Communications Audit Report        

   

March, 2011    

Heather Massel, Consultant

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Section 1

Introduction

3

Section One – Communications Audit Process

14

Section Two – Examining Existing Communications Products

16

Section Three – Online Survey Results

28

Section Four – In-depth Telephone Interviews

38

Section Five – Focus Group Follow-up

39

Section Six – Summary of Findings

40

Section Seven – Conclusion

42

Section Eight – Detailed Recommendations

43

Yellowhead Regional Library Strategic Communications Plan

45

Acknowledgements

46

Appendices 1. Yellowhead Regional Library Plan of Service 2003-2006 2. YRL 2006 Needs Assessment Report 3. View from the Summit Strategic Plan 2007-2009 (PowerPoint presentation) 4. YRL organizational chart 5. YRL Board Presentation 09Nov2009 (PowerPoint presentation) 6. YRL Board Presentation 14Jun2010 (PowerPoint presentation) 7. YRL Board Presentation 08Nov2010 (PowerPoint presentation) 8. Communications materials – “envelope test” 9. Consolidated interview comments 10. SurveyMonkey online survey questions 11. SurveyMonkey online survey results 12. Follow-up interview questions for YRL staff interviews 13. Follow-up interview questions for external interviews 14. YRL Needs Assessment and Plan of Service 2010-2012 15. YRL Strategic Communications Plan December, 2010

Introduction “We can’t do our job without Yellowhead, without the services they offer.” -­‐

Library Manager, follow-up telephone interview

A communications audit is a snapshot in time. In that respect, it’s a little unfair. An audit is arbitrary and all about the numbers – where have you improved, where do you need to improve. You can capture peoples’ sentiments, effort and commitment to some degree, but the bottom line is measurable results. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this communications audit has shown – very clearly – that the stakeholders who make up the Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL) system are still very passionate about their libraries, about the role of their library in the life of their communities, and the immeasurable value of lifelong learning. People believe in YRL’s value and viability. Some frustrations were evident at the beginning of this audit process, but it was clear that stakeholders still believed the system would remain stronger if they were a part of it. Since this audit process began in mid-2009, the climate has changed considerably. Yes, the audit may have been precipitated by a crisis situation, with five member municipalities having given notice of their intent to withdraw from the regional library system. But, as time went on, it became apparent that members very much wanted the system to work. They just wanted a greater voice, more collaboration and more participation. To that end, Yellowhead embarked on a process of improvement – not just in its communications, but also in all facets of operations and governance. These improvements have demonstrated that Yellowhead management and staff hear, and they care. No system is perfect, but Yellowhead demonstrated its committed to improvement, and to ongoing improvement. That commitment to improvement made this audit a much easier task. YRL management and the board were open to suggestions – even criticism, as long as it was constructive – and stakeholders could see the changes taking place. To their credit, Yellowhead management and the board did not wait for the results of this audit or any of its other reviews before taking action. All the way along, as recommendations for change have become apparent, those changes have been implemented as needed.

March, 2011

Page 1

The landscape at the end of this audit process was very different from the beginning. When this audit process began, five member municipalities, representing one third of Yellowhead’s population and base budget, had given notice of their intent to withdraw. Yellowhead needed governance changes, operational reviews and updated services. By the end of this audit, the five member municipalities had rescinded their notices of withdrawal. A governance review had been completed. Recommendations had been implemented. Service reviews were initiated. More and better services, representing better value, were introduced. Technology improvements continue to position Yellowhead as a technology leader among regional library systems in Alberta. And the list goes on and on. The work is not yet complete, and YRL management will be the first to acknowledge that fact. But continuous improvement is just that – continuous and ongoing. From the communications audit, a series of recommendations was developed. The first of these recommendations was to hire a communications consultant. The audit and recommendations provided a foundation for an overarching strategic communications plan, with goals and objectives. This plan provided the framework for the three-year operational plan. A communications consultant was hired and commenced with YRL in October 2010. This individual is putting the communications plans into action. This audit, like any other, provided a snapshot in time. Perhaps the exposure was a little longer than some, but it was nonetheless vital for the information and detail it provides.

March, 2011

Page 2

Section One - Communications Audit Process “How are we doing?” When it comes to communications, there are some basic questions every organization wants to know. “Do people know who we are and what we do?” “Do we know who our audience is?” “What can we do better?” Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL) was no different. The leadership wanted to know: 1. How does Yellowhead Regional Library communicate with its various audiences? 2. How effectively does Yellowhead Regional Library communicate with its various audiences? 3. How can Yellowhead Regional Library improve its communications with its various audiences? There are numerous ways to find out the answers to questions like these, but one of the most effective ways is to do a communications audit. If the organization has never commissioned an audit before, this process is especially effective because it provides a baseline for measuring future improvement. When this audit began, Yellowhead was facing a communications challenge: communicating the value of YRL to all stakeholders – clearly, effectively and transparently. While every organization can benefit from a communications audit, there were some particular benefits for Yellowhead:

• An audit demonstrated, in a tangible way, that Yellowhead Regional Library • •

• •

was committed to improving communications with all of its audiences and stakeholders, internally and externally. When combined with current activities and approaches, the audit demonstrated that YRL is willing to listen to its stakeholders and is committed to being open and transparent with them. When stakeholders saw their feedback was incorporated into the audit in the form of recommendations that were implemented and followed up, this process would build credibility with stakeholders. They see YRL as an organization that walks its talk and values its stakeholders as partners in service delivery excellence. The communications audit process would build trust and more positive relationships with stakeholders and audiences. An audit would provide practical feedback that would guide the development of an action plan to improve communications internally and externally at YRL.

March, 2011

Page 3

• An audit would help Yellowhead know if the organization was on the right

•

track in improving service delivery and value to its members. The audit would also help Yellowhead identify any gaps between the message YRL wanted to communicate and the message stakeholders were actually receiving. The audit would help identify any areas of resistance or other issues with the work culture of YRL, and the results would contribute to a revitalized work team that re-affirmed its commitment to service delivery excellence.

For any organization facing a communications challenge, a key condition is the statement, “…when combined with current activities and approaches …” At the time that statement was originally written, Yellowhead had just engaged a governance consultant to review the structure and practices of the YRL board, and the leadership was discussing other reviews and activities that would need to take place. Yellowhead recognized the need for change – rapid change, to address a series of challenges that went further than just the need for better communications. An audit, by itself, would not demonstrate to Yellowhead’s stakeholders that the organization was willing and receptive to new and better ways of doing things. Stakeholders had to see concrete proof of change, and that evidence, combined with an audit, would build credibility.

