Ten Steps for Conducting a Communications Audit By Katlin Sm.docx

Ten Steps for Conducting a Communications Audit
By Katlin Smith, APR, Principal, UrbanWords™ Group
What are you communicating? Are your communications
effective?
A Communications Audit will answer these questions. A
Communications Audit is a
systematic research method, which will identify the strengths
and weaknesses of your
current internal and external communications.
An effective Communications Audit will identify:
• how past communications were handled
• key audiences, what they currently know about your business,
service, product or organization, what they
need and want to know and how they prefer to be reached
• strengths and weakness in current communications programs
• untapped opportunities for future communications
A Communications Audit asks:
• What are our current goals and objectives for
communications?
• How well is the current Communications Plan working?
• Are our messages clear and consistent? Do we have a
coordinated graphic identity?
• Are we reaching key audiences with our messages and moving
them to action?
• What communications have been most effective?

• What do customers think of our communications?
• Do our communications support our overall strategic plan for
our business or organization?
• What would make our communications more effective in the
future?
• What communications opportunities are we missing?
You may either conduct a self-assessment or hire a professional
to perform the audit. These 10 steps will help you
complete your Communications Audit.
Step 1: Determine key areas to be audited.
Look at both internal and external communications. Include
everything from your standard identity pieces (business
cards, letterhead, logo and signage) to promotional materials to
news coverage received. Don’t forget to analyze your
Web site and other online marketing materials.
Step 2: Choose your research methods.
To conduct your audit, select among numerous research
methods such as one-on-one interviews, focus groups, online
or telephone surveys and media analysis.
Step 3: Collect and evaluate your past communications.
Spread all of last year’s communications pieces–internal and
external–on a conference room table. Ask:
• How did we inform the public about our business? What
worked? What didn’t?
• Were our graphics coordinated and messages consistent?
• Who were our key audiences?
• What were our key messages?
• Did we reach our audiences with the right messages?
• What media coverage did we receive? Was it effective? What
media opportunities did we miss?

• Did we successfully tell our story in our communications?
Take the time to analyze each communications piece. Create a
written list of what worked, and what didn’t. Survey a
few trusted staff and clients. What did they appreciate and why?
What didn’t work for them?
Step 4: Look outward: Query your customers.
Choose neutral researchers to query your customers. Electronic
surveys, one-on-one interviews, telephone interviews
or focus groups are a few techniques. Select a limited number of
questions to analyze your communications from your
customer’s point of view. Ask: What are your impressions of
our communications? What do you think of our
graphics, identity pieces, Web site and other marketing
materials? How could we improve our communications?
Remember the saying, “a complaint is a gift.” (This is the title
of Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller’s classic, highly
recommended book about responding to customer feedback.)
Step 5: Look outward: Query your community.
What does the community know and perceive about your
organization? Take a broader look at the impact of your
communications. Again, ask questions to reveal public
perceptions. This can be achieved by hiring a research firm or
an objective person to conduct a formal community survey or by
informally interviewing community members.
Step 6: Look inward: Query your staff and volunteers.
Don’t forget your internal audiences. Collect their opinions
about your communications. Ask: What are your reactions
to communications during the past year? What was effective?
What wasn’t? What could be improved? Did internal

documents serve your needs? What future communications
could help you function as part of the organization? You
will need to determine if all communications were understood
by all internal audiences. And examine how your
internal audiences present your organization to the public. Do
all employees have an accurate, consistent “elevator
speech” about your organization? Do you speak as one voice?
Step 7: Analyze your media coverage.
Keep all your press coverage in a media binder. This can
include television and radio tapes and/or transcripts and
Web coverage. As in Step 3, spread your media coverage around
a table. Include articles and paid ads. Look at the
frequency and reach of your coverage. What is the tone and
impact? Are your key messages being promoted? Are
your audiences being reached? What media opportunities have
you missed? To oversee coverage, contract with a news
monitoring service or use Google’s free Media Alerts to track
your coverage in the press, blogs and Web sites.
Step 8: Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
threats) analysis.
Pull your data together from the previous steps. Do a SWOT
analysis of your communications using a simple chart:
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS
Analyze how you can capitalize on strengths, stop weaknesses,
maximize opportunities and defend against threats.
Step 9: Think like a communications consultant.
Based on your findings, what would you recommend to yourself
for future communications? Select a team to help
you analyze your audit results and strategize about future
actions.
Step 10: Put together a plan for future communications.
Use your research as the starting point for creating a
Communications Plan for your organization. Either create the
plan internally, or hire a professional to design and implement
your plan.
101 E. Eighth Street
Suite 325E
Vancouver, WA 98660
360.699.7234
[email protected]
www.urbanwordsgroup.com

