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CMN 6010 Strategic Communication Management

Assignments for Creating a Strategic Communication Plan: Overview

The goal of this course is to help you understand how to build a strategic communications plan to support an organization in achieving an important outcome.

During this six-week class you will build such a plan, developing it in stages through separate assignments. In the sections below, you will find the following information:

· Topics for a strategic communications plan (page 1)

· Assignment 1: Research phase of the plan (page 2)

· Assignment 2: Action phase of the plan (pages 3-4)

· Assignment 3: Completion of plan, with addition of Implementation and Evaluation (pages 5-7)

Topics for Strategic Communication Plan

Please choose one of the following topics for the strategic communication plan you will develop. You also have the option to present your own topic. Please first review your proposal with the instructors.

Appalachian Mountain Club Trash

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/08/22/appalachian-trail-crowds-roller-coaster-hikers/

The pandemic had the silver lining of prompting more people to pick up hiking as a form of exercise. One of the downsides of this greater participation, though, is that many trails have become overcrowded and seen a rise in the amount of trash left behind. The Appalachian Trail is one of the sites that has seen this negative effect. Your job is to create a plan for the Appalachian Mountain Club that welcomes people to its trails yet also convinces them to exhibit care in preserving the pristine nature of the sites.

Value of Graduate Degree

https://www.wsj.com/articles/graduate-school-mba-masters-phd-tuition-academia-11628632688

https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/value-of-masters-degree/

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal questions whether a master’s degree is worth the cost. Imagine you have been hired by Northeastern University to create a strategic communications plan to assert that a graduate education is a valuable investment.

Employing Structural Engineers to Prevent Building Collapse

https://www.businessinsider.com/surfside-florida-building-collapse-causes-structural-engineers-2021-7

The collapse of the high-rise condo in Surfside, Florida shook the belief most people hold that the buildings where we live, work, and visit are safe places. The engineering consulting firm Thornton Tomasetti wants to develop a communications outreach program to educate building developers and owners of ways they can maximize building safety and minimize the risk of support structures giving out. An underlying motivation is that Thornton Tomasetti has the expertise to serve as a consultant to these developers and owners.

Assignment 1: Research Phase

You will develop the Research section of the communications plan. Your submitted assignment will have two parts. One will be your content for the plan, following the guidelines in the matrix below.

The other will be a two-page document that describes how you developed the Background, Situation Analysis, and Core Problem or Opportunity. What sources did you examine? What ideas from the textbook did you use? What options did you consider in building out the sections? What else can you share about your thought process?

Due: End of second week of class

Phase	Step	Description	Length
Research	Background	Describe the organization and its mission. Describe its industry and its major partners or competitors. Describe how well known the organization is and its reputation. Provide other background information relevant to developing a communications campaign.	1 page
	Situation Analysis	Describe what is going on currently with the organization in terms of a significant problem or opportunity. Also describe the challenges or obstacles to addressing the problem or opportunity.	2 para-graphs
	Core Problem or Opportunity	Describe exactly what the organization is trying to accomplish and the consequences of not achieving the desired results.	1 sentence

Evaluation Rubric

Elements	Description	Maximum Points Possible
Quality of Content	Student’s submission demonstrates strong work in examining the organization and the core underlying topic. The entries in each Research category provide a solid foundation for developing the next sections of the plan.	_____/6
Application of Course Ideas	Student’s submission demonstrates good understanding and application of Research concepts from course materials.	_____/4
Communication Effectiveness	Student’s submission is clear, well organized, and error free. The student properly cites and references sources used in completing the assignment.	_____/2
Total		_____/12

Assignment 2: Action Phase

You will develop the Action section of the communications plan. Your submitted assignment will have two parts. One will be your content for the plan, following the guidelines in the matrix below.

The other will be a three-page document that describes how you developed the seven sections under Action Planning. What sources did you examine? What ideas from the textbook did you use? What options did you consider in building out the sections? What else can you share about your thought process?

Due: End of fourth week of class

Notes:

· Please include the Research section you previously developed. This will provide the instructors with context as they evaluate your Action Planning section.

· This is a significant assignment to accomplish in two weeks. Try to complete Goal and Objectives, Big Idea, and Key Publics in the first week and Messages, Tactics, Calendar, and Budget in the second week.

· If you are a visual person, feel free to include images and creative sketches that help present your ideas more fully.

