Overview 

 

The role of communications for me it centres on this: What is BCAN doing and whom do we need to tell people about it?  

 

(Presumably "Whom do we need to tell about it"?  Actually, this is not my starting point, for several reasons.  I think our aim is not for BCAN to be doing lots of things - our aim is for the Church to be doing what it is called to do, in the name of Jesus.  We want to share a vision for what is possible, to encourage churches and other Christian groups to get on with the task set before us, and to assist where necessary in providing specialist help - making up for what is lacking in the current setup.  I think.)

CL: I am talking here about the role of communications within BCAN, not necessarily the role of BCAN itself. Communication happens by default - the role of a strategy is to ensure clarity and consistency of that 'message'; BCAN is after all a network, so at least part of the role by definition is to be a framework, a system, a means of sharing ideas, connectivity, etc

 

 

This document looks briefly at BCAN aims & objectives in terms of communication and offers some suggestions as to how we can better serve the vision of ‘helping churches respond to social needs”; the question being posed here is “DO WE NEED TO DEVLEOP A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY?” 

 

According to the BCAN website, the main aims of the organisation are described below: 

 

 

 

(As I read it, the web site actually says that our aim is to "support local initiatives by bringing together across denominational divides both church leaders and those involved in social action ministries."  This table describes what we have done in working to fulfil that aim.)

 

Currently it’s hard to measure the reach and extent of BCAN and its activities, as there are few means or avenues to provide news, developments, volunteer/initiative requests or feedback in a controlled and consistent manner.

(True.  And I think that is a weakness.)

From the outside in, it is difficult to understand how things work.

(Probably true, but I'm not sure where or how this is relevant.  I don't have the faintest idea how things work at Orange, but they make my mobile phone work,and that is pretty much as much as I want to know.)

 

CL: Granted, however Orange is a mobile phone operator; it's now essentially much like gas, electric, etc - a service provider. It's also a business therefore its ultimate aim despite all the advertising is to make money - it doesn't have altruistic goals.

 

In terms of "supporting",  "bringing together across divides" and serving that does imply working with others whose perspectives and approaches may be very different to our own individual ways or preferences - in seeking to to further develop relationships understanding is key and foundational.

 

 

There are also few clear deliverables or markers to measure BCAN progress against, as its business is essentially relational.

(Again, true, but unless we feel a desperate need to measure progress, I'm not sure that this is a problem.)

Therefore, activity, information and relevance may serve as good potential markers. 

(I'm not sure what this means.)

 

CL: Clear goals are useful in terms of defining where you are going; you can look back at the end of a season and feel like progress has been made, foundations have been built. It's less about measurement and more about progress.

 

If part of the remit is to support and to serve then it will be clear when activity and information are both relevant and consistently meeting those needs.

  

 

The Issues 

As with many volunteer-based organisations resources, personnel and time are limiting factors and as a result an organisation can be perceived as ‘always trying to catch up’. Streamlining publicity processes where applicable will help, however resources will always be tight it will be a case of focusing on a few things and doing them well.

 

(Resources are always limited. Working more efficiently is probably a good idea, but like any good idea, it needs to be checked in case it does more harm than good.  Doing a few things very well is sometimes a good strategy, but sometimes doing more things not so well is better.  I know that's not the modern orthodoxy, but statistics prove it.)

 

CL: Personally I am of the mindset that statistics can prove anything - it's a matter of how you "slice the cake" and the depth of your data; I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "doing more things" however get your foundations right and you can build more things on top of it.

 

I think the key phrase here was "where applicable" - sure I like processes but ones that are overly rigid that have zero flexibility are stifling. Similarly, lack of order or clarity can "do more harm than good".

 

 

Another result of being primarily volunteer-based is that many people will have either concurrent or other priorities; this essentially slows down the exchange of information and response times to queries.

 

(I hope that, as you gain knowledge and experience, the delays and frustrations will diminish.)

 

CL: Part of it is knowledge and experience on my part, but because the role is part time there is a major reliance on others and their responses.

 

These factors are unlikely to change in the near future, so the best plan would be react less and be more proactive, more consistently.

 

(More consistently... what?)

 

 

CL: Essentially to be more considered and deliberate - more often.

 

 

 

The Challenge 

 

BCAN is supported by committed members who want to see God’s Kingdom grow and develop in our city; as we look towards the future we need to be looking to develop foundational steps in our communications strategy – these steps, over time, will allow us to build and develop how we communicate and publicise BCAN events and news.   

 

(It is not obvious to me that the most important and urgent thing we can do is to develop foundational steps in our communications strategy.)

 

CL: I'm not suggesting it is the be Communications underpins everything - it's right in the middle. In being a network I would suggest it is fairly integral so steps towards doing it better means better transference of information, better "connections" as such.

