sentences – using a ‘doing’ verb rather than a ‘being done’ style of phrase –are direct and precise and should be used in preference to passive sentences.

Active: Council recently developed a media policy.Passive: A media policy was recently developed by Council.

Active: Council is introducing water restrictions.Passive: Water restrictions will be introduced by Council.

Active sentences suggest immediacy and increase how efficiently readers process the information. Passive sentences actually require readers to re-structure the sentence to process its real meaning.

Using a passive voice unnecessarily distances the action from the responsible body. Even if it’s an unpopular decision, using the passive voice doesn’t lessen the impact. The passive voice can also be seen as a ‘weasel’ way of saying something.

4.1.5 Government ‘speak’Government consistently uses words and sentences that are longer than necessary.

“Council will undertake a survey in the near future to determine residents’ views on the implementation of a water reduction plan for the Shire.”


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Always aim to use shorter, more common words and sentence construction.

“Council will soon conduct a survey of residents to learn their views on a water reduction plan.” (We don’t need to say where, for where else but the Tweed would Council do this?)

Using a direct, concise and unambiguous style is perhaps the most important consideration in writing well for Council. We all tend to slip at some time or other, so always review what you’ve written and see how you can simplify it.

4.1.6 Preferred Word Use

Avoid placing ‘the’ in front of ‘Council’, when referring to the organisation and the people who work for it. Use ‘the’, when referring to the elected members.

“At its recent meeting, the Council decided to introduce water restrictions”. “Council staff will inform residents about the details of the new water restrictions.”

Don’t re-word a sentence to unnecessarily include ‘the’.

“It was a Council decision” is correct, but “it was a decision of the Council” uses the passive voice and should be avoided.

Unless you are writing an official document, avoid describing the area as the ‘Tweed Shire’. Call it the ‘Tweed’. Residents don’t associate the work ‘shire’ with where they live. It is a government construct that people relate only to their local council.

“The Tweed’s great beaches are popular with surfers.” is preferred to:

“The Tweed shire’s great beaches are popular with surfers”.

In long sentences or paragraphs, particularly when describing characteristics of the area, there may be times when you need to use the word ‘shire’ to avoid repetitiveness. In these cases, use a small ‘s’. A shire is not a place or organisation, so it should not have a capital.

Of course, the name of the organisation should always be capitalised – Tweed Shire Council.

See Item 8 for a longer list of preferred words and spelling.

4.1.7 Outdated Business Words and Phrases

Although business language is now a lot less formal, outdated business terms are still used without apparent reason. Phrases such as ‘pursuant to our agreement’ or ‘receipt is acknowledged’ are impersonal and rather authoritarian and could alienate your readers.

These examples show how to avoid using such phrases.

Original: Your application form is returned herewith.

Improvement: We are returning your application form.

Original: Council acknowledges receipt of your letter dated 12 March 2005 in relation to the Food Licence Act.


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Improvement: Thank you for your letter of 12 March 2005 about the Food Licence Act.

Aim to use more modern, less bureaucratic sounding language. Readers will appreciate it.

Rather than: Consider:

affix your signature signendeavour tryfurthermore then, also, andhenceforth from now on, from todayhereinafter after thishereby nowherewith enclosedin order to tomoreover and, also, as wellnevertheless but, however, even sonotwithstanding even if, despite, still, yetwhereas butwith regard to on, about, forin relation to on, about, for, regardingon account of becausetherefore so

4.2 Non-discriminatory language

You don't want to offend anyone, so if in doubt, leave it out.

You don't want to exclude anyone, so if in doubt, use a gender-neutral (but not absurdly so) term or think about how you can re-write the sentence.

The names of all nationalities, ethnic and racial groups (eg. American, Nigerian) should be spelled with a capital letter when referring to a specific group.

References to ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ do not require capitals unless already part of a title.

4.3 Street speak

Avoid the use of street lingo or slang even though you may want to sound ‘cool’. You’ll sound like a ‘try-hard’ and may annoy and polarise your readers.

When writing for specific segments (eg. youth) adopt an easy-going tone, but street speak such as ‘hot’ or ‘sick’ are really ‘not on’.

Where you want to use a casual tone and introduce lingo to make your point, put it in single commas to show the distinction from the rest of the text.

“The airport precinct is now home to a range of start-ups and ideas incubators, all keen to have Tweed’s newest business address with ‘street cred’.”

4.4 Numbers and Measurements

a. Spell out: numbers from zero to nine


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percentages from one to nine (eg. three per cent), unless the copy contains lots of percentages and space is at a premium

fractions (eg. more than half of the population, two-thirds of the available budget)

numbers, percentages and fractions when they begin a sentence (eg. Twenty bus services were disrupted.)

b. Use digits for: numbers 10 and over

percentages 10 and above, including the percentage symbol (eg. 10%)

text with lots of percentages throughout

specific measurements of weight and distance, with a space between the number and the abbreviation (eg. 20 km of riverside bikeways or 10kg of rice)

c. Write numbers from 1000 to 9999 without a comma. Write numbers greater than 9999 with a comma (eg. 25,000). When referring to a ‘$7 million project’, write the digit, leave a space and then put ‘million’ in full. (Financial documents and invoices use their own conventions.)

