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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - Legislative & Public Outreach Committee - 01/27/2012oEast Valley Water District LEGISLATIVE & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Date: January 27, 2012 Time: 1 :30 p.m. Place: 3694 E. Highland Ave, Suite 30 Highland, CA 92346 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 1. Public Comments 2. Review the District's Strategic Communications Plan 3. Committee comments ADJOURN Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a), any request for a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, that is sought in order to participate in the above-agendized public meeting should be directed to the District's Administrative Manager at (909) 885-4900 at least 72 hours prior to said meeting. East Valley Water District DRAFT Strategic Communications Plan Table of Contents Overview 1 Methodology 2 Process and Review Elements 2 Executive Summary 4 Survey Key Findings & Recommendations 5 Stakeholders 8 Communications Model 9 Communications Challenges 10 Communications Opportunities 1 1 Campaign Opportunities 12 Primary Communications Goals, Objectives 13 and Strategies Budget Analysis 17 Communications 20 Measuring Results 21 Implementation & Executive of the Plan 22 Appendices A-0 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results A-1 Impression and Comments by Survey g_1 Manager Interview Questions C-1 Board Interviews D-1 Staff Interviews E-1 Stakeholder Comments F_I Common Customer Questions G_1 What Every Customer Should Know About H-1 EVWD Budget Collateral Assessment J_1 o EVWD Bill K-1 Website Assessment L-1 Website Analytics M-1 Branding 101 N_1 Customer Bill of Rights 0_1 East Valley Water District Page DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I ii overview East Valley Water District's (EVWD) Board of Directors and staff recognize that, in order for the District to operate effectively and efficiently as a government agency, it must develop and maintain strong and open communications, internally as well as externally. After a unanimous alignment of the Board of Directors and EVWD management in late 2010 to analyze and succinctly define District communications objectives and strategies, the process of evaluating the District's overall messaging goals and tactics was set in motion. The initial analysis began with outsider review and perspective. This initial consideration of messaging components, issues and opportunities, in conjunction with conversations with Board and management, confirmed that a comprehensive assessment and analysis to build a Strategic Communications Plan would provide guidance and direction for the agency, its staff and Board of Directors. The Strategic Communications Plan is designed to identify key initiatives in the areas of internal and external messaging, community relations, customer relations, and media outreach, among others. Where appropriate, the Plan also details the specific implementation of strategies, tactics, budgets, timelines and performance evaluation metrics. The Strategic Communications Plan is intended to be a proactive, comprehensive, forward-thinking approach that complements EVWD's Strategic Vision, Strategic Operations Plan and Regional Urban Water Management Plan. Board and staff should be able to consult the working plan regularly, as it provides relevant direction for several years. East Valley Water District Page 1 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Methodology Building the fundamentals of the Strategic Communications Plan required thorough review of dozens of individual and organizational stakeholder relationships and communications protocols, materials, work plans, reports, etc. The research components detailed below each contributed to the development of the overarching communications strategy for EVWD. This process is intended to identify the District's opportunities as well as its challenges, and to define priorities, strategies and protocols to build on the District's current capacity. Process and Review Elements Customer Survey: EVWD's Strategic Communications Plan began with the District's first- ever baseline survey designed to identify customer preferences and tendencies. The survey focused on four complementary subgroups: 1) tour participants; 2) customers visiting the EVWD office; 3) customer satisfaction follow-up; 4) random, online respondents. Each survey took approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, depending on the type of survey and each customer's interest level. Surveys were conducted in both English and Spanish. At the end of the three-week survey period, 184 surveys from the four subgroups were completed. With approximately 70,000 customers in the EVWD service area, a 7.22% margin of error was determined. Separate questions specific to 1) tour participants; 2) customers with recent complaints; and 3) customers who visited the EVWD office were also asked and analyzed. Materials, Collateral and Methods Assessment: A thorough assessment of EVWD's past and current messaging tools reviewed items including printed collateral, premium giveaway and promotional items, on-hold message, website and other outreach methods. An analysis of these materials contributed to the identification of branding, image and messaging strengths and weaknesses. Original research and case studies were complemented by an understanding of communications trends and the dynamics involved in changing media-message-audience equations. East Valley Water District Page 2 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Strategic Plan Alignment: Aligning and complementing EVWD's Strategic Vision, Operations Plan and Regional Urban Water Management Plan is critical to the review process and to the ultimate success of the Strategic Communications Plan. EVWD Mission, 1954-2011 Our Mission at East Valley Water District is to provide our customers with a safe and reliable water supply that is delivered at a fair and cost-effective price." EVWD Strategic Vision TBD Regional Urban Water Management Plan Positioning Statement-TBD All District communication should support these principles through a strong brand that is both identifiable and understandable to all stakeholders. Stakeholder Target Analysis: A careful review of stakeholders was performed to determine, both quantitatively and qualitatively, if target audiences are being served effectively. Approximately 15 interviews were conducted both in-person and via phone with staff, all members of the Board of Directors, as well as regional and industry stakeholders. Interviews averaged about 50 minutes. Similar questions were asked of each participant, and responses were collated and compared to determine parallel and related answers as well as original ideas. Overall Messaging Assessment: Analysis of overall messaging offers a broader evaluation to determine whether messaging strategies are actually working in the real world. It is designed to highlight weaknesses in protocols and policies, and deliver opportunities for growth in the communications sector. Hands-on, in-person communications projects, meetings with staff and regular attendance at Board meetings contributed to this high-level assessment of District procedures. Best-Practices Comparison: Lessons learned in other markets and regions offered relevant information during the evaluation process. The communications consultants conducting the analysis and development of the Plan have more than 80 years of combined experience in media, marketing, branding, image-building and related fields. Their expertise translates to valuable guidance on strategic and tactical development. East Valley Water District Page 3 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Executive Summary In late 2010, East Valley Water District hired CV Strategies to develop a Strategic Communications Plan to serve as a blueprint for the District's community relations and public outreach efforts. The Plan is intended to be the key communications resource in the District's execution of its Vision, Goals and Strategic Plans. Working closely with the Community Affairs Committee, CV Strategies identified four primary goals of the Strategic Communications Plan: 1. To improve and coordinate all District communications, both internal and external; 2. To strengthen and support EVWD's efforts to fulfill its mission through practical and proactive communication strategies; 3. To increase public awareness of EVWD's services, quality and value and showcase stakeholder benefits; and 4. To increase overall communications effectiveness. The methodology for the Strategic Communications Plan involved focused conversation sessions in December, January and February among key stakeholder groups including District personnel and elected leaders, customers and other external respondents. The CV Strategies team also conducted more than 184 customer satisfaction and information surveys to aid the communications assessment. The feedback revealed a series of themes that support EVWD's Strategic Communications Plan: 1. Strategic Vision and Planning 2. Brand Identity 3. Communications Policies and Standards 4. Messaging Campaigns and Outreach 5. Long-Term Public Information Planning 6. Resource Allocation and Cost Impacts Further, the communications auditing process identified specific areas in which EVWD can build on its already strong reputation, increase citizen engagement and ultimately better serve its customers. Significant targets include website enhancement, spokesperson training, improved policies and protocols and a series of District strategic communications projects and campaigns designed to expand communication channels to customers and the community as a whole. EVWD's Strategic Communications Plan, and the impetus to develop it in the first place, demonstrates leadership and initiative, and positions the District for success in the effectiveness of its internal operations, messaging, community relations and general outreach. East Valley Water District Page 4 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Survey Key Findings 9 Recommendations Value: Water ranks second to Gas as the best value for utility service provided, according to the 2011 EVWD Customer Survey. This is a good position to be in, and a message EVWD should continue to capitalize on. However, customers do not know how much they pay for a gallon of EVWD tap water. In point of fact,they are so unaware of the cost and value of water when put in these terms, that most are unwilling even to hazard a guess. Although this finding is disappointing, it also unveils a tremendous opportunity. By finding creative ways to explain the true cost of water delivered by EVWD relative to bottled water and other utilities,the District will be able to demonstrate to its customers the extraordinary value of the service it provides. Quality: Of all customers surveyed, 69.5% believe the water EVWD delivers to their homes is safe. That number shows a positive response that customers trust that EVWD is providing quality water to their households,families and business patrons. Because 100% of the customers who took an EVWD tour believe the water is safe, it is clear that this type of first-hand education is beneficial in showcasing the process of EVWD treatment and testing. Ultimately, this one-on-one interaction results in a positive perception of quality and value. The recommendation is to find ways to reach more people through first-hand experiences like the facilities tours. Supply: Most customers surveyed fall in the "very concerned" to "somewhat concerned" categories when asked about water supply. These results indicate that messaging about water supply is not of immediate interest to customers. However, considering the District's interest in securing regional water supplies and customers' interests in conservation, now is a good time to begin to build campaigns focused around supply issues. Conservation: The most common response (29%) to the question, "in what ways could you save more water in your home," was, "I don't know." One of the reasons for this answer is that customers say they are already taking measures to conserve. This opens an opportunity for the District to reach out with more information and programs to help customers conserve water. The survey indicates that customers are interested in learning more about conservation and programs that can help them save money. East Valley Water District Page DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I 5 Cast: Of all the topics of interest in the survey, cost stood out as the one that customers are most concerned about. By expanding messages about how the District operates and what factors contribute to the cost of water delivery and disposal, this customer concern may be reduced. Informing customers that EVWD is interested in helping them save money by providing them with ways to save water, the District shows that it is aware of this concern and is addressing it proactively. This cooperative effort is likely to gain stakeholder support. Battled Water: Based on the survey results, it appears that most customers do not typically use what would be considered an excessive amount of bottled water. The main reason for using bottled water is convenience, rather than quality or taste, which speaks highly of EVWD's water supply and provision. Distributing messages about other ways to carry and obtain convenient, inexpensive EVWD water, such as providing customers with reusable containers, is the recommended course of action. Emopgoncy Ppepapedness: With 57% of survey respondents indicating