Part 1: Develop a Plan

There are a few key times to raise awareness of an open data, performance, or analytics program:

• At inception: When the program is formally started, but before the implementation is complete (e.g.,when an open data executive order is signed or a performance framework is adopted). This type of announcement raises the visibility of the program internally, as well as to the public, and demonstrates public commitment from senior leaders.
• At launch: When the implementation/planning is complete and the program is ready for ongoing engagement. For example, announcing the availability of open data to the public or the start of a new data analytics project.
• At a major milestone or enhancement: When the program has successfully reached an important step in its growth or has brought about change that is worthy of celebration. This could be when a performance management program has realized cost savings or a comprehensive data inventory is released to an open data portal.
• At an anniversary: It is easy to forget a program which has been in place for several years and is running smoothly. Use anniversaries to celebrate the successes of the previous year and make new commitments for the future.

These are all good opportunities to promote your efforts and to broaden the scope of public engagement. (For purposes of this guide, we will generically refer to all of these opportunities as a “launch”).

To begin, consider the following:

Who is the audience you want to reach?

Make a list of all the potential groups and individuals with whom you would like to promote your launch. Be sure to include the “usual suspects” (government and nonprofit leaders, civic tech organizations, etc.). Beyond them, think of other stakeholders and community members, such as university professors, local business owners, parent-teacher associations, etc. who may be interested in learning about and/or engaging with this initiative. If you have leaders for community engagement within your organization, ask them for input and if you can tap into their existing networks.

The GovEx Community Capacity Toolkit (an appendix in the GovEx Community Engagement Toolkit) is a useful resource to identify the key people and organizations to whom you may wish to direct your outreach.

What do you want them to know or do?

The next step is to decide on the message that you want to convey. One useful paradigm for developing a message is Simon Sinek’s principle of "Start With Why." Sinek maintains that “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do what you do.” In other words, community members are more likely to engage with your initiative if they understand why it is useful, important, and/or relevant to them than simply because it’s new.

To explain this concept, Sinek uses a model called the “Golden Circle.” Imagine three layers of circles. The innermost circle is labeled “why.” The middle circle is “how” and the outermost circle is “what.” Begin with the inner circle and work your way out. First, and most importantly, explain why you are doing something: Why are you launching your initiative? Next, address how you going to do it. Finally, describe what are you doing. It’s a good practice to include a public call to action in this statement. For example, since open data and performance programs often need ongoing community engagement (see GovEx’s Community Engagement Playbook), your call to action might be to invite participation. This becomes a key component of your message. Keep it simple and easy to communicate.

Sample Messaging Using Sinek’s Golden Circle Model

A good place to begin is by developing an “elevator pitch”; a short summary of your initiative that you can explain in less than three minutes. This should be non-technical and easily understood by members of the general public. If there is a specific call to action, it should be briefly mentioned.

Building on the elevator pitch, develop a set of talking points that address more specific aspects and frequently asked questions about your initiative such as:

• What types of data will be shared?
• What types of analysis will be done?
• How will the data or analytics be used by the city?
• How will the city ensure privacy concerns are addressed?
• How can interested individuals or organizations take action or learn more?

Your message will be most effective if it resonates with the community to which you wish to connect. One way to achieve this is by providing relevant examples for them. For example, if you are speaking with local business leaders, you may say something like: “If you are considering opening a construction company, our open data portal will enable you to view the number and types of permits that have been issued in the past year.”

What resources do you have available?

Funding, staff time, and location are key determinants of the type of launch activities you create. In addition, consider your timeline. How far in advance are you planning for your launch? Are there other events happening in the same time period that could call attention away from the launch? All of these factors will impact the number of activities and type of outreach that you develop. Your launch may be as simple as a press release and media briefing or as complex as a series of in-person events. You may choose to host the event at a press room or you might consider asking a community organization to be your host. Celebrating a launch outside the offices of city hall often demonstrates stronger ties to the community.

How does the launch support the program’s engagement objectives?

Calls to action should align to the open data, performance, or analytics program’s long-term goals. Ensure that the program leader is regularly talking to those responsible for spreading the word.

How will you measure success?

Decide on at least one goal or metric for each of the promotional activities or outreaches that you enact. This will enable you to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts and will provide valuable input for future outreach. (see GovEx’s Outreach Effectiveness Toolkit for more information.) Several key metrics you may choose to track are:

• Event registration/attendance: How many people plan to attend or participate? How do they align with your target audience? How did they learn about the event? How many people actually attended?
• Engagement: Are event attendees or participants actively engaging? Are they asking questions? For an existing program, was there an increase in the number of visitors to the portal or attendees at stat meetings?
• Impressions and interactions: If a mass email or social media is part of your outreach, knowing how many readers viewed the message and how many readers clicked on included links can help measure reach. Many platforms provide these metrics, but if you don’t use one or yours doesn’t show metrics, free tools (such as go.usa.gov or bitly.com) can substitute. More sophisticated solutions will allow you to identify which channels and messages were the most effective (see GovEx’s Web Analytics Toolkits for more examples).