4.5 Dates and times

Write 1980s, NOT 1980’s. No apostrophe is necessary unless you are trying to describe something that belongs to that decade, as in ‘1980s’ fashion mistakes’. In that case, 1980s is plural so the apostrophe goes after the ‘s’.

Avoid ‘the nineties’ (too long) or ‘the ‘90s’ (too casual).

Year spans should be written as 1960-65 or 1960-1965, NOT 1960/65.

Write 25 December 2008. No comma is needed after the month. Don’t abbreviate as in ‘Fri 19 Nov’ unless you are faced with severe space restrictions such as advertising copy and don’t write ‘th’ after the numeral, as in ‘Friday 19th’.

Write 2.30pm with a full stop, not a colon. There’s no space between the numbers and am/pm. Write am/pm in lower-case – no capitals.

Write 2pm, not 2.00pm for times on the hour. Don’t add the extra zeros for minutes.

Write midday and midnight without the numeral 12, but write 12 noon with the numeral where its absence could cause confusion

4.6 Technical terms and jargon

Write Latin species names in italics with a capital for the first letter only. Then write the common name in lower-case standard text. Capitals are allowed for species tied to a proper noun, which then gives you ‘Rattus rattus Brisbane shiprat’.

Jargon is used in a particular trade, profession or group and can be very useful when communicating with colleagues. However, the average reader is unlikely to understand it unless it has definitely become common usage.

Instead of: The removal of unprotected vegetation on this property would have a detrimental effect on the ground soil, causing destabilisation and resulting in erosion.

Try: Removing vegetation from this property would cause erosion.


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4.7 Acronyms

Always use a term or name in full when it first appears and follow with the acronym in brackets, eg. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thereafter, you can use the acronym by itself. Don’t use full stops in acronyms as in E.P.A.

5 GRAMMAR

5.1 Contractions

As a general rule, don’t use contractions for personal pronouns unless space is very restricted or you want to convey a more casual or personal tone, as you’ll see in this manual. You can still contract ‘it is’ to ‘it’s’ and ‘do not’ to ‘don’t’.

Beware, however, of one of the most common mistakes about the use of ‘its’ and ‘it’s’. This is explained further in 6.3.

5.2 Collective nouns

A collective noun (eg. team, group) should be treated as:

singular if the word denotes a group acting as an individual (eg. The committee is planning…)

plural if the word denotes the individuals making up the group (eg. Staff are considering…)

It is becoming commonplace, though not grammatically correct, to treat collective nouns as plurals.

“The team reported that they had revised the launch date.”

The most important thing is to end up with clear and natural-sounding prose. Rather than use a sentence that you know to be technically incorrect, consider re-wording it so it is correct and sounds natural.

“The team members reported that they had revised the launch date”.

5.3 Quantities

a. Say ‘more than’, not ‘over’ for numbered nouns.

“Over 3000 calls were received during the first 20 minutes of the storm.”

“More than 3000 calls were received during the first 20 minutes of the storm.”

b. Say ‘about ‘, not ‘around’.

“The upgrades to Main Street are expected to cost around $200,000.”

“The upgrades to Main Street are expected to cost about $200,000.”

c. Say ‘ less than’, not ‘under’.


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“Under 20% of those interviewed said they would attend.”

“Less than 20% of those interviewed said they would attend.”

5.4 Agreement between subject and verb

a. The subject of the sentence is the noun or pronoun that directs the action. The verb must agree with the subject.

“A large number of people is expected to attend the event.”

‘Number’ is a singular noun and uses the singular verb ‘is’. Don’t be confused by ‘people’ and feel you have to write ‘are’. The word ‘people’ is not the subject of the sentence.

If you don’t like the way it sounds, rewrite the sentence.

“Thousands of people are expected to attend the event.”

b. When the subject is singular but represents a group, as in ‘council’ or ‘committee’, use a singular verb when the group is acting as an individual.

“Council is planning…”

c. Use a plural verb when referring to the individuals making up the group.

“Staff are generally happy with the decision.”

5.5 Agreement between nouns and pronouns

Difficulties arise when a gender-neutral noun uses a substitute pronoun later in a sentence.

“A resident should take responsibility for the animal in his/her care.”

This is grammatically correct, but should be avoided and the sentence re-worded.

“Residents should take responsibility for the animals in their care.”

It is never acceptable to substitute a plural pronoun.

“A resident should take responsibility for the animal in their care.”

