ETI Communication Strategy:

December 2001

(incorporating comments from ETI Board Meeting November 2001)

• Purpose of This Document
• Background to This Document
• Status of This Document
• The Need for Communication
• What Needs to be Communicated?
• Communication With Whom?
• Means of Communication
• Future Steps
• Annex 1: Hierarchy of information

 

 

PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT

1. This document was developed as an internal document to help the ETI Secretariat - on behalf of ETI - to prioritise and organise its communication activities. However, it is being made available to the public via the ETI Website with the aim of communicating more widely the priorities and activities of ETI - many of which are internally focused (member-to-member) and therefore "invisible" to non-members - and the underlying rationale behind them. It is recognised that strategies for communication with certain external audiences need to be further developed.
    
2. In July 2001, the ETI Board asked for a communication strategy. This document sets out such a strategy, placing it in the context of the ETI 2001-2004 Strategy and the Corporate Learning Needs programme.
    
3. This Communication Strategy will provide a cohesive framework for managing communication within ETI, and will especially inform the work of the recently recruited Research & Information Manager and the Communications & Events Officer.
    

BACKGROUND TO THIS DOCUMENT

4. ETI's 2001-2004 Strategy commits us to identifying and promoting good practice in the implementation of labour codes. It also commits us to consolidation and growth of our membership, and acting as a catalyst for others.
    
5. "From Good Intentions to Good Practice" sets out numerous activities that contribute toward these objectives, but cutting across each is the need for ETI to be a good communicator.
    
6. At the September 2001 Board Meeting, a programme of corporate members' learning needs was approved, and this is starting to be implemented. That programme shows the importance of communication within ETI, and highlights ways forward. A similar consultative exercise to identify other caucuses' learning needs will take place in 2002. Taken as a whole, addressing members' learning needs (and the communication elements within that) is a clear priority, but it is not enough by itself to achieve our stated objectives.
    
7. This document presents a communication strategy that builds on the learning needs programmes, but provides a more complete picture of what is required to achieve our defined objectives. Within the Secretariat, it is particularly important for defining the job descriptions of the Research & Information Manager and the Communications and Events Officer, but it also has implications for all Secretariat staff.
    
8. The document provides a brief rationale for ETI communication, identifies the different types of audience that ETI should communicate with, and then sets out a communication strategy that contributes to ETI's objectives. This strategy is mindful of the resource gap which exists between desire and capacity, and some attempt at prioritisation has been made, although this will need further refinement as part of the implementation process.
    
9. The programme complements ETI's 2001-2004 strategy, and provides a framework for meeting communication during that period. It will need regular review and revision because needs and priorities will change: that process will be developed as part of implementing the programme.

 

 

STATUS OF THIS DOCUMENT

• This Communication Strategy was discussed and approved by the ETI Board at the November 2001 Board meeting, subject to a number of amendments which have been incorporated into this current document.
   
• Proposals for major activities (e.g. conferences, annual reporting) will be submitted for Board approval, but the strategy provides a necessary framework for linking significant areas of ETI activity.
   
• The Strategy will be subject to annual review by the Board.
   

THE NEED FOR COMMUNICATION 

10. Communication cuts across all three of ETI's objectives as set out in the 2001-2004 strategy document [footnote]. To achieve those objectives, ETI needs to communicate its work internally and to others, and to have communication about the work of others.
     
11. It is fair to say that in a learning organisation such as ETI communication is core to every activity, and therefore that a comprehensive communication strategy would look very similar to an ETI strategy. To avoid repetition and to elaborate on what already exists, this document concentrates on the communication of learning and not the process of learning itself (something which is being addressed by the consultation exercises on members' learning needs).
     

WHAT NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED?

12. There are three primary objects of communication relevant to the ETI 2001-2004 Strategy:
    1. the experiences, lessons and conclusions of the ETI alliance with relation to implementing and assessing the benefits of code of labour practice;
        
    2. the experiences and lessons of individual ETI members; and
        
    3. the experiences, opinions and decisions of others (non-members) with relation to codes of labour practice and multi-stakeholder alliances.
        
13. This will obviously include the lessons and learning of the pilot projects, but will also encompass experiences with the multi-stakeholder approach itself.
     
14. The emphasis will be on communicating new learning that adds to existing knowledge.
     
15. There are outstanding issues about at what stage and in what format experiences should be disseminated and to whom. The agreement to make the ETI Workbook a living document for members addresses this to an extent, although it leaves ETI open to external criticism (and possibly also from DFID) that it is not communicating its learning more widely. Likewise, the 'think pieces' described in the Corporate Learning Needs programme go some way to addressing this. Given the immediate capacity constraints, resolving these issues is not an urgent priority and would probably benefit from wider consultation with the membership. One possible way forward is some kind of grading of information (Annex 1), but thinking on this does not need to be taken further until the relevant new staff are in place.

