Transcript Communicating . Keep Title Slide Simple. No Page Number

Review of EU Cohesion Policy
Communication Plans 2007-2013
Activities of national and regional managing authorities in the field of
communication
INFORM network meeting
Brussels, 26 November 2008
Malin Carlberg & Effie Pitsaros, Technopolis Group
Background to the study
• New communication regulations based on the European
Commission's Regulation 1828/2006.
• This report has been built on an initial review from November
2007.
• Aims to give a picture of progress to date.
• Emphasis on practical arrangements put in place, lessons
learned, and good practice.
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Method
August - October 2008:
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A review of a sample of 69 Member State
communication
plans
plus
15
cross-border
programmes.
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Interviews with a sample of people responsible for
communication activities in the various Managing
Authorities.
Areas of information sought
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Member State / European Territorial Cooperation
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Operational Programme
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Description of the implementation of the new requirements
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Interesting practice relating to setting up and planning communication
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How is the EU message part of the communication package?
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Plans for cooperation with the media
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Communicating with, and helping, beneficiaries communicate
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Interesting practice relating to communicating with other actors
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Interesting practice relating to websites and new media
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Monitoring and evaluation activities
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Budgetary information
Overall findings and conclusions
Keys to success
• Adaptable communications plans
•Clearly identified target groups
General public vs. potential beneficiaries
•Proactive relations with the media
•Good internal communication
•Use of innovative tools, e.g. interactive websites
•Drawing on lessons learnt from previous programming periods
•Most successful activities are those targeted to meet regional demands
in the regional context
Key findings
Making the Communication Plans adaptable
• Communications plans should be adaptable
addressing changing needs over the lifetime of the programme
aims and objectives need to articulated more clearly
• During the early phase of the OP, communication activities tend to
primarily target potential beneficiaries, but shift focus during its
lifetime
•Later stages, focus shifts to:
Encouraging links with beneficiaries
Encouraging beneficiaries to communicate
Key findings
Target groups
•Clear identification of the target group is crucial:
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General public (general information only)
Potential beneficiaries (need more information)
Allows communication activities to be targeted better
•Project beneficiaries should be encouraged to communicate
their ‘message’, both to the general public and to the media.
Key findings
Relations with the media
• To attract and maintain media engagement, Communication team
should ensure sufficient in-house expertise
•Earlier Communications Plans were reactive in terms of media-related
activities:
Media-related activities should be proactive rather than
reactive
Should be adaptable as media attention can shift quickly (e.g. he
current financial crisis)
• Media values information made available from the European
Commission
this should be used in a more effective manner
Key findings
Internal communication (1)
•Internal communication – key to success:
There are some examples of gaps in communication between
national and regional authorities
 Most CPs mention communication with “other organisations”
although not always in detail
 Social partners are incorporated in CPs, but under-utilised
Key findings
Internal communication (2)
•Commission Representatives are absent as a mechanism in most
Communication Plan
may be a useful mechanism for facilitating the communication of
beneficiaries’ messages by organising events, bringing the media
and beneficiaries together and encouraging discussion and
publicity
•Project leaders from previous programming periods can help reinforce
the communication between MAs and other actors, such as potential
beneficiaries and the general public
Key findings
Electronic communication
•Electronic communication and new media are recognised as
important in the Communication Plans
•Websites should not be a static tool; interactive mechanisms
should be encouraged.
Key findings
Evaluation and monitoring
•More emphasis on evaluation
Do the plans work?
How can they be improved?
Better use of indicators
• The European added value should be more clearly identified
How has ‘Europe’ helped this project
What is the EU message?
What the Commission can do
•Further guidance through INFORM
•Help promote more public awareness through events for media
organised by its Representations in the EU Member States.
•DG REGIO should consider facilitating exchanges of experiences
through presentations and workshops on:
Relations with the media
Evaluation
Using indicators
Implementing communication plans
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Thank You
If you would like to discuss the presentation contact
[email protected]
www.technopolis-group.com