5.6 Split infinitives

An infinitive is the basic form of a verb, which usually begins with ‘to’ as in ‘to go’, ’to help’ or ‘to meet’. Strictly speaking, you shouldn’t split the infinitive by placing an adverb or phrase between the ‘to’ and the verb, however, a split infinitive often sounds clearer and more natural. Use the form that makes understanding easier.


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6 PUNCTUATION

6.1 Capitals

Use a capital for: the beginning of a sentence personal, place and brand names, but not where the name font is in all lower

case (eg. george, e.e. cummings) nationalities, ethnic and racial groups names of organisations (eg. Australian Communications Authority) days and months special occasions (eg. Christmas, Labour Day) titles (eg. Divisional Manager, Branch Manager, Councillor), but not in “All

divisional managers and councillors will attend the launch on Wednesday.” a specific council outlet (eg. Kingscliff Library) ‘Tweed Shire Council’, but not in “…the new shire councillors’ Tweed River when used as a title, but not in “Cleaning up the river is a priority. “

Use capitals for ‘State Government’ and ‘New South Wales Government’ because you are referring to a specific entity. Use lower case when you are talking about government in the generic sense, as in ‘the three levels of government’.

A good example is:

“The State Government is responsible for monitoring fire ant activity throughout the state, but Tweed Shire Council has no responsibility at the local government level.”

Compass points are capitalised when referring to a recognised region or title (eg. South East Queensland Water Board, South China Sea), but not when used in a directional sense (eg. traffic congestion in the south-eastern suburbs).

6.2 Abbreviations

As a general rule, do not abbreviate. Write days and months in full, not ‘Mon 25 Dec 2007’.

When describing streets and roads, write them in full, as in Ozone Street, unless space is a genuine consideration.

Standard abbreviations do not need a full stop if the last letter of the abbreviation is also the last letter of the original word (eg. Mr /St/Ave).

Plural abbreviations of units of measurement have no ‘s’, eg. 20km of road, 10kg of rice.

6.3 Apostrophes and possession

the board's belongs to one board “The board's decision is to…”

the boards' belongs to more than one board

“All three companies found their boards' decisions difficult”

its belongs to it “The board made its decision today.”


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it’s it is “It's a new idea that...”

Recently, we’ve seen an apostrophe s (‘s) or an s apostrophe (s’) used to make a word plural, as in avocado’s, tomato’s, dogs’ and Fridays’. Take particular care. Do not EVER add an apostrophe to make a plural word.

Also, be very careful about ‘it’s’ which is very commonly misused, even in newspapers and academic writing. ‘Its’ is the possessive case, denoting belonging, as in “We saw the whites of its eyes.”

‘It’s’ means ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. If you can’t replace ‘it’s’ with the words ‘it is’ or ‘it has’, then you’ve got it wrong.

“It’s a very common mistake, but there is no excuse for it.”

“It’s been happening for some time, but that doesn’t make it right.”

6.4 Bullet points

There are two generally accepted formats.

Format 1

Used for information delivered in independent sentences or paragraphs that can be more easily digested when chunked in bullets. The sentence before the first bullet point ends in a full stop, not a colon. Each bullet point should be a complete sentence, start with a capital and end with a full stop, as below.

Council has posted the following achievements for the 2008/2009 financial year.

The Tweed River Aquatic Centre welcomed more than 43,000 patrons in its first seven months of operation.

The second Youth Festival was staged at Duranbah Beach. More than 20 free concerts were presented at council venues. More than 30 community groups received grants for cultural and local history

projects and community festivals.

Format 2

Used for information that is really just a long sentence or a list of items. The introduction begins with a capital, uses a colon to introduce the list and each bullet item starts with lower case. There is no semi-colon at the end of each item. and, preferably, no full stop after the last item. Avoid adding ‘rider’ sentences to the bullet point to explain it further. If you have to do that, then you should consider the first format. For example,

During the 2008/2009 financial year, Council:

welcomed 43,000 patrons to the Tweed River Aquatic Centre in its first seven months of operation

staged the second Youth Festival at Duranbah Beach presented more than 20 free concerts


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awarded grants to more than 30 community groups for cultural and local history projects and community festivals

6.5 Colon :

Use a colon to:

introduce a clause or phrase to elaborate on the preceding term (eg. “A good sentence has several important features: clarity, brevity and wit.”)

introduce a list of bullet points introduce a passage of direct speech or quotation

6.6 Semicolon ;

Use a semicolon when two sentences are of equal status and a full stop would create too great a distance between the two ideas. Each sentence after the semicolon should be grammatically complete and independent.

“Silence is golden; peace is sublime.”

Semicolons are sometimes used in place of commas to separate long phrases in a sentence, particularly when the phrases have internal punctuation. Grammatically, this is not strictly correct, but can aid easier understanding, so use carefully in this context.

6.7 Comma ,

Fundamentally, you use a comma to indicate a pause.