Setting the stage – a look back To understand Yellowhead’s current communications challenge and needs, it was important to look back over the past several years of the organization’s history. In 2002, Yellowhead began the process of gathering input and information for its needs assessment, to develop its 2003-2006 Plan of Service. The YRL board approved this document in March, 2003. This plan contains a brief mention of communications activities, including: • Raise awareness of YRL by: o Promoting YRL services to members (ongoing); o Regular communication with member jurisdictions (ongoing); • Advocate on behalf of YRL and its members to: o Provincial government; o AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association); o AAMD&C (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties); o Federal government; • Maintain adequate documentation for member library staff to effectively use YRL services.1

                                                                                                                1

P. 26, Yellowhead Regional Library Plan of Service 2003-2006.

March, 2011

Page 4

The process that led to development of the 2007-2009 Plan of Service, and the document itself, was much more comprehensive. The theme of the process was “What can we do over the next 36 months to enhance our regional library?”2 In early May 2006, YRL staff participated in a session to gather input for the threeyear plan. A few days later, the YRL Board hosted a Summit for Stakeholders. At the summit, stakeholder input was facilitated by a provincial government facilitator. The report from the summit meeting and the 2006-2009 strategic plan were both called the View From the Summit. In just three short years, from 2003 to 2006, the external environment changed considerably – for Yellowhead, business, academia, government and the private sector. Across sectors, collaboration and consultation, communication and transparency were rapidly becoming the business norm – even an expectation – and definitely not the exception. It is difficult to speculate whether these societal expectations fuelled the explosion of social media such as MySpace and LinkedIn (both 2003) and Facebook (September, 2006) or whether social media created this new societal expectation. At the very least, the external environment was new and uncharted water for Yellowhead, and communications needed to be a more vital and strategic part of the organization’s activities. This new reality was reflected in the fact that, while the 2003-2006 Plan of Service had one page of very generic communications activities, the next Plan of Service just three years later contained a series of very prescriptive and detailed communications objectives and comments. Communications activities in the 2007-2009 Plan of Service included: • The development and implementation of a communications plan; • Re-designing the YRL website; • Enhanced use of the website as communications tool; • Reviewing ways of gathering, communicating information from member libraries, municipalities and YRL staff; • Planning for how to receive input from patrons, and • How YRL services are communicated to patrons. Communications was also seen as the key to presenting different service models, advocating for alternative or additional sources of revenue and promoting the use of YRL services. A consultant, Keith Turnbull, was hired in May, 2007 to write the communications strategy report for Yellowhead. A total of 12 goals were identified in the report, which was approved by the YRL Board in March, 2008. Yellowhead initiated plans to hire a communications consultant on a term basis in 2008. In May 2008, YRL held a Summit, and presented delegates with the mid-term results from the View From the Summit report and strategic plan. Several future                                                                                                                 2

The YRL 2006 Needs Assessment Report is contained in the Appendix at the end of this report.

March, 2011

Page 5

challenges were noted, including “rising expectations from the public and library members” and “increasing requirements for accountability and transparency”. Stakeholders “at all levels want more communication about the Yellowhead Regional Library decision-making process” and “want more input into influencing the Yellowhead Regional Library decision-making process”.3 It was only a few months later, in fall 2008, when five member municipalities4 gave YRL notice of their intent to withdraw from the regional library system.

                                                                                                                3

View From the Summit Strategic Plan 2007-2009 Mid-term Results PowerPoint presentation, YRL Third Annual Summit “Delivering on the Promise” May 3, 2008.

March, 2011

Page 6

Setting the stage – establishing the audit process “How complicated should this exercise be?” Because Yellowhead had never before embarked on an audit process, the organization could have simply sought to answer the three questions below and used that information to draft an action plan: 1. How does Yellowhead Regional Library communicate with its various audiences? 2. How effectively does Yellowhead Regional Library communicate with its various audiences? 3. How can Yellowhead Regional Library improve its communications with its various audiences? However, Yellowhead needed to know more than just the “what” of how to improve communications with stakeholders – it needed to know the “why”. Why would one approach work better with some audiences than with others? Why, after years of apparently harmonious relations with its stakeholders, did Yellowhead suddenly find itself in the position where one-third of its member base had given withdrawal notices? As a result, when it came time to do the communications audit for Yellowhead, the findings needed to present more just basic communications recommendations. Expectations were higher, dollars were more limited, and members needed to see very clearly the value of being part of the regional library system. Therefore, an audit for Yellowhead had to address the underlying question: “What can the organization do in the short and longer term to communicate Yellowhead’s value?” Without dwelling unduly on the past, Yellowhead needed to answer the question of why some of its members had given withdrawal notices, or else there was always a risk it might happen again. Better communications was not the sole solution, since the communications had to convey a value message. However, all the value in the world has little effect if there is no one to communicate that value. Communications and value had to go hand in hand. Keeping the value question top of mind, and remembering the information gathered would also help in the formulation of the strategic plan, operational plan and future evaluations, it made sense to ask some other questions in the audit, such as: • • • •

What are our current goals and objectives for communications? How well is the current communications plan working? Are messages clear and consistent? Do we have a coordinated visual identity? Are we reaching key audiences with our core message, and moving them to action?

March, 2011

Page 7

• • •

What communications have been most effective? What do customers (or clients, or patrons) think of our communications? Do our communications support our overall strategic plan for our business or organization? What would make our communications more effective in the future? What communications opportunities are we missing?

• •

When this audit process began, Yellowhead could not have answered the above questions, because a communications plan had not yet been implemented. More specific goals were identified in the 2007-2009 Plan of Service, but these goals were not accompanied by specific, strategic activities, timelines and desired outcomes. It didn’t seem like it at the time, but the organizational crisis Yellowhead faced in late 2008 was actually an opportunity to engage and collaborate with YRL members and chart a new direction for the organization. In recognition of this opportunity, a more detailed communications audit process was developed – one that would yield more effective results: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Plan the audit process and areas to audit. Choose your research methods. Take inventory and analyze existing communications products. Prepare to survey your audiences. Survey internal and external audiences. Draft report/report back initial findings. Conduct follow-up interviews to confirm your initial findings. Identify draft recommendations/priority actions and draft strategic communications plan. 9. Confirm draft recommendations/priority actions with focus groups or select individuals representing key audiences. 10. Present the final report, recommendations for implementation and the strategic communications plan.

Step 1 - Plan the audit process and areas to audit: YRL is a “library for libraries,” so its focus and mandate is relatively clear: coordinating the provision of a variety of services for the member libraries in the regional system. YRL has two main core business areas: Bibliographic Services and Client Services5. Bibliographic Services include acquisitions, cataloguing, circulation, processing, shipping and accounting. Client Services include training and development, technology services and desktop and network administration.                                                                                                                 5

See the Appendix for the most recent YRL organizational chart.

March, 2011

Page 8

Once the areas of YRL’s business were established, the third step was to identify all potential stakeholders and audiences – both internal and external. Yellowhead’s audiences include: Internal • • •

YRL staff; Contractors/consultants doing work specifically for YRL; YRL Board members6.

External • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

YRL Board members; Member library managers; Member library staff; Library board chairs; Library board members; Public Libraries Council (PLC) and PLC Executive7; Library patrons; Ratepayers (more general; not regular library patrons); Municipal staff, including Chief Administrative Officers and town managers; School librarians; School board superintendents; School board trustees; Regional media; Alberta Municipal Affairs Public Library Services Branch staff; The Alberta Library (TAL)/Alberta Public Library Electronic Network (APLEN); Other regional library systems; Each Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Yellowhead region; Minister of Municipal Affairs; Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs.

Part of the planning phase involved establishing timelines for various phases of the audit, including regular reporting back on findings to date and interesting trends. YRL’s Director was updated on the progress of the audit at least once a month. He and the YRL management team were also kept informed of trends and useful information throughout the audit process, as well as questions and comments, including service-related issues that were raised by survey participants. There were three different presentations of various audit findings to the YRL Board.8 Those PowerPoint presentations follow in the Appendix section of this report.                                                                                                                

6 YRL Board members have a dual role – governance (internal) and municipal representatives (external). All communications with Board members needs to recognize this dual role. 7 The PLC is composed of all member library managers. The PLC Executive is composed of nine library managers from small (3), medium (3) and large (3) libraries within the region. 8 The Board presentations took place on November 9, 2009, June 14, 2010 and November 8, 2010.