 

 

The challenge is now to develop clear and consistent processes and ways of working that are efficient and obvious to all – making things generally easier for all who are involved with BCAN and for all individuals who want the information. 

 

Some questions to consider are: 

• How do we become one of the major sources of information when it comes to Social Action in the City?

(Perhaps we already are.  Where else do people go for this information?  I have been in several meetings, with people from the Council, for example, when the council officer suggested that people look on the BCAN web site for something or other.  In any case, the answer seems fairly obvious: you get hold of information, you publicise it, and you get feedback on how helpful it is so you can learn to do it better.)

• How can we always be as relevant as possible?

(Perhaps we should aim to be helpful to a wide range of people, and let them select the relevant bits for themselves?)

 

CL: Relevancy is a subjective thing so yes aim to provide a wealth of information however as that resource grows you need to make that information accessible to people. It's more of a question of that - accessibility, use the analogy of a library with only one door compared to one with many.

 

• How do we become more efficient, clear & consistent - enabling us to do more?
• How do we always ensure the best quality of communications & publicity?
• What does a 12/24-month period look like in terms of pace & events?

(I am happy to spend a little time looking at this, but since very few of us know much about the opportunities, challenges and pressures we will be facing in 6 months' time, while we can agree what we would like the next year or two to look like, this can only be one factor shaping what we actually do.)

 

CL: Structures and processes that have no flexibility are stifling and suffocating - that is not the intention here. For me I am looking to develop a framework that accounts for this and encourages organic growth.

 

• How do we communicate to people, churches & organisations about the work of BCAN?

(It is partly about the work of BCAN, but mostly about the work of the Church. And what we need to do far more and far more effectively is to communicate a vision of the Church and a vision of the Kingdom of God which can capture peoples' hearts and motivate them to love and service.)

• How do we promote events?

 

CL: What I meant here is BCAN's role in communicating outwards - it's position and how it seeks to / can provide help, information, etc.

 

Without an assessment of where we currently are, it will be difficult to have a sense of progression and development. 

The Proposal 

 

The BCAN aims & objectives have been simplified to be more succinct; BCAN activities & events should clearly sit within either or of these aims and the aims themselves should give clear precedence for HOW we achieve things as well. 

• To serve local churches and Christian groups
• To put Christian Social Action back on the agenda

 

Essentially it’s about being a source of information (serving local churches and Christian groups) and it’s about being a catalyst (putting Christian Social Action back on the agenda); some more obvious deliverables or goals have also been added. 

 

 

(I like this re-working of the table.  Can we put this on the agenda of the next Steering Group, to get feedback and buy-in from the group?)

 

CL: Yes!

 

On agreement that BCAN needs to develop a more strategic and holistic communications strategy, we should look at the following areas. 

• Assessment of current communications
• Suggestions for updates & changes
• Outline plan/schedule

 (Again, we don't seem to have established that a more strategic communications strategy is our greatest need right now.  Perhaps I don't understand the same thing by the term as what you have in mind?  The sort of questions I have in mind are:

* How do we keep our email list up to date?

* How often do the people on the email list want to be communicated with, and what do they want to be told about?

* Do you want to update the web site style?

* Do you want to update the web site structure?

* Do you want to update the content of some of the web site pages?

* Do you want to start sending out pieces of paper?

... and so on.

It seems to me from the job description that the most urgent activities are:

• Develop relationships with church, project and Christian social ministry leaders, advocates, multipliers and campaigners in Bristol and the surrounding areas, and facilitate more effective communication and partnerships where appropriate.

• Liaise with relevant local, regional and national bodies including finding ways locally to promote the impact of Christian social action inside and outside the Christian community, including Faith Action Audits.

Are you clear about how to progress these areas?

It is probably about time for us to sit down and talk face to face again.  What is the best way to fix a date and time?

One last thought... I am responding to an email you sent to both me and Caroline.  If Caroline responds, this is going to become a complete mess to follow, if it is not already.  This is exactly the situation I set up the wiki to avoid.)

 

CL: The things you listed ARE the communications strategy - or at least individual parts within in it. Looking at the first six core tasks for the part-time role it does seem to me that the role of communications is key. 

 

Specifically looking at the examples you have given:

 

"Develop relationships with church, project and Christian social ministry leaders, advocates, multipliers and campaigners in Bristol and the surrounding areas, and facilitate more effective communication and partnerships where appropriate."

 

"Liaise with relevant local, regional and national bodies including finding ways locally to promote the impact of Christian social action inside and outside the Christian community, including Faith Action Audits."

 

I don't think I intended for this to be up on the wiki at this particular stage and am not sure about the Wiki as a place to progress it. Further discussion is definitely required.