Set aside time to stop and think….
People working in communications jobs in Government nowadays face a bewildering range of choices to help them get things done. Random conversations about “what we are doing in social media” seem to forget that there are hundreds more tools than Facebook and Twitter, new TV and radio channels are arriving almost daily and meanwhile the people still running “old media” are relentless in their pursuit of new ways to extend their brands and audiences.
With so many new things to consider, we’re finding that many of our government clients are simply too busy sorting out the wheat from the chaff with the “always on” nature of the digital age also cutting down their time to pause and reflect on their strategic goals and desired outcomes. One of the barriers to teams being able to make the most of the enormous opportunities out there is simply finding enough time to stop and think.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been developing a tool to begin to help with that. Our “Triple C Digital audit” looks at every element of the modern communications operation, from how content is conceived, planned and approved, through to the way that owned and external channels are being used to achieve business objectives. It’s becoming common for us to find that teams are often conflicted by managing old and new systems, channels and processes, some of which actually get in the way of delivering on the key purpose.
In my work with Government departments, the production of a doorstep sized glossy annual report is a great case in point. The requirement to submit an annual report is principally a legal one and the finance team has a critical role in meeting that legislative requirement. But I’ve seen many hours, weeks and months, not to say dollars spent on the editorial content of reports that are becoming increasingly anachronistic.
In the digital age, the annual report should no longer be the yearly marketing document that gives an organisation a chance to trumpet its achievements. It especially should no longer be a document that future employees use to find out more about the company. All of that, in the modern world, is the job of your website and your communications activities, all year round. Understanding that the design and photographic elements of the report are funded out of the public purse, it’s very hard to make a case for future annual reports to be anything other than simple documents, produced in house and available for download on the website.
Unfortunately, our audits often find similar examples of old and new practices still clashing into one another. In the tech area, we see multiple platforms and licences renewed beyond their natural sell by date. Apart from the cost, its usually the end user who suffers from a lack of consistency in approach.
Through a systematic “scorecard” analysis of key functional issues derived from years of relevant experience, our audits will future proof your systems, highlight the opportunities to remove duplication, check compliance with accessibility and other standards and introduce you to labour and cost saving opportunities.
And best of all, you can carry on working while we work in the background. Costs are in a range from $6,500 to $15,000 dependent on size. Even though our work is inexpensive, we guarantee to find at least our fee in savings…or your money back!
For extra comfort, all Government work is carried out by myself.
Give me a call to discuss…
Alun Probert