TownshipofSouth‐WestOxfordCommunicationPlan
Prepared for Council – September 1, 2015
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Executive Summary
The Township of South‐West Oxford is committed to being a leader in the development and delivery of
municipal services for the growth and well being of our community and is continuously striving to
improve effective communications internally and facilitate good public relations practices.
On top of providing services such as animal control, drainage maters, building permits, by‐law
enforcement, property taxes and assessment inquiries, road maintenance and construction, garbage
and recycling removal, parks and recreation, emergency services, council administration, maintaining
municipal facilities, and administrative services, the Township also strives to clearly communicate with
the residents and visitors benefitting and contributing to the provision of these services.
Through visible engagement with the community while providing different municipal services, staff and
council members of the Township have constant, daily contact with ratepayers.
The Quality Policy of the municipality states that: “We will meet legislative and regulatory standards
through responsible procurement, timely support consistent delivery and service management. We will
maintain quality and propose ways to continually improve through positive sharing of ideas and
expertise.” Strategic communication with all stakeholders is critical in helping the municipality to meet
its goals and fulfill its mandate to adhere to the principles of communication, teamwork, accountability,
and a hands on approach.
In particular, we need to understand the value of the communications function as it relates to the
Township’s ongoing prosperity. Alongside changing communications technologies, stakeholder
expectations are rapidly rising. Staff recognizes that they need to be able to communicate with clients
and customers using the latest technology resources, but also respect the need for traditional
communication mediums to reach residents across all demographics.
Committed to providing timely responses, various Township departments need a strong communication
infrastructure to support their work done with the public and create opportunities to continue to
improve the relationship between staff and the general public.
Working with the public, staff and leaders in the Township recognize the need to commit themselves to
implementing the Township’s plan, and staff is committed to reviewing its effectiveness on an ongoing
basis. The following pages provide insight into the communication issues facing the Township, and will
provide a framework for improving municipal communications over the next three years.
Why Communication Matters
Since Township staff and elected members of council have with frequent contact with the public and
high exposure to residents, each individual has an obligation to communicate with ratepayers and other
levels of government with a high degree of professionalism. To facilitate high quality service delivery,
the departments must also be effective in communicating within the team and across other municipal
departments and beyond.
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Good governance requires an ongoing, symmetrical exchange of ideas. Information must flow not only
from the municipality to stakeholders, but from stakeholders to the municipality.
Government bodies typically need to communicate with clients and residents for the following reasons:
To inform Demonstrates accountability. Lets stakeholders know what the municipality is doing on their behalf/for them/to them and how they can assist (i.e. provide input, feedback, volunteer, vote).
To build understanding or change behavior
Encourage stakeholders to think, act, or feel a certain way. Encourage engagement and loyalty.
To prevent misunderstandings
Provide opportunities for interactive discussion and dialogue. Assist in change management.
To present a point of view Foster understanding by explaining a position/policy/plan. Link to strategic objectives.
To lower barriers between groups and individuals
Build trust. Address prejudices, suspicion etc.
A Communication Plan for the Township of South‐West Oxford must consider both internal and external
stakeholders. Examples of these stakeholders are identified below:
Internal Stakeholders Key Communication Needs
Council Require a mechanism to hear from constituents and respond in a timely manner; need to be kept aware of key initiatives;
Management Two‐way communication with CAO, Supervisors, and staff
Employees Organizational and departmental information exchange; respond to stakeholder inquiries
External Stakeholders Key Communication Needs
Residents Provide accountability for council; tax inquiries; by‐law enforcement complaints; building inspection requests; planning interests
Businesses Information exchange on business‐related issues
Property Owners Development and planning services; property standards;
Organizations and Community Groups
Dialogue on Township initiatives that impact these groups
Media Clarification on Council activities, and processes/initiatives
Developers/Investors Availability of lands; infrastructure; zoning and planning issues
Community Facility Users/Committees
Discover other opportunities for involvement/visits; pricing/operating hours of facilities
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Part One: Where We Are
Situation Analysis
The Township of South‐West Oxford has historically taken an ad hoc approach to its communications.
Municipal communications using traditional media are generally handled in house using the expertise of
staff and resources available. The Township of South‐West Oxford does not typically issue formal press
releases and does not frequently place advertisements in local newspapers, unless to advertise for open
tenders or announcements impacting service or access to infrastructure. Coverage in the local media is
limited to small announcements and brief summaries of council meetings.
Emergence into social media has been slow at this point with only a few different fire stations and
community groups managing their own sites. With the assistance from Oxford County IT, the Township
website is managed by staff in the municipal office. With easy access to update the Township website,
staff can quickly post updates on the site and have the ability to develop department pages as
requested. The design of the site makes additions and editing easy for staff and the framework for each
department means that updating information is straightforward. A shared and simple community
calendar of upcoming events is used by community groups, local boards, and committees fairly
effectively.