March, 2011

Page 9

Step 2 - Choose your research methods There is a wealth of information on current best practices in communications, both online and in published hard copy form. While each approach may differ, communications audits typically use some or all of the following techniques: email/online or telephone surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups and media analysis. For Yellowhead’s purposes, the most appropriate approach was to begin with an online survey to all stakeholders, followed up by more detailed one-on-one telephone and in-person interviews with key audiences. Themes that emerged in the online survey could be validated in the individual interviews, and the results would inform the draft strategic communications plan and key activities to be established over the next three-year time frame. Initially, given the concern about the potential withdrawal of five YRL members, it seemed prudent to design an audit process that included focus groups made up of key stakeholders. The main reason was to build stakeholder engagement and ensure a full, open and transparent process of confirming the overall strategic direction that would be built into the communications plan and help finalize the recommendations from the communications audit. However, by the time the follow-up telephone interviews were taking place, other opportunities for stakeholder engagement had either taken place or were in progress, including the governance review, Public Library Council Service Review and implementation of some of the recommendations from the governance review. It was apparent to many stakeholders that YRL was working through a process of significant and meaningful change. Because there was still a fundamental commitment to the regional library system, YRL was no longer in full-blown crisis mode. It was still highly necessary for the process of change to continue, but stakeholders appeared prepared to wait for the outcomes of all the work under way. This more conciliatory environment came across very well during the follow-up interview phase of the audit. Some stakeholders still had significant concerns, but felt that good progress was being made. As a result of this feedback, it made sense to modify the audit plan. It was determined it might be a better use of members’ time to invite those who were interested to participate in an evaluation of proposed communications products, such as a visual identity and logo, at a later date and forego the focus groups that were originally planned. Step 3 - Take inventory and analyze existing communications products This step involved more than just reviewing all of YRL’s communications products and their effectiveness, although that review is one of the core functions

March, 2011

Page 10

of this audit. By examining YRL’s communications processes and procedures, a better picture emerges of how YRL can produce more effective communications going forward. As part of this process, sample pieces of all of YRL’s communications-related materials, including annual reports, past newsletters and website material were analyzed for content and consistency. The overall structure and visual identity of the website was noted but recommendations were not developed in detail, pending the planned re-design of the website. However, suggestions for updating the website were planned, to be included in the three-year operational communications plan. Step 4 - Prepare to survey your audiences The first step was to decide how to collect initial information. An online survey is an easy and effective way to begin the process, since respondents can log on at a time that is convenient for them. There are numerous survey products on the market, but Survey Monkey was used because it’s very user-friendly for respondents and the survey designer, and it’s relatively inexpensive. More detail on the survey design process follows in Section Three – Online Survey Results. However, it’s worth noting at this point that there was some discussion about whether to have a separate process for interviewing internal and external audiences. The biggest advantage in favour of combining audiences is it’s easier and more efficient – there is no concern about duplication of effort. However, the biggest disadvantage, and it was certainly the case with Yellowhead, is that internal audiences – mainly staff – often don’t see themselves as a potential audience and are prone to think the questions being asked don’t apply to them. Good explanations at the beginning of the survey can mitigate this drawback, but it can be an issue if the online survey is the only method of obtaining feedback.9 In this instance, the online survey was followed up with indepth telephone (and in-person, for YRL staff) interviews, which allowed greater opportunity for clarification and elaboration with internal audiences. Step 5 - Survey internal and external audiences The time of year and length of time the survey would be available for stakeholders to participate were key considerations. In the summer, a lot of people might be on vacation and miss the survey altogether. The beginning of September was not a good time as people were getting back into their fall routine. Pushing the survey too far into October would have conflicted with the Thanksgiving weekend. A three-week window for the survey was ideal – not so short that people wouldn’t have time to participate nor so long that people would defer their participation, thinking they had more time, and then forget about it.                                                                                                                

9

See comments in the Appendix at the end of this report. There were numerous responses along the lines of, “I am YRL staff; therefore, these questions don’t apply to me.”

March, 2011

Page 11

Ultimately, it was decided that the survey would take place from September 21, 2009 to October 9, 2009. A friendly reminder notice was sent out about ten days prior to the official end of the survey. And, although the official cut off date was announced as October 9, the survey was left on for another week, to ensure as many people as possible could participate. Step 6 - Draft report/report back initial findings The initial results of the online survey were reported back to Yellowhead through the presentation to the Board on November 9, 2009. Because the structure of the audit process was already established, it was possible to begin drafting the first few sections of the audit report. This draft helped identify themes and consolidate ideas that could be tested and confirmed in the follow-up interviews. Step 7 - Conduct follow-up interviews to confirm initial findings The process for developing the follow-up interview questions will be explained in detail later in the corresponding section of the report, but it is worth noting at this point that broad themes did emerge from the online survey that were followed up in the telephone interviews. These themes and the top three or four preferences in each area were validated and ranked, and ideas and suggestions for improvement were identified and developed. These ideas and suggestions helped shape the development of the audit recommendations and the draft strategic communications plan. Step 8 - Identify draft recommendations/priority actions and draft strategic communications plan From the broad themes that were confirmed in the follow-up interviews, as well as the priorities identified and recommendations that were tested during those interviews, draft recommendations and priority actions were developed. As well, interview responses were consolidated10 and many of the comments and suggestions were further developed and incorporated into the draft communications plan. The wealth of information received during this part of the audit process informed everything that followed – the recommendations, strategic plan, operational plan and future communications activities. As many initial ideas had been tested for feedback during the interview stage, there was a high degree of confidence that the recommendations and strategies that were finalized and implemented would be well-received.                                                                                                                 10

Consolidated comments follow in the Appendix.

March, 2011

Page 12

Step 9 - Confirm draft recommendations/priority actions with focus groups or select individuals representing key audiences A focus group or groups might not always be necessary but, given the level of concern within the Yellowhead system, it seemed prudent to include a few focus groups to help confirm strategic directions for communications as well as increase the amount of stakeholder engagement. However, as there were other engagement processes going on at the same time, it became apparent during the telephone interview phase of the audit that these groups were no longer an absolute necessity, and participants’ time would be better spent giving input and feedback on actual communications products. Step 10 - Present final report, recommendations for implementation and strategic communications plan The recommendations, strategic communications plan and three-year operational plan were developed based on the outcomes of the online survey and follow-up telephone interviews. More detail on the findings is available in the appropriate section, but it’s worth noting here that these elements were presented to the YRL Board,11 and were key considerations in the development of the job description and interview process for the YRL Communications Coordinator. Since there were specific activities the Communications Coordinator needed to accomplish over the life of the three-year operational plan and beyond, the successful candidate needed to have specific skill sets. As noted previously, YRL did not wait for the final report in order to begin implementing changes and improvements that needed to be made. Such was the case with the recruitment of the Communications Coordinator. While it may seem a bit backward to have the Communications Coordinator recruited and in place prior to the completion of the final audit report, the recommendations, strategic direction and operational plans had already been developed and formed the foundation for the job description and recruitment process, so the writing of the final part of the communications audit report was more of a formality than any new direction, since the direction itself had already been developed and approved.

                                                                                                                11

See the PowerPoint presentation to the YRL Board, November 8, 2010, in the Appendix.