“This, however, is certain.”

“The winner, Lawrie's Pride, started favourite.”

When in doubt, check the position of the commas by reading the sentence aloud. The commas should be where you naturally want to pause. If you use commas to separate a phrase within a sentence, check it be reading aloud and omitting the words between the commas. The sentence should still mean what you intended, even when these words are missing.

You can also use a comma to:

mark off words used as a form of address (eg. “Friends, the time has come.” or “Is that you, Wayne?”)

almost invariably before ‘but’ to introduce direct speech to avoid a momentary misreading (eg.”Robbie, claimed Kylie, was a curious

person.”) separate an initial phrase from another phrase that begins with ‘but’ (eg. Council

funded the entire project, but nobody knew that.”


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6.8 Dash –

Dashes are longer than hyphens and join sentences or phrases together, not single words.

In general, the use of two dashes mid-sentence is appropriate when the additional comment is or could be a full sentence in its own right:

“Marketing government services is a little different – some people would say very

different – from marketing in the private sector.”

A dash can be also used to add a ‘throwaway’ comment when the tone of the writing is fairly casual.

“The General Manager made the decision – he’s the one to ask.”

6.9 Brackets ( ) [ ]

a. Use round brackets for additional information or comment.

“Since 1876, the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association has delighted generations of Brisbane children and adults alike with the annual Exhibition (aka Ekka).”

If a full sentence is in brackets, it should start with a capital letter, carry full punctuation throughout and end in a full stop.

“She refused to go without her cat. (We always thought she was a dog person.)”

b. Use square brackets for material inserted by other than the original writer.

“Belinda bought it [the dog in the window] because of its waggly tail.”

Whichever you use, the original sentence must be grammatically correct without the bracketed information.

c. Don’t use brackets:

if the information could easily be an adjectival/adverbial clause and part of the original sentence.

“Craig, who can read ledgers in his sleep, finished the billing last night.”

if the information is a full sentence in its own right, but is only an aside or casual remark.

“The bottom-up form of writing for the web – you’ve surfed the net, I presume - is also called the ‘inverted pyramid’ style of writing.”6.10 Quotation marks/inverted commas “…”


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Singles or doubles? A contentious issue, but there is a way through it.

a. Use doubles for direct speech or to enclose another’s words.

“…,” Councillor Jones said.

If a full stop, comma or other punctuation mark is part of the quotation, it should be within the quotation mark.

“Can you pass the the salt?” Tom asked.

If the punctuation mark relates to the original sentence rather than to the quotation, it should be outside the quotation mark.

Joanne said, “There is no salt”, but Tom tried to look for it anyway.

If a quotation makes up a whole sentence or paragraph, the full stop should be inside the closing quotation mark.

“What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.”

b. Use single quotation marks for:

titles of poems, songs, short stories, essays, reports, articles in magazines and newspapers, and events, unless they already have a specific graphic representation

colloquialisms, words to be used in a special way or another person’s words that you didn’t choose yourself, eg. He preferred to be called ‘Jim’, rather than ‘James’.

direct speech within quotes, eg “What did he mean by ‘pulling the plug’?”

c. Use italics for the title of anything recognised as a publication in its own right, eg. books, magazines, newspapers. An example that combines both rules is,

‘Old school buses fail modern tests’, The Age, 26 July 2007.

6.11 Hyphen -

Hyphens are the last stage in the development of compound words, i.e. separate ‘horse power’, then hyphenated ‘horse-power’ and finally one word ‘horsepower’. If you don’t know whether a compound noun is two words, one word, or hyphenated, look it up in the dictionary. If you can’t find the word in the dictionary, treat the noun as separate words without a hyphen.

As a general rule, use a hyphen:

between two or more words which combine to describe the following noun, eg. ‘up-to-date information’, long-term plan’, but note that ‘the information is up to date´ and ‘in the long term’ don’t need a hyphen

for compound verbs, eg. to air-condition the house


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for all words starting with ex- (meaning former), half-, semi- and self-, except for selfish and selfless

after a prefix when followed by a proper noun, eg. ‘un-American’

after the prefix ‘re’ only when it means again, eg. re-lay but not for ‘relay’ meaning to transmit

between a prefix and a root word where there are adjoining vowels and the hyphen would help with pronunciation (eg. anti-aircraft, pre-election, re-entry)

The contemporary standard is to drop the hyphen after the prefix co-, eg. coordinate, cooperate.

Don’t use a hyphen for words that have verb and noun forms eg. break down and breakdown.

6.12 Exclamation marks !

Use sparingly, only after a word, phrase or sentence that genuinely expresses strong or sudden feeling. The invitation to “Come along and join us!” would not be a sufficiently strong sentiment.

6.13 Oblique /

When using an oblique, don’t leave spaces between the words to be separated and the oblique, eg. yes/no, red/blue.

