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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 17, 2014 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 7-g <br /> SUBJECT: Next Steps - Strategic Communications Plan <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S) INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Michael Talbert, 245-2308 <br /> Contract with Scope of Services Attachment Cheryl Young, 245-2307 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve the establishment of a Communications Committee, comprised of staff <br /> designated by the Manager and two Board of Commissioner members appointed by the Board, <br /> for the development of a proposed Strategic Communications Plan for Orange County; and <br /> authorize the Manager to execute a contract with Rod Visser to work with the Committee. <br /> BACKGROUND: On January 31, 2014 the Board held a Retreat and discussed the need for an <br /> Orange County Strategic Communications Plan. The Board requested that the Manager <br /> provide a recommended strategy for a Communications Plan. <br /> On February 27, 2014 a Manager-appointed Communications Plan Committee met to discuss <br /> how the County could move forward with a Strategic Communications Plan. The Committee <br /> attempted to address the following questions: <br /> 1. What is the role of the Board of County Commissioners in developing a Strategic <br /> Communications Plan? <br /> 2. What is the purpose of the plan? <br /> 3. Is there a need for a communications team approach and, if so, would the appointees <br /> to the team be staff, or staff and elected officials? <br /> 4. Will the Plan be a county-wide plan or a plan to address communications from the <br /> Board of County Commissioners? <br /> 5. Where and how does the Public Affairs office fit into the Plan? <br /> 6. How do individual County Departments fit into the plan and how would the plan <br /> govern the role of each individual department's communications and outreach <br /> programs? <br /> It was determined that all of the questions that were identified could not be sufficiently <br /> addressed by staff, without meaningful participation from the Board of County Commissioners. <br /> A Three Phase approach was recommended to move the process of developing a Strategic <br /> Communications Plan toward a successful conclusion. <br />