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Creating a Communications Plan
Earlier this year…• New duties within IST• Attended CANHEIT conference and
learned that very few IT departments have a communications role/position
• Many starting to recognize the value
IT=client focus
Gaining valuable knowledge• Lots of great sessions, networking opportunities, info to
bring back with me• Only a couple of sessions with focus on Communications• Before “The CANHEIT presentation…”
Invigorated!• Attended
5 Things You Need to Know to Become an IT Communications Rockstar
• Confirmed I had lots to do!
Practice = Plan
Fans = Audience
Tour = Channels
Music = Content
Reminisce = Evaluate
After the presentation…
New IST Communications
Officer ready to tackle anything and everything!
Communication Officers just want to have fu-un.
As the Communications Officer• Goal to improve communications within IST and
from IST to the campus community• Proactive role to inform our audiences of issues, outages, new
services, general communications, etc. • Draft, edit communications to be sent• Offer a second set of eyes and feedback• Assist with project communications and documentation• Assist with Service Level Agreements (SLAs)• Foster relationships with those in communication positions
across campus
What is communication?• “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or
behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone” –Merriam-Webster
• Sharing IT focused ideas and information with clients and colleagues (maintenance, new service, general info, courses, etc.)
• Clear, easy to understand (plain language), and shared in a timely manner
What does it look like?• Can take many forms, including:
• Email• Meetings• Word of mouth • Website(s)• Blogs• Display screens• News bulletins • Posters and brochures• Open houses and information sessions• Social media• SLAs…
IT + communication• Creating and sending communications at an ever-
increasing rate, through a growing number of channels• Can begin to feel like a mess of words, dates, action
items=frustrated and overwhelmed
Getting on track
• The Plan!• Organize, track and ensure communication
efforts are effective• Sat down and began this labour of love
1. What do we currently do?
2. What could we be doing better?
3. Where are the gaps?
What to consider
• Why are we communicating to our clients? Purpose?
• What do we want to communicate? Message? – Info only? – Asking them to do something? – Looking for support/buy-in?
• Who is our audience? Expectations?
What to consider
• How should we communicate it? • Who should send the message?
– IST Comm Officer? Project Lead? Group contact?
• Lots of questions, but not all had/have answers!
Where we are today
• Final draft of a Communications Plan that has been reviewed by VP Academic & Provost, CIO, IST Directors, and Management team
• Carleton University + University of Michigan • Final version was approved in mid-November
Plan includes• Purpose, goals and objectives• Clients• Messaging• Communication scenarios (planned, unplanned,
emergency)• Service contacts• Communication tools/channels
Plan includes• Detailed steps for planned and unplanned
communications• Frequency• Conclusion• Appendices
– Communication matrix– Glossary of terms– Alignment with university plans and guidelines (IT Strat Plan,
Mass Email guidelines, and Emergency Preparedness Plan)– Communication plans/guidelines for LEARN, WCMS,
Telecommunications Services
What this looks like
Campus display screens
What this looks like
Email templates
What this looks like
uWaterloo Connect IT bloghttps://collaborate.uwaterloo.ca/connect-it
Why having a plan is important
• What happens if we don’t have a communications plan…
Why having a plan is important
• Provides a structure to determine who, how, when, and what
• Consistent, efficient, effective, and lasting• Builds trust and provides outwards view• Achieves other goals (client service experience, increase
collaboration within and external to IST, more efficient use of resources)
• Ties projects/initiatives/work together• Small investment time saved + larger pay off
Next steps
• Continue to implement, evaluate and adapt as needed
• V1.5 – operationalizing plan, other methods of communications with our clients (websites, stories, positive vs. negative)
• Will live on IST internal site
Questions/Comments?
• Existing communication efforts getting out to the right people?
• Is it a step in the right direction?• Is content understandable?• Tool/channel that works for your users?• How much notice would you like before a
planned service change?
