Major Objectives and Desired Outcomes

· Provide EEOC Commissioners, executives, managers, supervisors, employees, union representatives with accurate, consistent information about the objectives, the desired outcomes, and the detailed actions and activities involved with the EEOC's strategic human capital plan, its restructuring plan, its implementation strategy and plan, and its communications strategy and plan.

· Provide EEOC external stakeholders--including interest groups, OPM, OMB, GAO, Members of Congress, congressional committee staff--with insight and information about the agency's goals and objectives for its strategic human capital plan, its restructuring plan, its implementation strategy and plan, and its communications strategy and plan.

· Create an inclusive open environment in which feedback is sought from all internal and external stakeholders and factors into the design and the implementation of these activities, and feedback is provided to internal and external stakeholders as the work progresses.

· Use communications tools to help build and support the culture of a high-performance organization that recognizes and celebrates agency programmatic and employee performance successes.

· Maintain a strong linkage between the EEOC's strategic goals and outcomes, its strategic human capital plan and activities, its restructuring activities, and its budget and program performance plans and activities.

· Ensure that communications methodologies are appropriate whether in person or for regional or nationwide distribution.

Identify Audiences and Stakeholders

· Commissioners
· Executives
· Managers
· Supervisors
· Employees
· Union representatives
· Federal management agencies such as OMB and OPM
· All federal agencies, as customers who operate under EEOC-established regulations
· Public sector interest groups, such as the Public Employees Roundtable
· Employers
· Civil rights organizations
· Other private sector for profit or nonprofit interest groups

Employee Perspectives

Employee responses to the survey questions and during interviews, which are found in Appendix B, provide useful insights into what employees would like to see happen to improve the agency's human capital management, their ideas about restructuring, as well as their suggestions about how communications can be more effective. Often mentioned was that the Commission needs to communicate its planned changes well, and advise if there are alterations to the plans. The responses also provide insight into employees' fears and hopes about any EEOC reorganization. Of the 102 who expressed at least one fear, there were some very common themes:

· Losing a job
· Fear that nothing would change or changes would make things worse
· Lessened customer service or less focus on mission

One hundred and six respondents expressed at least one hope - that the EEOC would become more effective, provide better service to the public, improve agency management, make better use of limited resources, have more consistency in operations, and reduce management layers.

These responses provide great insight into issues that should be addressed in the communications strategy and plan, and how to most effectively share information and decisions with employees, as well as receive feedback from employees.

Messages

Define the key messages to be communicated and keep them concise and to the point. Ensure that messages are shared consistently and according to pre-established timeframes. Choose message words carefully so that they are not misinterpreted by internal or external stakeholders.

Ensure that messages are known and understood by Commissioners, executives, managers, supervisors and union representatives so that when employees have questions or concerns they get an accurate and consistent information from all of those sources.

Make the same investment and commitment for messages that go to external stakeholders.

Use the initial round of consultations with external stakeholders to identify their needs, hopes and fears, as well as their reactions to the Academy Panel's proposals for change. Then tailor the communications messages and methodologies to address the issues identified.

Link messages to the EEOC's strategic goals and outcomes. Show how the particular event or program or pilot will work, how it supports the goals and outcomes, what success will look like, and how it will contribute to the EEOC becoming a high-performing organization.

Simple messages may center around:

· Improved services to citizens and/or stakeholders
· How the activity is critical to achieving one or several strategic goals
· How the activity will provide the agency, and therefore the customers, a better return on investment
· Other comments and concerns that were expressed in the employee surveys and interviews.

Steps

1. Appoint the head of the Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs to coordinate the communications strategy and plan.

2. Convey the information and the message using a variety of mediums in order to reach as many people as possible to suit the individual needs and styles of the target audience(s). Each communications event should begin with an analysis of the value proposition. What is there to communicate? Why? When? To Whom? For what result?

3. Invite members of the target audience(s) to work with the agency in identifying the best way to reach the target audience - both for the message and for the delivery medium(s).

4. Establish a website on transformation activities, including strategic human capital and restructuring issues. Use the website to provide updates on what is happening, ask for comments on proposed plans, and announce final decisions. Provide a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document on the site for internal and external stakeholders.

5. Establish separate e-mail lists for specific internal and external audiences-such as executives, employees, those interested in federal sector issues, those interested in electronic filing.

6. Develop written guidelines and criteria for each program or activity. Share them for comment with appropriate groups through a variety of mediums.

7. Provide an opportunity through various mediums for employees and stakeholders to ask questions and get answers.

8. Develop schedules of visits, meetings and/or teleconferences. For example, there might be an "Ask the Chair" on-line session once a month.

9. Participate in agency "all hands" meetings or office staff meetings.

10. Prepare periodic public announcements or press releases for events.

11. Seek out opportunities for senior political and career leaders to meet with internal and external stakeholders to share progress and results, and to hear feedback and reaction to activities.

12. Conduct town hall meetings when appropriate for issues and decisions.

Every effective communications program has an on-going assessment mechanism. On-going assessment provides a way to determine how effectively communications are occurring and the extent to which the major objectives and desired outcomes are being met. On-going assessment also provides the opportunity to modify or change the communications plan and techniques while such a change can make a difference.