 

 

COMMUNICATION WITH WHOM?

16. There are four immediately identifiable audiences with whom ETI needs to communicate in order to achieve its objectives:
    1. ETI membership: communication within the caucuses, between the caucuses, between the Secretariat and membership, and between the Board and wider membership.
        
    2. Critical audiences: beyond the membership there are certain audiences with whom a targeted, long-term engagement is desirable (e.g. the media, government, financiers, service providers).
        
    3. The South: Southern organisations are a further critical audience for ETI, both in order to maintain our credibility and to promote our learning.
        
    4. General Public: the ETI Secretariat has become a reference point for all manner of general public enquiries about ethical sourcing. Several members have expressed concern about investing too heavily in this service, but it cannot be ignored entirely.
        

ETI Membership

17. It is very clear from members' feedback (from all caucuses) that priority should be given to member-to-member communication. This is being addressed through the process of identifying and meeting members' learning needs, which has already produced the corporate learning needs programme (approved at September 2001 Board meeting) and will focus on trade union and NGO learning needs in 2002 (i.e. once the new Research & Information Manager is in post full-time). However, there are four channels of member-to-member communication that bear repeating here:
    1. The ETI workbook: once approved, this will be a primary catalyst for member-to-member communication (and in the longer term external as well), serving both to inform members about ETI learning (joint and individual) and to identify future learning needs. It is estimated that Workbook-related activities will occupy up to 50% of the new Research & Information Manager's time.
        
    2. Annual Review/Report: this will continue to be a key means for communicating individual members' quantifiable performance both internally and externally. It is proposed that this work be sub-contracted to David Steele by the Research & Information Manager.
        
    3. 'Roundtables': these primarily internal seminars and papers are a means of identifying and discussing new ideas relevant to the ETI membership. From February 2002, we are proposing that events of this kind be held monthly on a fixed date. (See Corporate Learning Needs programme for suggested topics.)
        
    4. New members' induction: (See Corporate Learning Needs programme for suggested topics.)
        

Critical Audiences

18. Although there is a reluctance on the part of many members to prioritise communication beyond the membership (at least until members' needs are more adequately addressed), several key audiences have emerged. These are:
    1. Parallel initiatives: initiatives similar to ETI are starting to emerge in other countries, and co-operation with these is specifically mentioned in the 2001-2004 Strategy. To date, we have provided speakers at relevant conferences, and the Secretariat has entertained visitors from the initiatives.
        
    2. Potential new members: we need to continue our efforts at Board and Secretariat levels to expand our membership base amongst the three caucuses.
        
    3. Government: the nature of our funding and the profile we have in the UK and on continental Europe means that government remains a critical audience. As interest in regulation on corporate social responsibility grows, it is possible that ETI will be required to take on more of an advisory role.
        
    4. International bodies: bodies such as the International Labour Organisation inform and are an audience for ETI. At present there is occasional contact with such bodies, but not a systematic engagement with this audience. ETI needs to identify other key international bodies as well as the ILO, and better target relevant sections and individuals within these organisations.
        
    5. The Media: several corporate members are keen that ETI engages more proactively with the media in order to raise journalists' awareness and the sophistication of the debate. At present, the Secretariat receives numerous media enquiries, and these are dealt with on an ad hoc basis.
        
    6. Financiers: there is growing activity in the field of Socially Responsible Investment and also mainstream engagement between investors and investees. ETI has received several requests to provide input into various initiatives, and this has so far been dealt with on an ad hoc basis.
        
    7. Consultancy companies/service providers: we need to communicate our ideas to the service providers that are continuing to play a prominent role in monitoring and inspection as well as informing company strategies. Ongoing activities (e.g. the training assessment) address this in part, and it is possible that if the Workbook is made available beyond the membership in 2002, then service providers will be an important customer for this information. Decisions about this will be the subject of Board discussion in 2002. Additional suggestions are set out in the section Means to Communication below.
        
    8. Researchers: we receive numerous requests from researchers, some of whom have also played a part in pilot projects. A network linking the Secretariat to the UK research community has been established in order that the added value of others' research be increased.
        

The South

19. Whether we are talking about workers, their families, producers/suppliers, governments, trade unions, non-government organisations (NGOs), other civil society organisations or secondary industries (e.g. banks, transport), many of our critical audiences are in the South. Our engagement with these to date has been through pilot projects and the links of our individual members. We do not have a clear mandate for disseminating our learning in the South, but nonetheless there is an expectation that we will do this. To an extent, this could be achieved through a passive approach (e.g. website), but we need to be aware of the limitations facing many Southern stakeholders.
     

