Towards a Strategic Communications Plan for the Ontario Professional Foresters Association

1
Towards a Strategic Communications Plan for the
Ontario Professional Foresters Association

• Report of the Communications Working Group

2
Towards a Strategic Communications Plan

• Overview
• Many good initiatives to date
• Executive Director, Editor PF, Website Committee
  Chair Editorial Board should be recognized for
  quality of their contribution
• Report suggests formalizing an annual
  communications planning process and establishing
  Adhoc committee to assist Executive Director
• Report provides a question based approach to
  further develop plans
• Reinforce objective of association, mission and
  vision
• Communication actions most effective where common
  acceptance of association objectives, vision and
  mission are clear

3
Towards a Strategic Communications Plan

• Overview Continued
• Report provides analysis of communication
  vehicles in relation to target audiences
• Report provides suggested outcomes in relation to
  priority target audiences
• Members
• Prospective Members
• Other audiences e.g. forest industry, landowners
  general public

4
Towards a Strategic Communications Plan

• Report provides suggestions in using
  communications to further the achievement of
  strategic business objectives of OPFA
• Report consolidates existing materials in one
  appendix for benefit of future communications
  planning activities
• Report provides recommendations in 4 areas
• Long Term Communications Objectives
• The Way to Achieve Objectives
• Role and Content of Existing Communication
  Vehicles
• Need for additional vehicles

5
The Key Recommendations

• Long Term Communication Objectives
• Consensus of the Governing Council is achieved or
  reaffirmed concerning the following priority
  communication activities.
• Regulatory matters affecting the membership is
  priority one for communications
• Informing members regarding continuing education
  requirements
• Encouraging and achieving new membership
• Raising the profile of the Professional Forester
  in protecting the public interest

6
Long Term Communication Objectives

• 2. The following be accepted as the enduring
  or long term communication objectives for the
  Association
• All OPFA members are aware of all regulatory
  issues pertaining to the practice of professional
  forestry in Ontario
• Students are provided with timely and relevant
  information on forestry in Ontario and
  professional forestry as a career
• The general public become increasingly aware of
  the roles and activities of the OPFA and its
  members
• The OPFA continues to grow in stature as a well
  respected regulatory association in minds of its
  priority target audiences

7
The Way In Which the Objectives are to be Achieved

• Communication planning be institutionalized as
  part of the 2005 annual planning process
• A communications advisory group be established
  to assist the Executive Director and Council in
  determining communications priorities on an
  annual basis
• The annual communications plan and priorities be
  posted on the member side of the website and in
  the Professional Forester along with the
  Association messages for use by members in local
  communications to the public
• Communications effectiveness and efficiency be
  evaluated formally every two years
• Councilors take an active role in bringing
  forward communications issues identified by the
  membership

8
The Way In Which the Objectives are to be
Achieved (continued)

• Members are continually encouraged to bring
  forward communications issues at Regional
  meetings, annual general meetings and through
  invitation via the Professional Forester and the
  Website
• All existing communications vehicles are
  important to provide for member input to programs
  and issues to be addressed by the Association and
  should be continued
• Every opportunity be seized to use the RPF brand
  by the Association staff, the governing Council
  and members
• Members be rewarded and recognized for
  outstanding achievement in communications
  activities within local communities

9
Role and Content of the Communications Vehicles
Now Available Within the OPFA

• It is recommended that Ongoing enhancement to
  the Website to ensure that it is current from a
  technical standpoint and complies with all
  protection of personal information laws and
  regulations of Canada and Ontario.
• On a business case basis to explore use of the
  web based technologies to streamline the business
  operations of the Associations and provide timely
  information services to members.
• The Professional Forester continues to be theme
  based with a priority focus on communicating
  regulatory information to members.
• Special communications products developed such as
  brochures bulletins, alerts, notices be available
  to members and where appropriate other main
  target audiences of the Association, in
  electronic and paper formats

10
The Need for Additional Communications Vehicles
and the Role that Each Would Fill

• Work initiated on presentation materials for use
  by members be continued and updated on an annual
  basis to reflect changes
• A new vehicle be developed for the public side of
  the website to replace posting of the
  Professional Forester targeted at key messages of
  interest to the general public
• The a new student awareness initiative in the
  2004 OPFA plan be initiated through the website
• Recent establishment of practice bulletin vehicle
  will be well received by membership (since report
  prepared)

11
Resolution from Communications Working Group

• Recommend the acceptance of this report as a
  framework to assist council, the executive
  committee and the executive director in
  developing and sustaining an effective
  communications program for the Ontario
  Professional Foresters Association
• The report be made available on the members side
  of the website.

Final Thought

• This report, by its very length, defends itself
  against the risk of being read.
• Winston Churchill (1874-1965)