7 LEGAL ISSUES

If you have any doubts about the legality of the content of your writing, run it by your manager who may then refer you on for further advice. This is particularly important if you are planning to run a competition.

7.1 Defamation

Refers to the publication (passing on to a third party) of any defamatory statement about a person. To be defamatory, the statement doesn’t have to be expressed directly, but can be inferred or insinuated.

A publication is defamatory if it is likely to:

injure a person’s reputation or make ordinary people think less of him/her even if it is true, eg. to say a person is a criminal, a liar or immoral

injure a person in his/her profession, eg. to say that a builder can’t build or a writer can’t write

7.2 Citing legislation

Legislation can be cited in the text of a document using italics. You can distinguish between state and federal legislation by using abbreviations within brackets. When citing New South Wales legislation, it is not really necessary to add the state.


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8 PREFERRED WORDS AND SPELLING

account Write in full. Don't abbreviate to ‘acc’ or ‘acct’.

affect/effect affect - a verb meaning to influence or impress someone:“The new regulations will affect all Tweed dog owners.”- or a verb meaning to assume a pose“He affected a look of surprise when fined for walking his dog without a leash.”

effect - a verb meaning to bring about or accomplish:“They effected many changes to the planning codes.”- or a noun to mean a result:“The effect of the new building codes was an increase in the number of high-density dwellings in Tweed Heads.”

agreement Denotes a meeting of minds. Do NOT use ‘agreeance’.

alternately/alternatively Alternately means every other one; alternatively means to find another way of doing something.

among Not amongst.

assure/ensure/insure. You assure someone by letting them know you care. You insure something by paying money in case it breaks.You ensure that something will happen by preparing for it in advance.

both “We can supply the document in both formats: hard and soft copy.” “We have both hard and soft copy formats.”Leave out ‘both’ in the previous sentence; the meaning won’t change.

Tweed Shire Council Not the Tweed Shire Council or the TSC.

chairperson Don’t use ‘chair’ in written format, although it is often used as spoken shorthand. Give it a capital only when you are referring to a specific chairperson.

compared to/compared with Use ‘compared to’ when emphasising similarities:“By comparing herself to Margaret Olley, she upset a few critics at the gallery opening.”

Use ‘compared with’ when considering similarities and

differences:

“At the upcoming conference, Council’s environmental experts will compare Tweed’s waterways codes with those of Sydney and Melbourne.”

complement/compliment You receive a complimentary (free) red wine with your meal, but the red wine complements (goes well with) the lamb medallions. Someone may pay you a compliment, because your new dalmation print boots complement your black suede skirt.


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comprise/consist “The online catalogue comprises a variety of products.” “The online catalogue is comprised of a variety of products.” “The online catalogue consists of a variety of products.”“The online catalogue is consisted of a variety of products.”

continually/continuous Continually means ‘repeatedly’ or ‘again and again’, continuous means ‘without stopping’.

councillor Capitalise only when referring to a specific councillor.

different from Not ‘different to’ or ‘different than’. “My viewpoint is different from yours”.(Also see ‘similar to’)

disinterested/uninterested Disinterested means neutral.Uninterested means uninspired or not interested.

eg. Lower case and full stop afterwards. Use ‘for example’ in a more formal sentence.

enquire, enquiry Don't use ‘inquire’ and ‘inquiry’ if the context is casual; these are used for formal or comprehensive questions, often legal.

fewer/less Fewer applies to numbers and less applies to quantities“She ate fewer than six cupcakes and drank less than a cup of coffee.”Also use fewer for plurals (eg. fewer people, fewer worries) and less for singular nouns (eg. less land, less sunlight).

Flyer Standardise on the ‘y’ - not ‘flier’.

focused Contemporary spelling uses only one ‘s’ - not ‘focussed’.

however Can mean ‘nevertheless’, in which case separate it from the rest of the sentence by commas.“The weather, however, did not dampen our spirits.”

Can also mean in whatever way or no matter what, in which case you don’t need commas.“Council wanted to help however possible.”Although strict grammarians may prefer otherwise, you can start a sentence with ‘however’.

innovative/new Don't use together, as in ‘innovative, new idea’ or ‘new initiative’ because they mean the same thing.

it’s and its It’s is a contraction for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’.“It’s all finally coming together.”Its shows ownership of something by ‘it’. “The dog escaped from its leash.”

join Denotes becoming a member of something. Don’t use ‘register’ when you can use join.

last/past ‘The last four years’ suggests that the end of the world is nigh. ‘The past four years’ infers that there is future and we are simply talking about a snapshot along that continuum.

licence/license Licence with a ‘c’ is a noun. “Remind me to renew my driver’s licence this week.”


