Good Practices for Project Outreach

 

By following an established plan, project managers routinely communicate with the team, stakeholders, contractors, consultants, technical contributors, projects sponsors and funding partners. In rail transit projects there is added consideration to the system users/pre-paid customers, system operating personnel, agency oversight, public officials, and communities that are served and impacted by the system.

Most rail transit agencies have a Community Affairs/Government Relations Department or assigned designee that is responsible for dealing with external entities. As part of the communications plan, project managers will be assisted by the in developing letters, press releases, newspaper ads, posters, brochures, and videos that will targeted to specific audiences and timed for issuance with critical milestones of the project. While these communications are normally tied to the project schedule, project managers will also need to respond to complaints or inquiries at any given time.

Public outreach plans and deliverables for project will likely follow the agencies standard format and contents, and include contact information for a designated representative – not necessarily the project manager. The content and purpose of each deliverable will be targeted to the audiences, such as Community, Public officials, Customers, and On –Site visitors. Each deliverable may have unique content. The core topics may consist of project description, overall schedule and milestones, benefits to the community and customers, impacts to customers and the community during work periods, and contact information for corporate spokespersons.

Good Practices for Outreach
• Create a strategic plan for creating and distributing deliverables that allows adequate time for development and issuance that is timed with project milestones
• Ensure project records are collected to support outreach content with photographs
• Collect quotations from project team members, stakeholders, contractors, consultants, technical contributors, projects sponsors, funding partners, Subject Matter Experts and oversight consultants
• Consider other topics such as innovation methods implemented by the project, such as a contracting process, goals/opportunities for minority or disadvantaged business, resiliency feature in the project design, and benefits to the local construction industry
• Coordinate content with other corporate plans and content for marketing and sales
• Assure project team members are trained in effective communications and situational techniques for speaking with the public.

TIP: While mega-projects are most likely to have an extensive outreach even small projects may need outreach.

TIP: Treat your project as a brand for the Client, consultant, contractor and individuals involved.

Good Practices for Deliverables
• Assure content is consistent with other project documents such as Project Charter, Project Management Plan and external project reports
• Ensure deliverables indicate a data date so the content is time scaled
• Cite statements from Subject Matter Experts and oversight consultants
• Have copies of deliverables at work locations for project team designee distribution to visitors.

TIP: Have a one-page sheet of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers available on-site so the project designee is prepared to discuss the project with visitors.

TIP: While mega-projects are most likely to have an extensive outreach even small projects may need a internal/external website to share information with internal customers and interested parties and with external public customers and interested parties, oversight and government officials, transportation advocates and politicians.

TIP: On a daily basis, ensure there is a project representative designated on-site to address visitor comments, questions or complaints.