Trainer: Gokçe Kayaci

An approach to EU communication

Aim of the course: Helping young professionals interested in a career in EU Communications:

• To identify and understand the essential elements of a communication strategy,
• To develop their capacities in designing and assessing a communication strategy,
• To increase their ability to understand and analyse EU communication policies.

Method: The course will be a combination of theoretical information and practical exercises that will help the students to gain skills to apply the principles of communications strategies in their professional environments.

Program Building Blocks:

• Introduction:

This block will start with a reference to the introductory session of Communication Cluster Lead to make a link between the content of his introduction and this module’s outline. It will link the key questions of any strategy to the communications discipline and will provide with an overview of 10 essentials elements of a communications strategy.

• Where are we now?

This block will provide ingredients for understanding the starting point for communications strategies and will aim the answer the question by providing information on what a “Elements Number 1: Mission Statement” is and what the techniques that are user for “Element Number 2: Context Analysis”. The block will include practical exercise to develop a mission statement for the EU.

• Where do we want to go?

This block will provide information on “Element Number 3 Goals and Objectives” while emphasizing the different of both elements.

• How do we get there?

This block will provide information on “Element Number 4 Audiences “ , “Element Number 5 Key Messages”, “Element Number 6 Communication Mix (Channels & Tools), the “Element Number 7 Time Frame” and “Element Number 8 Resources. A guest lecturer (a Strategic Planner) might be invited to further explain the “audiences”. The block will include practical exercises to help students  to learn how to identify intermediaries (secondary audiences), to develop a key message, to prepare a communications mix.

• Have we been successful?

This block will provide information on “Element Number 9 Impact Assessment” and “Element Number 10 Evaluation” while emphasizing the difference between both. A guest lecturer might be invited to further explain these two key elements.

Document available : Power point presentation with strategic documents (SWOT analysis)

Evaluation: In addition to the tasks in the class,, at the end of the module, the students will be given an assignment to prepare a SWOT analysis on a given topic to be submitted to the trainer as one pager. The SWOT will be assessed and included in the students’ grades.

Guest lecturer:s: Strategic Planner on Audience Identification and Analysis, & Evaluation Expert on Impact Assessment and Evaluation,