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License with an ‘s’ is a verb.“Is she licensed to drive that boat?”Also note the ‘s’ in licensee (person holding a licence) and the adjective licensed (as in licensed premises).

like/such as Use ‘such as’ to denote categories.“The yellow flasks are for such items as condiments, spices and herbs.”Use ‘like’ to give specific examples of members of a group.“The yellow flasks are for items like chilli sauce, salt and lemongrass.”

medium/media Note that ‘media’, not ‘mediums’, is the plural of medium. ‘Mediums’ refers to a group of people trying to channel your great-grandmother.

program Contemporary spelling uses one ‘m’ – not ‘programme’.

prior to Don’t use ‘prior to’; use ‘before’.

ratepayers Don’t separate into rate payers.

similar to “The Tweed’s climate is similar to that of Brisbane”. “The Tweed’s climate is similar from that of Brisbane.” (Also see ‘different from’)

targeted Contemporary spelling uses only one ‘t’ - not ‘targetted’.

that/which ‘That’ should generally be used when the information is

crucial to the meaning of the sentence.

“The man chased the dog that barked.” (Specifies which particular dog.)However, it could also be written:“The man chased the barking dog.”

‘Which’ should be used when the information is not crucial.“The man chased the dog, which barked. ” (Gives extra information.)When using ‘which’ in this way, put a comma before it.

trialed Not ‘trialled.

under way Write as two words, not ‘underway’.

unique Use sparingly to indicate one of a kind. ‘A unique experience’ is only appropriate when there is nothing else like it on this earth. Unique is not a substitute for ‘fantastic’ or ‘great’.

use/utilise ‘Use’ is always preferred.

while/whilst Use ‘while’. ‘Whilst’ is old-fashioned.


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APPENDIX 3


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APPENDIX 4 - EXAMPLE – Communications Evaluation Report

The Communication Evaluation Report is designed to: evaluate marketing activity conducted for specific projects identify possible areas for improvement highlight issues that may need to be considered in planning/development of the activity

or service that was marketed determine whether the project provided value for the money and effort invested manage, retain and build on our corporate knowledge

It should be prepared by the originating Project Officer and the Communications Unit on completion of any significant communication campaign.

Project Name and Description:Project Date/s:Originating Project Officer:Communications Officer:

1. Project Objective

2. Estimated Budget and Actual Cost

3. Was a project brief, communication or media plan prepared?

4. Were the desired objectives and/or targets achieved?

5. If not, what were the barriers/issues?

6. What evaluation of success/effectiveness was conducted? Please indicate in table below:

Attendance / Participation

Focus Group

Phone Survey

Stakeholder Feedback

Printed survey

Online survey

Media Coverage

Complaints/ Compliments

7. Were the funds, staff time and effort expended commensurate with the outcome?

8. What aspects of the communication or the project could be improved (e.g. lead time, planning, internal liaison, tools produced)?

9. Additional comments that may assist in the future:

Originating Project Officer: Were you satisfied with the outcome overall? If not, please indicate why.

Comms Officer: Were you satisfied with the outcome overall? If not, please indicate why.


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APPENDIX 5 - EXAMPLE – Communication Planning Checklist

While the Communications Unit can provide all necessary advice, better results will be achieved when originating Project Officers consider a number of factors in advance. This checklist is designed to assist communications planning.

1. What is the purpose of this communication?

2. What do you want from this communication?

3. Who are your target audiences and what do you know about them?

4. What are the benefits of the project for these audiences?

5. What do you want these people to do? (when, where, how, why)

6. What does the community already know or feel about this?

7. Has any research or consultation been conducted on the topic and, if so, have the findings been considered?

8. What issues, if any, are likely to arise within the community as a result of this communication?

9. Is there anything unusual or special about this activity?

10. Does this link to or affect any other Council programs or activities?

11. Is there another department of Council that should know about this?

12. What issues, if any, are likely to arise within the organisation regarding this activity or its communication?

13. Are there existing circumstances that should be taken into account?

14. Has any other communication on this been done – or is any planned?

15. Are other avenues available that can communicate or cross-promote this information?

16. Have you considered what media opportunities exist – or can be created?

17. Does this require a communication plan?

18. What are the time and budget constraints?

19. Will you need to brief Customer Service on this activity and will they need any background information for customers?

20. Is there anything you require of customer service other than providing information?

21. Do you need to create content for the corporate web site?

22. Do you need to communicate this via the intranet or other internal communication mechanisms?


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23. What are your views on distributing the communication material?

24. Are there any external agencies that could support this activity?

25. Who are the primary and secondary contact officers for this project?


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APPENDIX 6 - Internal Communications

One of the most common areas of concern cited by employees in national and international surveys of organisational culture continues to be communication.

Whether major cultural or organisational change is planned or whether it is a matter of keeping people well-informed about the issues of the day, employing a sound model of communications is essential to developing engaged, knowledgeable and committed staff.

Early and regular communication throughout an organisation reduces the likelihood of a ‘gossip grapevine’ developing and the subsequent need to correct misinformation or to change attitudes that have developed in an information vacuum.