they believe they have an adequate supply of water in preparation for a disaster, customers appear to be aware of the need to think ahead in case of an emergency. Meanwhile, 57% of customers also believe EVWD should be responsible for helping the community prepare for a disaster, which indicates the need for the dissemination of emergency information. Also, because EVWD would not be legally responsible for providing bottled water in the event of a disaster, the opportunity has emerged to coordinate emergency plans and messaging with the City of Highland, which is responsible for ensuring residents have clean water. Communication Outreach: With many customers indicating they do not receive information from EVWD or hear about EVWD from outside sources, it is clear that the District could do more to proactively reach out to stakeholders. Most customers recall receiving messages in their monthly bills from EVWD, as well as direct mail and specifically the District's Newsletter. Customers also say they usually hear about EVWD in the community through newspaper articles. Because of this recall, it is recommended that direct mail, including a Newsletter, messages in bills and outreach to the local newspapers are continued and expanded as primary communications methods. Communication Preferences: A plurality of customers surveyed, 34.8%, say they prefer to receive messages from EVWD in their monthly bills. Direct mail (23.7%) and email (11.1%) are their next preferences to receive District communication. Communications developed following these survey indicators would likely reach the most customers with District messaging. East Valley Water District Page 6 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Board Action: According to those surveyed, 58.8% of customers believe it is either "extremely important" (19.6%) or "very important" (39.2%) to be informed of Board action and fiscal management of EVWD. With 29% of customers saying it is "somewhat important;" and only 11.4% of respondents saying it is "not at all important," the survey indicates that customers do care to know about actions taken by EVWD's Board and management. Based on these results and today's climate of transparency, it is recommended that the Board continue to operate as openly and transparently as is possible and provide more opportunities for public engagement in local decision making. Survey period: February 3-February 21, 2011 Completed Surveys: 184 surveys Sub-groups:Tour Participants, Recent Customers Calls, In-person Lobby, Website Languages: English, Spanish Total District Customers: Approx. 70,000 Margin of Error: 7.22% East Valley Water District Page 7 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Stakeholders Customers/Ratepayers Residential Business Large users Homeowners Associations Schools (additional educational component) Staff and Contractors Unions Board of Directors Local Government City of Highland San Bernardino County State and Federal Government Civic/Community Groups Media Stakeholder Communication Objective: Build vertical messaging strategies to reach all impacted stakeholders and ratepayers, with the goals of garnering popular support and mitigating negative perceptions. East Valley Water District Page DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I 8 Communications Model A diagrammatic representation of interpersonal communication: NOisC Ftecc' c Send V 12 M codt 5 qn:l 0 C-0 Cf4 e S.9,1 e r4'c.s o r GnC I C11Ek nne 5•a^7` 1 FItC 111C DE q4 a codc _. rh Stncrer Re•cclvc r The Source: The person, group or organization sending out the message. The Medium: The means by which the message is sent. Methods include: Oral Printed Electronic (email/website) Visual (image/video) Sound Silent (body language, smell, touch, color, presentation) The Receiver: The person, group or organization that is receiving the message. Feedback: The source knows whether the communication they sent was successful when feedback is received —in the form of a response, action or changed behavior. Noise: A message experiences "noise" as it is delivered from sender to receiver. Noise can present itself in many communication barriers including: Language Technical content The degree of knowledge and expertise of the sender and the receiver The quality of the information sent Inappropriate medium Attention span/poor listening skills Emotional interference The more noise interferes, the less likely the message will be received with its original intention. Communicating with these fundamentals in mind will assist EVWD in securing intended results and stakeholder actions sought each time a message is sent, whether it is internal or external. Good communication is an essential component of efficient and effective operation. East Valley Water District Page 9 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Communications Challenges No direct staff position, person or department is designated to manage District communications. Internal communication is weak and staff is hungry for guidance on how to communicate effectively with the public, especially as it relates to Board action. Messages are not defined and answers to frequently asked questions are not consistently articulated to ensure that all staff and Board are educated and providing stakeholders with the same information. No clear direction or priorities are identified for EVWD's communication outreach. EVWD does not have a brand identity. Communication to stakeholders is inconsistent and sporadic. (Customers do not know when/how to expect District communication.) EVWD's communication has no strategy; efforts do not align with the District's Strategic Operations Plan (which is not clearly defined yet either). Most customers do not understand how water is delivered to the tap. Customers do not perceive an inherent value in water service; rather, they have an expectation for water service. Customers do not understand that imposed state and federal regulations affect how much EVWD must charge customers to break even as a public agency. Until the recent survey) customers have not been engaged to measure their interest and tolerance, which are important factors to assist in decision-making. Staff and management are not trained and do not inherently consider customer communications and media relations implications as they conduct general EVWD operations. Instead, reactive communications seem to fall into place as needs arise. East Valley Water District Page 10 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I Communications Opportunities Analyzing the results of the recent customer survey will give Board and staff guidance to determine customer interest, preferences and tolerance. Identifying key messages will assist in defining and aligning talking points for all staff and Board members. Acquiring buy-in from all levels of all departments as well as from Directors will create a synergy and spread EVWD's positive messages from the inside out. Defining protocols, District communications structure and spokespeople will assist all staff and Board members in managing communications inquiries, opportunities and challenges. Providing EVWD with a brand identity will show and tell all EVWD vertical stakeholders that the District offers "quality" and "value" and "reliability." EVWD can capitalize on the distinguishing attribute of providing water largely from a local supply. This characteristic is rare in Southern California. With the communications slate fairly clean and few expectations from customers about how EVWD communicates to them, any defined strategy will be a positive step forward. The District's interest and commitment to defining a strategic Communications Plan while also engaging in the creation of a Strategic Vision, Strategic Operations Plan and Regional Urban Water Management Plan will benefit all documents and ultimately enhance EVWD's service and outreach. Creating systems and templates will streamline communications efforts and aid EVWD. By utilizing existing tools including website, bill messages, etc. and by developing and implementing a thoughtful communications strategy, the District will yield cost benefits. Customers who take a District tour become additional positive influencers and communicators of EVWD's messages. All things considered, the District has fared well through a chain of recent crises" and subsequent communication outreach. These situations and strategies will provide lessons learned and enable EVWD to proactively prepare for possible future crises and their messaging components. East Valley Water District Page 11 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Campaign Opportunities Building a campaign around the value of EVWD water would educate customers about something they admitted they do not know, and foster support for the District. Conservation messages abound. Informing customers how they can save water(and money), assisting them with ways to save both, and educating them about sustainability, including factors surrounding the use of bottled water, are all ways to build support and a happy customer base. Collaborating with regional water agencies will stretch resources and create efficient, cost-effective campaigns. The emergency preparedness policies and procedures that EVWD has in place and is working to improve could be winning messages with customers who believe their water district should help the community prepare for a disaster. Partnering with the City of Highland, which is responsible for delivering water to residents in the event of an emergency, would be responsible, efficient and cost-effective. Water flow and pressure concerns should be addressed in proactive messaging campaigns. By explaining the unique infrastructure of EVWD and how the District is continually improving its service, customers will begin to understand and appreciate capital improvement projects.These campaigns could be highly targeted. A number one concern of customers is a suspected leak and/or misreading of meters. Before the anticipated automatic meter readers (AMRs) are installed, messaging could include: how people can read their own meter during high-use; how to read meters throughout the month to monitor usage; how to test for leaks around the house; how frequent meters are actually broken or misread,which is rarely. Educating customers about state and federal regulations will build understanding and support about changes and improvements at the District. Most EVWD customers prefer messages in their bills and by direct mail. Customers also believe their EVWD bills are easy to understand. Adding informative and reoccurring messages to customers' bills is inexpensive and should garner results in understanding and action. When several messages need to be distributed at once or a particular message is timely or of extreme importance, direct mail should be the first consideration. Customers turn to local newspapers for news. Continuing to build and maintain good relationships with reporters and editors of local newspapers will support EVWD in its outreach efforts. Engaging customers one-on-one has proven successful in customer support of the District,therefore, engaging in more ways to reach customers personally with EVWD messages is encouraged (e.g.: community events,water programs put-on by EVWD, education in the schools, etc.). East Valley Water District Page 12 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Primary Communications Goals, Objectives and Strategies I. Align District's Strategic Vision Statements and Plans Defining the District's Vision and integrating various working plans will align Board, management and staff to meet and exceed stakeholder's expectations. A. EVWD's Strategic Vision: TBD i. Align all messaging with the District's determined Vision. ii. Conduct internal informational team-building sessions to garner buy-in of Vision from all departments. iii. Determine best ways for individual departments to share the Vision with community stakeholders using strategic communications. B. Align Strategic Operations Plan, Regional Urban Water Management Plan and Strategic Communications Plan. i. Aligning these plans will ensure that all proactive efforts to achieve excellence in service are working in concert and that none are contradictory. ii. Working with regional agencies will allow EVWD to share resources to achieve goals efficiently and cost-effectively. iii. Conservation messages will be required by the Regional Urban Water Management Plan. Determining those messages and why they matter will bean important initial step before creating conservation campaigns. II. Create District Brand Clearly identifying what EVWD does for its stakeholders and then building a promise around the District's goals will guide Board and staff in a unified direction. A. Create message, positioning statement, tagline and graphic look based on the District's Strategic Vision. The initial assessment reveals that Value, Quality, Service and Local Supply are top priorities in messaging EVWD. i. Identify the District's key message. "What should every customer know about EVWD?" ii. Ensure that messaging components reflect the District's overall strategic goals. iii. Seek Board and staff involvement in finalizing key messages. East Valley Water District Page 13 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I iv. Engage in a creative process to develop a unique look and tagline message that appears on all outreach. v. Work to obtain buy-in from all stakeholders, beginning on the inside. vi. Maintain consistency in all District outreach. B. Proactively participate in opportunities that showcase EVWD's brand promise to all