As an internal communications professional at a municipality, conducting a mid-year assessment of your internal comms performance is crucial to ensure your strategies are effective and aligned with organizational goals.
This checklist will guide you through evaluating your progress and identifying areas for improvement.
1. Review Your Objectives
Check Alignment with Municipal Goals:
- Are your internal comms objectives still aligned with the overall goals of the municipality?
- Have there been any changes in priorities or strategic direction that need to be reflected in your comms strategy?
Evaluate Progress:
- Are you on track to achieve your annual objectives?
- What specific milestones have you reached, and which ones are lagging?
2. Analyze Communication Channels
Channel Effectiveness:
- Which channels (email, intranet, social media, meetings) are most effective in reaching your audience?
- Are there any channels that are underperforming or not being utilized effectively?
Audience Reach:
- Are you reaching all segments of your municipal workforce, including remote and deskless employees?
- Are there any groups that are consistently missing your communications?
3. Engage with Employees
Conduct Surveys:
- Have you gathered feedback from employees on the effectiveness of internal communications?
- What are the common themes and suggestions from the feedback?
Focus Groups and Interviews:
- Have you held focus groups or interviews to gain deeper insights into employee perspectives?
- What qualitative data have you gathered about their communication preferences and needs?
4. Measure Engagement and Participation
Analyze Metrics:
- What are your key metrics for engagement (e.g., email open rates, intranet traffic, meeting attendance)?
- How do these metrics compare to your targets and industry benchmarks?
Evaluate Participation:
- Are employees actively participating in two-way communication channels (e.g., feedback forums, town hall meetings)?
- Is there a noticeable level of engagement and interaction across different platforms?
5. Assess Content Quality and Relevance
Content Analysis:
- Is the content you’re delivering relevant, timely, and aligned with employees' needs and interests?
- Are there recurring topics or issues that employees find particularly valuable or irrelevant?
Message Clarity:
- Are your messages clear, concise, and easily understood by all employees?
- Is there any feedback indicating confusion or misinterpretation of messages?
6. Evaluate Leadership Communication
Leadership Involvement:
- Are municipal leaders actively involved in internal communications?
- Do leaders regularly share updates, and insights, and engage with employees?
Authenticity and Transparency:
- Are leaders communicating authentically and transparently?
- Is there room for improvement in how leadership messages are perceived by employees?
7. Review Crisis Communication Plans
Plan Effectiveness:
- Have there been any crises or urgent communications in the past six months?
- How effectively did your crisis communication plan perform during these events?
Plan Updates:
- Are there any updates or improvements needed in your crisis communication plan based on recent experiences?
- Are all employees aware of and trained on the crisis communication protocols?
8. Update Training and Resources
Training Programs:
- Have you conducted any training sessions for employees on communication tools and best practices?
- Are there any gaps in knowledge or skills that need to be addressed?
Resource Availability:
- Are all necessary resources (guidelines, toolkits, FAQs) easily accessible to employees?
- Do you need to develop any additional materials to support effective communication?
9. Set New Goals and Adjust Strategies
Revisit Objectives:
- Based on your mid-year assessment, do you need to revise or set new internal comms objectives?
- Are there any new initiatives or campaigns you should consider for the remainder of the year?
Strategy Adjustment:
- What specific strategies need to be adjusted or introduced to enhance your internal communications?
- How will you measure the success of these new or adjusted strategies?
Conducting a thorough mid-year assessment of your internal communications performance is essential for ensuring your strategies remain effective and aligned with your municipality's goals.
Enhance Your Internal Comms
Book a consult and our team will help you identify strengths, uncover areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance your internal communications for the rest of the year.
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