Phase 1:  BOARD FOCUSED

Tools	Comments / Proposed Action	Tactics	Comments / Proposed Action
§ Task the Policy & Governance Committee with a review of existing communications policies, protocols and procedures in light of the seven core components of the strategic approach	Conduct review in Q2 2012	§ Include a communications component in an overall review of Board performance every three years (as recommended by the CAPB Best Practices Review). Canvas key audiences for feedback.	§ To be included in next comprehensive Board Performance Review (to take place Q4 2012)
§ Develop the Board’s strategic priorities, core themes and messages and, once approved, share them with all primary internal and external stakeholders	Strategic Plan with Vision, Mission and Values developed in Q4 2011, approved and disseminated in January 2012.	§ Distribute a (draft) list of agenda items to all Board members one week prior to each Board meeting. This will provide Members with an opportunity to seek additional information or clarification, and to identify opportunities to raise public awareness about specific issues or initiatives. § Encourage greater day-to-day interaction between Board members to discuss issues, developments, priorities, and emerging opportunities for public engagement. § Take advantage of member knowledge, expertise and interest around specific topics, issues and initiatives § Leverage the opportunity to maximize the educational value of the Board meeting by highlighting specific aspects or requesting further detail about OPS activities § Follow up by the Board Chair or Executive Director with OPS personnel, as required	§ Started doing this in June 2011. § Board members have taken under advisement. § Taken under advisement and will look for opportunities. § Board members have taken under advisement and are acting on. § Done on a regular basis.
	§	§ Develop an issue management protocol (see Page 17) including: a) Shared calendar b) Designated working group to design a formal issue management protocol. c) Tapping into existing networks d) Media monitoring and analysis	a) Not currently possible to access OPS internal calendar but is being investigated. b) The Executive Director now has weekly conference call meetings with the Supt. – Office of the Chief Directorate after each week’s Executive Command or Executive team meetings.  Discussions about better linkages will continue.  . c) The Executive Director receives email minutes of OPS Corporate Communications & Community Development weekly meetings to be informed of issues and events they are working on.  d) In addition to monitoring that was already being done, the Executive Director receives the City of Ottawa’s media monitoring reports twice a day.

Phase 2: COUNCIL FOCUSED

Tools	Comments / Proposed Actions	Tactics	Comments / Proposed Actions
§ Sharing of key Board themes § Issue-specific messaging (provided on a priority basis and proactively distributed to Board members and City Council via email)	§ Board Strategic Plan was shared in Q1 2012. . § Done on an ‘as needed’ basis.	§ Continue distribution of all Board documents and publications to City Councillors, their office staff, and senior municipal officials § Supplement with regular face-to-face updates to Council members from the Board Chair and the two Councillors	§ Being done. § Council members on the Board meet bi-weekly with other City Committee Chairs.

Phase 3:  OPS FOCUSED

Tools	Comments / Proposed Actions	Tactics	Comments / Proposed Actions
	§	§ In collaboration with OPS Senior Command and the Office of the Chief Directorate, identify priority issues around which to build joint communications and advocacy activities (e.g. crime prevention, enhanced partnerships)	§ Will continue looking for opportunities to collaborate.
	§	§ Formalize regular consultative meetings with OPS Corporate Communications and Community Development Section to identify opportunities for collaborative communications	§ The Executive Director receives the minutes of Corporate Communications & Community Development weekly meetings; can request meetings as required.

