Resources

Monitoring and evaluation is part of a continuous process of learning and improvement that enables you to assess the performance of your communications against your aim and objectives.

This section looks at the process of putting your ideas into a coherent implementation plan and provides you with a mechanism to ensure that all activities are completed on time and within budget.

Your communication methods cover a wide range of individual activities and once you have decided on your overall strategic approach and selected the mix of communication methods to use, you need to look in detail at the communication activities you need to deliver your communication objectives.

The next stage in the communications planning cycle is to agree the overall strategic approach and communication methods most appropriate to achieving your aim and objectives.

Having identified your target audiences and their needs you need to develop your brand and message. This section will help you develop your communications brand and its identity, the tone of voice for your communications and explains how to link to the national Recycle Now campaign brand to get the most out of it. It uses some of the most recent research into people’s barriers to recycling and looks at the implications for messaging.

This section helps you to identify and describe your target audience. There are four main groups to consider:

• Householders - the focus of your communications.
• Internal groups - your staff, senior officers, elected members, other council staff who need to know about your communications plan and may be able to help.
• External groups - such as the media, community groups, other local authorities.
• Specific subgroups – community groups, hard to reach/engage groups, potential partners to help communicate your messages such as caretakers, landlords and housing associations.

This section looks in detail at defining your communications aim and setting your overall objectives.

This section looks at how to develop a situational analysis using the information gathered in Section 2.

This section looks at the information you need to gather to assess your current position and carry out a situational analysis (the next stage of the strategy development process).

• The area and the people living in it – who they are, how old they are, where they live, what types of houses they live in, what their lifestyles are.
• How well they use the local recycling and waste management services.
• What are their barriers to recycling?

The purpose of this guide is to:

• Raise awareness and understanding of the design process needed when developing recycling promotions.
• Signpost you to other guidance documents available to help you plan your communications.
• Provide advice on how to work with a design agency or internal design team to develop and deliver promotional material and the timescales involved.

This document aims to help you estimate the cost of communications activities. The indicative costs will help you develop an initial budget for your communications and give you an indication of what is acceptable value for money.

Monitoring the impact of communications is essential to determine what has been effective and demonstrate the value and success of communications activity.