Turn to UrbanWords™ Group for:
• Persuasive Public Relations
• Visible Business Packages
• Professional Writing & Editing
• Effective Public Involvement and Outreach
We Make Your Business Visible.
Collecting and Analyzing the Data from Your Survey
In this handout you will see an example of a chart with the
responses from 8 participants. Note that I have color-coded the
questions to make it easier for you to identify which area of
communication these questions address: (there are 5 areas that
the survey addresses)
1- 7 Receiving Information from Others
8-14 Sending Information to Others
15-23 Sources of Information
24-29 Timeliness
30-37 Channels of Information
If you look at the average score for each item, you will be able
to tell where the organization scored low.
For example, note that in the second section (Sending
Information to Others) several items were scored very low,
including # 9, # 11 and # 13.
Thus, I can say that this organization seems to have some gaps

in the first area – Sending Information to Others .
My second step would be to go to the literature and see what
can we do about this? What are some suggestions to specifically
improve these areas? I would give recommendations USING
SCHOLARLY SOURCES.
What are two other areas that scored low? Remember that for
this assignment you need to identify ONE area of concern, as
shown by the data, and then give recommendations.
Remember to add your table similar to this one in the appendix
so that the reader can see the scores and confirm that you have
really identified the areas that scored low.
Questions
Person 1
Person 2
Person 3
Person 4
Person 5
Person 6
Person 7
Person 8
Average
1
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
2.875
2
4
3
4

3
4
3
4
4
3.625
3
2
2
3
3
3
2
3
3
2.625
4
4
4
5
4
4
5
4
4
4.25
5
1
2
2
4
3
2
2
2
2.25

6
5
4
4
4
5
3
4
4
4.125
7
3
2
3
2
1
2
3
3
2.375
8
5
5
5
4
3
3
4
5
4.25
9
1
1
1
3
2

2
2
1
1.625
10
5
5
4
4
5
4
4
5
4.5
11
3
1
2
1
3
1
1
3
1.875
12
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
4.875
13
1

1
1
2
1
3
3
1
1.625
14
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
5
4.75
15
1
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
1.375
16
5
5
5
5
5
5
3

5
4.75
17
2
1
1
1
3
1
2
2
1.625
18
5
5
4
5
3
5
2
5
4.25
19
1
1
3
1
3
2
2
1
1.75
20
5
5
5

5
2
5
4
5
4.5
21
1
2
3
1
3
1
1
1
1.625
22
5
5
5
2
3
5
5
5
4.375
23
1
1
1
5
3
1
3
5
2.5

24
5
5
5
5
2
5
3
2
4
25
1
1
1
3
1
5
4
5
2.625
26
2
5
5
3
3
2
2
1
2.875

27
5
5
2
5
1
5
4
5
4
28
5
2
5
4
5
1
2
1
3.125
29
3
5
1
2
1
5
2
5
3
30
3

1
5
1
5
1
2
1
2.375
31
5
5
1
1
1
5
2
5
3.125
32
5
1
5
4
4
1
4
1
3.125
33
2
5
5
5
4
5
4

2
4
34
4
1
2
3
2
1
2
5
2.5
35
2
5
5
2
3
2
3
5
3.375
36
4
1
1
4
3
5
3
3
3
37
1
2
5