stakeholders. i. Reach out to external, regional stakeholders whenever reasonable to obtain maximum support, collaborative resources and buy-in. ii. Engage Board of Directors, management and staff in public exposure including community events and media opportunities. iii. Consistently and repeatedly project District messaging to build and strengthen awareness. III. Develop District Communications Policies and Standards Creating consistency and synergy in messaging tactics keeps everyone on- point and keeps the District's identity clear in the minds of stakeholders. A. Foster organization-wide culture of open communication internally and establish policies for successful communication externally. i. General Manager should set the tone and openly encourage change in culture to staff and Board. ii. Establish policies for internal communication and protocols for external communication. iii. Invest in internal training to ensure all staff and Board is communicating the same messages and understands communications protocols. iv. Create standard presentations and direct selected spokespeople to share District messages in the community. v. Using communications policies and standards, Board and staff can make swift and precise decisions. vi. Incorporate Customer Bill of Rights into communications policy. vii. Build trust and comfort with District materials. viii. Prioritize regular supervisor meetings and define ways to otherwise disseminate information among all staff (e-blasts). ix. Support team-building events and programs to create buy-in and cohesiveness among departments. East Valley Water District Page 14 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I IV. Shape District Messaging Campaigns and Strengthen Ongoing Outpeach Telling our stakeholders who EVWD is and what it does is critical to staying on message and achieving set objectives. A. Enhance District's proactive approach by developing key messaging campaigns. Spread messages with consistency in one District "voice." i. Create annual calendar and budget to determine best messaging opportunities for efficient investment of all resources. (Review and update this calendar each year to evaluate programs going forward.) ii. Base outreach campaigns on District's Strategic Vision and goals. iii. Continually investigate new messaging opportunities. iv. Build and support educational components to reach young customers and their families. v. Create outreach that actively engages customers. (e.g. workshops, rebate programs, water audits, etc.) vi. Provide accurate, timely and useful public information regarding all new initiatives and ongoing programs. vii. Use existing tools for maximum efficiency (e.g.: website, bills, on- hold message, lobby, community relationships) viii. Maintain consistency of all messaging. ix. Work to reach targeted customers where they live and frequent. x. Engage all Board and staff in messaging efforts at various levels to ensure that everyone is informed about current campaigns and knows how to provide stakeholders with consistent information. A Develop targeted campaigns to reach out to large water users. B. Determine regular, ongoing campaigns that reinforce the enduring messages of the District. i. Commit to an annual Water Quality Report tied to a District Newsletter. If stakeholders see nothing else all year, this is the piece they should see and refer to often. Consider a calendar component to keep this information with people all year. ii. Invest in key special events with guaranteed Return On Investment (ROI). iii. Continue District tours and determine how more customers can participate throughout the year. Utilize participants' enthusiasm for perpetual outreach. iv. Create long-term, proactive media strategy. v. Conduct one-on-one reporter briefings and editorial board meetings to keep District top of mind with influential media. vi. Incorporate horizon issues into proactive outreach strategy. East Valley Water District Page 15 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I V. Continue Investment in Long-Term Public Information Planning Long-term planning and implementation maintains consistency and momentum to reach goals and further build the EVWD brand. A. Seek internal public affairs staff person and/or designate an existing District position as the internal gatekeeper of all communications. i. Provide public affairs staffer with training and support to ensure understanding of District's goals and the Strategic Communications Plan. ii. Provide public affairs staffer with external support, when needed, to accomplish timely and substantial initiatives. iii. Incorporate Strategic Communications Planning effort into all initiatives. iv. Stress accountability and customer confidence through the District's communications programs. v. Empower all staff to take part in ongoing communications efforts all staff and Board members are representatives of the District. vi. Develop templates for ongoing messaging items to streamline efficiency for reoccurring projects. B. Ensure evaluation and measurement efforts are in place before work is done. vii. Conduct regular, ongoing communication content analysis. viii. Review level of influence and stakeholder engagement frequently. ix. Create benchmarks and milestones for activity assessment. x. Create proof-of-performance measurement systems to ensure long-term productivity of staff and initiatives. A Routinely demonstrate and promote communications victories. East Valley Water District Page 16 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I Budget Analysis East Valley Water District's fiscally sound approach to its budget requires a thoughtful examination of all expenditures related to outreach. In tough economic times, the elected leaders and staff of EVWD are faced with operational decisions that must be examined through the prism of the organization's core values. How government agencies should spend money is a question fraught with political and economic currents. It is important that decisions made in the context of the District's Strategic Communications Plan meet EVWD's standard of routinely providing customer benefit. The economics of promoting water district activities and initiatives is complex; some may argue that ratepayer dollars should not be spent on communicating something that is not intended to earn revenue. But this system only works if people know about it. Part of EVWD's mission is to effectively inform the public about its water resources so that they have trust in the people who serve them. Sustained, engaging outreach is a significant step in this process. The goal is to continually build public trust, to inform the ratepayers of projects and programs relevant to their lives, and to be accessible and transparent in all activities. The survey conducted as part of the Strategic Communications Plan process indicated several areas requiring strategic investment on behalf of the District. Customers were asked in detail about their outreach preferences and knowledge base. We believe there are significant opportunities to refine the District's messaging, and in the process to provide the public with the information for which it is clearly asking. The survey data and other stakeholder input provide a platform that supports a sustained and active outreach strategy. Moving forward, District management has an opportunity to quantitatively track and measure outreach resources and results based on the specific desires of its constituency. East Valley Water District Page 17 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I Budget Analysis Key Findings: EVWD customers generally believe they receive appropriate value for their costs, providing an opportunity to leverage other District information to the community. Stakeholders are interested in receiving more information about how water rates are determined, including regulatory considerations and various fee structures. Generally speaking, customers want to know that their water is safe. The majority of EVWD customers believe their water is safe. The more a customer is engaged with the District, the more trust they have in the District. Respondents are generally concerned about water supply and are interested in hearing from EVWD as the expert on water supply solutions. As water supply continues to garner widespread media exposure, EVWD customers are becoming increasingly concerned about its cost, usage and environmental implications. Respondents are asking for more information about how to conserve, and are calling on EVWD as the authority to lead them to better practices. The EVWD customers who are connected with their water supplier offer a unique platform from which to increase citizen engagement. Customers would like additional information on emergency preparedness strategies, communication related to those functions, etc. EVWD is in an excellent position to share these messages and be highlighted as a community leader. Customers prefer to receive information from the District in their bills,through direct mail and in the local newspaper(s). East Valley Water District Page 18 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I General Budget Recommendation: Through this Strategic Communications Plan, East Valley Water District can formally define outreach activities as mission critical and establish specific goals related to that effort. The strategy should be clear, measurable and fiscally responsible. Budget Implications: Consideration of additional outreach investment in key messaging areas including value, quality, conservation, water supply, water rates explanation and emergency preparedness. Expansion of District tours appeals to more customers and increase citizen engagement. Mandatory Water Quality Report should be expanded to reach customers with Strategic Vision and message priorities. Additional information included with the Water Quality Report should be re- purposed to present cost savings. Consideration of additional investment in outreach premiums, specifically related to conversation and "news you can use" elements for customers. Increase general awareness and education campaigns across the customer base. Continue to support sustained newspaper coverage as this communication channel is widely used among customers. Maximize use of all current messaging vehicles and ensure their integration (e.g. website, bill printing opportunities, on-hold messages, etc.) Create sponsorship budget with filters for indirect and direct messaging opportunities. Consider hiring in-house public affairs associate to limit outside consultant costs and build internal communications synergy. Provide additional detail in budget projections and actual figures. For instance, recommend breaking up consultant figures to indicate specifically where time is used in conjunction with other District activities. East Valley Water District Page 19 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I Communications: Resources Communications Consultants Board of Directors Staff Joint Powers Authorities Regional Collaboration Task Forces Collateral Website (webmaster) Roles Internal Legislative (Local/Regional/State/National) Customer Communications/Public/Community-at-Large Media Relations Conservation/Sustainability External Education East Valley Water District Page 20 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I Measuring Results An effective Strategic Communications Plan must include a series of methods designed to measure overall effectiveness. We recommend an assessment of these strategies and tactics every 12-16 weeks to gauge the following metrics: 1. Improved internal and external communications consistency, responsiveness, frequency and access; 2. Increased awareness of EVWD's Vision, Goals and Strategic Plan initiatives and activities; and 3. Increased citizen engagement and public participation. Key tracking devices for the communications team and/or internal communications personnel include website analytics, social media statistics, customer response data, attendance at District events, media coverage and ongoing stakeholder surveys. These activities and benchmarks will be critical tools for assessing improvement areas as well as success stories, and offer the team tangible direction as the Plan continues to evolve. East Valley Water District Page 21 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan I Implementation 9 Execution of the Plan EVWD's Strategic Communications Plan is designed to mobilize the agency by clearly defining communications priorities and protocols for both internal and external messaging. But the most important step involves "how" to put these strategies in place. The intention of this Plan is to be both the source for strategies and for implementation. Once finalized and adopted by the EVWD Board of Directors and staff, the Plan should provide the guidance, benchmarks and measurement tools to communicate effectively and stay on-target with the District's messaging goals. A clear understanding and buy-in from all staff and Board of Directors is essential to the success of the Plan and ultimately the fundamental reason the Plan was developed —to clearly communicate with EVWD's stakeholders in a manner that is consistent and aligned with the District's Mission. Once the Plan is agreed upon, it is recommended that it be referred to often as Board decisions are made, new employees are hired and trained, changes in policies are considered and more. Being reminded of the District's Vision, Values and communication strategies for adhering to both is beneficial to all stakeholders. East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page I 22 Appendices East Valley Water District Strategic Communications Plan r n ID East Valley Water District Page A-0 tin Strategic Communications Plan Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results Oil EVWD Customer Surve y Results Survey period: February 3-February 21, 2011 Completed Surveys:184 surveys Sub-groups: Tour Participants, Recent Customers Calls, In-person Lobby, Website Languages: English, Spanish Total District Customers: Approx. 