March, 2011

Page 13

Section Two – Examining Existing Communications Products Ordinarily, an audit, including the review of existing communications products, might take into account all of the materials an organization produced over the past year, including electronic media (website and social media). However, because Yellowhead was facing a crisis in the late fall of 2008, the analysis would have more meaning if it went back at least an additional year. Yellowhead was asked to provide as many sample materials as possible, to analyze existing communications products. Conducting an “envelope test”12, all materials were reviewed to establish whether they were readily identifiable as being produced by Yellowhead Regional Library, as well as the degree of consistency in visual identity across products. Printed materials Printed materials included bookmarks, monthly and quarterly newsletters, board meeting highlights, annual report highlights and a promotional flyer on Alberta’s regional library systems. While it could be argued that stationery products, such as letterhead, envelopes and even cheques could and should be analyzed for consistency in a visual identity review process, it was decided that, for the purposes of this audit, analyzing these products was not necessary. That said, it was noted that it would be helpful for YRL to have a formal visual identity guideline for all print and other communications materials in the future.13 Electronic materials Electronic materials included a review of the website as well as Client Service email newsletters that were sent to library managers and circulation staff on a regular basis. However, knowing that the website would be undergoing structural and visual revisions, it was decided not to include a formal review of the website in the audit, but to solicit suggestions from stakeholders, as part of the audit process, to inform a future review. Visual identity One of the key recommendations of this audit is a new logo and visual identity. Once that process has been completed, the communications product template will be revised and the interim formal visual identity guideline that was developed as part of this audit process will also be finalized.                                                                                                                 12

The analysis of the “envelope test” follows in the Appendix at the end of this report. Toward that end, early in 2009 the communications consultant established an interim and basic template for news releases, backgrounders and key messages that follows a consistent visual identity. However, one of the audit recommendations is to develop a new YRL logo and visual identity that would be used for all Yellowhead products, whether printed or electronic, as well as some guidelines for use. 13

March, 2011

Page 14

Findings More details on this analysis are available in the Appendix. However, there are some general observations that can be made here. Communications products were rated for their effectiveness using several criteria, including visual identity, consistency and messaging. All of the printed products that Yellowhead provided for analysis were identifiable as YRL products, in that they contained the YRL logo. However, these products did not consistently include the Yellowhead street address, contact email or website address. It was less important that these products contain a telephone number (such as the YRL bookmarks) as long as they pointed people to the website, where the contact information could be located. The reason for including this information is to maximize the effectiveness of the communications. Good communications invites feedback (two-way communications), so contact information, and the ease with which it is provided, reinforces that invitation. Overall, the products were also visually inconsistent. The paper stock used was not the same, the colours used, fonts and sizes and overall presentation were not consistent from one month to another or one product to another, apart from the two bookmarks. However, the bookmarks and Year in Review, which are also the most recent products, were more visually consistent. At the time of this review, the website was slated for infrastructure and content improvements, which took place over the course of this audit.14 As this change was anticipated when the audit began, the website was not reviewed in detail. However, there were some general content suggestions that were made during the course of this review, which YRL implemented: • •

• • •

Copyright year on the footer of each web page was outdated and needed to reflect the current year of publication; News archive link needed to be created on the home page, to house news releases that were no longer the most current but still had been announced relatively recently; Locating specific content on the website was challenging; however, the search feature was improved, greatly enhancing the user experience; Dead links – to documents on the YRL website as well as to external sites; Some library and school contact information on the website needed to be updated.

                                                                                                               

14

Significant revisions to the website took place in the summer of 2010.

March, 2011

Page 15

Section Three - Online Survey Results The online survey was conducted from September 21, 2009 to October 9, 2009 using Survey Monkey. This type of survey is very user-friendly and accessible for respondents and the designer of the survey. The survey used a few different approaches – open and closed questions, multiple choice and forced ranking. Of the 121 people who began the survey, 100 respondents (82.6 percent) completed the survey. The potential total number of participants for this survey was between 400-500, so a response total of 100 completed surveys is excellent. This number represents 20-25 percent of the possible total number of responses, and gives a good level of confidence that the survey results accurately reflect the audiences they represent. The first two survey questions15 were demographic questions. Yellowhead Regional Library has several key audiences with different communications needs. The first demographic question, affiliation with Yellowhead Regional Library, helps identify those potential audiences and makes it possible to track audience preferences throughout the survey. The second demographic question, years of affiliation with YRL, adds credibility to the survey results, since longerserving respondents have a wider knowledge base and depth of experience that is reflective in their answers and suggestions for improvement. The demographic questions were closed questions – affiliation with Yellowhead and years of affiliation. The “affiliation with Yellowhead” category enabled a participant to select “other” if none of the standard categories applied, and specify the affiliation.16 Throughout the survey, text boxes accompanied each of the questions, to enable respondents to provide more comments or information if they chose to do so. The last question was a fully open question, offering respondents the opportunity to provide any additional comments about Yellowhead and its communications. Most of the survey questions allowed respondents to select more than one choice. However, a couple of questions forced respondents to rank their answers in order of importance – if one choice was picked as number one, it negated a previous number-one choice. While this approach may have been frustrating for some respondents, the goal of the answers to these questions was to identify the top communications priorities for YRL audiences. Since not all enhancements could be accomplished at one time, being able to establish a set of priorities would help identify which enhancements should be done first.

                                                                                                               

15 16

The full set of questions and consolidated responses is included in the Appendix. Other categories listed by respondents included library board member, municipal or county councillor.

March, 2011

Page 16

Question One: “What is your affiliation with Yellowhead Regional Library?” The number one response to this question was library managers (24% or 29 responses), followed by library staff (22.3 % or 27 responses) and Yellowhead trustees (18.2 % or 22 responses).

March, 2011

Page 17

Question Two: “How long have you been affiliated with Yellowhead Regional Library?” A considerable number of respondents have a long-term affiliation with Yellowhead. The number one answer to this question was respondents who have been affiliated with YRL for more than ten years – more than one-third of all respondents (35.5 % or 43 responses). Close to one-third of respondents (31.4 % or 38 responses) have been affiliated with YRL for 1-4 years. Just over one quarter of all respondents (26.4 % or 32 responses) have been affiliated with YRL for 5-9 years. Relatively few respondents (6.6 % or 8 responses) have been affiliated with YRL for less than one year.

March, 2011

Page 18

Crosstab - Number of Years of Affiliation – by Audience Cross-tabulating the affiliation of respondents with the responses to the various questions becomes very important later on in the survey, since it provides more insight into the communications preferences of Yellowhead audiences. From the first set of bar graphs, it is clear a significant majority of library staff and managers have been affiliated with YRL for ten years or more. This seniority and experience speaks to the credibility of their responses. Likewise, the majority of Chief Administrative Officers have been affiliated with YRL for ten or more years. While a majority of current YRL trustees have been affiliated with Yellowhead for between 1-4 years, (each trustee term is anywhere from 1-3 years, depending on the municipality and how long each chooses to assign the councillor to the YRL board) a significant number noted their affiliation as 5-9 years or ten or more years. While trustees are limited in their length of service as a trustee, many of them have a dual affiliation as trustee and previously served on a library board or as a library manager or staff member within the Yellowhead system.

March, 2011

Page 19

Question Three: “What sorts of communications tools do you use, and how often? (Select all that apply)” This question was intended as a laundry list of all the communications tools respondents use and how often they used them. The survey did not specify whether respondents were to apply this question to their work life, but it is true of most people that, where a choice exists, their personal preferences tend to be their work preferences. With the prevalence of the computer and Internet today, not to mention their absolute necessity in the work world, it was not surprising to see that virtually all respondents use the computer and telephone on a daily basis. However, all other forms of technology listed in the survey were considerably further down on the list of tools used. The majority of respondents indicated they did not use a cellular/smart phone on a regular basis (with the exception of one important audience, as noted later), but it was surprising to discover that such a high number of respondents never used social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

March, 2011

Page 20

Question Four: “Please select all of the ways you have had contact with Yellowhead Regional Library over the past two years or less and indicate how often that contact has taken place” The vast majority of respondents indicated they get most of their information from Yellowhead via email. Considering virtually all survey respondents indicated they use email daily, these responses indicate that information is being communicated from Yellowhead to its intended audiences in a timely manner. However, this answer does not speak to how effective the communications is or how well it is understood, which is why those questions are being asked later in the survey. Further back in the number of responses but still significant, many respondents also get information about Yellowhead from the website or telephone calls from YRL staff. Other forms of communication, including in-person site visits/meetings, Help Desk, faxes and printed material rounded out the list.

