150331_lspr-sim06-s27-draft

Master of Arts in Communication : Corporate Communication Studies

elearning.lspr.edu

Course : Strategic Issues Management (1503SIM06)

Session Topic : Issue Planning and Strategy

Course: Strategic Issues Management

By Rudi Sukandar, Ph.D

LSPR eLearning Program

Powered by HarukaEdu.com - 1503SIM06- Hal 3

• Part 1 Issue Planning & Strategy

• Part 2 Biggest Barriers • Part 3 Key Elements

Content

Part1: Issue Planning & Strategy


Issue: Planning & Strategy

Developing issue planning and strategy

At the...,

1. Organisational level

• Social contract framework

• Planning and decisions

• Barriers to effective issue management

• Issue realities

2. Individual issue level

• Evolution of a public issue

• Key IM decisions

• Key elements of an IM plan

The content of this lecture complements the information

in:

Harrison, K. (2011) Strategic Public Relations, chapter

21. South Yarra: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kim Harrison

President of PRIA

Western Australia


Organisational Level: Social Contract Framework

Explicit basis

Implicit basis

Influence

Influence

Meznar & Nigh (1993)

Government

Business Society


Issue: Skilled Balance

Issue management requires the skilled balance of

4 functions

1. Strategic business planning

...with a close eye on public policy (government)

trends

2. Scanning, monitoring and analysing issues

...to understand the operating environment

3. Communicating

...to create a good offense and a tough defence

4. Being sensitive to changing standards of corporate

responsibility

• ...and adapting to those standards

• Heath & Palenchar (2009 : 92)

Robert L. Heath

• Emeritus Professor of

Communication, Houston

Univ.

• Published many award-

winning books

Michael J. Palenchar, Ph.D.

Mass Communication, Univ.

of Florida (2005)


Planning Actions: Best Practice

1. Support corporate and unit missions and goals.

2. Integrate issue management into,

• business planning and

• management.

3. Select and structure issues personnel matrix.

4. Budget for issue management.

5. Apply learning from monitoring to refine code of corporate responsibility.

6. Incorporate public policy [govt relations] issues into corporate planning.

7. Formulate public policy stances and implement public policy plan.

8. Incorporate corporate responsibility principles into organisational and business

unit reviews.

9. Reassess organisational stance,

• on public policy and strategic issues and

• its fit with internal and external policy issue positions as well as stakeholder/stake

seeker interests

(Heath & Palenchar, 2009, p. 40)


Issue: Managers

Issue managers,

• must also look inward within...

• ...the organisation to understand:

1. Organisational and political

structures

2. The organisational culture

3. Strategies in place for analysing

public policy in relation to issues

(Heath & Palenchar, 2009, p. 97)


Issue: Realities at Organisational Level

No. How it sometimes is How it should be

1.

Focus mainly on,

• updating issue briefs,

• positioning statements,

• contact lists

Focus is on specific issue strategies

• to deliver planned,

• positive outcomes

2. Reactive mode – getting prepared

in case the news media phone

Proactive mode – willing and able

to act

3. Business units assign issue

responsibility to the PA dept

Business units take ownership with

PA

4. Focus is on getting the process right Focus is on making a difference

5.

Management regard issue

management as low priority

activity

Issue management is an integral

part of business planning

Source: Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd

Part2: Biggest Barriers


Biggest Barriers: Issue Management

Biggest barriers to effective IM 1. Lack of clear, • goals and • Objectives

2. Unwillingness or inability to

take action (Jaques, 2000)


Issue: Evolution of an Individual Public Issue

Source: Mahon (2005)


Issue: When Should the Firm Enter the Issue Life Cycle? Public

conce

rns

John F. Mahon

Chair of Int‟l Business Policy & Strategy,

Professor of Mgt, Univ.of Maine (2001–

Present)


Issue: Key Issue Management Decisions

Source: Jaques (2000)


Issue: Leading to a Decision


‘Strategy-decision is the pivotal

stage’

„pivotal‟ means

• key,

• essential,

• crucial

(Johnson, 1983, cited in Heath &

Palenchar, 2009, p. 95)


Issue: Killer Phrases Preventing A Decision


Let’s not make it

an issue

The less we say the

sooner it will go away

Let’s not draw

attention to

ourselves

Can’t someone else

stick their neck out?

