HOPS considers that an effective Communications Strategy is essential to keep the wider membership informed of HOPS workloads and to ensure that within its wider stakeholder community that its strategic objectives are widely known about and are implemented in full.
This is particularly critical at this moment in time with the new Planning Act. HOPS is determined to ensure that the 3 main strategic objectives of the Business Plan – repositioning planning, properly resourcing planning, streamlining planning are all properly addressed in the Planning Act and the wider Planning Review.
The ultimate goal of this Communication Strategy is to demonstrate to all audiences via a number of platforms that HOPS strategy objectives are critical to the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Planning reforms and that planning is key to the delivery of strategic outcomes around making Scotland a successful, sustainable and well connected place to contribute to the quality of life for its people
This Communication Strategy will have been a success if HOPS strategic vision for the planning reforms are fully embedded in the implementation of the Planning Act and if we are able to demonstrate/measure that HOPS profile has been raised within our wider Stakeholder Community to show that Planning supports sustainable economic growth, protects natural and built environment assets and delivers quality places that are well connected. Broadly speaking the objective of this strategy is the appropriate increase in positive out-takes (what stakeholders learn as a result of the campaign) and positive outcomes (changes to behaviour or perception – what stakeholders actually do as a result of the campaign)
In order to achieve the objectives set out above we need to consider who the audiences are for this Communication Strategy, how we communicate with them currently, how we could communicate with them in the future and what we know about them.
In terms of HOPS Strategic Objectives and outcomes our top line messages are:
- Planning needs to be repositioned as a strategic enabler.
- A high-level priority is the urgent need for proper and proportionate investment in the planning system to properly resource a high performing system capable of delivering national and local outcomes.
- A more streamlined planning system is required which is more efficient and effective.
- Planning is key to delivering sustainable economic growth.
- Planning delivers quality places that are well connected.
- Planning protects natural and physical assets.
There are already a number of methods in place for engaging with a wide range of audiences. Generally, it is considered that much of the foundation for a better, more integrated communications approach is already there; it is a case of building on what is already in place in terms of focusing on the key high-level messages and increasing the volume of HOPS output.
Below is HOPS communication strategy:
| Audience | Method of communication | Lead | Comments |
| HOPS members | – Knowledge Hub – Formal notes of meetings – Briefing notes – HOPS website – HOPS twitter – HOPS research – Papers/surveys – Publications (Annual Business Plan) | – HOPS Secretariat – HOPS Members – HOPS Executive | – Routine – Monthly blogs – Regular tweets – Living Business Plan |
| Scottish Government Planning Division and MSP’s/MP’s | – Email – Briefing notes – Presentation- parliamentary inquiry – Face to face meetings – Response to consultations – Publications- Annual Business Plan | – HOPS Chair – HOPS Executive | – Routine as and when required – Living Business Plan |
| Planning Staff | – Scottish Planner – HOPS website – HOPS twitter | – HOPS Executive – HOPS Members – HOPS Secretariat | – Quarterly submissions/articles – Monthly blogs – Regular tweets |
| Media Outlets | – Press release – Responses to direct enquires – TV/radio- presentation/ Q&A sessions | – HOPS Executive | – Monthly press release to nationals |
| Professionals organisations: – RTPI – SOLACE – COSLA – SCOTS – SLAED – LABBS etc. | – Email – Briefing notes – Face to face meetings – Responses to consultations – presentations – Bi-annual meeting with other local government groups | – HOPS Executive – HOPS Members | – Routine |
| Other stakeholders | – HOPS website – HOPS twitter account | – HOPS Secretatiat – HOPS Executive | – Monthly blogs – Business Plan |
Updated 21/01/2020