“As a staff member I guess I have contact with us all the time .” Yellowhead Regional Library staff member

March, 2011

Page 21

Question Five: “Thinking about Yellowhead Regional Library’s communications with you over the past two years or less, please rate the effectiveness of each of these methods of communications.” Since such a large number of survey respondents use email on a daily basis, it’s perhaps not surprising to see they found email a very effective form of communications, followed by a site visit, meeting and telephone call. Help Desk received a lower number of responses; however, this was likely due to the fact that the main target audience for this form of communications was library managers and staff.

March, 2011

Page 22

Crosstab – Question Five: “Thinking about Yellowhead Regional Library’s communications with you over the past two years or less, please rate the effectiveness of each of these methods of communications.”

When the survey results are cross-tabulated by YRL affiliation, the survey results become even more helpful. The chart below shows the various preferences inversely; the higher the preference, the shorter the colour bar. Thus, the preference for email was equally strong across all audiences. Depending on the audience, some respondents found site visits more effective, while others indicated telephone calls or the website were the next most effective forms of communication. Since chief administrative officers were least likely to use the telephone and Help Desk, they indicated these forms of communications were less effective (this question did not give the option of an “N/A” or “not applicable” choice).

March, 2011

Page 23

Question Six: How do you prefer to receive communications from Yellowhead Regional Library? (please rate in order of importance)

This is one of the most important questions in the survey. Effective communications begins with communicating with knowing the communications preferences of intended audiences, and sharing information and knowledge with them in the way they prefer to receive it. Knowing the separate and distinct preferences of all YRL audiences will help ensure more effective communications in the future. The chart below clearly illustrates that email is audiences’ preferred method of receiving communications from YRL, as it was the number-one choice of almost 65 percent of respondents (59 responses). Telephone (28% or 21 responses), website (almost 28% or 23 responses) and in-person contact (almost 18% or 15 responses) were next.

March, 2011

Page 24

Crosstab – Question Six: How do you prefer to receive communications from Yellowhead Regional Library? (please rate in order of importance) Cross-tabulating again helps show which audiences prefer certain methods of communications, and is very helpful when it comes to formulating a draft communications plan and activities for internal and external audiences. The chart below indicates that, the shorter the colour bar, the more this method of communications is preferred by each audience. For the Chief Administrative Officer category, nearly all selected email as their first choice; only one selected printed material as their first choice. While all other audiences also exhibited a strong preference for email as their first choice for receiving communications from Yellowhead, it’s worth noting YRL staff had a strong second-choice preference for in-person communications. Consequently, it will be important to ensure there is a significant face-to-face component in YRL’s internal communications. Library staff, closely followed by library managers, chose the telephone as their number-two way of receiving communications from Yellowhead.

March, 2011

Page 25

Question Seven – “In the future, how can Yellowhead Regional Library improve its communications with you? (please rate each of the following areas from most to least important?” While no one clear, overwhelming favourite emerged, there were some preferences across YRL audiences: 1. Reinstating the YRL newsletter – just over one-quarter of respondents (26 % or 23 responses); 2. More training for library staff – (27 % or 22 responses); 3. More site visits by consultants (not including technical staff) (22 % or 17 responses) 4. More website content (20 % or 17 responses). In the follow-up telephone interviews, respondents were asked to rank these four preferences in order of importance, to prioritize implementation of improvements. It was interesting to note that, by a wide margin, increased use of social media was considered the least important communications improvement. While this finding should not discourage YRL from using social media in the future, it does indicate the other four preferences above are a higher priority for stakeholders.

March, 2011

Page 26

Crosstab – Question Seven – “In the future, how can Yellowhead Regional Library improve its communications with you? (please rate each of the following areas from most to least important?” This answer clearly illustrates the value of cross-tabulating areas for improvement with YRL affiliation. More training for library staff was the most important improvement for the CAO category, closely followed by a newsletter. Reinstatement of the newsletter was most important to YRL trustees, followed by more training for library staff. More site visits by consultants was most important to Yellowhead staff, followed by more site visits by technical staff. Since they are the ones doing the visits and put a high value on this interaction with their client libraries, this result is not surprising. Library managers rated more training for library staff as number one, with more site visits by consultants virtually tied with a newsletter. It should be noted that, although the results for this question do not appear to support increased use of social media, it simply means social media is a lower priority for respondents than the newsletter or increased website content.

March, 2011

Page 27

Section Four – In-depth Telephone Interviews The in-depth/follow-up telephone interviews were conducted from November 2, 2009 to late January, 2010, with a break over the Christmas holidays. A total of 37 people who completed the online survey also indicated their willingness to participate in a telephone interview. 35 of those were external stakeholders. Of that number, 4 trustees, 9 library managers, 3 school librarians, two municipal managers and one library board chair/member participated in a follow-up interview. As well, 12 YRL staff were interviewed, for a total of 31 people. However, Yellowhead staff participated in face-to-face, not telephone interviews. For easier reference in this section, these interviews will be referred to generally as follow-up interviews, not telephone or face-to-face conversation. The purpose of the interviews was two-fold: validate information received from the online survey, and test preliminary conclusions about communications approaches and how various audiences prefer to receive information from YRL. Like the online survey, the first two questions in the follow-up interviews were demographic questions – the responder’s position and how long they had been affiliated with Yellowhead. However, the online survey was designed for all audiences – internal and external, whereas the follow-up interviews were slightly different, depending on whether the audience was internal – staff – or external. The four top-rated answers from each of the responses in the online survey were selected for use in the follow-up interviews. Respondents were asked to rate their preferences and given the opportunity to elaborate on their preferences. It was assumed and confirmed in the interviews that different audiences had different preferences, so the information received could help inform how to best customize communications for specific audiences, to better meet their information needs.

In its communications with you, what are some things YRL does particularly well?17 “Number one, there’s a lot more communications. You would hear things from other library managers before when there was news, and it wasn’t always accurate. Now we hear from YRL first. Addressing issues is much better than it used to be. Polaris – news and issues are getting out faster.” - Library manager

                                                                                                                17

Question Four, external audience follow-up interview question. The full set of questions for internal (YRL staff) and external audiences are contained in the Appendix.

