Transcript 07 10 17 Rennes visit - communication strategies

Communication Strategies
(with users/stakeholders): their
importance to specialist public
health practice
Chris Lines
Director of Communications
NPHS/Wales Centre for Health
Curriculum vitae
• 20 years in public relations
• Private, public and voluntary sectors
• With NPHS since 2005
Presentation
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Communication strategy
Corporate communications
Internal communications
Stakeholder communications
Public communications
Case study: childhood leukaemia in North
Wales
Communications
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Understanding
Two way process
Perceptions and reality
Action and words
Communication strategy
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What are the objectives?
What are the issues?
Who are the audiences?
What are the audience perceptions?
Who are the communicators?
What are the messages?
What are the best communication tools?
Corporate communications
• Structural context
• Political and media contexts
• Very little public understanding of
corporate roles and responsibilities
• Difficulty in establishing internal and
stakeholder understanding
NPHS corporate challenges
• 750 staff on 40+ sites
• From different organisations
• Teams embedded in Local Health Boards
and NHS Trusts
• Partnership working
• Variety of specialisms – niches
• No statutory responsibilities
• Service not a health authority
Service culture
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Compare with consultancy
Not just doing what ‘customer’ wants
Help meet the ‘customer’s’ needs
Requires ‘customer’ confidence
Requires service and communications
excellence
Internal communications
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Identification with the organisation
Understanding the organisation
Making all the connections internally
Representing the NPHS consistently
Communication of the same messages
Strategic response internally
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Intranet
e-bulletin
Information Exchange – Regional Forums
National Forum
Staff Conference
Director’s Diary
Corporate identity
Stakeholder communications
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Stakeholders or partners
Range of stakeholders
Tensions between stakeholders
Understanding of the role
Everything in partnership
Invisibility of NPHS
Recognition of contribution
Strategic response externally
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Internal communications strategy
Web site
Stakeholder e-news
Stakeholder conferences
Liaison meetings
Public health leadership and contributions
Public communications
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Different publics
Engagement or communication
Reactive
Systematic or ad hoc
Complex subject
Different communicators
Confusing and mixed messages
Strategic response publicly
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Engage staff, stakeholders and partners
Engage and understand public
Credible communicators
Credible and consistent messages
Proactive
Systematic
Childhood leukaemia in North
Wales
• Fears of raised levels of childhood cancer
in Menai Straits resulting from Sellafield
radiation
• Fears raised by:
– Green Audit
– Alun Ffred Jones AM
– Y Byd ar Bedwar
Health response
• Analysis of data by Welsh Cancer
Intelligence and Surveillance Unit
(WCISU)
• Report by National Public Health Service
for Wales (NPHS) for Gwynedd and
Anglesey LHBs
Government response
• Committee on Medical Aspects of
Radiation in the Environment (COMARE)
asked to review :
– Green Audit paper
– WCISU paper
– NPHS paper
Interested organisations
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WCISU
NPHS Wales
Gwynedd LHB
Anglesey LHBs
COMARE
WAG
• NRPB
• HPA
• Environment
Agency
• British Nuclear
Fuels
• Local Authorities
• GPs
Report findings
• “There was no evidence to link the
diseases with nuclear discharges”
(WCISU)
• “There is no evidence of an increase in
retinoblastoma or in tumours of the brain
and spine in the Menai Straits area.”
(NPHS)
COMARE findings
• The pattern of diseases in the studies
does not suggest a connection with manmade radiation
• The analysis and methodology adopted by
WCISU was appropriate
• The interpretation of the WCISU study by
the NPHS was appropriate
COMARE findings
• “The Green Audit analyses have several
significant weaknesses and cannot be
regarded as reliable”
Communication issues
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Radiation
Sellafield
Cancer
Scientific validity of small area figures
Morass of authority and expertise
Family and community needs for an
explanation
Public Health message
• There is no evidence to link the diseases
with nuclear discharges
Communication opportunities
• Get the message across to reassure the
public
• Lead the agenda
Communications threats
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No categorical guarantees
Spin
Media sensationalism
Pressure Group activism
Political hijack ahead of a General Election
Communications strategy
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Reassure the public
Get the facts on the record
Set the agenda
Be independent and authoritative
Reduce opposition opportunities
Communications plan
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Jointly agree plan
Jointly agree statement and Q&A
Use single spokesperson
Quick timeline for correct notification
Focus on briefing time
Wider distribution by post and e-mail
Web site
Statement, letters and Q&A
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Partner perspectives
Working with scientists
Complicated issues
9 drafts!
Timeline for notification
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Confidential briefings for partners
Minister’s letter to AM
Media briefing
Web site
Letter and reports to opinion-formers
Media coverage
Results
• On-message and extensive media
coverage
• Limited pressure group response
• No political storm
• Appreciative opinion-formers responses
Conclusions
• Strategy worked well
• Message delivered effectively
But…
• Just one episode in communication
• Green Audit is still campaigning
Conclusions
• Engage staff and stakeholders first
• It’s a long game!