Strategic communications for an election year

Learn how to make your communications deliver your organisation's strategic goals as Wales enters the 2021 Senedd elections. This five-part course is aimed at communications professionals working within Wales’ third sector or social enterprise.

A series of five skills-and-knowledge workshops will help you build your approach to a successful election comms strategy.

1. Developing an organisational manifesto - Thursday 15 October 2020, 13:30-16:30

● Developing an organisational manifesto: This module covers how to work with senior management, the organisation's strategic plans, and the customer or beneficiary to craft a clear manifesto of what it wants the new Welsh Government to do. The manifesto is your tool and map for influencing.

2. Influencing political parties - Thursday 5 November 2020, 13:30-16:30

● Influencing political parties: This module covers how to use a manifesto to have conversations with political parties with the aim of getting your manifesto to become part of theirs.

3. Raising the profile of your customers/beneficiaries/members and your influence - Thursday 26 November 2020, 13:30-16:30

● Raising the profile of your customers/beneficiaries/members and your influence: This module focuses on using organising as a technique to create a focused voice in urging political parties to adopt your organisation's manifesto. The focus will be on digital organising tactics for building motivation, as well as digital tools and formats for bringing people together virtually.

4. Voter registration - Thursday 14 January 2021, 13:30-16:30

● Voter registration: This module focuses on how to work with partners, such as the Electoral Commission, to drive people to register. This will cover how to craft messages and use digital links to measure your impact and increase your influence.

5. Get Out The Vote - Thursday 28 January 2021, 13:30-16:30

● Get out the vote: This module focuses on how to develop effective campaigns to get your users to make a plan to vote, either through mail in ballots or at polling stations.

All workshops will be conducted online through Zoom and supporting resources through Google classroom.

The workshops will work best as a series, but can be taken individually if desired. If you do wish to do individual workshops or unable to do all 5 please contact us trainingwales1@nuj.org.uk.

Tutor

Joni Ayn Alexander is a strategic communicator, consultant and coach in the charity and education sectors. She started her career as a journalist at USA Today before moving to Wales to study, practice and then teach journalism. More recently, Joni was the director of the National Union of Students in Wales and Northern Ireland. She led operations for the NUS’ UK-wide campaign in the 2019 UK General Election, and its work to influence a UK/EU trade deal post Brexit. Joni has served on several boards, currently a trustee for the charity Parentkind. Joni provides consultancy, coaching and training. Find out more at joniayn.com

More Information...

Part 1 - Developing an organisational manifesto - Thursday 15 October 2020, 13:30-16:30

This is the first half-day workshop in a series to develop strategic communications in an election year.

What is it about?

An organisational manifesto is your tool and map for influencing in an election year. This spells out what your organisation wants out of a new government. In May 2021, Wales will elect a new set of members to the Senedd and form a new Welsh Government. This workshop covers how to work with senior management, strategic plans and the customer or beneficiary to craft a clear manifesto that cuts through the noise.

Who is it for?

This is aimed at communications professionals who want to influence what happens to their organisation, or those they work with, after the 2021 election. If you already have an organisational manifesto, you may need another one sooner than you think. The skills and knowledge can be applied in future elections. In 2022, Wales elects new local governments.

What will I learn?

● How to use your organisation’s strategic plan to develop consistent manifesto asks

● Methods for identifying what your organisation’s customers or beneficiaries want from a new Welsh Government

● Tools for developing manifesto asks that political parties will want to copy

● Best practice in developing an organisational manifesto

● How to draft a manifesto that gets used by everyone in your organisation

What do I need to do and bring?

● Read your organisation’s strategic plan before the workshop

● Bring a laptop with reliable internet connection to a quiet area without disruptions

● Check your microphone works and bring headphones to prevent noise feedback

● Engage with the resources sent to you ahead of the workshop

● Participate in the workshop - it’s designed for discussion!

Part 2. Influencing political parties - Thursday 5 November 2020, 13:30-16:30

This is the second half-day workshop in a series to develop strategic communications in an election year.

What is it about?

Your organisation knows what it wants a new government to do for it and the sector it works within. You’re armed with a clear and succinct organisational manifesto. Now, it’s time to flaunt it. This workshop explores how to influence and have conversations with political parties with the aim of getting your manifesto to become part of theirs.

Who is it for?

This is aimed at communications professionals who want to influence what happens to their organisation, or those they work with, after the 2021 election. If you’re still learning how the Senedd works and who and how to get politicians’ attention, this workshop will help you navigate. The skills and knowledge can be applied in future elections. In 2022, Wales elects new local governments.