3
1
5
1
3
2.625
COMMUNICATION EVALUATION
SURVEY
Based on the Questionnaire Survey by the International
Communication Association
Instructions
Please circle your responses on the survey form. Please answer
all questions since each is important
for possibly improving the operation of your organization. If

there are any questions which do not
apply to you, leave them blank. If there are questions which you
do not understand, please ask us
about them. We appreciate your patience for this important
survey.
PLEASE MARK ONLY ONE RESPONSE TO EACH
QUESTION
1
Communication Evaluation Survey
Receiving Information from Others
Instructions for Questions 1 through 26
You can receive information about various topics in your
organization. For each topic listed below,
circle the response that best indicates: (1) the amount of
information you are receiving on that topic
and (2) the amount of information you need to receive on that
topic, that is, the amount you have to

|
How technological changes affect my job. 9. 1 2 3 4 5 | 10. 1 2
3 4 5
|
Mistakes and failures of my organization. 11. 1 2 3 4 5 | 12. 1 2
3 4 5
|
How I am being judged. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 | 14. 1 2 3 4 5
|
How my job-related problems are being handled. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 |
16. 1 2 3 4 5
|
How organization decisions are made that affect |
my job. 17. 1 2 3 4 5 | 18. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Promotion and advancement opportunities in my |
organization 19. 1 2 3 4 5 | 20. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Important new product, service or program |
developments in my organization. 21. 1 2 3 4 5 | 22. 1 2 3 4 5

|
How my job relates to the total operation of |
my organization. 23. 1 2 3 4 5 | 24. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Specific problems faced by management. 25. 1 2 3 4 5 | 26. 1 2
3 4 5
2
Sending Information to Others
In addition to receiving information, there are many topics on
which you can send information to others. For each topic
listed below, circle the response that best indicates: (1) the
amount of information you are sending on that topic and (2)
the amount of information you need to send on that topic in
order to do your job.

|
Requesting information necessary to do my job. 35. 1 2 3 4 5 |
36. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Evaluating the performance of my immediate |
supervisor 37. 1 2 3 4 5 | 38. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Asking for clearer work instructions. 39. 1 2 3 4 5 | 40. 1 2 3 4
5
3
Follow-up on Information Sent
Indicate the amount of action or follow-up that is and needs to
be taken on information you send to the following:

4
Sources of Information
You not only receive various kinds of information, but can
receive such information from various sources within the
organization. For each source listed below, circle the response
that best indicates: (1) the amount of information you are
receiving from that source and (2) the amount of information
you need to receive from that source in order to do your
job.
1 = Very Little

Formal management presentations 63. 1 2 3 4 5 | 64. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Top management 65. 1 2 3 4 5 | 66. 1 2 3 4 5
|
The "grapevine" 67. 1 2 3 4 5 | 68. 1 2 3 4 5
5
Timeliness of Information Received from Key Sources
Indicate the extent to which information from the following
sources is usually timely (you get information when you
need it -- not too early, not too late).
1 = Very Little
2 = Little

3 = Some
4 = Great
5 = Very Great
Subordinates (if applicable) 69. 1 2 3 4 5
Co-workers 70. 1 2 3 4 5
Immediate supervisor 71. 1 2 3 4 5
Middle management 72. 1 2 3 4 5
Top management 73. 1 2 3 4 5
"Grapevine" 74. 1 2 3 4 5
6

Channels of Communication
The following questions list a variety of channels through which
information is transmitted to employees. Please circle
the response which best indicates: (1) the amount of information
you are receiving through that channel and (2) the
amount of information you need to receive through that channel.
1 = Very Little
5 = Very Great |
|
|
Channel: |
|

Face-to-face contact between two people 107. 1 2 3 4 5 | 108. 1
2 3 4 5
|
Face-to-face contact among more than two people 109. 1 2 3 4 5
| 110. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Telephone 111. 1 2 3 4 5 | 112. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Written (memos, letters) 113. 1 2 3 4 5 | 114. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Bulletin Boards 115. 1 2 3 4 5 | 116. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Internal Publications 117. 1 2 3 4 5 | 118. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Internal Audio-Visual Media (Videotape, Films, Slides) 119. 1 2
3 4 5 | 120. 1 2 3 4 5
|
External Media (TV, Radio, Newspapers) 121. 1 2 3 4 5 | 122. 1
2 3 4 5