March, 2011

Page 28

The value of customized communications Customizing and tailoring communications and information for specific audiences may sound like it has questionable value compared with the relative investment of time. However, to ensure any communications is as effective as possible, it’s important to understand the audience and how members prefer to receive communications – whether through email, face to face, telephone or by another means – and communicate information to them by that preferred channel. When communications efforts are customized in this way, audiences are more likely to indicate they have received and understood the communications – regardless of whether they happen to agree with it. These indications help rate the effectiveness of an organization’s communications. To narrow down the choices and obtain some useful information about how to best customize Yellowhead communications was a two-part process. Part one was a series of questions in the online survey. One of the questions contained a laundry list of all the different ways Yellowhead could potentially communicate with all of its various audiences.18 Survey respondents were given the opportunity to rate their preference on seven different types of communications from Yellowhead: in person; telephone; fax; email; website; printed material (including a newsletter, annual report and fact sheets) and videoconferencing/Live Meeting. The idea of asking such a broad question was to leave the outcome completely wide open: audiences could vote for their favourites and there was a relatively good chance, based on the sample size of the audience (approximately one in five people who could potentially participate in the online survey did so) that the answers would be fairly representative of Yellowhead stakeholders. Once the responses were tabulated in the online survey, the same question was asked again in the follow-up interviews. Respondents were able to rate their preference, and the responses confirmed the results of the online survey. The responses between the online survey and the follow-up interviews were virtually the same, except that the number three and four choices were reversed between surveys (see Table One, on the next page): Online survey

Follow-up interviews

1. Email

1. Email

2. Telephone

2. Telephone

3. Website

3. In-person

4. In-person

4. Website

                                                                                                                18

Question Six of the online survey asked, “How do you prefer to receive communications from Yellowhead Regional Library? (please rate in order of importance).”

March, 2011

Page 29

Table One Overall Results*^ (31) Email Telephone Website In-person

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

25/31 81% 6/28 21% 1/29 3% 2/28 7%

3/31 10% 17/28 61% 5/29 17% 3/28 11%

3/31 10% 4/28 14% 6/29 21% 12/28 43%

1/28 4% 17/29 59% 11/28 39%

* Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding

^ Some respondents only wished to give a first choice

Once the preferences of external audiences had been rated and confirmed, the next step in the process was to follow up with Yellowhead staff. Unless there is a work-related barrier to doing so, most people tend to communicate in the ways they prefer to receive communications. (An example of a work-related barrier might be a younger staff member who prefers to communicate via short text messages on their smartphone and might find longer email and telephone calls overwhelming. While this is not currently the case, as technology evolves, these barriers have the potential to be more of an issue in the future.) At present, however, according to the results of the online survey and follow-up interviews, the majority of respondents – both internal and external – selected email as their number one, preferred method of sending and receiving communications (see Table Two – Staff Results, next page). This finding is important because, if the preferences for giving and receiving communications are consistent between internal and external stakeholders, there is already a high level of support for such an approach, and minimal cultural change – if any - will be required to continue accommodating this preference. While it is good to know stakeholder preferences, it is helpful to know why those preferences exist, since that knowledge also helps improve communications in the future. So, then, the online survey established the “what” in terms of preferences, but the follow-up interviews established the “why”. Stakeholders had several reasons for preferring email to any other form of communications, including: • Information can be sent at any time, regardless of whether the recipient is

actually in the office at the time, and they can read it at their convenience; • Email cuts down on the inevitable telephone tag; • Senders and receivers have a written record of what was said without having a

lot of paper to review; • It saves time to send an email, if the communications is relatively straightforward – for instance, an update to all library managers.

March, 2011

Page 30

Table Two YRL Staff Results* (12) Email Telephone

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

10/12 83% 2/12 17%

1/12 8% 9/12 75% 1/12 8%

1/12 8% 1/12 8% 2/12 17% 6/12 50%

9/12 75% 4/12 33%

Website * In-person

2/12 6%

* Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding

It is worth noting that, although email was YRL staff’s preferred method of communications for general information and with external stakeholders, they still appreciated face-to-face communications when it came to interacting with their co-workers. Therefore, in developing an effective internal communications plan and communicating with YRL staff, it will be important to ensure regular and timely face-to-face communications – not just in staff and department meetings, but also in the day-to-day work routine as much as possible. A third important audience is Yellowhead trustees. While it is easy to see that they are an external audience, it may not be as easy to see that they are also an internal audience. They have a role as elected municipal representatives, and they also have a governance role as board members. Communications with this audience needs to recognize that dual role. Out of a potential audience of close to 50 trustees, 22 participated in the online survey – an excellent response rate that gives a high level of confidence in the results. However, there were only four trustees who participated in the follow-up interviews. This response rate is lower than desired, but fortunately there is less cause for concern, because there is more opportunity for face-to-face interaction with this audience. YRL hosts three board meetings per year, and while not all trustees attend all board meetings, the additional personal contact – however infrequent – still ensures an adequate flow of communications and information. As well, ten of the trustees are also members of Executive Committee, which meets at YRL several additional times per year.

March, 2011

Page 31

In its communications with you, what are some things YRL does particularly well?19 “We’re made aware of meetings. Information packages that come out are comprehensive.” “I really like the budget. The whole board package is very good.” “We have no problems with anything. Pretty much with any of the departments – if we need help, need to be given an answer, we get taken care of.” - YRL trustees

In both the online survey and follow-up telephone interviews, YRL trustees indicated their first preference for receiving communications from YRL is email (see Table Three, below). That said, not all trustees were able to receive large files, like board packages, via email, so packages were mailed out in hard copy to those trustees who wished to receive them.

Table Three YRL Trustee Results (4) Email

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

2/3 67%

1/3 33% 1/3 67% 1/3 33%

2/3 33% 1/3 33%

4/4 100%

Telephone^ Website In-person*

1/3 33%

^ One respondent only wished to give a first choice * Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding

                                                                                                               

19

Question Four, follow-up interviews, trustee comments (see consolidated interview comments).

March, 2011

Page 32

Library managers, like other audiences, indicated in the online survey that their preferred method of receiving communications from Yellowhead was email, and this preference was confirmed in the follow-up interviews (see Table Four, below). However, there was also a strong preference for telephone contact. The follow-up interviews explained why. Table Four Library Manager Results (9) Email* Telephone^ Website In-person*

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

6/9 67% 3/8 38%

2/9 22% 3/8 38% 2/8 25% 1/8 13%

1/9 11% 2/8 25% 2/8 25% 3/8 38%

4/8 50% 4/8 50%

* Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding ^ One respondent only wished to give a first choice

Do you make use of webinars, and would you use them more often if you had the opportunity to do so? “I love the webinars.” “Webinars – I’m not all that crazy about them. They’re kind of hard to follow. Better than just a hand-out, though. If I did webinars more often, it might be different. I have only done two – Simply Reports, and I can’t remember what the other one was. Simply Reports went a bit too fast.” “The last one was Simply Reports. That was my favourite one ever – simply amazing.” - Library managers

March, 2011

Page 33

It is true that straightforward communications can be sent via email, and library managers – some of whom work irregular hours – can check it at their convenience. However, often there were occasions where follow up or more clarification was required, in which case it was more efficient to discuss the matter in a telephone call. And, while library managers appreciated in-person communications with YRL, during consultant visits and on other occasions, they also recognized that distance was an issue. When it came to types of communications, the results were not overwhelmingly in favour of one form of communication over another. Interestingly enough, though, the number one choice is one some would argue is not a form of communications at all – more site visits by consultants (see Table Five, below). However, site visits are a key opportunity for communications and building value, and it is for these reasons site visits were included in the online survey and follow-up interviews as a form of communications. Overall, more training for library staff was rated the number two choice, but it was tied with a newsletter for the second choice among YRL staff (see Table Six, next page) and only slightly more important for library managers. A newsletter was the slight favourite in the number three position, with more website content in fourth place. However, YRL staff thought more website content was more important than a newsletter. Library managers ranked the newsletter and more website content tied for third place (see Table Eight, next page). It is also worth noting that library managers were more apt to prefer a print option for the newsletter, although a vast majority requested an electronic version. Further questioning during the telephone interviews revealed that, if the newsletter is printed, library staff can read it while on the phone, on hold, or waiting for a computer task to complete. In other words, they could multi-task. Table Five Overall Results*^ (31) More site visits More library staff training More website content Newsletter – printed or electronic