What will I learn?

● Understanding of the political parties in Wales and a who’s who

● How to get and have a conversation with the people making the party manifesto

● How to make sure your organisational manifesto doesn’t get binned

● Creative ways to make your manifesto asks cut through the noise

What do I need to do and bring?

● A draft of your organisational manifesto

● Identify what the political parties positions are on the issues in your manifesto asks

● Bring a laptop with reliable internet connection to a quiet area without disruptions

● Check your microphone works and bring headphones to prevent noise feedback

● Engage with the resources sent to you ahead of the workshop

● Participate in the workshop - it’s designed for discussion!

Part 3. Raising the profile of your customers/beneficiaries/members and your influence - Thursday 26 November 2020, 13:30-16:30

This is the third half-day workshop in a series to develop strategic communications in an election year.

What is it about?

Your organisational manifesto is on the desk of every political party. It’s packed with persuasion and evidence. But why does it matter more than the hundreds of other worthy asks? The people you serve are the people they serve. Help raise their profile and amplify their voice. Mobilise and organise your customers and beneficiaries.

Who is it for?

This is aimed at communications professionals who want to influence what happens to their organisation, or those they work with, after the 2021 election. The skills and knowledge can be applied in future elections. In 2022, Wales elects new local governments.

What will I learn?

● The difference between mobilising and organising

● Planning a strategy to mobilise and/or organise during a pandemic

● Understanding tools and tactics

● Crafting responses to the perennial question: “But what do your customers think?”

● Creative ways to help your customers or beneficiaries cut through the noise

What do I need to do and bring?

● A draft of your organisational manifesto

● Identify what the political parties positions are on the issues in your manifesto asks

● A clear understanding of who your organisation’s customer or beneficiary is

● Bring a laptop with reliable internet connection to a quiet area without disruptions

● Check your microphone works and bring headphones to prevent noise feedback

● Engage with the resources sent to you ahead of the workshop

● Participate in the workshop - it’s designed for discussion!

Part 4. Voter registration - Thursday 14 January 2021, 13:30-16:30

This is the fourth half-day workshop in a series to develop strategic communications in an election year.

What is it about?

Your organisation has clear asks that every political party knows about. Your beneficiaries or customers are loud and proud to be standing up for them. But will they really vote? The traditional rules of who is most likely to register and vote are not quite the same in a pandemic. And the law has changed, opening up the franchise 16 and 17 year olds. Learn how to drive voter registration.

Who is it for?

What will I learn?

● The nuts and bolts of how voter registration works

● The roles of the local authorities and the Electoral Commission

● Answering the question: “Why should I register to vote?”

● Planning a strategy to drive voter registration

● How to measure your campaign

● Creative ways to convince your customers or beneficiaries to register to vote

What do I need to do and bring?

● A clear understanding of who your organisation’s customer or beneficiary is

● Identify which local authorities your beneficiaries or customers will vote within

● Bring a laptop with reliable internet connection to a quiet area without disruptions

● Check your microphone works and bring headphones to prevent noise feedback

● Engage with the resources sent to you ahead of the workshop

● Participate in the workshop - it’s designed for discussion!

Part 5. Get Out The Vote! - Thursday 28 January 2021, 13:30-16:30

This is the fifth half-day workshop in a series to develop strategic communications in an election year.

What is it about?

Your organisation needs your beneficiaries or customers to turn out and cast their ballots. If they stay home, the results may haunt at the next election. This workshop looks at proven tactics to drive up voter turnout and takes lessons from some of the most recent elections in the UK and abroad.

Who is it for?

What will I learn?

● The nuts and bolts of how polling day works

● The roles of the local authorities and the Electoral Commission

● Using the “Make a Plan” campaign

● Planning a strategy to mobilise your customers or beneficiaries to the polls

● How to respond if your voters become disenfranchised

● How to measure your campaign

● Creative ways to drive voter turnout

What do I need to do and bring?

● A clear understanding of who your organisation’s customer or beneficiary is

● Identify which local authorities your beneficiaries or customers will vote within

● Bring a laptop with reliable internet connection to a quiet area without disruptions

● Check your microphone works and bring headphones to prevent noise feedback

● Engage with the resources sent to you ahead of the workshop

● Participate in the workshop - it’s designed for discussion

* Please note - we have a 1 week cancellation policy on this event, this means if you need to cancel you will need to notify us 1 week before the date of the first workshop only.

ELECTION: Strategic communications for an election year (5 part workshop)