Phase 3: Execute: plan & organize and brief partners

Plan & organize

Step 1: Make a rough timing of your whole project

Estimate the time you need for the Understanding, Designing and Executing phase before you start your strategic communication project. Form a project team with members of your organization. Divide tasks and responsibilities and set rough milestones for the main phases.

You will adapt this plan after the Understanding and Designing phase. That’s obvious, because at the start, you don’t know what you are going to do yet, if you use Frogleaps’s strategic communication model. Planning & organizing is an ongoing process. But you don’t want to start completely ‘card blanche’.

The project team should not be definite either when you start. After all, you don’t know which capacities you will need until you finish the Designing phase.

Step 2: Organize & plan the Understanding phase

List objectives, tasks and decide who does what when. Agree on responsibilities, coordination and communication in this phase.

Step 3: Organize & plan the Designing phase

Decide how you will engage your stakeholders and plan & organize the Designing phase after completing the Understanding phase.

Step 4: Plan & organize the Executing phase

Next, plan & organize the Executing phase based on the objectives. List activities and tasks. Plan & organize the Evaluation phase at the same time so you know which data and information you need to collect and measure during the Executing phase.

Step 5: Fine tune the plan for the Evaluating phase

After the Executing phase, it’s time to evaluate. Fine tune the plan and analyze the results.

Frog leap!

Now you have a Strategic communication plan to realize your first sub goal. It’s time to brief partners!

Brief partners

Step 1: Put your briefing on paper

• Background of the assignment: current situation, your Big Goal, the doable sub goal for the project, target audiences, strategy, project’s objectives
• Objectives of the assignment of the partner or agency
• Tasks & desired results
• Timing
• Working rules and conditions: how are tasks of partners and agencies coordinated, how do partners and agencies report progress & results
• Budget
• How will the assignment be evaluated

Step 2: Present and discuss your briefing in face-to-face meetings

Ask questions to check if everything is understood. Let your partners and agencies describe your briefing in their own words during these meetings. You will find out if you are on the same wavelength.

Step 3: Let your partners and agencies put their assignment on paper

Preferably, let them present it to you face-to-face as well. Check if they have really understood your mission and their assignment. Fine tune and adapt if necessary.

Frog leap!

Now you briefed your project team and got all efforts focused and aligned on your sub goal. It’s time to execute your plan and communicate!