Phase 4:  MEDIA FOCUSED

Tools	Comments / Proposed Actions	Tactics	Comments / Proposed Actions
§ As part of the social media strategy, create a Twitter account and make it the predominant communications channel to media	§ The Board does not currently have the resources to implement many of the recommendations in this Phase.  Review in 2013.	§ Editorial board meetings with the Chair and Vice-Chair, timed to coincide with important development(s) related to Board priorities	§ Chair and Vice Chair could do an annual editorial board meeting.
§ Prepare and distribute a media release to accompany distribution of Board meeting agendas. Use the release to provide additional background on topics/issues of greatest potential interest to the media and public § Post the release on the Board’s website and send a link via Twitter	§ Started issuing media releases before each meeting in Sept. 2011 highlighting items that may be of public interest. § All Board media releases are posted on the website.	§ Follow up by telephone with key reporters to highlight key agenda items and to offer clarification, potential story ideas, and further information as required	§ Review in 2013.
§ Post on the website a clear and concise summary of the resolutions passed and decisions taken at each Board meeting. Use Twitter to send a link to media (ideally, on the morning after each Board meeting). § Include contact information for Board spokespeople to elaborate on agenda items, as appropriate	§ Already post meeting dispositions on website the morning after meeting and highlight under “Announcements” on home page. § Agenda already includes Board contact information.	§ Profile Board members via local, community-based media outlets	§ Review in 2013.
§ Prepare and distribute an advisory to invite media to attend the public interest meetings. Use the advisory to provide additional background to attract media participation § Post the release on the Board’s website and send a link via Twitter	§ Already do this. § Already posted on website.	§ Consult with prominent local media about potential topics for public interest meetings. Seeking their input will improve the chances of media interest in the events themselves	§ Review in 2013.
§ Proactively pitch newsworthy ideas to key reporters (e.g. release of annual report, public opinion research results, involvement in related OAPSB OR CAPB activities, visiting delegations, budget deliberations, important policy developments, actions on topical issues and/or community priorities)	§ Review in 2013.
§ Prepare a package of boilerplate products: o fact sheets (Board composition, roles and responsibilities, members and bios) o joint versions with OPS on priority issues § PowerPoint presentation and talking points § journalistic-style overview for distribution via partner publications, community-based media, OPS channels § FAQs for widespread distribution and posting on the website	Already have a board brochure with this info except for the bios, which are on website.   Can consider other boilerplate opportunities as suggested over coming year.

Phase 5: COMMUNITY FOCUSED

Tools	Comments / Proposed Actions	Tactics	Comments / Proposed Actions
§ OPSB website – communications audit and plain language review § Refresh Home Page content at least once/week (i.e. can be links to recent media stories, other relevant sites, partner organizations, etc.) § Do more to promote upcoming Board meetings and public interest meetings § Current “top story” refers to a public meeting that has already taken place. At minimum, the Home Page could be refreshed with a brief summary of the meeting, along with a gallery of images depicting Board involvement and community consultation and, perhaps, testimonial video clips from participants (with links to YouTube)	Not considered necessary. Increased efforts are being made to do this. Have adopted some of the tools and tactics herein to achieve this.  Will send media release to our contact list as well. Efforts are being made to keep the website more up-to-date, but limited staff resources preclude some of these suggestions.	§ Conduct benchmark survey to measure levels of awareness and support for both the Board and the police service § Use the benchmark data to establish measurable, realistic targets for awareness, understanding and support over time § Repeat annually and analyze to identify emerging issues and to evaluate the effectiveness of communications approaches, products and activities.	Was included in 2012 OPS public survey in Q1. Will be done.   Committee recommends including in the OPS public survey as part of the business plan process every 3 years.
§ Review of both lay-out and content to make the newsletter more reader-friendly (i.e. reduced story length, eye-catching lay-out) § Adopt common practice by posting all new content to the website and then use teaser headlines and links in the newsletter to drive traffic to the site	§ Changes were introduced in Q3 2011 to make the newsletter more user-friendly § This is being done.	§ Introduce webcasting of all public Board meetings and public consultation sessions	§ Audio-casting has been available since July 2011 and is advertised in the meeting media releases.
	§	§ Monthly tracking of website traffic and email/phone enquiries to Board office; quarterly analysis	§ Started receiving monthly website traffic reports in June 2011. § An electronic system for tracking email/phone inquiries is being investigated.
	§	§ Collaborate with OPS on the development of a joint social media strategy to be executed this fall § Leverage social media platforms (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) to foster dialogue with the community § Leverage Flickr and YouTube to profile the work of the Board (e.g. post photos of community meetings) and to humanize its members (e.g. post short video clips of Board members speaking about their respective backgrounds/priorities and to share anecdotes about meaningful community engagement)	§ Revisit in 2013.
	§	§ Supplement relationship-building efforts by having individual Board members host informal discussions once per quarter with key external stakeholders (e.g. neighbourhood watch, community associations, etc.): information sharing, consultation on community priorities, etc. § Coordinate through the Office of the Chief to access expertise in the OPS Community Development Unit	§ The Policy & Governance Committee does not recommend this tactic. § This is done now.
	§	§ Board members seek out speaking opportunities at the community level (e.g. conferences, community groups, business and industry associations, service clubs, ethnic and cultural groups)	§ Included in new Board Strategic Plan.