With changing technologies, the communication landscape has become decentralized. Through
websites, blogs, emails and social media, information can be disseminated and it is important for the
Township to be able to maximize its ability to inform, to build understanding or change behavior, to
prevent misunderstandings, to present a point of view, and to lower barriers between groups and
individuals.
The ultimate aim of any municipal communications initiative—whether proactive or reactive‐‐ is to build
trust with the public, and retain economic investment through effective service delivery and reputation
management.
At minimum, South‐West Oxford’s communication plan must take into account how quickly
information—and mis‐information—travels in today’s technology‐driven world.
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Current Communications Initiatives
The following chart summarizes the communication vehicles currently used by the Township of South‐
West Oxford:
EXTERNAL INITIATIVES:
Newspaper advertisements Advertisements placed in the Ingersoll Times, Tillsonburg News, and Oxford Review.
Content is contributed approximately every few months on ad hoc basis (tender of crop land, new load limit on bridge, hiring announcements etc)
Departmental letters Issued as needed to address building compliance issues, by‐law enforcement issues, building inspection reminders, animal tag reminders, planning application updates, policy clarification etc.
Letters put on a standard letterhead but do not contain a similar formatting style now. Generally drafted by each department individually, the letters may lack consistency in messaging or format.
Departmental E‐mails Issued as needed in response to information requests
Handled by individual users; Township does not currently use a similar signature format.
Township Newsletter Issued twice a year to all households in the municipality and drafted and printed in house
Currently these newsletters are only issued twice per year and span the entire municipality’s topics (do not have a theme)
Village Voice Newsletter An external Township wide newsletter produced monthly
The Township places small articles in the publication sporadically for a fee; community groups can use the newsletter for free
Forms & Brochures Different departments have various pamphlets, forms and brochures
These forms and brochures do not have a consistent format or style since they are produced by individual departments. These are also printed in house.
WEBSITES
www.swox.org General Township information including
Maintained by Clerk with assistance from County of
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Council agendas, policies, procedures, payment services
Oxford IT
SOCIAL MEDIA
Emergence into social media has been slow at this point with only a few different fire stations and community groups managing their own sites.
PERSON‐TO‐PERSON
Contact at Municipal Office Daily, constant in person contact as stakeholders come into Municipal Office for various reasons.
Initial point of contact is the Administrative Assistant for the Finance Department, the Building Department Assistant, and the Revenue Officer
On Site Inspections, Meetings, Daily Interactions, By‐Law Enforcement Interaction
Building officials visiting sites as requested to inspect permit projects; Works Department staff on site to perform construction work; Recycling collectors meeting homeowners, etc.
Meetings are with different members of the public and are ongoing
Telephone interaction Calls come into Township for all different departments and are filtered through front office staff
First point of contact is the Administrative Assistant for the Finance Department
Committee Meetings Various committees involve staff (various parks and hall boards) and council members. Committee members also engage with the community through events and management of municipal facilities
All staff may have contact with committee members.
INTERNAL INITIAVES:
PERSON‐TO‐PERSON
Office Staff Meetings Staff meet every Monday following a council meeting at 9:00 am
All office staff and managers meet to discuss the happenings from council meetings and update on all new initiatives and happenings in the Township. Meetings are brief and last approximately 15 minutes.
Management Meetings Managers meet every Wednesday following council meetings
Meetings every other week provide managers an opportunity to share information
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on department activity and allow the CAO to provide information on meeting organizational goals.
Daily Staff Interaction Small office means that staff can easily communicate.
Internal human resources policies advocating for open doors and teamwork encourage active and good communication among staff.
Council Summaries At staff meetings, all employees are provided with a summary of activities from the previous council meeting.
Brief summary allows all staff to be updated on happenings of council meetings, by‐laws enacted and upcoming events.
Management Directives from Council
Managers are provided with a list of council directives at each management meetings, divided by department
Directives provided to managers ensure that they are able to meet council goals.
E‐mails Internal e‐mails are critical for sharing information
Staff share information via e‐mail frequently and work to provide carbon copy to all impacted individuals
Information Boards Communications Boards, Health and Safety Boards
Boards and posting areas in the Township office that allow for the posting of information bulletins
Key Issues
While each of these initiatives can be reviewed in more detail as part of a full‐scale communication
audit, the following table highlights several issues as a useful starting point for discussion.
Issue Facts/Effects of Issue
Council and elected officials may be criticized for not considering the will of the public in its decision making
Rumors, speculation and misinformation abound
Potentially sensitive issues are not anticipated or appropriately mitigated
Public input is either not solicited, or the mechanism for gathering it doesn’t consider the needs of stakeholders
Social media ‘watchdog’ groups may emerge
The Township does not have a standardized approach to communicating with stakeholders.
