This is a great quote from the Ottawa Citizen (click here for the full article). The reason I've posted it is that the gist of the article is completely on target. A strategic communications plan is key for any organization that relies on getting their messages to target audiences. You can't simply lurch from one crisis to the next or one press announcement to the next. There has to be a comprehensive plan in place that's designed to share information in a consistent, timely and sustained manner. As part of this plan, key spokespeople must be properly trained on key message delivery and how to communicate with media outlets.

QUOTING FROM THE OTTAWA CITIZEN

"A good municipal communications department should function much like a newsroom, explaining what the city is doing in a timely, accurate and factual way. Before any city report gets released or posted on the city web site, it should be reviewed by a communications person who can at least produce an executive summary that is intelligible to an ordinary person. The most important part of the communications job is the strategic aspect. Communications ought to be a key piece of any major policy, not an afterthought. If you have a good idea but you can't explain why, then it will fail. It has gotten so bad that I have taken to writing columns defending city staff when they get it right. Someone has to help."