The C Factor is a communication approach that helps you to take account of the diversity of those concerned and focus on issues from their perspectives.
Anyone who works for central government knows that the government does not operate alone. To get results we rely on the help of individuals, businesses and civil society organisations, each of which has its own interests and dynamics. Many government authorities are investing in programmes that use the insights of these external parties to develop new and different ways of working.
The C Factor is a communication approach that helps you to take account of the diversity of those concerned and focus on issues from their perspectives.
The C Factor
Goal
What is the project’s goal?
Explanation
All government action must have a
clear goal. It is therefore important
to identify from the outset exactly
what the problem is: what needs to be
tackled or changed? Once the problem
has been identified, a clear goal can
be set. This is also a good time to
verify that all team members and other
parties involved are working towards
the same goal.
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The goal must correspond to the
stated problem.
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Try to formulate the goal
independently of the intended
results and solutions.
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Goals can evolve, especially when
you're dealing with a long-term
project. It is therefore good to
regularly check if your goal is
still the same. It is also useful to
do this whenever new parties get
involved.
Questions to consider
-
What problem or issue do we want to
resolve?
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What real-world change do we hope to
see following the project?
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At what point can we say that the
goal has been met and the project is
successful?
Initiative
What is the reason for this
initiative?
Explanation
Information about the reason for a
project can shed light on the urgency,
context and political or
administrative importance of the
issue. The approach you use for the
project depends in large part on the
degree of flexibility you have.
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If an issue is being addressed due
to a specific agreement on results,
for example, there may be less room
for participation and dialogue than
when the source of the initiative is
different.
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The aims of the project’s initiator
should ultimately be reflected in
the results. It is therefore
advisable to always keep the
original reason for the project in
mind and to ensure the continued
involvement of its initiator.
Questions to consider
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Did the project proposal come from
inside or outside the organisation?
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What is the social impulse for the
project?
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What is the legal or administrative
context of the issue at hand?
Phase
What phase is the project in and what
is the timetable moving forward?
Explanation
The phase the project is in has a
significant impact on the attention
the project receives, the level of
disagreement it elicits and the scope
for initiating dialogue with the
parties concerned.
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Most projects have several
substantive and process-related
phases. A phase is completed once a
milestone has been reached, a
decision has been made or an interim
result or product has been
delivered.
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Once a policy has been formulated
and the proposal goes to parliament,
traditional political weight is at
its peak, as is media attention and
the need for communication about the
political dimension of the issue.
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Although not all projects aim at
steering policy through parliament,
sensitivities are at their highest
during the shift from design to
implementation (as this is the
moment that decisions are made),
after which there is less scope for
input from external parties.
Questions to consider
-
What are the various phases of the
project?
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What activities, decisions or
results are involved in each phase?
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Have any deadlines already been set?
Method
Action
What action or means can be used to
achieve the goal?
Explanation
Depending on the phase and nature of
the project, it may not always be
possible to answer this question. As a
communication adviser, you may be
responsible for working together with
other parties to think about what
action would be effective. This is a
good time to review existing plans and
find out what the relevant
communication expectations are.
The type of action chosen is closely
related to the government’s role in
the project – is it one of justice,
results, partnership or
responsiveness? In each role, the
government has a different position
and may take different actions, and
all this will ultimately be reflected
in the communication.
Please note: In the absence of any
legal or financial incentives, it is
unlikely that you will be able to
effect a change in people’s behaviour
through communication alone. If that
is your goal, the Communication
Activation Strategy Instrument (CASI)
is a more appropriate tool, and should
in that case be used instead of the C
Factor.
Questions to consider
-
What action will be taken? Will it
take the form of a financial
incentive, legislation or law
enforcement?
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What role does the government see
for itself here?
Method
Actors
Who are the relevant player/actors
concerning this issue?
Explanation
The first thing to do when trying to
understand the context of a project is
to get as clear a picture as possible
of the parties concerned and of any
experts that may have useful knowledge
on the issue.
Questions to consider
-
What people or internal/external
parties are relevant to the project?
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Do we have a clear picture of the
target audience, implementers,
decision-makers and influencers?
Method
Force field
What are the positions of the various
players and how will the project
impact them?
Explanation
Once you have a sense of the various
players, it is useful to consider
their interests and positions
regarding the issue. It’s also
important to consider the project’s
impact: who will be impacted by the
project and how? The greater a party’s
interests in the issue and the greater
the impact the project will have on
them, the more important it is to get
them on board early on.
Questions to consider
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What do we know about the interests
and positions of the players?
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Have any supporters or opponents
been identified?
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What will this project change for
the various actors?
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How significant an impact will it
have on the actors?
Methods
Relationships
What is the relationship between the
parties and the government and between
the parties themselves?
Explanation
The government does not achieve its
goals by working alone. More and more
parties are working together to carry
out social projects. Up-to-date
knowledge of the dynamics between
these parties is valuable when it
comes to entering into a partnership
or establishing a new working
relationship.
Questions to consider
-
What is the relationship between
central government and the main
players?
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What is known about the
relationships between the various
players?
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What parties have already spoken
publicly on the issue?
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Have any supporters and/or opponents
been identified?
Method
Involvement
Which parties can help achieve the
goal?
Explanation
The analyses conducted earlier on
actors, interests and positions can be
useful in determining which parties
are open to partnerships to ensure the
project’s success. They can also help
you determine which parties you can
expect resistance from. In both cases
it is useful to understand the various
influences they may have on the
project and/or on other players by
getting them involved.