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

18/31 58% 4/31 13% 6/31 19% 3/31 9%

2/30 7% 14/30 47% 5/30 17% 9/30 30%

4/29 14% 8/29 28% 8/29 28% 9/29 31%

6/29 21% 4/29 14% 11/29 38% 8/29 28%

* Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding

March, 2011

^ Some respondents only wished to give a first choice

Page 34

Table Six YRL Staff Results* (12) More site visits More library staff training More website content Newsletter – printed or electronic

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

8/12 67% 1/12 8% 2/12 17% 1/12 8%

2/11 18% 4/11 36% 1/11 9% 4/11 36%

2/11 18% 2/11 18% 5/11 45% 2/11 18%

1/11 9% 4/11 36% 3/11 27% 3/11 27%

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

* Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding

Table Seven YRL Trustee Results (4) More site visits More library staff training More website content Newsletter – printed or electronic

Number 1 3/4 75%

1/4 25% 3/4 75% 1/4 25%

1/4 25%

1/4 25% 2/4 50%

1/4 25% 2/4 50% 1/4 25%

Number 3

Number 4

Table Eight Library Manager Results* (9) More site visits More library staff training More website content Newsletter – printed or electronic

Number 1

Number 2

5/9 56% 2/9 22% 2/9 22%

1/9 11% 4/9 44% 1/9 11% 3/9 33%

3/9 33% 3/9 33% 3/9 33% 3/9 33%

3/9 33% 3/9 33%

* Numbers do not total 100% due to rounding

March, 2011

Page 35

Comments - Highlights20 “They (YRL staff) are wonderful.” “Any problems, phone or email. They’re very good.” “Always willing to help in any way. I think that’s great.” “Since Kevin Dodds has taken over, Rob Zylstra21 is in the Client Services position, (there has been) a great improvement.

Final thoughts What do you see is the value of Yellowhead? “We can’t do our job without Yellowhead, without the services they offer.” “We value being part of TRAC. There’s no way to be part of that otherwise. Patrons like the much larger collection.” “There’s lots of expertise at YRL, for instance, in cataloguing. We can contact someone at YRL.”

Help Desk – Any suggestions for additional information, or challenges you’ve encountered over the past year or so? “I’ve used it lots. I like Help Desk. It’s a really efficient way of doing things. You don’t have to drive half an hour out here for something that takes 15 minutes to do. I rely on it a lot. If I’m not here, I send them (staff) to Help Desk.” - Library manager

                                                                                                                20

Detailed comments follow in the Appendix. At the time of the online survey and follow-up interviews, Rob Zylstra was the Manager of Client Services. He has since moved on to another opportunity. 21

March, 2011

Page 36

What do you think of the current layout of the website? How user friendly is it? What kind of content are you looking for that you don’t see there? “The most important information is on the front page, which is nice. You don’t have to go looking to see what’s new. I like that.” “Whoa, there’s a lot more to this website that I don’t even know exists.” “There are no pictures of people. It’s all about kids, families and people. What about pictures of member libraries, YRL staff?” - Various respondents

More site visits by consultants: would you like to see an increase in the number of visits? Is there particular information or training you would like to get? “Training for staff is key - they’re the front end. The best salespeople.” “Once or two times a year, YRL people used to drop in. No specific reason, would stop in and say hello.” “Used to come three times a year – now maybe once.” “They’ve been really good at coming when I ask. More often would be good. Doesn’t have to be mandated, but more often would be a good thing.” - Various respondents

March, 2011

Page 37

Section Five – Focus Group Follow-up

A focus group or groups might not always be necessary but, as mentioned previously, in drafting the original communications audit proposal for Yellowhead it was thought that a few focus groups might be helpful in confirming strategic directions for communications as well as increasing the amount of stakeholder engagement. As the communications audit process continued, and during the follow-up interview phase, it became apparent that focus groups were no longer the necessity they had appeared at the time the audit proposal was drafted. It was determined that participants’ time could be better spent giving input and feedback on actual communications products that had been developed. A process has been built in to the strategic plan and three-year operating plan that will allow for ongoing consultation with - and input - from stakeholders, particularly library managers, but also including library board and municipal representatives. This process will be vital to ensure Yellowhead continues to meet the communications needs of its audiences.

March, 2011

Page 38

Section Six – Summary of Findings The results of the follow-up interviews confirmed that, for the most effective communications, email was still the top choice of respondents, because it was clear, timely and there was no playing telephone tag. Telephone was the second-most preferred form of communications, because it enables respondents to follow up, get clarity and solve issues. The website was useful because it had a lot of good general information and contact numbers. In-person communications was the fourth-most preferred choice. Respondents indicated there was no substitute for face-to-face, but there were often time constraints. Respondents indicated that, in terms of setting priorities, more site visits by consultants would be the first priority, followed by more training for library staff, a newsletter – printed or electronic – and more website content. However, these results varied even within audience groups. As noted previously, although the online survey results do not appear to support increased use of social media as an early priority, there is a greater move to more collaborative and social media and applications, particularly among younger users, and all the more so with the proliferation of e-readers and applications such as the TRACpac iPhone app and the Yellowhead iPad app, that appeal to all ages. It certainly seems that Yellowhead intends to continue positioning itself as a technology leader, and these new applications are one of many ways to increase the value of its services to member libraries and their patrons. The online survey results and follow-up interviews also reinforce the immense value of Yellowhead staff. Results confirmed Yellowhead does many things well: board members indicated trustee information and board packages are comprehensive and useful; technology issues get a quick response, and the people at Yellowhead are great – several respondents specifically mentioned Kevin Dodds, Wendy Sears-Ilnicki, Rob Zylstra or Laurie Brock, as well as other staff.

March, 2011

Page 39

Section Seven – Conclusion At the beginning of the communications audit process, the main question that needed to be answered was, “How are we doing?” There were a few follow-up questions that Yellowhead, like any organization, wanted to know. “Do people know who we are and what we do?” “Do we know who our audience is?” “What can we do better?” Specifically, YRL leadership wanted to be able to quantify: 1. How does Yellowhead Regional Library communicate with its various audiences? 2. How effectively does Yellowhead Regional Library communicate with its various audiences? 3. How can Yellowhead Regional Library improve its communications with its various audiences? Since the fall of 2008, Yellowhead has been in a state of continuous improvement when it comes to communications. At that time, the website was scheduled for enhancements and revisions that have now taken place. In 2008, Yellowhead did not have a newsletter but, at the beginning of 2011, YRL’s new electronic newsletter was launched, by Yellowhead’s new Communications Coordinator. So how Yellowhead communicates with its various audiences has grown – enhanced technology options, more telephone and face-to-face communications, the newsletter and the website improvements are but a few of these, and more developments are in the works. When this audit began, Yellowhead was facing a communications challenge: communicating the value of YRL to all stakeholders – clearly, effectively and transparently. While no organization ever truly “arrives” in its quest for communications excellence, YRL has made significant progress. It is important for an organization not to simply talk about improvement – improvement must be visible, tangible and ongoing. In early 2011, the goals and outcomes that can accrue from conducting a communications audit, are evident in YRL’s case:

• An audit demonstrated, in a tangible way, that Yellowhead Regional Library • •

was committed to improving communications with all of its audiences and stakeholders, internally and externally. When combined with current activities and approaches, the audit demonstrated that YRL is willing to listen to its stakeholders and is committed to being open and transparent with them. When stakeholders saw their feedback was incorporated into the audit in the form of recommendations that were implemented and followed up, this process would build credibility with stakeholders. They see YRL as an

March, 2011

Page 40

• • •

•

organization that walks its talk and values its stakeholders as partners in service delivery excellence. The communications audit process would build trust and more positive relationships with stakeholders and audiences. An audit would provide practical feedback that would guide the development of an action plan to improve communications internally and externally at YRL. An audit would help Yellowhead know if the organization was on the right track in improving service delivery and value to its members. The audit would also help Yellowhead identify any gaps between the message YRL wanted to communicate and the message stakeholders were actually receiving. The audit would help identify any areas of resistance or other issues with the work culture of YRL, and the results would contribute to a revitalized work team that re-affirmed its commitment to service delivery excellence.

