in this Communication Audit Report and it is designed to provide DDSB with both short-term enhancement strategies for the communication program as well as long-range recommendations that can be incorporated into the next iteration of the Durham Directions five-year strategic plan. Given the current staff capacity of the Communications Department, it would be unrealistic to expect them to undertake the proposed recommendations without additional support.
It is important to keep this in perspective so that the work outlined does not seem
overwhelming. DDSB has a solid communication program in place and the recommendations in this report are presented with the intention of helping DDSB to not only improve, expand and enhance current efforts, but to begin incorporating new components that will allow it to take the communication program to a premier level that will serve as a model for other school boards. As a starting point, we suggest that DDSB initially focus on Recommendations 1 through 6 and build from there.
DDSB is fortunate to have an experienced and skilled Communications Manager who is highly thought of in the local community and well respected by the administrative team. In order to support her efforts to successfully implement a strategic communication plan, it is important that consideration be given annually to the budgetary and personnel resources that will be needed as DDSB’s communication needs continue to grow and change. The recommendations provided in this report are extensive and comprehensive and DDSB leaders must prioritize by need and importance how communication resources are expended.
As we have noted throughout this report, the recommendations presented are not intended for the Communications office alone. While the department certainly has primary responsibility for critical communication tasks, all DDSB departments and schools must be accountable for improving communication and take the lead in some of the areas addressed in the report. We encourage board leaders to review the recommendations in this light and with an eye to how specific communication responsibilities and tasks might be distributed among Education Centre departments and area administrative teams.
A number of the recommendations in this report involve communication activities that can be managed at the school level by principals and at the area level by area superintendents. Each school and area can also create a communication team of staff and parents to assist with newsletters, websites, surveys, staff celebration and recognition activities, and other events. In any successful communication program, it is important that all employees recognize and understand their roles as communicators and ambassadors for the schools.
However, in the long-term, we believe DDSB will need to give serious consideration to expanding the Communications office staff in order to maximize communication, engagement and marketing efforts and develop the cutting-edge program that it aspires to as a leading school system in Ontario. Given the large geographical size of the board, along with the varied
communication styles and preferences of its constituent audiences, adding additional staff to expand the capacity of the Communications office will help provide the flexibility needed to
address diverse communication needs across DDSB. We fully understand the budget
ramifications for increasing staff, so we present this suggested structure to demonstrate how existing communication needs might be addressed under ideal circumstances, and to highlight the importance of planning for communication in the development of DDSB’s strategic goals for the future.
The following reflects effective staffing structures we have seen in school systems similar to DDSB and some suggestions for job responsibilities:
Manager of Communications – (existing position) the senior communications professional serves as the strategic communications/public relations counsel to the Director, Board of Trustees and top level administrators. The Manager attends all cabinet and executive level meetings in order to provide advice and input on the communication aspects of emerging issues. This position is responsible for overseeing all functions of the communications office, including media relations, engagement and marketing.
Communications Specialist – the full-time specialist position assists the Manager with overall communication duties and handles responsibilities such as writing and coordinating print and electronic publications, gathering news and information from the schools, preparing news releases, alerts, and tip sheets, assisting with media relations, engagement and marketing efforts, providing content for the website, assisting area superintendents and principals with localized communication efforts, and coordinating social media communications (i.e., Twitter, Facebook). Website Coordinator – websites are now essential communication tools and as such require constant updates and maintenance in order to be effective and meet the high expectations of today’s users. A full-time website coordinator would be responsible for ensuring that web content is current, and the site is functioning well. The coordinator would also be responsible for developing new communication applications for the website, such as videocasts, RSS feeds, mobile apps, etc. This position could also provide some support for school-level website coordinators, and work with the communications specialist on social media outreach.
Media/Video Specialist – with the increasing use of video and multi-media to communicate and tell the story about schools, a media/video specialist would greatly expand DDSB’s current communication reach both internally and externally, on the website and the Portal. Video can also be applied to marketing efforts and outreach to ESL families.