Questions to consider
-
What parties should be involved and
to what extent?
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How much flexibility is there for
parties to offer their input or to
work on the project?
- Who must be kept up to date?
Method
Target audiences
What audiences will our communication
target?
Explanation
Use the information you gathered earlier
about actors and the force field to
determine what audiences your
communication plan is meant for. This
could be the target group of the policy,
but it could also be the competent
authority with a decision-making role or
parties for whom something is going to
change.
Questions to consider
-
What target groups are vital to
achieving the project’s goal?
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Who definitely has to be involved? (or
to put it another way: who will be a
thorn in your side if they are
overlooked?)
Outcome
How in particular should communication
contribute to the project?
Explanation
There are various ways communication can
play a role in a project. It can serve
to inform, involve, consult or mobilise
the target audience. Determine your
communication objective for each target
audience.
It is possible that this question will
elicit a number of communication
expectations. This is the time for
making choices about what can be
achieved through communication and what
will have to be achieved another way,
through other means.
Question to consider
-
What do you hope to achieve with the
target audience?
Approach
What communication approach will we
chose?
Explanation
Your own identity and role as a
government authority have a significant
impact on how you position yourself
vis-à-vis the target audience. Do you
want to provide them with recognition
and stand alongside them, or is it more
appropriate to stand apart as a
government authority? This is a time to
reflect on how you want to achieve your
goal and what the appropriate position
to take is in your communication.
Questions to consider
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What is the most appropriate approach
given your role (and that of the
government)?
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What are the main principles governing
communication on this issue? For
example, do we want to be fast or
thorough? Do we want to involve
experts and ambassadors, or would the
minister be a suitable spokesperson?
Frame
What frame best supports the message
being communicated?
Explanation
An important part of successful
communication on a given issue is
choosing the right frame and being aware
of the existing frames of your target
audience. The frame affects the target
audience’s perspective on the issue. A
good frame says a lot about how you
intend to position the issue.
Questions to consider
-
What are possible frames you can use
for this issue?
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What are the dominant frames within
your organisation?
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What frame is most compatible with the
concerns and ideas of the target
audience?
Listening
How does the target audience think and talk about the issue?
Explanation
A good narrative is a relevant narrative. So coming up with a story that resonates begins with listening and imagining what moves the target audience. Sometimes you may discover that different segments of the target audience have different problems and concerns, and that these things must be addressed separately. A good way to listen is to engage directly with your target audiences, but there are also a number of other methods you can use.
Questions to consider
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What do people in the target audience experience as problems or issues?
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What words do they use to describe them?
Answers
What is relevant for the other party?
Explanation
Your narrative should make a connection between what you have to say and what is relevant to the other party. Highlight the issues that matter to the target audience as well as the actions or arguments that address their questions, concerns and interests.
Questions to consider
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What can you offer to address the target audience’s problems?
Methods
Overarching narrative
What message is the common thread that runs through your communication with all target groups?
Explanation
An overarching narrative, or message house, can be used to make sure there is a common thread throughout your communication and will make your communication clearer and more effective. The stories for the various target audiences must be built on the same foundation. A strong overarching narrative will make your particular story relevant to your main target audiences and the other parties concerned.
Questions to consider
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What is the essence of the project and therefore crucial to include in the central message?
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Are you able to formulate a response to the target audience’s main problems?
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Can you support everything with arguments, evidence or examples?
Method
Tone
What words strike the right chord?
Explanation
Words have certain associations. If you know how the other party talks about an issue, you can use their language to connect to their experiences.
Questions to consider
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Are there any important words or terms for which you need a shared definition?
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Are there any words you should avoid?
Means
What means of communication are best for reaching the target audience?
Explanation
Now that you have determined your strategy and message, it’s time to find an appropriate form for your communication. The means of communication must be appropriate to the phase of the project, the issue in question and the communication goal. And above all, the message must reach the target audience. To this end, it is also useful to research the media consumption and communication preferences of the target audience.
Questions to consider
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What channels and means of communication are most familiar to the target audience?
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Are there existing channels or means of communication you can make use of?
Method
Communicator
Who is the most obvious communicator for the message in question?
Explanation
Often, communication will target places already frequented by the target audience, or where they expect to find information about the project. If this entails using another organisation’s means of communication, it’s important to agree on who will be seen as the source of the message.
And if new means are developed, you can opt – in consultation with the parties concerned – for a different communicator than your own organisation. The key here is that the target audience views the communicator as a logical source of the message and that the organisation in question is also prepared for any questions that may arise.
Questions to consider
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What party does the target audience expect to hear from on the issue?
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Is there a public figure who can or should be involved?
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Is there a communicator that the target audience may trust more?
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What party is in charge of media communications and public information?
Calendar
What events are included in the communication calendar?
Explanation
Most projects have a number of milestones and communication opportunities (a conference, New Year’s address, etc.). You can also create opportunities of your own. Find out what the relevant milestones are for each target audience and organise communication around them. The calendar ensures cohesion and continuity in your communication.
Questions to consider
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What important substantive or process-related milestones can you identify that lend themselves well to communication activities?
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When is it necessary to approach parties within the ring of influence so that they can fulfil their roles?
Method
Organisation
What is the budget and how is the communication organised?
Explanation
In order to establish a realistic and feasible communication plan, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the communication budget and to know who you can work with. It is good to know immediately who will be working on communication, especially when you are collaborating with other departments or organisations.
Questions to consider
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Who will be part of the communication team and in what capacity?
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What is the source of the budget and who has ultimate financial responsibility?