Action Planning	Goal and Objectives	Describe the overall goal for the communications campaign. Describe the specific results that will demonstrate the goal has been achieved (objectives).	Goal: 1 sentence; Objectives: 3-5 bullets
	Big Idea	Describe your proposed creative approach to the campaign	1 sentence
	Key Publics	Describe the key groups the campaign must reach to succeed. Provide background information on each group: size, relationship with organization, main interests, and what the client would like to accomplish with each group.	1 paragraph per key public
	Messages	Describe the primary messages that will appeal to each key public.	1-2 sentences per message
	Tactics	Describe how you will implement the creative approach to reach each audience. Address: -Methods (example: events or press articles), -Channels (example: social media or email), and -Frequency (example: one time or repeated).	1-2 paragraphs
	Calendar	Present high-level view of when the different tactics begin and end	Use Gantt Chart Template
	Budget	Present high-level view of estimated cost to develop campaign – labor, advertising, out-of-pocket (e.g., food for an event), and other	Use Budget Template

Evaluation Rubric

Elements	Description	Maximum Points Possible
Quality of Content	Student’s submission demonstrates strong work in addressing each of the seven sections of the Action Planning stage. Student presents descriptions that enable the client to visualize the ideas for the campaign.	_____/12
Application of Course Ideas	Student’s submission demonstrates good understanding and application of Action Planning concepts from course materials.	_____/8
Communication Effectiveness	Student’s submission is clear, well organized, and error free. The student properly cites and references sources used in completing the assignment.	_____/5
Total		_____/25

Assignment 3: Full Plan (Includes Implementation and Evaluation)

You will submit your completed strategic communications plan. This will include adding the Implementation and Evaluation sections and updating your Research and Action sections based on earlier instructor feedback. Your submitted assignment will have three parts:

1. Your full plan, following the guidelines in the matrix below.

2. A three-page document in which you evaluate your plan.

a. What do you think are the strongest parts? Why? What parts are you less confident in? Why? Please connect your evaluation to concepts from the course materials.

b. Also, please describe 2-3 key ideas you will take from the course in terms of the connection between a communications plan and the actual communications to achieve a desired outcome for the organization.

3. A 5-minute presentation of your plan in class, following the guidelines below.

Due: Week 6 Final Class

Phase	Step	Description	Length
Research	Background	Describe the organization and its mission. Describe its industry and its major partners or competitors. Describe how well known the organization is and its reputation. Provide other background information relevant to developing a communications campaign.	1 page
	Situation Analysis	Describe what is going on currently with the organization in terms of a significant problem or opportunity. Also describe the challenges or obstacles to addressing the problem or opportunity.	2 para-graphs
	Core Problem or Opportunity	Describe exactly what the organization is trying to accomplish and the consequences of not achieving the desired results.	1 sentence
Action Planning	Goal and Objectives	Describe the overall goal for the communications campaign. Describe the specific results that will demonstrate the goal has been achieved (objectives).	Goal: 1 sentence; Objectives: 3-5 bullets
	Big Idea	Describe your proposed creative approach to the campaign	1 sentence
	Key Publics	Describe the key groups the campaign must reach to succeed. Provide background information on each group: size, relationship with organization, main interests, and what the client would like to accomplish with each group.	1 paragraph per key public
	Messages	Describe the primary messages that will appeal to each key public.	1-2 sentences per message
	Tactics	Describe how you will implement the creative approach to reach each audience. Address: -Methods (example: events or press articles), -Channels (example: social media or email), and -Frequency (example: one time or repeated).	1-2 paragraphs
	Calendar	Present high-level view of when the different tactics begin and end	Use Gantt Chart Template
	Budget	Present high-level view of estimated cost to develop campaign – labor, advertising, out-of-pocket (e.g., food for an event), and other	Use Budget Template
Communication	Implementation	Describe who will be responsible for implementing individual tactics and for overall project management. Note: It is ok to use job titles rather than specific names.	1 paragraph
Evaluation	Criteria/Tools	Describe 3 main metrics to measure the success of the campaign. Also describe how you will gather the data.	3 bullets with metric and method to gather data

Presentation Guidelines:

· 5 minutes long; limit to 5-7 slides

· To cover:

Topic	Description	Length
Introduction	Who is the organization? What are you trying to help them accomplish?	:30
Research	What are the 2-3 main items you learned about the organization and its situation that shaped your thinking?	1:00
Action	What are you recommending? Who is the target audience? How will you reach them? What will be the message?	3:00
Implementation and Evaluation	What resources are required? How will you know if the communications have been successful?	1:00
Closing	What is the next step? Does the plan need further work?	:30

Evaluation Rubric

Elements	Description	Maximum Points Possible
Quality of Content	Student submits a well-prepared communications plan that aligns with the organization’s desired outcomes. It is comprehensive and reflects strong work in analyzing the situation and developing effective communications ideas.	_____/18
Application of Course Ideas	Student’s submission demonstrates good understanding and application of strategic communications management concepts from course materials.	_____/10
Communication Effectiveness	Student’s submission is clear, well organized, and error free. The student properly cites and references sources used in completing the assignment.	_____/7
Presentation	Student delivers a clear and concise presentation summarizing his or her strategic communications plan. Student adheres to presentation guidelines.	_____/5
Total		_____/40