Public Outreach Task Force Agenda and Packet 2014 07 28

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- Events Planning - Neighborhood Liaison - Community Outreach Training and Coordination • The communications tasks mentioned most frequently as being contracted out are printing, graphic design and translation of materials into Spanish. Opinions Offered on Organizational Structure Each bullet under the first two sections represents a different Director. Prefer Centralized Approach: • Communications could work most effectively if it were more centralized (one voice). Given how decentralized things are, there is an opportunity for miscommunication. Things are too informal. • I'm not a big fan of decentralized communications. Media inquiries should be centralized. • Works well to have a well - qualified city PIO. I support having a more centralized communications function, with professional, trained staff to help departments. • As decentralized as it is, communication function is fractured. Prefer Decentralized Approach: • Having a departmental communications person allows us to focus and tell a deeper story. • Having PIO in Police that also covers Fire has worked well. • We have worked on departmental PIO role for four years and it is working well. • Having dedicated Communications person next door is great. • Director wants questions referred to her, rather than having someone speak for her. Departmental expertise and knowing who to contact is very helpful. • Don't see a real prospect for communications to be overly centralized because departmental expertise is needed. • Department is large enough that we need a departmental PIO. Central function can't speak for all departments — there is just too much information and not enough central staff. General Comments from Directors: • City needs to answer the question: What organizational model makes the most sense — centralized, decentralized, or hybrid? • A number of Directors acknowledged that the Communications Division has a big job, that there are a lot of different expectations, and that there is a need to prioritize and clarify roles. • There is expertise in the city on topics such as Social Media. It would be great if that expertise could be shared across the organization. • Have graphic design expertise centralized that could help all departments. • It is important that the Communications Division functions in a consulting role to departments. • There has to be a balance and a reliance on content experts. • Like the idea of a centralized approach, in which the same template is used by everyone. • Not concerned about structure (centralized vs. decentralized) as long as all the key communications functions are addressed well. 7