70,000 Margin of Error:7.22 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-1I Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results M6 Is your monthly water bill easy or hard to understand? 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Easy Hard Answer options Response Response Percent Count Easy 93.1% 148 Hard 6.9°l 11 Total Responses 159 Is there anything EVWD could do to make your water bill easier to understand? 90.0% 80.0% 70.00 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0 20.0% 0.0% 0.04 No More Detail Spanish Other Answer Options Response Response Percent Count No 80.5%Q 66 More Detail 6.1% 5 Spanish 2.4°r z Other 11.0% 9 Total Responses 82 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-2 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results F11- m going to mention several utilities that serve the needs of residents and businesses in the region. Considering only those utilities that you pay for, which would you say is the best value for the amount of money that you pay. Which are second and third? Utilities randomized by surveyor.) 140 120 100 80 Third Best Value 60 Second Best Value 40 Best Value 20 -ji o a et t o o J X55 QS G J G c `C` `C`NQi GG Ga Best Second Third Best Response Answer Options Value Best Value Count Value Trash Collection 21 12 12 45 Water 42 30 35 107 Sewer 6 5 2 13 Home Telephone 7 2 9 18 Cell Phone 8 6 10 24 Cable or Satellite TV 3 2 4 9 Internet Access 4 2 1 7 Gas 51 51 20 122 Electricity 5 33 45 83 East Valley Water DistrictDDRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-3I Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results Do you know approximately how much you pay per gallon of water that you receive from EVWD? Are you willing to take a guess? 100.0% 90.0% 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0% 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 O,D Q No 01-.05 .06-.10 .11-.15 .16-.50 .51-.99 1-1.99 2+ Answer options Response Response Percent Count No 88.0% 162 01-.05 3.3% 6 06-.10 1.1% 2 11-.15 0.5% 1 16-.50 3.8% 7 51-.99 1.1% 2 1-1.99 1.1% 2 2+ 1.1% 2 Total Responses 184 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-4 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results 111Jere you aware of the recent rate increase approved by the EVWD Board of Directors 1 in July of 2010? 54.0% 52.0% 50.0% 48.0% 46.00 44.0% 42.0% 40.0% Yes No Answer Options Response Response Percent Count Yes 49.1% 80 No 50.9% 83 Total Responses 163 Do you believe the water delivered to your home is safe? 80.0 70.0% 60.0% 50.0 40.0 30.00 20.0% 10.0` 0.0% Yes No Don't Know/ Refuse to Answer Answer Response Response Options Percent Count Yes 69.5% 1.14 No 24.4% 40 Don't Know/ 6'1% 10 Refuse to Answer Total Responses 164 East Valley Water District Page A-5 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results Below is a list of topics related to water in your community. For each topic please indicate how concerned you are. Are you extremely concerned, very concerned, somewhat concerned, or not at all concerned about it? 70 60 50 Extremely Concerned 40 Very Concerned Somewhat Concerned 30 Not at All Concerned Don't know/ No answer 20 10 0 -- Water Supply Water Supply in Water Quality Water Cost of Water Now the Future Conservation Answer Options Extremely Very somewhat Not at All Don't know, Response AiR Concerned ConcernedjL Concerned Concerned JhLNo answerer Count Water Supply Now 18 52 62 25 4 162 4 Water Supply in the Future 19 57 65 15 8 164 Water Quality 25 51 61 17 8 162 Water Conservation 19 64 59 13 6 161 Cast of Water 40 52 53 9 9 163 East Valley Water District Page A-6 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results In what ways could you save more water in your household? (Answers not read to customer. Possiblity of more than one answer per customer.) Reduce shower Reduce shower time/bath size time/bath size Don't know 11% Turn water off when not in 29% immediate use Turn water off when not Reduce landscaping water in immediate use 13% Repair leaks Replace inefficient plumbing Reduce landscaping fixtures/appliances water Reduce laundry use (larger Other 13%loads/less frequent) 3% _ Use carwash that recycles water Replace inefficien Repair leaks Other[p leasesspecify) plumbing - 9% 7% Don't know Answer Options Response Response Percent Count Reduce shower time/bath size 11.2% 25 Turn water off when not in immediate use 12.5% 28 Reduce landscaping water 13.4% 30 Repair leaks 9.4% 21 Replace inefficient plumbing fixtures/appliances 7.1% 16 Reduce laundry use (larger loads/less frequent) 5.8% 13 Use carwash that recycles water 4.0% 9 Other(please specify) 7.6% 17 Don't know 29.0% 65 Total Responses 224 Would you be interested in learning Would you participate in free programs put- more about water-swing devices or on by EVWD (for example: water use rebates for such devices offered by efficiency, water education, landscape EVWD? design)? Ji 70.0% 70.0% 60.0% 60.0% 50.0% 50.0% 40.0% 40.0% 30.0% 3y/01.0% 20.0% 20.0°fin 10.0% 10.0%a 0.0% 0.0% Yes No Don't Know/Refuse to Yes No Don't Know/Refuse to Answer Answer Response Response Response Response Answer Options Answer Options Percent Count Percent Count Yes 64.4%105 Yes 61.1% 99 No 25.2% 41 No 25.9% 42 Don't 10.4% 17 Don't Know/Refuse to Answer 13.0% 21 Total Responses 163 Total Responses 162 East Valley Water District Page A-7 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results How much bottled water would you estimate your household uses in a month? 35.0% 30.0% - 25.0 20.0%I 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.00 Less than one 1 case(24/16 2 cases 3 cases 4 cases 5 cases More than 5 case oz bottles) (48/16 oz (72/16 oz (96/16 oz (120/16 oz cases bottles)bottles)bottles)bottles] Answer options Response Response Percent Count Less than one case 30.6% 48 1 case(24/16 oz bottles) 11.5% 18 2 cases(48/16 oz bottles) 15.9% 25 3 cases(72/16 oz bottles) 10.8% 17 4 cases(96/16 oz bottles) 11.5% 18 5 cases(120/16 oz bottles) 14.0% 22 More than 5 cases 5.7% 9 Total Responses 157 Why do you use bottled water? (Answers not read to customer. Possiblity of more than one answer per customer.) 45.0 40.0 35.0% 30.0% 25.0` 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0% 0.0% Quality Convenience Taste Don't Know Other(please specify) Answer options Response Response Percent Count Quality 26.9% 57 Convenience 40.1% 85 Taste 21.7% 46 Don't Know 5.7% 12 Other(please specify) 5.7% 12 Total Responses 212 East Valley Water District Page A-8 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results Do you have an adequate supply of water in preparation for a disaster? 60.0% 50.0 40.0 30.0% 20.0` 10.0% 0.0% Yes No Don't Know/Refuse to Answer Answer Options 0 Response Response Percent Count Yes 57.1% 93 No 30.7% 50 Don't Know/Refuse to Answer 12.3% 20 Total Responses 163 Do you think EVWD should be responsible for helping you and others in the community prepare for a disaster? 70.0 60.0` 50.0% 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0` 0.0% Yes No Don't Know/Refuse to Answer Answer Options Response Response p Percent Count Yes 57.7% 94 No 21.5% 3S Don't Know/Refuse to Answer 20.9% 34 Total Responses 163 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-9 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results How do you recall EVWD ever communicating with you? Answers not read to customer. Possiblity of more than one answer per customer.) Messages in my monthly bill Direct mail No Communication Newsletters separate from bill In Person In Person Email notifications 4°a Messages In my monthly bill Water district's website 427o Student Art Calendar During community events During programs/tours sponsored by EVWD Direct mail By Phone 237o Notice on Door Newsletters Other(please specify) separate from bill No Communication 5`0 Answer options Response Response Percent Count Messages in my monthly bill 42.4°% 78 Direct mail 23.4% 43 Newsletters separate from bill 5.4% 10 In Person 4.3% S Email notifications 1.1% 2 Water district's website 0.5% 1 Student Art Calendar 0.0% 0 During community events 1.1% 2 During programs/tours sponsored by EVWD 0.5% 1 By Phone 2.7% 5 Notice on Door 1.6% 3 Other(please specify) 0.5% 1 No Communication 16.3% 30 Total Responses 184 A East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-10 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results How do you recall hearing about EVWD in the community? Answers not read to customer. Possiblity of more than one answer per customer.) Don't remember Newspaper ne Newspaper news stories hearing anything stories Television news stories 33''x°327o Radio news stories Newspaper ads Television ads Outdoor ads (billboards, etc.) Television news I During community events stories Programs sponsored by EVWD 10% Other(please specify) EVWD Newsletter 47o From their bill Friends & Family Outdoor adsFriends&Family Other (please specifv) p From their bill 4% 0 Don't remember hearing anything Answer Options Response Response Percent Count Newspaper news stories 31.7% 51 Television news stories 9.9% 16 Radio news stories 1.2% 2 Newspaper ads 1.9% 3 Television ads 0.6% 1 Outdoor ads (billboards, etc.) 3.7% 6 During community events 1.2% 2 Programs sponsored by EVWD 0.61 1 EVWD Newsletter 1.9% 3 From their bill 2.5% 4 Friends & Family 5.0% 8 Other(please specify) 4.3% 7 Don't remember hearing anything 33.5% 54 Total Responses 161 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-1 1 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results What method of communication would you prefer to receive information from EVWD? Information may include District news; water quality information; water programs available through the District, etc.) (Answers not read to customer. Possiblity of more than one answer per customer.) Messages in my monthly bill I would prefer Newsletter separate from bill NOT to be Direct mail postcards/letters contacted other 6% 576 Email Telephone Coll Newspaper news stories 7%Television news stories I Radio news stories Messages in y Newspaper ads monthly bill Television ads 350 Radio ads Student Art Calendar Email 0Outdoor ads(billboards,etc.) 11` Direct mail Telephone Call Public Meeting postcards/letters _ During a community event24% At a program sponsored by EVW D Newsletter separate from bill Go to a comprehensive website on my own time 5% 1 would prefer NOT to be contacted Other(please specify) Answer Options Response Response p Percent Count Messages in my monthly bill 35.4% 70 Newsletter separate from bill 4.5% 9 Direct mail postcards/letters 23.7% 47 Email 11.1% 22 Newspaper news stories 2.5% 5 Television news stories 0.5% 1 Radio news stories 0.5% 1 Newspaper ads 1.0% 2 Television ads 0.5% 1 Radio ads 0.5% 1 Student Art Calendar 0.0% 0 Outdoor ads(billboards,etc.) 1.0% 2 Telephone Call 7.1% 14 Public Meeting 0.0% 0 During a community event 0.5% 1 At a program sponsored by EVWD 0.0% 0 Go to a comprehensive website on my own time 0.5% 1 1 would prefer NOT to be contacted 6.6% 13 Other(please specify) 4.0% S Total Responses 198 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-12 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results Please tell me if you recall receiving any of the following from EVWD: im 70.0% - 60.0` 50.0% 40.0 30.0 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% District Newsletter Water Quality Report Water Quality Notice Answer Options Response Percent Response Count District Newsletter 63.4% 83 Water Quality Report 22.1% 29 Water Quality Notice 14.5% 19 Total Responses 131 Did you read the.,.? 