Reputation Resource – The Official Launch

Emily Robinson, LGAIan Ratcliffe, Stockport

Fiona Narburgh, Wychavon New Reputation Project Team

Reputation – This Conference

• Three sessions covering this;1. Tuesday night’s AGM – Background, overview

and feedback from you2. Yesterday – Workshop session on Reputation

Index results 3. Today – Official launch – result findings,

recommendations and Reputation Resource• PLUS themes picked up in sessions each day.

Reputation – This Conference

Today we will cover:

• Looking back – The 2005 Campaign (Emily)

• Looking forward - The 2010 Resource (Ian)

• The 3 big issues, the 5 rules and what’s in it for you (Fiona)

Communication actions1. Effective media management2. Produce an A-Z guide of services3. Publish a regular magazine or newsletter4. Brand services well – get the credit5. Provide good internal communications

Cleaner, Greener, Safer actions1. Ensure a visible and branded cleaning presence2. Ensure no gaps in cleaning contracts3. Use one telephone number for all street problems4. Know where the grot spots are and why5. Set a 24 hour target for action on fly tipping and abandoned cars

• Get Green flag awards for parks• Educate about the environment and enforce its protection

2005 LGA Reputation Campaign

45%

55%53%

56%

55%

46%

52%

42%

50%

52%

49%

54%55%

56%57%

51% 51%

46%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

2003 2008Year surveyed

Sa

tis

fac

tio

n

Average District Mets & Unitaries LB Inner London Outer London

How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council runs things?

Since 2005 - Satisfaction with councils down

Base: Place Survey 2008/09 (352 local authorities), BVPI 2006 and 2003 (387 local authorities) BVPI 2003 Inner London mean excludes Islington, Newham and Tower Hamlets, BVPI 2003 Outer London mean excludes Croydon Source: Ipsos MORI

2006

LGComms Actions since 2005

• LGComms & LGA recognised world moving on• Focus on strategy• The Chief Executives’ Challenge• Core Competencies for Senior Communicators • Was it owned by the sector beyond

communications? • Do Councils have up-to-date set of tools for

managing reputation?

2010 New Reputation Project Methodology

• Got your views - Survey of Heads of Comms

• Feedback/ input at many events

• Met Chief Executives/ experts

• Visited case studies• Statistics and Research• Reputation Index (from

place data)

Findings - Implementation of Original Campaign

• Survey among Heads of Communications LGA Reputation Campaign was ground-

breaking Welcomed by sector For first time gave basic standards Two-thirds of Heads of Communications said

they used it× BUT self-reported× Fully implemented?× AND only takes you so far

Reputation Index

• Analysis of existing data• Place Survey 2008-9• Earlier BVPI surveys• Identifies drivers & barriers to

improving reputation• Data for councils to compare

themselves with peers• Basis for developing LGComms

resources to help councils boost satisfaction levels

Desk Research & Reputation Index

• VFM most powerful driver of satisfaction

• Street cleaning - most important service

• Being ‘on their side’• 2-way communication• Still strong correlation

between Informed Rating & overall satisfaction

• Community cohesion & perceptions of anti-social behaviour

Overall Findings - 1• Councils that undertook core

actions to high standard saw positive results e.g newsletters

• Campaign helped improve perception of communications within councils

• Heads of communications tended to ‘own’ the communications core actions

• BUT what about rest of the organisation?

Findings - 2

• Self-assessment – bluffing ourselves?

• Quality dimension ignored?• Strategic direction?• Senior buy-in?• Best authorities moved

beyond actions to LEAD (leadership, evaluation, action, drive council agenda)

Lessons Learned - The best are getting better…• Strategy not tactics• Branding not logos• Campaigns not leaflets• Strategic e-media not new media obsession • Staff engagement not just internal comms• Services and customer service delivery matters• Leadership not just management• Evaluation tracking performance

Conclusions

• Original project set standards for first time

• Failures – mainly of scope and implementation

• Degree standard, not Key Stage 1

The 3 Big Issues

1. Leadership • Clarity of purpose• Commitment2 Brand • What you stand for• Values• Trust3. Communications • Competence• Strategy• Evaluation

The 5 Rules of Reputation

1. Prove you provide value for money2. Always make sure you are consistently

informing and engaging residents and staff - feedback

3. Build trust and confidence in what you do

4. Improve key services, showing you are doing so

5. Focus on changing lives for the better – happier, healthier

What LGA/LGComms will do now

• Send to your Chief Exec• LGA and LGComms web

www.lga.gov.uk/reputation • LGA Annual Conference• Run regional workshops• Run LGA sessions for Chief

Executives/roundtable• Profile in LG press• Competition

What’s in it for you?

• Clarity as to what to spend limited time and resources on

• The business case for reputation

• A Reputation Test to build top team awareness

• A reputation index to see how you perform in your context

• ‘

What’s in it for You?

• ‘How To’ guides on web, engagement, magazine and others

• LGA and LGComms web resources

• We need your case studies and stories

• LGA/LGComms - Peer reviews tailored to your needs

What to do on Monday

• Read and absorb• Start the debate – get it on

your management team, your comms team and your finance teams’ agendas

• Run an event for Cabinet• Do a review of your

performance on the Reputation test

• Tell, sell and act • Do it!

Conclusion

• Recognised changed world – social networking, place, partnerships

• Financial climate means focus on the right things • How we keep residents with us through the cuts

will be critical• New Resource will help you focus • We need your feedback on implementing it in

your council

Thank You

• To our consultants Ian Farrow & Russell Pask• To the Reputation Steering Group• To the LGA for all their support• To LGComms for their confidence• To you and everyone involved in the project in

shaping what is here today