In the model below, the first step is to develop a clear explanation or ‘story’ with factual information about what is happening, why, when and what the impacts will be. If there are limits to what can be communicated at a given time, staff should be advised of this and told when they can expect to hear more.

While the model is clearly applicable when major change is occurring, as an organisational system, it should also be the basis of all internal communication.

Communications Model:

Communication Flow:

Effective internal communication requires the two-way flow of information between all members of the organisation, however, different issues are best communicated at each level using methods appropriate to the message and audiences (see following).

1 Clear, planned explanation

2Clear roles + accountabilities

3Robust processes + tools

4Evaluation +improvement

ExecutiveManagement

Team

DepartmentalManagers +

Coordinators

Employees


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1. Executive Management — Employees

Purpose of Communication:

1. Establish the big picture (with priorities)2. Set organisational priorities3. Inform/update on progress and broad implications of major change4. Tell the story of who we are, where we have come from and where we are going5. Establish culture – the way we do things – and values6. Build cross organisational links and understanding7. Report on progress and achievements8. Acknowledge, reward and thank (organisational perspective)9. Organisational administration messages (eg. human resources changes at management

level, safety alerts)

Primary Communication Tools/Tactics:

GM hosted social events

GM/EMT site visits (informal)

Organisational induction and materials

GM on-site presentations (affected staff)

GM – full staff presentations (bi-annual)

Weekly e-bulletin

Monthly staff newsletter

Summarised minutes of EMT meetings (intranet – self serve)

PC log-in screen (changing images with reminder messages)

Council decisions/implications (major issues)

Organisational email (printouts for depots)

Posters/flyers on notice boards

Letters to staff

Focus groups

Suggestion box at central office points/depots

Urgent bulletins/alerts

Intranet

Informal departmental morning teas

Performance Reviews

Other ongoing self serve opportunities:

Media – releases on internet/intranet Management plan and annual report Other external publications

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

TEAMEMPLOYEES


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2. Executive Management — Departmental Managers and Coordinators


1. Set divisional priorities (flag and broadly outline important issues)2. Provide depth of detail on major projects, issues, decisions (and facilitate flow-on to

employees)3. Report on divisional progress and achievements4. Build cross departmental links and understanding5. Acknowledge, reward and thank (divisional level)6. Reinforce culture and values


Operational team meetings

Individual face-to-face meetings

Team briefing notes (facilitates communication flow-on)

Project/initiative briefing notes (facilitates communication flow-on)

Major policy documents

Operational meetings

Special manager/coordinator briefings

Half-yearly manager/coordinator meetings (priorities, projects, progress reports)

Performance Reviews

Intranet and management group email

Copies of committee minutes and meetings

Council decisions/implications (divisional relevance)

DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS

DEPARTMENTMANAGERS & COORDS.


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3. Departmental Managers and Coordinators — Employees


1. Operational information2. Set work unit priorities3. Provide depth of detail on projects, issues, decisions relevant to the unit4. Reinforce culture and values5. Report on progress and achievements at local level6. Acknowledge, reward and thank at local level


Team meetings

Individual face-to-face meetings

Team briefing notes (regular)

Inter-office circulations and memos

Unit email

Performance reviews and progress meetings

4. EXAMPLES – Internal Communications in practice

The following examples are designed to illustrate how effective communication planning and tools can be employed, whether the issues are major organisational change or more operational matters. Tools and techniques should be tailored to the specific issue and audiences, as needed.

DEPARTMENT MANAGERS &

COORDS. EMPLOYEES


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Employees:

Question Where to find the answer

What is happening with this organisational restructure? Why are we doing this and what does it mean to me? Give me the big picture.

What are the big issues for the organisation that I should be aware of and why are they important? What are the priority things that will affect me or the people I work with? How can I be sure the managers know what they are doing, have a clear vision and their finger on the pulse?

Give me some detail on this change process. What’s happening in other areas and what’re the implications and reasons for these activities? What other changes are coming up?

I want to tell management something about this change business and I have a great related idea. Who should I tell?

How can I be sure management aren’t plotting something sinister that I don’t know about?

How do I know what’s acceptable behaviour and what the ‘new way of doing things’ really is?

What do I have to do?

How do I find out about social events or things like when my office is going to be fumigated?

Divisional presentations CEO visits Special area of intranet site

EMT newsletter Site visits by EMT and GM Monthly staff newsletter Weekly e-bulletin updates and

responses to emerging issues/ feedback

Monthly staff newsletter Talk to members of

change/project teams (listed on intranet)

Weekly e-bulletin

Monthly newsletter feedback form Weekly e-bulletin feedback facility Agenda item at team meetings

EMT minutes on intranet EMT/CMT site visits Staff membership on relevant

committees

Watch the actions of management Divisional presentations EMT/GM visits Performance progress meetings

Talk with team leader/manager

Organisational email (and social committee communications)


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Executive Management:


I really need to make sure staff receive this information and it’s probably best coming from their manager. What tool should I use?