45 40 35 Ip 30 Yes 25 Some 20 No Don't Know 15 10 5 0 District Newsletter Water duality Report Water Quality Notice Answer options Yes No Some Don't Response Know Count District Newsletter 37 15 28 40 120 Water Quality Report 19 11 3 36 69 Water Quality Notice 10 9 3 37 59 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-13 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results Hove important do you think it is to be informed, or have the information available to you, about all board action and fiscal management of EVWD? Not at all important Extremely important Extremely important Very important Somewhat important Somewhat important Not at all important Very important Answer Response Response Options Percent Count Extremely important 19.6% 31 Very important 39.2% 62 Somewhat important 29.7% 47 Not at all important 11.4% 18 Total Responses 158 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page A-14 Appendix A: 2011 EVWD Customer Survey Results LM Demographic Information: (optional) No 65 and Above 25 to 34 Male Female 48% 55 to 64 52% 35 to 44 45 to 54 Response Response Response Response Answer Options Answer Options Percent Count Percent Count 18 to 24 4.8% 8 Male 48.2% 79 25 to 34 16.2% 27 Female 51.8% 85 35 to 44 21.4% 35 Total Responses 164JE 45 to 54 21.0% 35 55 to 64 19.8% 33 65 and Above 17.4% 29 Total Responses 167 East Valley Water District Page A-15 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix B: Impressions and Comments by Survey Manager Impressions and Comments by Survey Manager Tour Survey: Everyone was extremely happy and enjoyed the tour very much. Participants said they were treated very well and enjoyed having access to the top people at the District, especially the Directors. Most wanted to go on another tour and specified wanting to see the dam. These seem to be people interested in water and conservation in general.The students from San Bernardino College, who are studying the water industry, may ask about employment. I interpreted this to be a very positive reflection on what they learned and were exposed to on the tour and referred them to EVWD and/or the District's website. Lobby Survey: Most people in the lobby were very courteous and willing to share their opinions. Although most people were there to pay their bills, they could not even guess how much a gallon of EVWD water costs them. Explaining and even showcasing (in the lobby)the value customers are getting when they pay their bills might resonate with customers, who often had comments or quips about the cost of water. Generally speaking, it did not appear that customers were particularly interested in topics such as water quality, fiscal responsibility, etc. They were mostly interested in the cost of water. Many said they do not hear about EVWD in the community and they do not recall EVWD communicating with them. Most say they prefer to pay their water bills at the District office, so communicating with customers through signs, brochures, etc. may prove successful. Customer Satisfaction Survey: In general, people seemed happy with the courtesy and promptness EVWD representatives responded with related to their problems/concerns. The people in the field were mentioned many times for how great they were when interacting with the customers we surveyed. It appears from listening to customer complaints that most do not understand the value of what they are getting. Many customers use bottled water or have filters in the home because they prefer the taste and convenience. No one seems to know how much they pay for water. Customers do know approximately what their bills run each month but they do not know the actual water cost.The bill seems easy to read for most but some question the additional charges that they don't understand. This is something that I think most utility companies seem to have in common; people think utility bills are high and always going up. Trying to get people to say which utilities have the best value was difficult. It may make sense to do some form of campaign to make people aware of how cheap water is in their area. Customers complained about the $5.00 charge for putting a disconnect notice on the door. It was suggested that if the District contacted late customers by phone ore-mail maybe this could be eliminated East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page B-1I Appendix C: Interview Questions Interview Questions 1. What are some of your general thoughts about the outreach needs and the Public Affairs efforts of East Valley Water District? 2. What are your thoughts about the internal messaging at East Valley? 3. When and how do you find out about the messaging that East Valley Water District is doing about the District to customers)? 4. Who do you think/know the audiences are that East Valley Water District is trying to reach/need to reach? S. Is there a particular target audience that needs more outreach? For what and what method would be best? 6. Do all departments know the best/same answers to questions about East Valley Water District when customers and other stakeholders call or stop employees/Board Members in the community? 7. What are the most common questions asked by customers? 8. Do you believe the messaging strategies, like ads, bill inserts, etc. are working?Which do you think work best? 9. Is there a particular campaign in East Valley's history that you believe was particularly successful?Why? 10. What should every customer know about East Valley Water District? 11. What should the District's mission be? 12. How often do you see an article in the local newspaper or other media source about East Valley Water District? Is this coverage enough?What do you think of the coverage and how it affects community perception of the District? 13. How do you think staff/Board Members could help spread East Valley's message that is different than anything EVWD is currently doing or seems logistically reasonable to do? (Out of the box ideas East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page C-1I Appendix D: Board Interviews Board Interviews George Wilson, President, Board of Directors Kip Sturgeon, Director Matt Le Vesque, Director James Morales,Jr., Director Larry Malmberg, Director Internal Communications Everyone should know repeatedly what the mission is—what we do and why we do it. Board and staff should be aware of all communication in advance of public. All should be prepared for possible customer questions. Developing common message(s) and talking points for all Board and staff would helpful for everyone. Training Board and staff on these messages is also key. In the past Public Affairs has been disorganized and nearly non-existent. Employees say they do not have enough information about what the Board is doing and other messaging. Would like more employee engagement, for instance a place for staff to submit questions and comments for the Board or management. More social activities and possibly aBoard/staff retreat should be planned for team-building. Would like the Board to have access to regular clippings of news and other information. There should be a clearinghouse for all employee and customer questions. Field employees and office staff should have more opportunities to communicate better and efficiently. Eliminate the "us and them" mentality. Staff does not know what the Board is doing. Provide employees with information sooner; e-blast (even to personal/home email) may bean option. Share Board meeting recap with all employees soon after each meeting Communication could improve employee attitudes. Employee newsletter or e-newsletter may be a good way to communicate with staff(also make use of bulletin boards). Communication training and EVWD messaging should be required of all new employees. Everyone wants to know how they fit into the mission. All hands meeting (quarterly) to get staff on the same page would be beneficial. Districts should band together with same messages. External Communications East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page 1ID- Appendix D: Board Interviews Everything should be linked back to the District's mission. EVWD should have positive interaction with people at all times. Everyone at EVWD should have and know the common "elevator speech." The public should be better informed about District-related construction. Notices in advance and electronic reader boards during construction would be beneficial. Communication with all customers is critical. Highland Community News is an effective way to communicate with customers. Many residents/customers read the paper and see a value in its content. News articles seem to garner immediate responses from stakeholders. More effort should be made to secure news articles in the San Bernardino Sun and the Press Enterprise. Creating a uniform PowerPoint and training designated spokespeople for community presentations would keep messaging consistent. The same PPT could be on website. Targeted communication in East Highlands Ranch Newsletter and possibly on their and other community websites may be good tools. Want to spend the Public Affairs budget efficiently. Each EVWD communication should direct people to the website and the website should be update website regularly. Audience and Outreach Customers of particular interest include: Large water users, East Highlands Ranch residents, Elected officials, Community influencers (including san Bernardino), EVWD Employees, Tribe, Hispanic residents. Messaging to large water users should include: EVWD Board is saving the District and customers money; using fiscal restraint; tightening our belts; preparing policies; addressing legislative issues; receiving loans and grants. Messages printed on bills and envelopes are cost effective. Direct mail and bill inserts work best. External communication could be in the form of e-news. Website is an existing tool to use; but are customers using it? Not sure. Newsletter seems affective, but maybe only once a year. Water Quality Report worked as a good medium for additional messaging. The value of the Student Art Calendar is unclear. However, education in the schools and possibly other youth engagement sends positive messages. Water bottles with EVWD water inside was good in concept, but not cost effective or sustainable. Reusable water bottles are a proactive, positive alternative to plastic water bottles. East Valley Water District P a D-2 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix D: Board Interviews Water buffalo in parade, splash play area, cooling stations and water fountains at community events are all innovative ways to share EVWD water other than providing bottled water, which people previously enjoyed at events. Emergency preparedness is important to communicate. EVWD needs to communicate how and why regulations affect customers' rates. More conservation messages should be shared. News articles influence customer's perception of EVWD. Messaging opportunity in the Cal State Water Library (EVWD helped fund). The public should be more informed about legislative updates that affect the water industry. Customers are entitled to know what the Board is doing. Tours are a good community outreach and send a positive message about open communication and availability. Every staff member and Board member is a part of EVWD's Public Relations and Customer Service system. EVWD representatives should be accessible. EVWD could expand and reach out with educational programs in the schools. Recent press releases and outreach to the media seems successful. The District's mission should include wastewater services. Creating a new look and including on everything from collateral and signs to trucks and uniforms would bring the District more exposure. EVWD could benefit from a tagline/motto. Could put the tagline on trucks for maximum exposure in the community. o "Our Community—Our Water" & "Your Community—Your Water" were taglines previously discussed among members of the Board. Need to be proactive with outreach —not reactive. Engage in things that are of value to the customer East Valley Water District P a D-3 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix E: Staff Interviews Staff Robert Martin, General Manager Ron Buchwald, District Engineer Carol Cales, Senior Customer Service Representative Mike Henderson, Water Production Superintendent Justine Hendricksen, Administrative Manager Gerald Sievers, Water Service Superintendent Gary Sturdivan, Safety, Regulatory Affairs and Emergency Affairs Director Brian Tompkins, Chief Financial Officer Internal Communications Communication has been a challenge throughout the district for a long time. EVWD is not traditionally a culture which embraces sharing information between departments. Supervisors and managers are territorial; they need to let the walls down and communicate. Employees often feel out of the loop. For many years, board and management each kept information mostly to themselves, but that information flow has been opening up in the last couple years. Need better internal training for emergencies—this has been a topic of discussion for a long time. During the flooding, internal communication was horrible. If customer service doesn't know what is going on, that's a recipe for trouble. Sometimes the field operations people don't know what goes on in the front office, front office doesn't know what is going on in engineering, engineering doesn't know what is going on in admin. There is a lot of information and groups to coordinate. Management meetings the day after Board meetings could include more detailed explanation of Board action. These could be passed out, emailed and/or posted. Employees are upset if they read something in the Highland Community News rather than hearing district information directly from management. Managers need to take more responsibility for sharing information with staff, but there are no real gatekeepers or tools relaying the same messages to all employees. Field workers do not have computers and probably will not have PDAs anytime soon. Getting information to them will likely always be a problem. The quarterly employee newsletter was informative —it gave employees information about what was going on and what challenges the District was facing. This could be an e-blast. Keeping employees informed makes them feel like a part of the organization. East Valley Water District Page E-1 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix E: Staff Interviews We don't always/regularly tell employees about info that we are sharing with customers—we should receive the information regularly and consistently (safety meeting is the only regular meeting—held every two weeks). Getting a Plo that could be responsible for disseminating information internally and externally would be big step in filling a communications void. External Communications We do a lot of work that the public should know about, but we need to make them more aware of what is going on. Most people take water delivery for granted, and don't know what it takes to run a water district and get clean water to their tap. In the past, the District has not prioritized public relations, but Board and staff are trying to do a better job in communications. We need some help in this department. In the past, there wasn't a clear direction on public relations from