How managing communications reduces risk
By Angela Bensemann, Director Halo Communications
In an ideal world, every project would not only have a communications plan but would also have a project plan that identifies specific issues and risks.
However, as we know this isn’t always the case.
When starting a new project, you may not even have a detailed project plan (or one at all), which makes your communications plan even more important.
Issues management is an important part of any communications plan. Simply put, there are always problems that must be analysed and resolved. It’s handling these issues and communicating them to your stakeholders that will help your project run more smoothly.
Dealing with the gnarly issues upfront, along with communicating well to the potential stakeholders affected, is time well spent.
Identifying issues
So, what are the issues you should be looking for?
When identifying issues, you are scanning the external environment for developing trends, looking at what else is happening in your timeframe and thinking about any legislation changes that might impact what you are planning. You’re looking at public perceptions, and things like the potential for budget, or time over-runs. You should also consider anything sensitive that’s impacting on the environment, and any potential disasters that could occur as a result e.g., cutting through a gas main in the CBD, or someone getting hurt on site.
Sometimes the issues are easy to identify. We know that parking is always a hot topic so if your plans involve removing 25 car parks you better have a good reason why and have plans in place to mitigate the loss if needed. Equally as emotive is tree removal. It doesn’t mean you don’t remove the tree or the car park, it means you think through the implications, weigh up the benefits and identify those key people that will have an interest and those who will want to know and communicate with them ahead of time.
But sometimes the issues are not obvious, or they will be something no one has considered, think Covid-19.
However, if you get into the habit of identifying risks and issues for every project, you get into the mindset of problem-solving and are more adept at managing the unexpected. That way you can resolve problems quickly before they reach crisis point– which means less firefighting – the old 80/20 rule.
Reducing risk
Building relationships in communities is key, and issues management is like a bridge between your organisation and its stakeholders.
In the public sector, managing risk often comes down to how you communicate with your stakeholders and your relationships.
It means doing what you say you’ll do when you say you will, being transparent, being honest, and providing updates in a timely way. Not only that but it means considering how your stakeholders want to receive information and how you can deliver it in a way that is engaging and easy for them to understand.
When risk management is done well, your project will often fly under the radar – for the right reasons! It means people are happy and you’re not making headlines for the wrong reasons.
If you need assistance with issues management and your communications plan, let’s have a coffee and a conversation angela@halocommunications.co.nz
“Angela is a consummate professional, friendly and fun to work with. She has very good knowledge on how local government works particularly in the communications space. She provided excellent communications plans – anticipating possible controversy very early on with good political sense. Her work is very thorough and detailed. We definitely regarded her as an asset to our project team.”
