1. They can’t participate if they don’t know you exist… Moving beyond a traditional public participation plan
Amy Luft
Communication Coordinator Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho
Do you have an identity crisis?

2. Think of your region…
If you were to stop people randomly on the street and ask them what city they lived in, would most of them know? If YES, raise your hand.
Same for county
Now, if you were to ask those same people who their MPO was, would most of THEM know?

3. How are we implementing?
Preview
What was our problem?
What is our solution?
How are we implementing?
What have we learned?
What can you do?

4. Where is COMPASS?
Talking Points:

5. The problem…
48%
“Someone” conducts regional transportation planning
Think they know who it is
14%
Named COMPASS

6. The problem… Do the math… …Only 3.3% could name COMPASS
Do the math…only 3.3% could name us
If asked, 26% recognized the name
We came in #3 – ACHD first and ITD second

7. The problem… 26% recognized our name
10% knew they had a representative on our Board
37% were aware they could be involved in transportation planning in general
18% had heard of us on the TV news…
76% want to
26% is of the 97% who didn’t name us
10% is of all

8. The problem
Identity crisis

9. Ask yourself…
Would you click on a link of an organization you’ve never heard of?

10. Ask yourself…
Would you take your precious time to provide comments if you don’t know where they are going?

11. The solution…
Typical Public Involvement Plan = How will we go about soliciting input into our LRTP, TIP, etc.

12. Rethinking our public involvement plan
2014: Cert Review
2015: PIP becomes ICP
2015: Baseline survey
2015 and on: Use survey data
Redoing pip
Took a hard look at this
Decided to make pip more than a pip to help with problem
Honest – redid the PIP before the survey. We knew we had a problem, but couldn't quantify
Still have a pip but now more…
Use circle graphic

13. Integrated Communication Plan
Public Involvement
Presentations
Advertising
Educational Events
Routine Communication
Social Media
Website

14. COMPASS Integrated Communication Plan
COMPASS Public Involvement Plan
Project-Specific Public Participation Guides

15. Marketing – Who we are and what our role is
We ARE our members – their cities, counties, etc.
THEY are represented on our Board
NOT a nameless, faceless entity who answers to no one

16. Educating – What we do and how they can be involved
We are the regional experts –
Demographics
Data
Planning
They can be involved – not just more involvement but better involvment

17. How… Consistency Staff training Social media News media Change in COMM
Consistent format and messaging (more on next slide)
Staff training
Increase social media – showcase what we do.
e.g, photo contest got people involved that normally wouldn’t
Relations with news media – become the “go to” agency
- that’s where people want to learn and it helps us gain credibility

18. What…
Our role
Board representation
Expertise
WIIFT
Changes in Message

19. How is this different?
May sound like just good comm, but the difference is that everything we do we do with that in mind

20. Successes and challenges
Quality and consistency
Social media
News media
Strategic “yes”
Measuring success
Quality has improved
Consistency generally good – still some work
new roles, new look – some pushback on creativity
Social – big strides, tho more due to CT than plan
Photo contest nearly 300 votes; guy who came to open house cuz of FB live
News media – some strides. More with some than others. Help from other agencies – e.g., ITD
Print – we are source; TV doesn’t want to sit down unless directly leads to a news story
Doesn’t mean we do everything to get “out there.” We are strategic and ask…how does this help? What is the bang for the buck?
Know where our issues lie

21. Evaluation Evaluation Outputs Outcomes Feedback
How do we measure success?
Outputs = number of things (e.g., how many news releases, social posts, etc.)
Outcomes = participation (e.g., number of attendees, number of comments, number of news articles)
Feedback = general feedback during pub comm periods or not…get comments from people RE how we are doing
Survey = we know baseline. Maybe again?
Evaluation

22. Next steps Updating plan this year Use results from survey
Set media-specific goals
Ask “How does “X” help reach our comm goal AND program goal” for EVERY project
Media specific will replace survey results. New baseline.

23. What can I do? Learn what you can Apply what you learn Set a goal
Focus on your goal
Don’t need a big formal survey – ask people at events, use TV, radio, etc. stats, etc. – use data.
Use what you learn – should we do more social? Do people want more TV? More something else?
Consistency – all recognizable, same general message, improve quality with training

24. Communication Coordinator
Amy Luft
Communication Coordinator
Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS)
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