the Board, and there wasn't time to look for someone to further the PR goals. CV Strategies has stepped-up EVWD's efforts. A fulltime PR person could be helpful. Public exposure has been limited to sending out consumer confidence reports, the annual tour, and if something goes wrong that requires public alert. Communication has improved in the past 6 months. Customer service is on the front lines of communication with the public, and how EVWD is perceived. They need to know what is going on, and need to know messages, so that they can be prepared for calls. In the past, we haven't done enough to let the public know what we are doing in several areas: how we are preparing emergency operations—how active we have been in Golden Guardian and Shakeout; what we are doing to pay for our infrastructure improvements—grants from SRF, low or no interest loans, so often we don't even have to float bonds to get our funding; and the agency's involvement in national emergency preparedness work—have staff appointed to chair emergency preparedness security committee under AWWA. More effort should be made to get the word out—it reflects well on the agency. Audience and Outreach It is a very demographically diverse service area. Customers include poor, wealthy, and businesses. A large portion of the customer base is economically challenged. The community landscape is changing. Spanish is the preferred language among about 1/3 of customers. A customer is a customer regardless of the language they speak. It is not good customer service to not address this need. East Valley Water District P a E-2 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix E: Staff Interviews It is difficult to deal with customers without Spanish. It would help to have an interpreter, but the Board has been against that in the past. Large water users and senior citizens both need to be addressed (especially during rate increase time). Website and newsletter are probably the best communications strategies; emails and flyers are other options. People don't look much at the flyers or inserts—they are only concerned with what they owe and when is it due. The website has a lot of information, but it requires the customer to take it upon themselves to do seek it out. Some customers, particularly in one area, don't have Internet. GM and district manager need to take an active role in outreach efforts. No one is the costs, the regulatory issues, new treatment techniques. Their only real thought is: I want water delivered, and I don't want to pay too much for it. After people have attended tours, their whole understanding of the process changes. A number of people have said, "I never realized how much equipment, expense, manpower, etc. it took to deliver water," or, "I'll never complain about how much I pay ever again." Tours are fairly well attended (40-50 people) but that is a small percentage of the constituents. Message We need message mapping for the District in two areas: emergencies and water quality issues.This way, if something does happen, we will have an appropriate message that we can tweak for release. This would also help all employees and departments know what was going on, and get us all on the same page. The District is a little scattered on message. We need a crash course on how the District provides water, or at least the messages we should be sending in response to common questions. It would be useful for staff to know the same talking points. Previously, we put inserts into bills, but it is difficult to evaluate whether that messaging tool is worth the cost. Messages delivered on the bill itself cost nothing by comparison. We have a new phone system, automatic calls are made to customers to remind them of their past due bills. We could do more with automated communication, for instance, "Your bill is due," but also other information, or information in Spanish. Website should play a critical role in information distribution. East Valley Water District Page E-3 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix E: Staff Interviews More information should be available to the public informing them of: what EVWD is doing to prepare for emergencies, what customers should do in an emergency, where they should go to get water if they have no water, where EVWD is staging. Also, there should be a forum that provides a way for customers to communicate back to the District. Even though that type of feedback can turn negative. When Bob went out on speaking engagements to explain the rate increase, it helped. We get lots of complaints, and we should do more to let people know the good we do. EVWD helps the City—that is something that needs to be recognized. East Valley Water District P a E-4 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix F: Stakeholder Interviews Stakeholder n erviews Dan Cozad, General Manager, San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District Sam Fuller, Head of Engineering, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District Joe Hughes, Highland City Manager Communications with EVWD take place on a couple levels, both field communications between tech staff and with the General Manager and District Engineer at a variety of meetings. EVWD techs seem competent and know their stuff. Communications via email are successful in working out specific District issues. EVWD's outreach was well known in the water world when they ramped up on perchlorate issues. Strong presence in working on water quality behind the Seven Oaks Dam, getting the word out to the water community and legislators. With the public, EVWD tends to fly under the radar, like most water districts. Water and EVWD are not important to the public unless there is a crisis, and that needs to change. It is extremely worthwhile to educate local media so they understand the issues facing water agencies. Santa Ana suckerfish is one example. Water agencies need to let people know what the districts do and how what they do is impacted by issues outside the district and its control. Educating the public takes time, energy and resources. In general,water agencies don't spend enough time, energy and money on educating the public, so they are forced to respond to bad news when it comes out. Resources devoted to teaching the public and media about water issues are well spent. Rate increase campaigns have been effective in the past. Telephone/radio/messaging systems should be in place to make sure the needs of customers are met. Could be more clarification/education about which agency serves which areas. Fringe overlapping and abutment with Redlands and San Bernardino can be confusing to customers. EVWD diligently pursues water quality and supply issues. Should be more proactive in letting the public know about these efforts (more press releases). The District does good outreach on rates and cost. Everyone in water should be emphasizing that "we meet or exceed every established public health standard." Inserts aren't very effective, a strong annual water quality report is worth doing well. Annual usage information is helpful. Customers should know that their water supply agency is a local, publicly owned agency, and the customer is the owner of the agency; there is no profit motive, and all money is spent on their system locally. EVWD should seek to increase its coverage in the newspapers, particularly in the Highland Community News. The Board and staff are both active, but they should utilize other community organizations to help further spread their message: Kiwanis/Rotary/Lion's Club/Chambers of Commerce. The General Manager and the Board take an interest in regional issues, but perhaps they should focus more on local issues that they have direct control over. East Valley Water District Page F-1 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix G: Common Customer Questions Common Customer Questions Interviewed: Robert Martin, General Manager Ron Buchwald, District Engineer Carol Cales, Senior Customer Service Representative Mike Henderson, Water Production Superintendent Justine Hendricksen, Administrative Manager Gerald Sievers, Water Service Superintendent Gary Sturdivan, Safety, Regulatory Affairs and Emergency Affairs Director Brian Tompkins, Chief Financial Officer George Wilson, President, Board of Directors Kip Sturgeon, Director Matt Le Vesque, Director James Morales,Jr., Director Larry Malmberg, Director Why is the bill so high? Can you check my bill? Can you explain my bill costs to me? What am I getting for my money? When is my bill due? Is the water safe to drink? Is the water quality still good? Why is there air in the water? (Why is the water white?) Why is my pressure high (or low)? Why is the road blocked?What is the EVWD crew doing there? Why is there water on the roads? Why have you locked my service off? Why do I have to pay to reconnect? Can I have more time to pay? How do I sign up for service or close my account? Does the bill also include the sewer cost? Technology-related questions Contaminant-related questions—Fluoride, Perclorates, etc. Many questions are generated by news stories or word-of-mouth rumors that people don't have the correct or complete information East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page G-1I Appendix H: What Every Customers Should Know About EVWD What Every Customer Should Know About EVWD Interviewed: Robert Martin, General Manager Ron Buchwald, District Engineer Carol Cales, Senior Customer Service Representative Mike Henderson, Water Production Superintendent Justine Hendricksen, Administrative Manager Gerald Sievers, Water Service Superintendent Gary Sturdivan, Safety, Regulatory Affairs and Emergency Affairs Director Brian Tompkins, Chief Financial Officer George Wilson, President, Board of Directors Kip Sturgeon, Director Matt Le Vesque, Director James Morales,Jr., Director Larry Malmberg, Director We are dedicated to our customers. We have an excellent group of employees here and excellent operations devoted to getting high quality water to our customers. We work hard not just to provide good water but also to provide good service. It is impossible to have zero contaminants in the water and also achieve very low cost; there is a delicate balance to be struck. Customers have a voice and can attend board meetings to make their voice heard. We are a governmental agency in business to provide a service. We answer to directors; directors answer to the voting public. As a government agency, the water district belongs to its customers. Grants are being sought to improve infrastructure at no cost to customers. We take emergency planning seriously, and we cooperate with other agencies on mutual aid. We have a plan in place, and we are continually learning and improving. Our hands are forced by state and federal regulation; we must abide by the rules. The professionals on the Board and staff are making sure you have quality water with fiscal responsibility. Water is a great value compared to other utilities and services. EVWD rates are comparable to other regional water agency rates. Many elements in the local water supply are naturally occurring. Explain how water gets to the tap safely. Water should not be taken for granted. We only charge what our water exactly cost East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page H-1I Appendix I: Budget Public Outreach 2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011 Budget Actual Budget Actual thru Jan 2011 Public Relations Consultant 65,000.00 107,153.00 105,000.00 72,677.00 Water Quality Conference Spronsorship 5,000.00 5,000.00 Calendars 8,000.00 8,586.00 20,000.00 3,592.00 Tours of Facilities 4,400.00 11#844.00 5,000.00 1,575.00 Community Events 2,600.00 360.00 1,000.00 Promotional Giveaways 5,000.00 960.00 10,000.00 2,226.00 Bottled Water 20,000.00 11,120.00 Video of Spring Tour 11850.00 M isc 5,000.00 Sponsorship ARK Storm 2,508.00 TOTAL 105,000.00 131,873.00 151,000.00 87,578.00 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page I-1 Appendix J: Collateral Assessment Collateral Currently, EVWD has a limited supply of promotional giveaways or printed collateral pieces. It is recommended that the District does not purchase additional items until a new brand is developed, except for specific events that occur before a new look is adopted. Depleting current stock of promotional giveaways is also suggested. For future promotions and printed collateral, always consider the overarching messaging goals and strategies and the specific target audience at a particular event. Also keep in mind sustainable, usable and reusable items, as that promotes a District message of conservation and sustainability. Comments on current and previous promotional items: All of the promotional items assessed included the EVWD logo, however, none included a tagline or explanation of what EVWD does. Incorporating an EVWD message (for instance tagline or a conservation message) gives each item added value to both EVWD and the recipient of the item. For future promotional giveaways, consider the meaning behind the item. Band-aid Travel Pack—useful; opportunities to message, especially emergency preparedness Carabiner/Keyring—seem popular as a promotional item, but may have lost the it" factor they had several years ago; not much opportunity for messaging on the carabiner Calculator— useful, but possibly not a sustainable item, as it does not appear to be a high-end item and most people have other sources for calculators (e.g.: computer, phone) Chap Stick— useful; could include area specific photos and/or messaging Chip Clip—useful; generally seem to be a promotional favorite Chip Clip/Magnet combo—useful; generally seem