Inconsistent approach to branding/style guides may make the Township look inept and unprofessional
Lost productivity as staff must constantly start from scratch or seek out the required
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information – need basic templates
Communication needs are determined by individual managers resulting in inconsistency or lack of clarity
Each department’s communication looks different resulting in confusion for the public
Employees may not be able to find answers rapidly as required since records are still being integrated into a more easy to search digital format
People may not have access to the Township Website or alternatives and may not be able to easily navigate the Website
Loss of productivity (i.e. higher call volumes)
Navigation is dependent on knowledge of municipal operations and computer skills
Need to maintain options for people in rural areas without High Speed internet
Improve the look of the site and the accessibility of the site
The Township is still developing a corporate brand and working on building this alongside a strategic plan
Logo may be redesigned and is applied inconsistently
Township Mission Statement is not incorporated throughout many documents or departments
South‐West Oxford is still developing its strategic planning priorities
The Township is not engaging with the public in dynamic ways and is not using social media advantageously
People who are less likely to use traditional media are not able to find information that they need since their first source of information may be social media sites
Developing social media sites may allow for additional ways to contact the municipality
There is a responsibility for the Township to engage with the public in two‐way communication; social media can positively facilitate this exchange
Failure to have a presence on social media may result in resident’s groups creating their own pages and propagandizing mis‐information.
Communications Priorities for Customer Satisfaction
COMMUNICATION PRIORITY SCOPE SPECIFIC CONCERNS
Developing consistent marketing
material/messaging
EXTERNAL ‐ need for better corporate branding – all departments to share in costs of this venture ‐ marketing lacks a clear strategy and products are
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developed on an ad hoc basis to meet a specific need‐ materials lack a consistent format/style/font; templates should be developed to help improve consistency ‐ would benefit from formatting/style guide for all Township communications
Improving availability of marketing
materials
EXTERNAL ‐ need better mechanism for making marketing materials available ‐ have more interactive web material (forms that can be filled out online, troubleshooting materials online, submit queries directly through web, etc.)
Clarifying processes and making
them clearly understood
INTERNAL/
EXTERNAL
‐ need ways to better clarify expectations for processing times, processes ‐ make Township expectations clear; ensure all departments are aware of requirements from other departments
Dispelling myths and clarifying
misinformation effectively
EXTERNAL ‐ clarifying information about Township rules and regulations in various formats ‐ dispelling myths/Township policies that are misinterpreted ‐ clarifying limitations of Township jurisdiction vs. Provincial vs. County
Promoting Township and
benchmarking
EXTERNAL ‐ improve perception of the Township by being more self‐promotional (explain how the Township compares to other municipalities, to Provincial standards, highlight achievements); need mechanisms to be more promotional
Increasing awareness about services
available
INTERNAL/
EXTERNAL
‐ increase awareness among Township staff about various services/helpful materials available from department ‐ ensure all staff know limitations, but also abilities/resources of department ‐ communicate these clearly to the public
Enable Township to communicate
individual projects and initiatives
and develop strategy for promotion
of specific programs.
EXTERNAL ‐ while maintaining a consistent marketing plan and profile, there may be a need to promote individual initiatives and engage the public for specific projects. ‐ there can be a need to communicate with the public in the short term requiring unique
Part Two: Where We Need To Go
Mission
The Township of South‐West Oxford is committed to being a leader in the development and delivery of
municipal services for the growth and well‐being of our community.
Vision
South‐West Oxford is a Township working progressively towards greater development by informing
stakeholders who in turn actively contribute to the good governance of their community and are able to
freely share information about their well‐being.
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Readership By Age
Long Term Objectives
The overall goal of municipal communications is to build trust with stakeholders, and retain economic
investment through effective service delivery and reputation management.
More specifically, the communications plan has the following objectives:
Stakeholders receive timely, accurate and clear communication from the municipality
Stakeholders can easily provide input/feedback to the municipality
Stakeholders can access information in a variety of formats
Stakeholders can choose the type and frequency of information they receive from the
municipality
Stakeholders are treated with respect
Part Three: How we’ll get there
Communication and Different Media Options
There are many different communications options available to the municipality so that the Township
can reach its goal of allowing stakeholders to access information in a variety of formats. A good
communications strategy will find ways to reach the population using various mediums. While there has
been an increased emphasis on converting strictly to digital avenues
for reaching the population, there is strong data to support that print
media should not be ignored. Many people continue to
rely on community newspapers (local papers) as their
primary source for news. The highly successful and well
read Village Voice newsletter that is circulated around the
Township is proof the print marketing is still very relevant
in a rural setting. The push for a digital communications
strategy can be augmented by effective media releases in
community newspapers and news stories in the paper
circulated in the area, including the village voice and the
Township produced newspaper.
