CBP Strategic Communications Plan 2016-2021 Rachel Felver, communications director Chesapeake bay program August 4, 2016

Plan Status It’s finished! It’s being reviewed! Our ask…. Please review and provide edits within two weeks of receiving plan. If all goes to plan, you will receive the plan for review on Monday, August 22. We are giving CBP leadership two weeks for review and they will receive it on Friday.

Research and Findings Three focus groups 16 one-on-one interviews Online survey Internal communications audit As a refresher – we had three focus groups consisting of CBP leadership, CAC members, LGAC members, the Goal Implementation Team chair, and federal partners. We had 16 one-on-one interviews with state partners, nonprofits, EPA, federal partners, local government and the Chesapeake Bay Commission. Our online survey was sent to 157 people, with 62 people responding, making for a 39% response rate. Findings from the Communications Team internal communications audit were also used.

What is the intent of this plan? Goals and Recommendations CBP Communications Team Action Plan I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about the plan during this presentation. I ask that specific comments on content and structure be saved for the formal review of the plan. The intent of this plan is to provide direction for CBP communications over the next five years. It is an evergreen document that will be evaluated each year and updated as necessary to add new activities and report on progress made towards meeting the goals and recommendations. The goals and recommendations of this plan are high-level with the intent of influencing communications for all members of the CBP partnership. The plan also includes an action plan for the CBP communications team that specifically outlines the activities they will take to meet the goals and recommendations of the plan.

Definition of Terms Chesapeake Bay Program Chesapeake Bay Program partners Chesapeake Bay Program partnership One of the biggest issues we encountered in developing this plan is defining who we are talking about. After a lot of discussion and for the purposes of this plan, we will refer to the CBP partnership as EPA representing the federal agencies, the CBC, and the seven watershed jurisdictions. CBP partners will include the members of the partnership, plus all organizations that serve on a goal team, committee and workgroup. CBP is a broad term encompassing all of those entities. The CBP communications team serves the communications priorities of the CBP partnership.

Mission and Vision Statements Mission Our mission is to communicate and support the policy, science and data of the Chesapeake Bay Program and its partners through media outreach, web- and print–based products, high-quality multimedia, an established and consistent brand, targeted messaging, and collaboration and engagement with stakeholders around the watershed. I want to quickly point out some other highlights of the plan. We agreed it was important to define a mission and a vision for CBP communications.

Mission and Vision Statements Through the communications of the Chesapeake Bay Program and its partners, the public will be engaged, educated and inspired about the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways. That mission supports our vision.

Audiences Elected and appointed officials at the federal, state and local levels. Non-governmental organizations that focus on Chesapeake Bay restoration (e.g. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Chesapeake Funders Network). Academic and research partners (e.g. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science). Chesapeake Bay Program partners Goal Implementation Team members Advisory Committees Workgroup members Communicators Media Federal, state, local, academic and nonprofit communications professionals Interested public Watchdog organizations – nonprofit organizations that monitor the progress of the Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration and protection and/or participate in clean-up efforts (e.g. Riverkeepers associations). One thing we can agree on – we have a lot of audiences!

SWOT Analysis Small staff. Limited funding. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES CBP is the authoritative source for science, data, policy and analytics for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CBP Communications Team, while small, is dedicated, strong and educated. Possess highly-regarded website. CBP Communications Team has access to a wealth of resources, namely respected experts. Adept at communicating to internal CBP partners. Skilled at sharing content and data across our networks. Small staff. Limited funding. Size of watershed – large area to represent and multiple audiences to communicate with. Lack of consistent brand. CBP partners not engaged to collaborate on communications; lack of strategic aspects to communications. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Outreach to new audiences (local governments, elected officials, minority stakeholders, etc.) Collaboration past our silos (cross-GIT, workgroups, etc.) Work to become more strategic across communications. Strengthen relationships with our partners (e.g. focus on Communications Workgroup). Develop a recognizable brand. Funding impacts. Competition from other organizations. Communications barriers that make program inaccessible to the public (e.g. federal government restrictions on certain types of messaging). Difficult to connect with audiences removed from the Chesapeake Bay. Competing interests among our partners. Difficult to communicate science and data for general public understanding.   The CBP Communications Team performed a SWOT analysis to discover our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Goals and Recommendations Goal #1: Enhance and strengthen internal communications across the Chesapeake Bay Program. Next, I want to present the goals we are recommending everyone works toward in their communications priorities.

Goals and Recommendations Goal #2: Increase outreach efforts that prioritize engagement with local governments, local elected officials and minority stakeholders to communicate the work of the Chesapeake Bay Program, its partners and the importance of protecting/restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Goals and Recommendations Goal #3: Expand knowledge of the work of the Chesapeake Bay Program, its partners and the importance of protecting/restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Measuring Success CBP Communications Team Action Plan 6 month review with Communications Workgroup Annual review with Management Board

Questions? Rachel Felver, Communications Director Chesapeake Bay Program, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay rfelver@chesapeakebay.net (410) 267-5740