to be a promotional favorite Letter Opener—useful; seem to be a business favorite Pen — useful; definite opportunity to include messaging other than logo; consider recycled content option Pen/Highlighter combo—useful; definite opportunity to include messaging other than logo; consider recycled content option Pencil —useful; definite opportunity to include messaging other than logo; consider recycled content option Ruler—useful, particularly with school-aged children. If the ruler is made from recycled content even better. If so, include that in the messaging. Water bottles—send a very positive message about sustainability, EVWD water quality and more East Valley Water District P a g e J-1 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix J: Collateral Assessment Comments on Printed Collateral: Going forward, all printed material should include any newly adopted messaging, tagline, etc. Collateral should also be accessible to customers. There is ample space in the lobby that is not being used to provide informational, helpful materials to EVWD customers. EVWD double-side handout— For an in-house publication the piece is not bad. The information is presented in an easy-to-read format. However, it is not clear what this information means to stakeholders. Incorporating this information into a piece that explains what these details mean to customers and providing customers with "news they can use" would be a few ways to improve this handout. AWWA Water Wise stickers with animals— Providing kids with a promotional item when they visit the lobby is a very friendly approach to customer service. AWWA Consumer Guide to Water Conservation (Outside/Inside Story) —These are very simple, easy to understand documents. If these are cost-effective, they may prove a good alternative to creating unique District material AWWA Common Questions About Your Water Quality—Good material, if EVWD does not develop its own. However, suggest developing a collateral piece that highlights EVWD water quality and unique local supply. AWWA Landscaping to Save Water—Good material, if EVWD does not develop its own similar piece. Moving forward, conservation collateral should stay on-point to the specific messages EVWD is educating its customers about. AWWA Only Water Delivers—Good material. Developing a specific EVWD piece is probably a better use of budget. San Bernardino Disaster Plan —Good information. Possibly, EVWD should consider developing its own material or collaborating on a nice piece with the County and other agencies. East Valley Water District Page J-2 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix J: Collateral Assessment EastValley Wa Water District ter Distribution Mains:287 miles. About Us Wastewater Collection Mains:208 miles. Water Quality: Meets or exceeds all regulations set forth Incorporated:in 1954 under by the State and Federal Government. County Water District Laws. Wells: 18 active in 2010. Our Mission 1s to provide our customers with a safe and reliable water supply that is delivered at a fair and r- cost-effective price. Services:domestic water and sanitary sewer, Serves:City of Highland and the eastern portions of the City of San Bernardino. Treatment Plant:The Philip A.Disch Surface Water Service area:30 square miles. Treatment Plant can treat up to 4 MGD.Began 1994; Service population:approximately 70,000. completed and operational 1996. The plant is scheduled for expansion starting in the winter of 2011 to 8 MGD. Governance Board of Directors:5 Member Board elected at large. Other Information Board meetings:2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at One Hundred Cubic Feet(HCF)equals 748 gallons. 3:00 p.m.MGD:Million Gallons per Day, Budget:July 1,2010-June 30,2011:$26.325 million. Water Conservation:www.bewaterwise.com Capital Replacements:$932,100. East Valley's cost of water:one penny purchases 5 gallons of Capital Improvements:$18,818,900. water. Employees:67 Administration r Type ofAgency:Special District(government). Funding Sources:Operations are financed solely through Pon- sales of water and sewer service. Capital projects are partially funded through the sale of debt instruments. No tax support is received. Facilities and Operations Daily use:Produce How To Contact Us a s and deliver an average of 19.5 East Valley Water District Phone Numbers MGD to its P.O.Box 3427 Customer Service i customers. San Bernardino,CA 92413 909)889-9501 Storage:Reservoirs Main Office Administration and tanks can hold 3654 E Highland Ave#18 909)885-4900 26 million gallons. Highland,CA 92346 Engineering Business Hours 909)888-8986 Water Sources:Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin,Santa 8:00 am—5:.00 pm Finance Ana River and the State Water Project. Monday—Friday 909)381-6463 North Fork Canal:8 miles long and provides water from After Hour 1 EmergencytheSantaAnaRiverforhistoricirrigationandEVWD909)889-9501 Philip A.Disch Surface Water Treatment Plant. Website www.eastvalley.org East Valley Water DistrictT.-4 D Page J-3 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan F 1)/ V I/va ter°. M Sal Qjj nr a 1jT S Yau EAAEast Valley Water District Sir EV www.eas va ey,org 1 i1 P+f Le tke nntCY Y 1 an Isr ur tColt k r J` a avan water es f LV BEAR , A 1 PR[]WL S JC',Wa1top FOR WATER WASTERS cat.M..700 4 Q Appendix K: EVWD Bill UTILITY ACCOUNT •INFORMATIONEastValley Water District NAME: P.O.Box 3427 San Bernardino,CA 92413 SERVICE ADDRESS:www.eastvalley.org ACCOUNT NUMBER. METER NUMBER. BILL DATE: 02109/2011 EA50209A AUTO 5-DIGIT 92346 7000000794 01.0003.0200 794/1 BILL PERIOD- 01'/1112011 to 0210812011 111111,It,IIJ 11111 1111111 111111111111 Jill DUE DATE- 03/0212011 iTl IT SAGE INFORMATI NCM= M IL PAYMENT SUMMARY USAGE DAYS DAILY AVG. PREVIOUS BALANCE 64.31 THIS YEAR 15 28 1PAYMENT01116/2011 64.31 BALANCE FORWARD 0.00 LAST YEAR 3 28 0 PREVIOUS READ CURRENT READ USAGE 1274 1289 15 CURRENT CHARGES WATER SYSTEM 11.54 WATER CONSUMPTION 22.35 SEWER TREATMENT 16.00 SEWER MAINTENANCE 12.93 CURRENT CHARGES 62.82 0 1 : I 1 11''1111 62.82 E-BILLING COMING SOON PAYMENT OPTIONS Go paperless. Receive your bill by email.Watch for further In person at the District Office;night slot available notices. Automatic payment plan from your checking acccount In an effort to serve you better,East Valley Water District is Automated Quick Pay(check or credit card) conducting a customer satisfaction survey from February 7 24 Hours a day 909-889-9501 to March 11,2011. Please visit WWW.EASTVALLEY.ORG, District website at www.eastvalley.org by credit card and tell us how we are doing.We value your opinions. We accept Visa,Mastercard&American Express I L r PLEASE RETURN THIS PORTION ALONG WITH YOUR PAYMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER- PAYMENT COUPON SERVICE PERIOD- 01111/2011 to 0210812011 PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYBLE TO: DUE DATE- 03/02/2011 EAST VALLEY WATER DISTRICT AMOUNT DUE: Service Address AMOUNT PAID: 00542L1k000000k2823 EAST VALLEY WATER DISTRICT Billing Address P.O. BOX 3427 San Bernardino, CA 92413-3427 East Valley Water District4WDDRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page K-1 Appendix L: Website Assessment Website ssessmen A website is an essential part of any organization. It is a portal for customer interaction, public messaging, and a great means of providing vital information at the customer's direction.A website provides an invaluable place for customers and stakeholders to interact directly and easily with their water agency. The website also provides an important platform to communicate directly with customers and stakeholders and to manage the agency's public messaging. Website design and layout is best when easy to follow and scalable in nature, which allows for easier navigation by the end-user. Creating a user friendly website entails providing solid, usable information that is not too technical or academic for the general public and your customer. Agency websites function best when they first and foremost provide a place where the customer can handle various aspects of his or her accounts and billing. Designing a website that facilitates customer interaction requires developing a site that focuses first on the customers' needs. Highlighting areas such as "Bill Pay, "Customer Service" and "Start/Stop Service" on the homepage to speak directly to customer needs is vital for a good end-user experience. A good place to start improving the site could potentially be a restructuring of the current homepage to make services more prominently displayed,with easy"Click and Pay" features. It is important to view the homepage as both a public banner, and a portal to the rest of the site. Exploring how (and how often) customers utilize (or would utilize)your agency website will create a positive, user-friendly experience that accommodates two-way interaction with your customers, and allows them to meet their needs (online bill pay, rates, billing questions) 24 hours a day, on their schedule.The website can also be an excellent place to receive customer and stakeholder feedback, and to disseminate important agency information on a regular basis. By providing a place for customers and stakeholders to respond to agency messaging,you allow for greater positive interaction. One positive way to generate customer interaction is to embed the site with tools for Social Media sharing, especially as it pertains to water conservation and water quality content. Creating content that is easily shared allows end-users to promulgate the messaging on the agency site by spreading that content to other frequently viewed/used sites. The overall goal for a utility website is to make it as easy as possible for customers to do the things they most often do when interacting with your agency. By providing an inviting, user- friendly website,the public portal you're creating will save your customers time, and save the agency money.A properly configured website can reduce billing cost, reduce paper use and waste, and create a streamlined experience for the customer. If Board and management is concerned about spending more time and money on updating a website that recently received a makeover, keep in mind that frequently updated content is preferred by most people who navigate the web. Providing stakeholders with new information they can count on and look forward to will keep them coming back to a message tool you manage and can control. East Valley Water District Page DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix L: Website Assessment Wobsite Pages Home Videos need more creative headlines Conservation as a headline, but very little to back it up Where does the conservation "tagline" come from? Missing the District's Mission or overall tagline? Save our Water Button Save Our Water": California's Water Conservation Resource looks like hyperlink, but does not go anywhere Featured Services" looks like hyperlink, but does not go anywhere Emergency Preparedness on this page— not necessary ERNIE log-in? Prepare Your Family for an Emergency Include how much water and how to store it About EVWD—each page needs links to other relevant pages on the site. Sources of Water Supply: needs tightened text and visuals Water District Projects needs visuals and tightened content California Water Project: Inaccurate name, should be State Water Project, also needs condensed content and visuals Employment Opportunities Delete "position" in second paragraph Customer Service Pay Your Bill eCare Option for discontinuing paper billing if signed-up for e- billing/payment Start or Stop Water Service Explain that form MUST be printed —cannot be submitted electronically Allow form to be filled-out and submitted online Auto-pay Include info on site, not just in PDF Allow form to be filled-out and submitted online Your Account Documents Maybe not a good combination —forms and CCRs (forms are also on Start/Stop Service page) Billing & Rate Information Please call the District office to start or stop service (but info is on the web, so why described here in this way?) normal working hours" to "normal business hours" or administrative hours" (mentioned twice in this section) East Valley Water District Page L-2 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix L: Website Assessment Night drop at District Office (add address) Explain what constitutes an emergency Emergency service number listed above sewer rates Explain sewer rates/have more distinction between water explanation and sewer explanation Building/motel (delete space) Use Water Wisely" info blends in too much with billing information Show a bill example Third Party Notification Subhead: To avoid unnecessary shut-off Revise copy Troubleshooting Tips Could be generally tightened p" in first problem needs to be uppercase No At the end of first problem things: says several things, but only lists 1) Service FAQs Add Photos Reorder the questions—suggest not leading with water quality Question about best times to call and come in, but answer is about worse times How can "I" save money... Is that the best number to call? Should we direct them to Water Use it Wisely site? Board of Directors Too formal Says meetings start at 2:30 p.m. EVWD Board & Management Matt—something about father service on the Board? James—could be trimmed slightly Larry— photo?