Alongside online e‐mails, online newspapers, and print media, the Township has considerable success
reaching the population via letters delivered by regular mail and by connecting directly by phone.
Anecdotal evidence showed that letters sent to holders of animal licenses yielded a higher response rate
than multiple advertisements placed in the Village Voice, Township Newsletter, Township Website, and
in the interim tax bill.
On top of the traditional letters, print and online media methods, there has been growing attention in
commercial and business sectors to use social media to reach clients. Various social media, whether it is
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Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or the like, are actively used by a variety of users and provide
yet another opportunity to communicate with a wide audience. Commentators have noticed that the
social media use is not limited only to young people; people of all ages are joining social media activity.
A 2011 Ipsos Reid study showed that younger online Canadians aged 18 to 34 years (86%) are the most
likely to have a social networking profile, but other age groups are not getting left behind, as a majority
(62%) of those aged 35 to 54 now have profiles and a good portion (43%) of those 55 years and older
have one too.
Social Media Strategy
Social media is increasing in popularity and importance in our modern day culture. This trend has
allowed for two‐way communication and is moving away from the typical one‐way communication
methods. With methods such as newspapers, signage, television, this allows a party to get a message
out to a mass audience but limits the receiver’s ability to communicate back. Using social media, all
participants are able to participate and be engaged in the message. It allows receivers to share their
opinions, ideas and suggestions to the sender.
The social media portion of this strategy is developed with the intent of engaging Township residents,
customers, visitors, stakeholders and anyone who may hold a general interest with the Township of
South‐West Oxford. A presence on social media will allow staff and council to respond to concerns on a
timely basis contributing to the positive reputation of the municipality. The social media strategy will be
guided by our mission of being “a leader in the development and delivery of municipal services for the
growth and well being of our community."
Using social media methods, corporations are not targeting audiences but rather enticing interested
parties to become part of the conversation and engaged customers and citizens. The purpose of this
strategy is not solely to promote municipal messages but rather to contribute to accountable, more
transparent and more open government.
Benefits to Using Social Media
Social media can allow participants to be treated as equals and equally share their opinions on a neutral
forum, so long as the pages are well mediated and well designed. There are many benefits for the
Township of South‐West Oxford that can result from the use of a social media strategy. Social media are
the modern word of mouth. The predominance of word of mouth as a relied‐upon source of information
emphasizes the potential value of social media. Followers can passively receive information as a captive
audience, rather than having to actively seek out the traditional media such as the Township page or
web site.
They include:
Promoting an open government, transparent operations, and approachability of council members
Satisfy the public requirement for online communication
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Allows easy access to reach a large, diverse audience that holds a common interest to the municipality
Allows for quick communication during crisis and emergencies
Improved monitoring for interpretation of messages
Greater engagement, idea sharing and visioning
Promote events and increase awareness of the municipalities community groups and associations
Creates a sense of authenticity
Can help attract highly talented, diverse individuals for potential positions as staff, council or community service members
Cost efficient and time efficient
Borderless
Popular among many demographic groups
Flexible
Provide factually accurate information
Risks to Using Social Media
With anything, there is always going to be a certain amount of risk involved if caution and care are not taken when approaching a new communication venture. The following can be risks or weaknesses involved with using social media:
It is a newer platform that people may not all be as familiar with as with traditional methods
Information exchange can be inconsistent and popularity patterns can change
Less control
Can be demanding
Distraction to productivity
Sensitive topics may arise
Negative things can be written about the Township
Social Media Usage in Ontario Municipalities
Redbrick Communications performed a survey among Ontario municipalities in 2012 that resulted in the
following findings:
“In April 2010, about 25 Ontario municipalities had an official presence on social media. Another
100 municipalities had signed on by August 2011. By April 2012, just under 200 municipalities
had an official presence on social media. That’s an increase of 672% over two years.” Overall, in
2012, there were 193 of 444 municipalities active on social media. 84% were using Facebook
and 69% were using Twitter.”
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario said “Municipalities are not the last organizations to
embrace social media, but they are close”. The Township of South‐West Oxford needs to develop this
strategy and implement it as soon as we can so that we can keep up with the new emerging trends and
be seen as a municipality that wants to listen and engages our interested participants.
Proposed Social Media Sites
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As the most popular and pervasive social media platform in the world, Facebook has the potential to be a very important component of the Township’s social media presence and strategy going forward. For many Ontario municipalities, Facebook is the primary social media platform used, with over 79% of municipalities having a Facebook presence. Facebook customers create their own profiles and populate their own content, which can include text, videos, images, links, and other media. Engagement with visitors is enhanced when they choose to ‘like’ the organization’s Facebook page in order to follow content there, and when they comment on it.