Discussion at team meetings with briefing notes to hand out

Managers and Coordinators:


I know there are lots of changes to HR policy, but I need more detail. What are they all about? Exactly what do I need to know? What is the intent of the changes? What do I have to do?

I’ve just found out that there is a potential safety issue facing certain staff members. How do I warn them now?

Major policy documents on intranet with summary of key issues

Special manager/coordinator meetings

Urgent bulletin/alert (email and printed)


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APPENDIX 7 - EXAMPLE – Communication Plan Template

1. Introduction Articulate understanding of project and role of the Communications Unit. Identify if a management priority.

2. Situational Analysis/Background Provide brief overview of project/campaign. If relevant, include recent research findings, lessons previously learned, etc. Summarise in bullets points or a diagram the current external and internal

environment and identify the implications of these environmental factors on the project/campaign.

3. Communication Challenges / Issues Identify key communication issues (external and internal) and their implication for

the marketing and communication plan (bullet point style or in table format similar to below).

State mitigation measures for each issue (optional). Identify any opportunities that exist as a result of the issues.

Issue Affected Target Audiences

Impact/Implication

Mitigation Measures(optional section)

Brief statement of issue Bullet points audiences relevant to issue

Brief statement of management approach

4. Communication Goal, Objectives and Target Audiences State the communication problem (optional), communication goal and supporting

objectives. Consider using a diagram to show how the communication goals and objectives

link with the program/campaign goal objectives. Identify stakeholders and target audiences and where possible segment

according to relevant attributes (consider a diagram).

5. Strategic Overview Address approach to positioning and possible theme/s. If relevant, state approach to implementation, i.e. phases (consider a diagram). State recommended strategies (consider bullet point style). Articulate core communication messages (audience specific messages can be

addressed here or under audience analysis - optional). Consider using a diagram to summarise approach - phases, purpose of each

phase, relevant audiences, key strategies or actions, timing etc (optional).


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6. Implementation Plan Use table format (adjust headings as required) to address recommended tactics Ensure whole range of tactical tools is considered, eg. print, broadcast, on-line,

word of mouth, etc. Ensure integrated approach is taken Options include:

Timing Activity Objectives Target Audiences

Who

Insert quarter/ month/ week

Brief statement of tacticInsert relevant objectives #1, 2, 3 etc

Bullet point

OR

Strategy Tactics Audience Timing Budget

Audience Tactics Objectives Timing Evaluation

OR

Audience Person to Person Communication

Support Information

Media, Advertising Timing

7. Evaluation Discuss evaluation tools and methodology (consider need for benchmarking prior

to commencement)

8. Budget (could be incorporated into the action plan) Detail costs and document what this covers Highlight risks in managing budget and/or potential areas for over-run

Policy Document

Customer Service Charter

Version 1.1

Adopted by Council at its meeting on

Tuesday 13 November 2007 Minute No: O290 and 179

Division: Technology & Corporate Services Sect:ion Corporate Compliance File Reference: n/a Historical Reference: 1.0 Adopted 12 April 2006

Policy Document

Customer Service Charter

Policy Objectives Tweed Shire Council is committed to striving to meet the needs of our ratepayers, residents and clients in a professional and ethical manner with courteous and efficient service.

We aim to: a) treat all people with respect and courtesy; b) listen to what residents/ratepayers have to say; c) respond to resident/ratepayer enquiries promptly and efficiently; d) act with integrity and honesty when liaising with residents/ratepayers/clients; e) consult residents/ratepayers and clients about service needs;

Standards Of Service In Writing WE WILL:

Respond to correspondence received from residents, ratepayers and clients (written, faxed or emailed) within fourteen (14) days, in accordance with Response to Correspondence Policy.

Where the correspondence cannot be responded to within 14 days will send an acknowledgement advice within the 14 days.

On the Telephone WE WILL:

Answer incoming calls quickly and efficiently and where practical within five (5) rings.

Answer incoming calls by clearly and appropriately identifying ourselves in a friendly manner.

Divert unanswered incoming calls to another member of staff or voice mail.

Identify ourselves when making outgoing calls by name and council/division/branch, as appropriate, and shall clearly outline the purpose of the call.

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Policy Document In Person WE WILL:

Greet residents, clients and visitors upon arrival as quickly as possible. Assist you with your enquiry promptly and professionally in a helpful

manner. Wear name badges and give you staff names who are relevant to your

dealings. Attempt to contact persons to make an appointment where a visit to a

resident/client external to Council facilities is required. Identify ourselves at the beginning of the Council visit and the purpose of

the visit.

How can you help us? If you can suggest ways in which we can deliver better service we encourage you to give feedback.

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corporate relations strategy

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