/delete "CA" /could be trimmed slightly Ron —description of time at EVWD could be tightened Upcoming Events and Meetings More events and meetings should be listed EVWD Board meetings listed as 2-4 p.m. Meeting Agendas and Minutes eCare is difficult to pull-up agendas, etc. Education Introductory page too long Add photos o Water Conservation Add photos Suggest short bullet points instead of long exhaustive text East Valley Water District P a L-3 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix L: Website Assessment Combine/reduce text from main Education Pg &Water Conservation Pg Conservation calculator? Water Testing Information Too academic and lengthy Could be handled more like a glossary and/or with shorter descriptions and bullet points Informational Websites Replace text links with logos Possibly reduce list or highlight most important with logos and other with text links News Read all EVWD News (take out "the") Add all updated press releases (need process for this) Add PDFs of news coverage (add dropdown/button) Add videos (dropdown/button) Add recent newsletters in PDF (dropdown/button) Add other District photos Other Considerations: Take off site: Important Information About Your Water Take off site: Rate Hearing info Add Eastwood Ranch Hearing Info on home page, calendar and throughout Most font should be larger throughout Add District photos throughout East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page L-4I Appendix M: Website Analytics www.eastvalley.org Aug 1, 2010 - Feb 17, 2011 Dashboard Comparing to: Site 0 Visits 390 300 0 0 Aug 2 Aug 20 Sep 7 Sep 25 Oct 13 Oct 31 Nov 18 Dec 6 Dec 24 Jan 11 Jan 29 f UsageSite 00* 26,125 Visits 58.35% Bounce Rate I+I*V*I* 53,927 Pageviews 06:61:19 Avg.Time on Site 2.0 6 PagesNisit 49.50% %New Visits Visitors Overview r Overlay r Visitcrs 00 2. 0 r. 0 Aug 2 1 Aug 20 Sep 7 Sep 25 Oct 13 Oct 31 Nov 18 Dec 6 Dec 24 Jan 11 Jan 29 Visitors 143022 Visits 25,652 SourcesTraffic Content Overview Search Engines Pages Pageviews %Pageviews 13,340.00(51.06%) Direct Traffic I 277895 51.73% 11,698.00(44.78%) Referring Sites customer-service/pay-your-bill/ 5,079 11.27% 1,087.00(4.15%) about-east-valley-water- 27790 5.17% customer-service/startstop-27394 4.44% customer-service/ 2215 4.11% 1 Google Analytics East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Page M-1 Appendix M: Website Analytics www.eastvalley.org Aug 1, 2010 - Feb 17, 2011 Visitors Overview Comparing to: Site 0 Visitors 200 200 a 00 a a Aug 2 Aug 20 Sep 7 Sep 25 Oct 13 Oct 31 Nov 18 Dec 5 Dec 24 Jan 11 Jan 29 1 f 14,022 people visited this site 25,125 visits INN!IN111110111 14,022 Absolute Unique visitors Who* 53,927 Pageviews 2.06 Average Pageviews 00:01:19 Time on Site 58.35% Bounce Rate 49.50% New Visits Technical Profile Browser Visits visits Connection Speed Visits visits Internet Explorer 17,177 65.75% Cable 10,573 40.47% Firefox 4,612 17.65% DSL 6,565 25.13% Safari 2,926 11.20% Unknown 4,925 18.85% Chrome 11220 4.67% T1 3,387 12.96% Opera 47 0.18% OC3 341 1.31% 2 Google Analytics T-.4D East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan P a g M-2 Appendix M: Website Analytics www.eastva ley.org Aug 1, 2010 - Feb 17, 2011 Traffic Sources Overview Comparing to: Site Visits 300 300 0 0 Aug 2 Aug 20 Sep 7 Sep 25 Oct 13 Oct 31 Nov 18 Dec 6 Dec 24 Jan 11 Jan 29 r All traffic sources seat a total of 26,'125 visits W'WW' 44.78% Direct Traffic Search Engines 13,340.00(51.06%) Direct Traffic MV4*** 4.16% Referring Sites 11,698.00(44.78%) Referring Sites 1,087.00(4.16%} 51.06% Search Engines Top Traffic Sources Sources Visits visits Keywords Visits visits direct)((none)) 111698 44.78% east valley water district 51557 41.66% google(organic) 83830 33.80% evwd 1,020 7.65% yahoo(organic) 27043 7.82% east valley water 850 6.37% Bing(organic) 1,730 6.62% www.eastvalley.org 664 4.98% aol(organic) 309 1.18% eastvalley.org 493 3.70% 3 Google Analytics East Valley Water DistrictT.-4 D P a M-3 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix M: Website Analytics www.eastvalley.org Aug 1, 2010 - Feb 17, 2011 pMCA Overlay Comparing to: Site Ilk, Visits 1 ANN 25,852 26,125 visits came from 48 countries/territories Visits PagesNisit Avg.Time on Site %New Visits Bounce Rate 26,125 2.06 00:01:19 49.51% 58.35% of Site Total: Site Avg: Site Avg: Site Avg: Site Avg: 100.00% 2.06(0-00%)00:01:19(0.00%) 49.50%(0.02%) 58.35%(0.00%) Country/Territory Visits Pages/Visit Avg.Time on % New Visits Bounce Rate Site United States 25,852 2.07 00:01:19 49.33% 58.26% Canada 56 2.09 00:01:15 78-57% 55-36% Philippines 40 2.12 00:02:43 57-50% 72.50%® India 37 2.78 00:02:30 86.49% 51.35% Guam 18 1.56 00:01:52 5.56% 66-67% Mexico 18 1.17 00:00:15 5.56% 88-89% United Kingdom 9 2.00 00:00:54 100.00% 44.44% China 9 1.22 00:00:04 55-56% 77.78% Russia 9 1.00 00:00:00 100-00% 100-00% 4 Google Analytics DEast Valley Water District P a g e M-4 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix M: Website Analytics www.eastvalley.org Aug 1, 2010 - Feb 17, 2011 Content Overview Comparing to: Site Pageviews 600 600 0 0 Aug 2 Aug 20 Sep 7 Sep 25 Oct 13 Oct 31 Nov 18 Dec 6 Dec 24 Jan 11 Jan 29 f Pages on this site were viewed a total of 53,027 times 53,927 Pageviews kw* 42,1 72 Unique Views 58.35% Pounce Rate Top Content Pages Pageviews Pageviews 271895 51.73% customer-service/pay-your-bill/ 6,079 11.27% about-east-valley-water-district/employment-opportunities/ 2790 5.17%4 customer-service/sta rtstop-service/ 2,394 4.44% customer-service/ 2,215 4.11% G Google Analytics East Valley Water DistrictT.-4 D P a M-5 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix M: Website Analytics www.eastvalley.org Aug 1, 2010 - Feb 17, 2011 Top Content Comparing tai: Site Pageviews 600 600 a a Aug 2 Aug 20 Sep 7 Sep 25 Oct 13 Oct 31 Nov 18 Dec 6 Dec 24 1 Jan 11 Jan 29 1 f 593 pages were viewed a total of 53,927 times Pageviews unique Avg.Time on Bounce Rate Exit Index 53,927 Pageviews Page 58.35% 48.45%0.00 of Site Total: 421172 00:01:15 Site Avg: Site Avg: Site Avg: 100.00% of Site Total: Site Avg: 58.35%(0.00%)48.45%(0.00%0)0.00(0.00%) 100.00% 00:01:15(0.00%) Page Pageviews Unique Avg.Time on Bounce Rate % Exit Index Pageviews Page 27,895 221738 00:01:25 59.24%57.49% 0.00 customer-service/pay-your-bill/ 6,079 31695 00:01:17 61.92%52.87% 0.00 about-east-valley-water- 21790 27385 00:00:35 77.68%fl 61.86% 0.00 district/employment-opportunities/ customer-service/startstop-service/ 21394 1,584 00:01:52 65.59%49.08% 0.00 customer-service/ 21215 1,787 00:00:31 42.42% 17.34% 0.00 contact-form/ 2,139 1,629 00:01:36 53.26%44.04% 4.00 about-east-valley-water-district/ 839 659 00:00:37 13.33% 15.49% 0.00 customer-service/forms-documents/ 775 539 00:00:48 47.37% 16.13% 0.00 category/news-press- 757 603 00:01:14 66.67%30.12% 0.00 announcements/ customer-service/rate-information/ 632 504 00:00:58 50.00%25.79% 0.00 board-of-directors/board-and- 623 527 00:01:31 47.97%43.02%0 0.00 mangement/ about-east-valley-water- 490 367 00:01:24 37.11%22.86% 0.00 district/water-district-projects/ about-east-valley-water-district/east- 435 348 00:01:04 60.87%31.49% 0.00 valley-water-district-service-area/ board-of-directors/events-calendar/ 430 325 00:00:32 27.78% 15.81% 0.00 board-of-directors/ 405 312 00:00:28 17.86% 6.67% 0.00 category/meeting/372 218 00:01:05 100.00%26.61% 0.00 2010/07/video-water-district- 292 263 00:00:48 11.84% 17.12% 0.00 improvement/ customer-service/service-rules- 289 250 00:01:27 79.17%38.06% 0.00 regulations/ 1 Goggle Analytics East Valley Water DistrictT.-4 D P a g e M-6 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix M: Website Analytics 2010/08/seven-oaks-dam-testing/ 270 256 00:02:48 81.40%33.70% 0.00 eastval2/ 259 185 00:01:20 29-67%27.41% 0.00 about-east-valley-water- 252 203 00:01:39 53.85%25.79% 0.00 d i stri ct/sou rces-of-ovate r-su pply/ about.ph p?pg=aboutjobs 244 209 00-02-17 20.67%28.28% 0.00 customer-service/service-faq/ 234 217 00:00:55 46.15%25.21% 0.00 water-conservation-educatio/ 179 144 00:00:41 39.47%18.99% 0.00 12010/01/santa-ana-river-tour/ 168 145 00:03:58 35.71%32.14% 0.00 about-east-valley-water- 160 132 00:00:52 65.52%30.00% 0.00 district/california-water-project/ 2010/09/201 Owater-quality- 151 115 00:01:48 71.11%56.29% 0.00 regulatory-conference/ customer-service/troubleshooting- 147 133 00:01:06 81-82%31.29% 0.00 help/ water-conservation-educatio/water- 128 98 00:00:57 76.47%25.00% 0.00 testing-information/ water-conservation- 112 81 00:01:25 50.00%29.46% 0.00 educatio/conservation-websites/ 2010/01/emergency-preparedness/ 105 90 00:01:17 100-00%40.00% 0.00 customer-service/third-party- 102 91 00:00:33 100.00%10.78% 0.00 notificatio/ water-conservation-educatio/water- 67 56 00:01:03 16.67%20.90% 0.00 conservation/ 2010/01/meeting-archive/ 62 46 00:01:07 100.00%33.87% 0.00 about.ph p?pg=about-contact-i nfo 60 57 00:00:43 40.00%40.00% 0.00 2010/071news-release-evwd- 53 50 00:00:57 19.23%18.87% 0.00 completes-pipline/ board staff/Employment/bd-stfEmpi 52 50 00:00:40 24.00%26.92% 0.00 oymerit- Home.shtml 2010/01/save-our-water/ 43 36 00:00:42 50.00%34.88% 0.00 2010/09/2010-water-quality- 40 29 00:00:10 0.00%10-00% 0.00 re g u I ato ry-co of re n ce/ about-east-valley-water- 38 35 00:00:55 42.86%21.05% 0.00 district/state-water-project/ 2010109/hazard-mitigation-updates/ 30 26 00:00:21 50.00%20.00% 0.00 engineering_ops/eng_opsSpecs.sht 30 20 00:00:26 15.79%23.33%© 0.00 ml 2010/06/now-accepting-bids-for- 29 24 00:01:39 100.00%34.48% 0.00 treatment-plant-upgrade/ category/news-press- 28 27 00-01-25 64.71%42-86% 0.00 announcements/page/2/ cs.p h p?pg=cs_b 1111 ng_rate-I nfo 25 21 00:00:16 52.38%56.00% 0.00 2010/09/new-disconnect-notice- 18 18 00:01:27 80.00%44.44% 0.00 charge/ 2 Google Analytics DEast Valley Water District P a g e M-7 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix M: Website Analytics 2010/12/east-valley-water-district-16 13 00:01:30 0.00% 0.00% 0.00 employee-graduates-from- prestigious-class/ 2010108/evwd-providing-emergency- 15 13 00:00:41 30.00%33.33% 0.00 water-service-to-mare-than-2000- people/ 2010/01/important-information- 14 12 00:00:29 0.00%28.57% 0.00 about-your-water/ Ecare 12 11 00:00:27 54.55%58.33% 0.00 1 -50 of 593 3 Google Analytics T.-4D East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan P a g M-g Appendix N: Branding 101 Branding Branding is a vital component of effective messaging. Developing a consistent brand, and using it across all messaging platforms (billing, advertising, website) will help to create a cohesive message, and reinforce the District's Mission Statement. Develop a brand by refining the District's promise to the customers and other stakeholders. This promise should be vetted through the staff& Board to accurately reflect the ongoing messaging the District hopes to achieve through your branding efforts. Common themes among stakeholders are: Quality Reliability Affordability To be effective, branding messages need to be concise, easy to understand, and convey a value to the customer. Developing a brand requires some thoughtful preparation. What is your most important role to your customers and stakeholders? What promise do you wish to convey on a daily basis that would be a value to those customers? How do your customers currently perceive you? Is this something you wish to reinforce or change? Consistency and saturation are keys to effectively making a branding stick. It is vital that a brand is universal in your internal and external communications with staff, Board, stakeholders and customers. Once branding, including tagline and images, are agreed upon by Directors and staff, consider launching a branding campaign to saturate audiences with the new messaging. From that point, frequent and consistent communication to the various vertical audiences is essential to a disciplined messaging strategy, which maintains the brand. Utility taglines/slogans: Securing Your Water Supply." Water You Can Count On" Safe. Clean. Water." Quality Water, Now and for the Future." Your Local Water Source." East Valley Water District Page N-1 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Appendix 0: Customer Bill of Rights as a e y Water Di*strict pledge to uphold the high standards of customer service excellence as outlined in the goals and objectives of East Valley Water District(EVWD)with emphasis on the customer's welfare and satisfaction. I realize that our consumer base evaluates their business relationship with EVWD every time they contact us;therefore,making their experience as enjoyable and productive as possible is essential to customer acquisition and retention. I understand the critical need to make our customers feel assured that we are dedicated to providing the best in water utilities. I will stand committed to being and enthusiastic empathetic, and caring member of the EVWD team. I will perform my assigned duties and responsibilities with the following in mind: That our customers are the most important people at EVWD, whether in person or on the telephone. That each customer is a unique being with individual needs and concerns. That our customers are as dependent upon us as we are upon them. That when a customer calls, it is not a disruption of my workday; but the essence of why I am here 1 will never argue with a customer or seek to outwit him or her. 0 1 will work to resolve customer problems. 1 will listen to what our customers have to say and make an active effort to hear that is being said and understand their unique needs. 1 will not let preconceptions or stereotypes get in the way of quality service and quality customer care. 1 will not be rude,use foul language,or commit any other unprofessional actions or conversation. 1 will exhibit the utmost in professionalism to customers and co-workers. Employee's Signature Today's Date East Valley Water District Page 0-1 DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan Presented By : STRATEGIES PRECISION IN PERCEPTIONS" February 24, 2011 East Valley Water District DRAFT-Strategic Communications Plan