It’s not our problem

Let’s get out

of the

spotlight

Part3: Key Elements


Key Elements: Issue Plan

1. Definition of issue

2. Key goal

3. Results objectives

4. Actions

These are important to all communication plans, but

especially to issue management


Key Elements: Issue Plan (cont.)

Defined issue

Key goal

Results objectives Results objectives Results objectives

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions


Key Elements: Example

Proposed mining

regulations threaten our

operations

Achieve modifications to

proposed waste

disposal regulations

Regulators better

understand impact

of mine closure

Env. impact of current

ops is independently

assessed and audited

Community leaders are

involved in reviewing

benefits, needs, options

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Actions

Defined issue

Key goal

Result

objectives


Key Elements: Definition

1. What really is the issue?

2. Is it really going to impact on us?

3. In what way, and what is the worst case scenario?

4. Do all our main participants agree what the objective is?

5. Can we make a difference?

6. Are we willing to put our name on this issue?

Defining the issue in a sentence is,

• essential to capture the essence of a problem,

• but this step is often overlooked.

The issue,

• must be defined in terms of the impact on the organisation.

• This focuses attention on the real problem at the core of the issue.

Sample defined issue for electricity producer: “False allegations about our

company polluting the atmosphere are endangering our business.”


Key Elements: Goal Setting

1. What is the key goal?

2. Does it clearly support the organisation‟s business goals?

3. Is it attainable /realistic?

4. Will achieving the goal achieve a satisfactory outcome of the

issue?

It is vital,

• to achieve one agreed key goal that can be...

• ...implemented through various action steps.

Sample key goal for the same issue:

“Activate resources to disprove these allegations.”


Key Elements: Result Objectives

1. What must happen to deliver the results we want?

2. What do we plan to make happen?

3. Will achieving these intended results achieve the issue goal?

Ensure results objectives deal,

• with intended results (“What we plan to make happen”),

• ...rather than desired results (“What we would like to see happen”).

Sample SMART result objectives for the same issue:

1. To fund scientific studies that report on the actual levels of atmospheric

pollution by 15 September.

2. To report the outcomes of consultation on the issue with nominated community

and health groups by 30 August.

3. To convince the regional government not to enact tighter regulations that

unnecessarily affect emissions from our power stations, as confirmed in writing

by the Environmental Protection Authority by 31 December.


Key Elements: Actions

1. What actions (process objectives) must be completed to achieve

each result objective?

2. Is the organisation willing and able to commit to the actions?

3. Who will execute each action, and when?

4. Will completing these actions deliver each intended outcome?

Each result objective should have an action plan comprising

process objectives that detail:

1. The intended action

2. Who will drive it

3. When – start and end date.


References

1. Heath, R., & Palenchar, M. (2009). Strategic Issues Management:

organizations and public policy challenges (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks,

California: SAGE Publications.

2. Jaques, T. (2000). Don’t Just Stand There: the Do-it Plan for Effective Issue

Management. Melbourne: Issue Outcomes.

3. Johnson, J. (1983). Issues management: what are the issues? An introduction

to issues management. Business Quarterly, 48(3), pp. 22-31.

4. Mahon, J. (2005). Issues management: moving into the 21st century.

Workshop presentation.

5. Meznar, M., & Nigh, D. (1993). Managing corporate legitimacy: public

affairs activities, strategies and effectiveness. Business and Society, 32(1),

pp. 30-40.

6. Regester, M., & Larkin, J. (2008). Risk Issues and Crisis Management in

Public Relations (4th ed.) London: Kogan Page.


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Course : Strategic Issues Management (1503SIM06)

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Documents

issue planning strategy

issue briefs

corporate planning

managers issue managers

specific issue strategies

strategic business planning

public policy plan

planning actions