Twitter is the fastest growing social network today, with over 100 million users. In a North American
survey, 47% of respondents stated they had a profile with Twitter. Of the Ontario municipalities using
social media, 74% have a profile with Twitter. One of the main advantages with Twitter is its ability to
communicate to followers quickly. Twitter is faster than other social networking sites because of its
brevity and mobile accessibility. Messages are quick to send, and quick to update. This platform is
designed for delivering short bursts of information and updates about Township news, events and other
information relevant to residents. This can be useful not only to engage in ongoing conversation to
increase community engagement but also to provide quick instructions and updates to residents during
times of emergency.
YouTube
YouTube is the most popular website for sharing videos, with 790 million users per month. In North
America, 38% of the population use YouTube regularly. Of the Ontario municipalities using social
networks, 31% include YouTube in their program. YouTube channels allow users to upload, organize
and share videos about the organization. Once uploaded, videos can be organized into different playlists
and shared over social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The public has the opportunity to
comment on videos.
Other Social Media Sites
On top of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, there are other social media sites available to the Township,
however they are not high priorities for the municipality at this time. Social media such as Pinterest and
Instagram are not high priorities for the municipality since they are too based on visual images, however
Linked In may be useful in the future for establishing a corporate brand and accessing another
mechanism for attracting talent.
Recommended Strategy for Adopting Social Media
The recommended strategy is to create social networking profiles for the Township on Facebook and
Twitter during an initial evaluation period of approximately six months. As staff and council become
more familiar with protocols and more efficient in implementation, a YouTube channel can be added.
Posting Frequency
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A successful social media program requires frequent and ongoing curating and maintenance. Content
must be fresh and relevant: it needs to be updated regularly and often. Ineffective monitoring and lack
of awareness of issues being discussed will erode public confidence. Failing to respond to questions
from residents in a timely manner can frustrate followers and diminish the overall impact of the social
media program. With that in mind, and based on the experience of other municipalities and established
best practices, the following protocols are recommended as part of the Township`s social media
strategy.
Facebook: It is recommended to establish a routine schedule of one to two posts per week to create
consistency, maximize awareness and deliver timely responses to comments and messages.
Twitter: In order to establish an ongoing presence worth visiting, and to create a following among
stakeholders, it is recommended that the Township tweet original content one to three times a day and
monitor on‐line conversations and respond/retweet in a prompt manner.
YouTube: A YouTube presence may be created six months after Facebook and Twitter are launched and
videos would be posted as they become available. A Township channel would be created when that is
appropriate based on content.
Posting Protocols
Addressing Negative Comments
The Township encourages all stakeholders and interested parties to share and discuss their opinions
provided that all comments remain respectful. The Township site administrator responds to questions
and comments that are consistent with the Township’s guidelines and policy, and does this within a
reasonable timeframe. Some level of criticism is expected, and this presents an opportunity to
participate in the ongoing conversation, correct misinformation and deliver service. Negative comments
should be responded to using constructive feedback rather than censorship. It is sometimes
appropriate, within the professional judgment of the site administrator, to allow public commentary to
take its course without Township intervention.
External links
Content that contains links to other external sites are permitted providing they link to: committees of
Council and local volunteer boards, including sites for volunteer fire fighters; established non‐profit or
public Oxford County organizations recognized by and endorsed by the Township; other governments
agencies; educational institutions. The Township will not link to sites of political parties or candidates
during an election year.
Unsuitable Content
Any content that includes the following content will be removed immediately upon retrieval: • Profane, abusive, threatening, hateful or defaming comments • Comments suggesting illegal activity • Sexual content or links to sexual content
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• Advertisements from any financial, commercial or non‐governmental agency • Information that may compromise the safety of anyone or anything • Public disclosure of confidential information • Religious or political content • Viruses, harmful software, malware • Content promoting a candidate for election • Any other content that is deemed unsuitable by a reasonable party
Key Stakeholder Contact List
Critically, an important first step for the Township communications strategy is the creation of a key
stakeholder contact list. A database will be created including contact information for various
stakeholders including their names, mailing addresses, e‐mail addresses, phone numbers, geographic
interest area, and also key service areas that they may be interested in receiving updates about.
Through the Township website and in person at the Township office, stakeholders are able to opt into
being included in this database used exclusively internally by staff for the purpose of communications.