Communications Assistant – (existing position) would provide administrative support to the Manager and department, assist with gathering and creating content for publications and the website, create and maintain a database of key communicator target audiences, coordinate Synervoice messaging, maintain the master calendar, coordinate special events, monitor news media, and continue to provide general communication support.
The area of e-communications is particularly critical given the expanding use of
technology and it is a communication component that DDSB needs to increase its focus on. The need to keep website content current and fresh, coupled with the growing use of social
communication specialist and webmaster when the budget allows. In order for DDSB to brand itself as an innovative school system and a leader in the use of technology, websites and e- communication vehicles must look professional and information must be fresh, timely and pertinent to the needs of stakeholders.
Some additional suggestions related to the Communications Department function and structure include:
■ Review job descriptions and responsibilities for Communications Department staff. As the Communications office strives to improve its effectiveness and become more strategic, it is a good time to review the job descriptions and responsibilities of staff in terms of how they relate to the recommendations in this report. A thorough review may help identify functions that have changed or that should be eliminated, whether all existing functions are being addressed, and whether responsibilities have been added that impact job performance. A second review should be conducted after the strategic communications plan has been developed and revisions should be made to the job descriptions if necessary to ensure that staff time is focused on projects and activities that support the goals and objectives of the plan as well as those DDSB. This refocusing of primary tasks and responsibilities should allow the Communications Manager to spend more of her time on the critical strategic communication, engagement, and marketing activities that are important to a large school system such as DDSB.
We urge the Communications team to take a hard look at all they do and ask how current projects and tasks fit into DDSB’s mission, goals and objectives. Some questions to ask include:
What would happen if a specific program, tactic, or service were cut? How critical are the ramifications of the cut to board goals?
What will the cut do to provide more staff time or resources for new strategic communication initiatives?
What other department could take responsibility for the program, tactic or service?
The Communications team should be the best judge of what should stay and what should go. Every great communication office always has too much to do, so eliminating a task or
function should not be threatening to anyone. The cuts may even include a sacred cow or two that may upset long-term staff members who feel personal ownership. But now is the time to make room for new, critical, strategic measures that support DDSB’s desire to be a leader in providing innovative, quality education for all students.
■ Increase collaboration and synergy between the Communications and Creative Services departments. As noted in the Observations at the beginning of this report, the Creative Services Department is a tremendous asset for DDSB that provides high quality graphic design and production services under the auspices of the Program Department. We encourage DDSB to leverage the expertise of the Creative Services staff to better support the board’s
image-building and branding efforts. In particular, the board would benefit greatly from a more direct and collaborative working relationship between the Communications Department and the Creative Services Department. This would help to ensure that all graphic design, be it for print or electronic publications, the website, banners, or any other materials, reflects a consistent, professional, sophisticated look and feel that is clearly recognizable and branded board-wide to DDSB.
As proposed in Recommendation 12, there is a need to implement a visual identity profile and Creative Services should be included in this process. Communications and Creative Services could also collaborate on updating the Corporate Identity Standards guidelines for all schools and departments to follow when creating their own newsletters and publications, to ensure that the board logo is used correctly in order to protect and solidify the brand.
Today’s successful school systems recognize that communication is most effective when it is a management function that is planned, continually updated and revised, and evaluated. Recognizing that budget limitations are a concern, we have tried to provide recommendations that can be implemented at minimal expense or by reallocating existing funds. However, it is also important that staffing and budget allocations for communications be reviewed annually to determine needs and ensure continued effectiveness.
Conclusion
DDSB is a quality school system with the same communication challenges all school systems face in today’s complex education environment and difficult economic situation. The first step toward solving these challenges lies in recognizing them, and DDSB leaders understand that effective communication is critical if the board is to move forward and maximize its
potential as a leading school system in Ontario and Canada.
Making the commitment to improve communication is critical to creating a successful two-way communication process that builds support for education and understanding of the important role public schools play in our global society. We believe DDSB has all the
components necessary to create a model communication program – visionary leadership, talented staff, strong community support, a solid reputation as an educational leader, existing technology resources, and a commitment to planned, strategic communications.