Solutions Consulting Group

202.683.8123 Office
202.371.0416 Facsimile
eric@consultantsdc.com

Comprehensive Communications Plan Proposal

[Your Business/Organization Name]

Why a Comprehensive Communications Plan?

Is it worth investing the time and resources of your organization to develop a

Comprehensive Communications Plan?

The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES, because effective communications will:

 broaden and strengthen board, staff and stakeholder support

 create stable systems of organizational continuity
 give greater operational focus to product/service delivery
 prevent impulsiveness and impetuousness
 align goals and priorities with programs/initiatives
 improve recruitment and retention
 increase productivity/decrease duplication
 maximize time management

What Is a Comprehensive Communications Plan?

Communication is broadly defined as the conveyance of information, which includes ALL

written, spoken, visual, technological and electronic interaction with your constituencies.

Your Comprehensive Communications Plan will be tailored to formalize and encompass the
objectives, goals and tools for all of your corporate communications, including, but not
limited to:

 interpersonal communications (reception procedures, voice mail etc.)

 print publications (advertising and periodicals)
 electronic/online communications
 media and public relations materials
 manuals, reports and corporate documentation
 meeting and conference materials
 marketing mediums (advertising, social media, etc.)
 legal and legislative documents
 communiqués with board, staff and stakeholders
 branding/corporate identity (logos, graphics and stylebook)
 calendar (public and proprietary)
 executive speeches
 editorial/copy control

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Solutions Consulting Group
202.683.8123 Office
202.371.0416 Facsimile
eric@consultantsdc.com

When to Develop the Plan?

The ideal time to develop your Comprehensive Communications Plan is in conjunction with
your annual evaluative or strategic planning process, but considering that the execution of a
plan is so vital to the health and efficacy of your organization—the sooner you implement a
plan, the better. Your communications plan will impact day-to-day decisions, at every level
of your organization and will be an invaluable reference tool for growth and development.

Where to Get Information?

Data for your Comprehensive Communications Plan comes from these primary sources:

 your founding documents

 your communications audit
 surveys and focus groups
 executive leadership and staff
 advisors and consultants
 current industry practices

How to Develop the Plan?

We use the following steps to develop an effective Comprehensive Communications Plan:

1. Audit communications. Evaluate your current communications. Some organizations

hire firms to do this and the cost for the objectivity of an outside auditor is well worth the
benefit. But it is also a more cost-effective decision to hire a firm that is familiar with your
organization and the products/services you provide.

Solutions Consulting Group will partner with your organization to expedite the development
of your plan by identifying all relevant details, strengths and weaknesses of your
organization’s current communications and information management structure, such as:

 who is receiving what information

 when, why and how they are receiving the information
 what, if any, protocols are departments/divisions or subsidiaries currently following
 what are the roles of individual employees in distributing information
 what is each communication activity is designed to achieve
 how effective is each activity

To answer these questions we will:

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Solutions Consulting Group
202.683.8123 Office
202.371.0416 Facsimile
eric@consultantsdc.com

 interview department/division heads and key staff

 interview board, staff and stakeholders
 survey constituent groups
 host focus groups
 query non-customers/competitors

2. Define constituents. List all the audiences that your organization might want to contact,
attempt to influence, or serve. Including but not limited to:

 clients/consumers
 general public
 competitors
 funding organizations (donors and sponsors)
 program staff
 subcontractors
 employees
 federal, regional, and local governments
 spokespersons
 media

3. Define objectives. Armed with information from your audit, define your overall
communications objectives.

Examples of such objectives are:

 centralization of the communications effort

 increased consumer base (capture and retention)
 increased exposure and visibility for the organization
 improved reputation and pedigree
 improved service to constituent groups
 improved employee recruitment and retention
 improved program delivery
 greater influence with media, constituent groups, and other audiences

4. Define goals. Consider the restated goals and objectives, and what available human
capital and financial resources will be necessary to develop your programs into action
plans. Develop a comprehensive, multi-task approach to achieving each objective.

5. Budget. Develop cost estimates for implementation. Measure against established

budget parameters to narrow your field of options. Integrate into your budget.

6. Identify tools/resources. Determine what tools and resources will be required to

accomplish your restated goals (e.g., stylebook, graphics, flyers/posters, report covers,

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Solutions Consulting Group
202.683.8123 Office
202.371.0416 Facsimile
eric@consultantsdc.com

newsletters, digital and social media). Take the time necessary to compile an exhaustive
list. Solicit the insight of key constituents and objective, non-competing organizations.
Include all relevant logistical and administrative variables—then choose as wisely and as
permanently as possible.

7. Establish timetables. Once your constituents, objectives, goals, tools and funding have
been identified, quantify the results into a timeline/calendar that outlines what projects will
be accomplished and when. Separate each project into practical time blocks.

8. Evaluate results. Build benchmarks into your timeline to measure results. Consider that
your evaluation method and resulting metrics may be extracted from and/or integrated into:

 year-end summation for the annual report.

 a monthly or quarterly report on work in progress,
 data collection and program reports for presentation at staff meetings,
 periodic briefings of the Board Chairman, Board Members, CEO and other key staff

9. Next steps. Developing your Comprehensive Communications Plan will require a

cooperative effort from your entire organization. It will take approximately twelve (12) weeks
for the initial development of your plan and approximately three (3) cumulative weeks
annually thereafter for review and revision.

For more information, please have a representative authority from your organization
contact Solutions Consulting Group immediately or visit our website at
www.consultantsdc.com to schedule an Initial Consultative Assessment of Need (ICAN).
All executive and signatory staff should be present for the initial appointment.

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