Special Project Roll Out
Throughout the operations of the municipality, there may be various special projects that involve a
unique communications roll‐out and additional marketing effort to promote the Township initiative. For
example, the Township’s strategic planning initiatives, special public meetings, unique Township
achievements, or similar initiatives may require additional marketing beyond the typical
communications mechanisms. Special projects will be promoted using the following techniques, used in
combination at the discretion of the Township CAO:
Publication of a special newsletter and communications brief (circulated either by e‐mail to key
stakeholders as found on the key stakeholder contact list or circulated by mail to key
demographic)
Development of media lines, FAQs, and news release for the initiative
Creation of a page on the Township Website promoting information about the initiative
Creation of a page on Township social media sites with opportunity for commenting from public
Hosting of a public meeting to share findings and solicit feedback from stakeholders
Publication of additional marketing materials (fridge magnets, brochures, business cards,
pamphlets, etc.)
Township Newsletter
Presently the Township produces a newsletter mailed out twice annually to all residents. At this point
the newsletter features articles from all different departments and includes general information items
from each department. Moving forward, Township newsletters will be organized around a common
theme with contributions from each department. Since the Township is working on developing
additional media products and improving the website and social media presence, items of general
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knowledge will be well broadcast through these avenues. The newsletter provides an opportunity to
communicate information about a special interest and area to the residents of the community, since it is
one of the few communications devices that is intended only for those who actually live in the
Township.
Elected Official Web Blogs
To keep people engaged in the Township website and to prevent the content on the site from becoming
stale, elected officials with the municipality will contribute to online web logs. Intended to be short
journals from each councillor and mayor, the contribution content can be created at the discretion of
the council member. These blogs allow for elected officials to express any ideas or items of interest and
to solicit feedback from the public online. Each councillor may choose to write about an event occurring
in their ward or may opt for a topic that impacts the entire municipality. The Mayor’s blog will be
updated monthly and the councilors will provide an update quarterly, which will be administered
through the website through the Clerk.
Part Four: Communications Improvement Implementation
The following tables outline actions the Township should take during the next year to realize each of
these objectives.
Goal Initiative Responsibility Time Frame/Deadline
Measures of success
Stakeholders receive timely, accurate and clear communication from the Township
Develop and maintain key stakeholder contact list
Administrative Assistant Finance Department
Q4 2015 Improved relations with stakeholder groups; lower time for contacting
Establish policies regarding plain language and reading level
Clerk Q1 2016 Lower call volumes
Make reference materials available to front line staff; FAQs for each department.
All Managers Q4 2015 Frontline Staff can respond more efficiently and effectively to inquiries with standardized responses
Mayor’s Blog Developed – Updated Monthly
Mayor & Councillors
Ongoing – beginning in Q3 2015
Elected officials able to communicate
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Councillor Ward Updates – Updated Quarterly
with public frequently
Identify and publicize good news stories and actions taken in response to citizen concerns
All Departments Ongoing Positive comments made about the municipality; min. of 1 news release per month
Goal Initiative Responsibility Time Frame/Deadline
Measures of success
Stakeholders can easily provide input/feedback to the municipality
Establish protocol for responding to information requests
Clerk with Direction from All Departments
Q4 2015 Responses are tracked and targets met when timelines established; prepare marketing materials to promote these timelines
All forms to be PDF fillable for maximum convenience and response rates
Clerk Q2 2016 Increased rates of participation and online submission of applications
Regularly solicit input and feedback from stakeholders via email survey – feedback survey to key stakeholders
All Departments Ongoing At least one survey a year from each manager
Work to increase staff visibility in the community and Increase attendance and appearances at various events
All Departments Ongoing Ensure all staff and elected officials are aware of community events and make Township representatives recognizable through the use of uniforms or professional name tags with logos
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Establish Social Media Pages (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Channel)
Clerk Q4 2015 Follow the recommendations of the social media strategies contained in this communication plan to create pages on the different sites and being updating and responding to stakeholder concerns.
Goal Initiative Responsibility Time Frame/Deadline
Measures of success
Stakeholders can access information in a variety of formats
Include updates in the Village Voice every other month
Clerk Q3 2015 Positive responses from recipients of newsletter
Publish YouTube videos for Township interests
All Departments Q2 2016 Analytics re: viewing; minimum two videos per year
Establish a protocol for maintaining brochure racks
Administrative Assistance Finance Department
Q3 2016 Current information is available and on display and accessible
Residential welcome package from department available in new homeowner packages and on website
Building By‐Law Assistant, Revenue Officer, Clerk & Management
Q1 2016 Reduced questions from new homeowners
New business information packages available and update of Township Business Directory
Building By‐Law Assistant, Revenue Officer, Clerk & Management
Q2 2016 Interested small business owners can collect professional looking package from Township with all information and forms for starting a new business
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Goal Initiative Responsibility Time Frame/Deadline
Measures of success
Stakeholders can choose the type and frequency of information they receive from the municipality
Develop e‐newsletter and other opt‐in communication options
All Departments Q2 2016 At least 6 emails sent out ;
Regular, relevant social media posts (distributed through all departments)
All Departments Ongoing Content is liked, shared and commented on weekly
Goal Initiative Responsibility Time Frame/Deadline
Measures of success
Stakeholders are respected
Professional communication standards are established (including standard signatures, standard voicemail messages, font and style guide policies etc.)