7
Collecting and Analyzing the Data from Your Survey
In this handout you will see an example of a chart with the
responses from 8 participants. Note that I have color-coded the
questions to make it easier for you to identify which area of
communication these questions address: (there are 5 areas that
the survey addresses)
1- 7 Receiving Information from Others
8-14 Sending Information to Others
15-23 Sources of Information
24-29 Timeliness
30-37 Channels of Information
If you look at the average score for each item, you will be able
to tell where the organization scored low.
For example, note that in the second section (Sending
Information to Others) several items were scored very low,
including # 9, # 11 and # 13.
Thus, I can say that this organization seems to have some gaps
in the first area – Sending Information to Others .
My second step would be to go to the literature and see what
can we do about this? What are some suggestions to specifically
improve these areas? I would give recommendations USING
SCHOLARLY SOURCES.
What are two other areas that scored low? Remember that for
this assignment you need to identify ONE area of concern, as
shown by the data, and then give recommendations.

Remember to add your table similar to this one in the appendix
so that the reader can see the scores and confirm that you have
really identified the areas that scored low.
Questions
Person 1
Person 2
Person 3
Person 4
Person 5
Person 6
Person 7
Person 8
Average
1
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
2.875
2
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
4
3.625
3
2

2
3
3
3
2
3
3
2.625
4
4
4
5
4
4
5
4
4
4.25
5
1
2
2
4
3
2
2
2
2.25
6
5
4
4
4
5
3
4

4
4.125
7
3
2
3
2
1
2
3
3
2.375
8
5
5
5
4
3
3
4
5
4.25
9
1
1
1
3
2
2
2
1
1.625
10
5
5
4

4
5
4
4
5
4.5
11
3
1
2
1
3
1
1
3
1.875
12
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
4.875
13
1
1
1
2
1
3
3
1
1.625

14
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
5
4.75
15
1
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
1.375
16
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
5
4.75
17
2
1
1
1
3

1
2
2
1.625
18
5
5
4
5
3
5
2
5
4.25
19
1
1
3
1
3
2
2
1
1.75
20
5
5
5
5
2
5
4
5
4.5
21
1

2
3
1
3
1
1
1
1.625
22
5
5
5
2
3
5
5
5
4.375
23
1
1
1
5
3
1
3
5
2.5
24
5
5
5
5
2
5
3

2
4
25
1
1
1
3
1
5
4
5
2.625
26
2
5
5
3
3
2
2
1
2.875
27
5
5
2

5
1
5
4
5
4
28
5
2
5
4
5
1
2
1
3.125
29
3
5
1
2
1
5
2
5
3
30
3
1
5
1
5
1
2
1
2.375

31
5
5
1
1
1
5
2
5
3.125
32
5
1
5
4
4
1
4
1
3.125
33
2
5
5
5
4
5
4
2
4
34
4
1
2
3
2

1
2
5
2.5
35
2
5
5
2
3
2
3
5
3.375
36
4
1
1
4
3
5
3
3
3
37
1
2
5
3
1
5
1
3
2.625

COMMUNICATION EVALUATION
SURVEY
Based on the Questionnaire Survey by the International
Communication Association
Instructions
Please circle your responses on the survey form. Please answer
all questions since each is important
for possibly improving the operation of your organization. If
there are any questions which do not
apply to you, leave them blank. If there are questions which you
do not understand, please ask us
about them. We appreciate your patience for this important
survey.

PLEASE MARK ONLY ONE RESPONSE TO EACH
QUESTION
1
Receiving Information from Others
You can receive information about various topics in your
organization. For each topic listed below,
circle the response that best indicates: (1) the amount of
information you are receiving on that topic
and (2) the amount of information you need to receive on that
topic, that is, the amount you have to
have in order to do your job.
1 = Very Little

5 = Very Great |
|
|
Topic Area |
|
How well I am doing in my job. 1. 1 2 3 4 5 | 2. 1 2 3 4 5
|
My job duties. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 | 4. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Organizational policies. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 | 6. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Pay and benefits. 7. 1 2 3 4 5 | 8. 1 2 3 4 5
|
How technological changes affect my job. 9. 1 2 3 4 5 | 10. 1 2
3 4 5
|
Mistakes and failures of my organization. 11. 1 2 3 4 5 | 12. 1 2