The audit has helped inform the process of developing key recommendations, a strategic plan and a three-year operational plan. Based on the activities and outcomes identified, a job description was developed and a recruitment ad drafted to solicit candidates who could deliver on the priorities the audit and Yellowhead leadership have identified over the next three years. The audit results confirmed that, although communications had not previously supported an overall strategic plan, YRL was on the right track. The strategic plan has been implemented and the 2010-2012 Plan of Service for Yellowhead Regional Library incorporates a strong communications component. Regular, yearly evaluations have been built into the three-year operating plan for communications, and will help determine the degree to which Yellowhead is succeeding in its goal of improved and more effective communications.

March, 2011

Page 41

Section Eight – Detailed Recommendations

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8.

9. 10. 11.

Hire a full-time communications consultant. Write a strategic communications plan and rolling three-year implementation plan with measurable results and annual evaluation. Write a communications policy manual and, in consultation with YRL business units, review the YRL Policy Manual to ensure any relevant sections reflect communications best practices. Reinstate the YRL newsletter in electronic format, with a print option. Increase the communications, including email updates, coming from the YRL Director to all external stakeholders. Refresh the website and ensure all content is up to date (YRL had already recognized the need to refresh the website and engaged a Calgary-based company to conduct an infrastructure assessment. A suite of network and technology upgrades was in the process of being implemented in the fall of 201022). Develop a new YRL logo and visual identity. Work with YRL member libraries to meet their communications needs. YRL may wish to consider starting small, perhaps with one or two libraries in a pilot project, to determine approaches and the amount of time that might be required. Implement basic communications, traditional media, social media and visual identity training for YRL staff. Engage the media and key stakeholders on a regular, pro-active basis to build relationships and rapport. Develop and implement a social media policy for YRL and pro-actively look for ways to promote YRL as a leader in social media.

                                                                                                                22

See the Client Services Network and Technology Infrastructure report as part of the Needs Assessment and 2010-2012 Plan of Service.

March, 2011

Page 42

Yellowhead Regional Library Strategic Communications Plan The findings of this audit led to a series of recommendations for Yellowhead. The Strategic Communications Framework23 and goals/objectives were developed based on the audit findings as well as other internal and external considerations: • • • • • • •

YRL draft 2010-2013 Plan of Service and Needs Assessment; Governance Review and Recommendations; PLC Services Committee’s 2009 YRL Service Flexibility and Enhancement Report; Provincial annual Satisfaction Survey24; Historical issues and concerns; MLA report, Positioning Alberta Libraries for the 21st Century (2009), and Alberta Regional Library Systems Review.25

Following are the key communications goals for Yellowhead Regional Library over the next three years. Communications goals26 – Internal 1. Staff feel well-informed about YRL programs and services. 2. Staff have the opportunity for more interaction and collaboration between themselves, management and board members. 3. Staff believe they are delivering valuable programs and services to support member libraries. Communications goals – External 1. External audiences (including member library managers, staff and library board members, municipal staff, school librarians and local media27) say they are well-informed about YRL initiatives. 2. Municipalities and library boards say YRL provides a valuable service for member libraries and they actively support the regional library system. 3. Regional media coverage is generally favourable.                                                                                                                

23

A copy of the complete Strategic Communications Framework is contained in the Appendix at the end of this report. 24 Each January, YRL conducts a Satisfaction Survey with all member libraries. This is a standardized survey that Alberta Municipal Affairs makes available to all regional library systems and is one of the requirements of receiving an annual operating grant from the province. 25 The Alberta Regional Library Systems Review (February, 2010) was prepared for Alberta Municipal Affairs’ Public Library Services Branch; however, it is considered a guideline document only. 26 In Year One of implementation of the communications plan, all stakeholders will be asked to complete a communications satisfaction survey to establish a baseline for measuring future progress. From this baseline, measurable targets can be established. With targets, these goals move to becoming objectives. 27 See p. 12 of this report or the Appendix for a complete list of all YRL internal and external stakeholders.

March, 2011

Page 43

Communications goals – Member libraries 1. Member libraries are satisfied with the level of service they receive from YRL and feel their needs are well met. 2. Member libraries are generally satisfied that YRL assists them in meeting their communications needs in a timely manner. 3. Member libraries actively support and participate in the regional library system. The Strategic Communications Framework builds in a yearly reporting requirement to the YRL Board at the annual June board meeting. The complete Strategic Communications Plan follows in the Appendix.

March, 2011

Page 44

Acknowledgements Thank you to the management and staff of Yellowhead Regional Library for your commitment to this audit process. I appreciated your candour and your ideas, not to mention your passion for libraries and the patrons you ultimately serve. To Yellowhead Regional Library Trustees, new and veteran: thank you for your unswerving dedication to the municipalities and member libraries you represent. You are knowledgeable and dedicated, and the YRL system is the richer for it. To the library managers and staff, school librarians, administrative officers everyone who took the time to fill out an online survey or spend time with me on the phone – thank you so much. Many of you have other jobs and obligations and came in early or stayed late to talk to me, taking time from your personal life because you understood the value of good communications and YRL’s vision excellence. I appreciate you and your great ideas. While I don’t like to single anyone out and risk overlooking others, there are a few who helped make my job incredibly easy and enjoyable. Laurie Brock, YRL’s Administrative Associate – more than once I was told you are the glue that holds the organization together, and I couldn’t agree more. Robert Zylstra, the former manager of Client Services at YRL, whose passion for all things IT-related and never-ending supply of great ideas led to more than one late-night email exchange. Wendy Sears Ilnicki, YRL’s Bibliographic Services manager and Assistant Director, who is the epitome of charm, poise and a great sense of humour. And last but by no means least, Kevin Dodds, who began the audit process as Yellowhead’s Acting Director and was confirmed in this role partway through. If an independent contractor could bestow a Fearless Client award, it would go to Kevin, who was open and willing to a different way of doing things if it meant a better regional library system.

March, 2011

Page 45

Appendices (available upon request)

1.

Yellowhead Regional Library Plan of Service 2003-2006

2.

YRL 2006 Needs Assessment Report

3.

View from the Summit Strategic Plan 2007-2009 (PowerPoint presentation)

4.

YRL organizational chart

5.

YRL Board Presentation 09Nov2009 (PowerPoint presentation)

6.

YRL Board Presentation 14Jun2010 (PowerPoint presentation)

7.

YRL Board Presentation 08Nov2010 (PowerPoint presentation)

8.

Communications materials – “envelope test”

9.

Consolidated interview comments

10.

SurveyMonkey online survey questions

11.

SurveyMonkey online survey results

12.

Follow-up interview questions for YRL staff interviews

13.

Follow-up interview questions for external interviews

14.

YRL Needs Assessment and Plan of Service 2010-2012

15.

YRL Strategic Communications Plan December, 2010

March, 2011

Page 46