Managers Q3 2016 Staff compliance at the department level achieved immediately following standardization
Logo and photo usage guidelines developed (developed alongside policy for plain language and style guide)
Managers Q1 2016 Only approved logos/photos are used in department publications
Standardized templates are developed for Township communication (i.e. letters, forms, powerpoint, ad hoc signage)
Clerk/CAO Q1 2016 Staff compliance
Staff is trained and using Laserfiche to file information and is able to access information rapidly to respond to client concerns and stakeholder requests
Clerk Ongoing User feedback is positive regarding access to information and rapidity of responses.
Monitor media and social media for
Clerk Ongoing Contentious issues are nipped
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emerging issues in the bud
Track most common information requests
Front Line Staff (Administrative Assistant in Finance Department and Building Departments)
Ongoing Share information between departments and collaborate on solutions
Communications audit/survey/evaluation schedule
All Departments Annual Engage the public in testing various communication approaches
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page21
Part Five: Implementation Timetable
SEPTEMBER 2015
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Township Newsletter Sent to
All Residents
1 2
3 4
7 8
9
10 11
News Release ‐ September
14
15
16
17
18
21
22
23
24
25
28
29
Mayor Blog Submitted & Council Blog Submitted
30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page22
OCTOBER 2015
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1 2
News Release – October
5 6
7
8 9
12
Launch of Facebook Page and Twitter Account (1 Twitter Post per Day, 1‐2 FB Posts per week).
13
14
15
16
19
20
21
22
23
26 27
Mayor Blog Submission
28
29 30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page23
NOVEMBER 2015
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
2
3
4
5 6
News Release – November
9 10
11
12 13
16
Logo finalized, uniforms/shirts ordered, name tags ordered.
17
18
19
20
23
24
Mayor Blog Submission
25
26
27
Key Stakeholder contact list developed
30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page24
DECEMBER 2015
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1
2
3 4
News Release ‐ December
7 8
9
10
Front line staff have reference
materials (FAQs, Talking Points)
11
14
15
16
17
Protocol Established for Responding to Information Requests
18
21
22
23
24
25
28
29
Mayor Blog Submission Council Blog Submission
30
Year End Communications Audit Complete
31
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page25
JANUARY 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
1
4 5
6
7 8 News Release ‐ January
11
12
13
CAO Survey
14
15
18
19
20
21
22
25
26
Mayor Blog Submission
27
Logo and Photo usage guidelines developed
28
Plain language policy/style guide completed
29
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page26
FEBRUARY 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1 2
3
4 5
News Release ‐ February
8
9
10
11 12
15
16
17
Standardized Templates developed for Communications (letters, forms, powerpoint, signage)
18
19
22
23
Mayor Blog Submission
24
25
26
29
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page27
MARCH 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Township Newsletter Sent to
All Residents
1
2
3 4
News Release ‐ March
7 8
9
10 11
14
15
16
Fire Survey
17
18
21
22
New homeowner welcome packages created.
23
24
25
28
29
Mayor Blog Submission Council Blog Submission
30
31
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page28
APRIL 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1
4 5
6
7 8
News Release ‐ April
11 12
Launch of YouTube Channel & First Video
13
14 15
18
All forms converted to PDF fillable form and available online.
19
20
21
22
25
26
Mayor Blog Submission
27
28
29
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page29
MAY 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
2
3
4
5 6
News Release – May
9
10
E‐Newsletter sent out
11
12 13
16
17
18
Building Survey
19
20
23
24
Mayor Blog Submission
25
26
27
30
31
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page30
JUNE 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1
2 3
News Release ‐ June
6 7
8
9 10
13
14
15
16
17
20
21
Business owner information packages created.