3 4 5
|
How I am being judged. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 | 14. 1 2 3 4 5
|
How my job-related problems are being handled. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 |
16. 1 2 3 4 5
|
How organization decisions are made that affect |
my job. 17. 1 2 3 4 5 | 18. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Promotion and advancement opportunities in my |
organization 19. 1 2 3 4 5 | 20. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Important new product, service or program |
developments in my organization. 21. 1 2 3 4 5 | 22. 1 2 3 4 5
|
How my job relates to the total operation of |
my organization. 23. 1 2 3 4 5 | 24. 1 2 3 4 5
|

Specific problems faced by management. 25. 1 2 3 4 5 | 26. 1 2
3 4 5
2
Sending Information to Others
In addition to receiving information, there are many topics on
which you can send information to others. For each topic
listed below, circle the response that best indicates: (1) the
amount of information you are sending on that topic and (2)
the amount of information you need to send on that topic in
order to do your job.
1 = Very Little

Evaluating the performance of my immediate |
supervisor 37. 1 2 3 4 5 | 38. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Asking for clearer work instructions. 39. 1 2 3 4 5 | 40. 1 2 3 4
5
3
Follow-up on Information Sent
Indicate the amount of action or follow-up that is and needs to
be taken on information you send to the following:
1 = Very Little
3 = Some of follow-up now | of follow-up needed
4 = Great |

Sources of Information
You not only receive various kinds of information, but can
receive such information from various sources within the
organization. For each source listed below, circle the response
that best indicates: (1) the amount of information you are
receiving from that source and (2) the amount of information
you need to receive from that source in order to do your
job.
1 = Very Little
5 = Very Great |
|
|
Sources of Information |

|
Subordinates (if applicable) 51. 1 2 3 4 5 | 52. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Co-workers in my own unit or department 53. 1 2 3 4 5 | 54. 1 2
3 4 5
|
Individuals in other units or departments in |
my organization 55. 1 2 3 4 5 | 56. 1 2 3 4 5
|
|
Department meetings 59. 1 2 3 4 5 | 60. 1 2 3 4 5
|
|
Formal management presentations 63. 1 2 3 4 5 | 64. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Top management 65. 1 2 3 4 5 | 66. 1 2 3 4 5
|

The "grapevine" 67. 1 2 3 4 5 | 68. 1 2 3 4 5
5
Timeliness of Information Received from Key Sources
Indicate the extent to which information from the following
sources is usually timely (you get information when you
need it -- not too early, not too late).
1 = Very Little
2 = Little
3 = Some
4 = Great
5 = Very Great

Subordinates (if applicable) 69. 1 2 3 4 5
Co-workers 70. 1 2 3 4 5
Immediate supervisor 71. 1 2 3 4 5
Middle management 72. 1 2 3 4 5
Top management 73. 1 2 3 4 5
"Grapevine" 74. 1 2 3 4 5
6
Channels of Communication

The following questions list a variety of channels through which
information is transmitted to employees. Please circle
the response which best indicates: (1) the amount of information
you are receiving through that channel and (2) the
amount of information you need to receive through that channel.
1 = Very Little
5 = Very Great |
|
|
Channel: |
|
Face-to-face contact between two people 107. 1 2 3 4 5 | 108. 1
2 3 4 5
|
Face-to-face contact among more than two people 109. 1 2 3 4 5
| 110. 1 2 3 4 5

|
Telephone 111. 1 2 3 4 5 | 112. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Written (memos, letters) 113. 1 2 3 4 5 | 114. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Bulletin Boards 115. 1 2 3 4 5 | 116. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Internal Publications 117. 1 2 3 4 5 | 118. 1 2 3 4 5
|
Internal Audio-Visual Media (Videotape, Films, Slides) 119. 1 2
3 4 5 | 120. 1 2 3 4 5
|
External Media (TV, Radio, Newspapers) 121. 1 2 3 4 5 | 122. 1
2 3 4 5
7

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