22
23
24
27
28
Mayor Blog Submission Council Blog Submission
29
30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page31
JULY 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
1
4 5
E‐Newsletter Sent out
6
7 8 News Release ‐ July
11
12
13
Works Survey
14
15
18
19
20
21
22
25
26
Mayor Blog Submission
27
28
29
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page32
AUGUST 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1 2
3
4 5
News Release ‐ August
8
9
10
11 12
15
16
Establish protocols for maintaining brochure racks and in office postings
17
18
19
22
23
24
25
26
29
30
Mayor Blog Submission
31
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page33
SEPTEMBER 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Township Newsletter Sent to
All Residents
1 2
News Release – September
5 6
7
8 9
12
13
14
Finance Survey
15
16
19
20
E‐Newsletter Sent out
21
22
23
26 27
Mayor Blog Submission Council Blog Submission
28
29 30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page34
OCTOBER 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
3
4
5
6 7
News Release ‐ October
10 11
12
13 14
17
18
Second YouTube Video
19
20
21
24
25
Mayor Blog Submission
26
27
28
31
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page35
NOVEMBER 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
1
2
3 4
News Release ‐ November
7
8
E‐Newsletter Sent out
9
10 11
14
Professional Communications Standards Established (font, style guide policies, voicemail messages, e‐mail signatures)
15
16
Clerk Survey
17
18
21
22
23
24
25
28
29
Mayor Blog Submission
30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page36
DECEMBER 2016
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Village Voice Article Submitted
1 2
News Release – December
5 6
7
8 9
12
13
14
15
16
19
20
21
22
23
26 27
Mayor Blog Submission
Council Blog Submission
28
29
Year End Communications Audit Complete
30
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page37
Part Six: Implementation Implications – Staff Time and Resources
CommunicationsTask
StaffMemberResponsible
EstimatedStaffTime
Requirements
AdditionalResourcesor
Costs
Comment
TownshipNewsletter
Clerk (with submissions from department heads and Community Groups)
Clerk Time – 21 hours per newsletter
‐ paper cost ‐ printing cost (price per unit printed) ‐ postage to send newsletter ‐ Approximate total cost is $825.00 = $1,650.00 annually
Existing communications effort, no additional inputs required (2015 saw a reduction in cost by printing and designing in house)
MonthlyNewsRelease
Clerk Clerk Time – 1 hour monthly
Release to be sent digitally to media outlets
MayorBlog&CouncillorBlog
Elected Officials Clerk Time – 0.25 hour monthly to post on website
Time commitment required from elected officials
VillageVoiceArticles
CAO CAO time – 0.5 hour every other month
Advertising Costs $100.00 for a ¼ page ad, every 2 months = $600.00 annually
Creationof:FacebookPage&TwitterPage
Finance Administrative Assistant & Clerk
Finance Admin ‐ 3.5 hours Clerk – 1 hour to review
FacebookPostingandMonitoring
Finance Administrative Assistant & Clerk
Finance Admin & Clerk – 0.5 hours per week combined
TwitterPostingandMonitoring
Finance Administrative Assistant & Clerk
Finance Admin & Clerk – 0.5 hours per week combined
LogoFinalized,uniforms/T‐Shirtsordered,Nametagsordered
CAO CAO time – 14 hours
Graphic designer Costs for shirts, name tags, uniforms dependant on preferences
Items to be included in budget.
KeyStakeholderContactList
Finance Administrative
Finance Admin Time – 35 hours
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page38
Developed Assistant
FrontLineStaffReferenceMaterials
Department Heads & Managers
Each Manager – 7 hours
ProtocolEstablishedforRespondingtoInformationRequests
Clerk Clerk Time – 7 hours
YearEndCommunicationsAudit
Clerk Clerk Time – 7 hours
Surveys(everyothermonth,developedbydifferentmanager)
Department Heads & Managers
Survey Development = 3.5 hours, once per year, per manager
Sent by e‐mail to recipients on the key stakeholder contact list.
LogoandPhotousageguidelinesdeveloped
CAO CAO Time – 14 hours
PlainLanguagePolicy/StyleGuidecompleted
Clerk Clerk Time – 14 hours
StandardizedTemplatesDeveloped
Finance Administrative Assistant
Finance Admin Time – 7 hours
NewHomeownerWelcomepackagesCreated
Building Administrative Assistant, Revenue Officer
Building Administrative Assistant Time – 35 Hours Revenue Officer Time – 7 hours
Printing costs (may opt to print professionally/ glossy)
YouTubeChannelLaunch
CAO (with assistance from Department Heads)
Manager Time – total 35 hours
Optional costs to hire professional firm for film work
ConversionofFormstoPDFFillable
Clerk Clerk Time – 7 hours
E‐Newsletters CAO, Clerk CAO/Clerk Time – 2 hours per edition (6 per year, 12 hours annually)
Sent by e‐mail to recipients on the key stakeholder contact list.
BusinessOwnerInformationPackages
Finance Administrative Assistant, Revenue Officer, ROEDC
Total staff time – 35 hours
Printing costs (may opt to print professionally/ glossy)
SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page39
EDO
ProtocolsEstablishedforMaintainingBrochureRacksandOfficerPostings
Finance Administrative Assistant
Finance Admin Time – 3.5 hours
Option to purchase new brochure racks or display areas
ProfessionalCommunicationsStandardsPolicyEstablished
Clerk Clerk Time – 7 hours