General Public

20. The public has a strong interest in ethical sourcing, and sees the ETI Secretariat as a reference point (something that is often encouraged by members). At present, our public communication is via publicly available documents, the website, and responses to specific enquiries. The public is not specifically mentioned as an audience in the 2001-2004 Strategy, but to ignore their needs entirely may undermine our objectives and also create difficulties with DFID.

 

 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

Member-to-member

21. This aspect of the communication strategy has been partially outlined in the Corporate Learning Needs programme, and will be elaborated upon through consultation with other members in 2002.
     
22. Consultation with members has shown a preference for internet-based communication. We are therefore proposing:
    1. a fortnightly e-letter (a short email update on events relating to ethical sourcing within and beyond ETI) to be introduced by the Secretariat by mid-2002;
        
    2. a revamped member-only area of the ETI website (ongoing); and
        
    3. development of the ETI Workbook as a living electronic document (beginning November 2001 subject to Board approval). This will also involve an introduction by the Secretariat on how to use and have input to the Workbook.
        
23. As shown in the Corporate Learning Needs programme, value is attached to presentations backed up by summary papers. The new Research & Information Manager will present a schedule of member-only and other 'roundtables' to commence in February 2002.
     

Critical Audiences

24. We propose to run a series of quarterly seminars/workshops open to members and the identified critical audiences. The first of these will be 2 regional seminars held in April and May 2002, aimed at raising awareness about the exploitation of foreign and seasonal labour in the UK, and about possible measures to address this.
     
25. The bi-annual ETI conference is planned for early 2003. In addition, we are proposing a third new members' recruitment seminar to be held in 2002.
     
26. The revamped ETI website will provide more detailed and better organised information about ETI, as well as more links to the world of ethical sourcing. It will particularly help prospective new members wanting to learn about ETI and how to join. The revamping of the site is already at an advanced stage, and further development will be a key part of the new Research & Information Manager's job.
     
27. The Secretariat is proposing to continue the network with the UK research community, and to establish an additional network with service providers in April 2002. Members of these networks will also be invited to contribute think pieces and to participate in the quarterly seminars where relevant.
     
28. For the time-being, communication with parallel initiatives and government will continue to be conducted on an ad hoc basis as there is not the capacity to address this in a more systematic way at present. This means that requests for speakers and to entertain visitors will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and will largely depend on the availability of the Chair, the Secretariat Manager and individual members. By April 2002, we should be in a position to consider preparing standard briefing materials so that more members and staff can be involved in this aspect of the strategy. The Secretariat should also at that stage decide who will be responsible for managing relations with these two audiences, both to identify their needs and also to maintain a watching brief on relevant developments.
     
29. The needs of other critical audiences will be assessed in April 2002 in the light of ETI's capacity, funding and priorities. In addition to assessing the efficacy of our current work, this will consider targeted publications/briefing packs, and training/awareness raising.
     

The South

30. Communication with the South is something that needs more thought. At present our systematic contact with the South is limited to the pilot projects, and we might consider how to use these more effectively as a communication channel. However, given the current priorities of setting up and implementing pilots, introducing the Workbook and investing in existing and potential new members, there is little surplus capacity to address this at this stage. Therefore, although there are certain activities which will assist our communication with the South (e.g. the publication of materials from Zimbabwe and South Africa, a text-only option on the website), more could be done to address this audience's needs. We propose that this situation be revisited in July 2002.
     

General Public

31. The revamped website will be the main information source for the general public, and the Research & Information Manager will be responsible for ensuring that it contains information which reflects public needs.
     
32. Public access to ETI events will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
     
33. Individual enquiries will continue to be dealt with, but through the upgrading of staff it is hoped that by mid-2002 there will be a greater Secretariat capacity to handle such enquiries.
     

FUTURE STEPS

34. Critical review points have been built into the strategy, and the management of these will need to be agreed between the Director, Research and Information Manager and the Board.

 

 

Annex 1: Hierarchy of information

It is impractical and moreover damaging to members' expectations and interests for every piece of information to be viewed as an output of identical status and subject to the same degree of control. While it is perfectly understandable that the Board would wish to see outputs that relate to ETI policy, it is equally important that they endorse a strategy that will enable members' expectations regarding form, function and timeliness to be met.

One way forward could be a four-tier categorisation of information as follows:

1. GOLD INFORMATION: Information for members and non-members that states ETI policy or definition of best practice. This will need to be approved or reviewed by the Board.
    
2. PURPLE INFORMATION: Information for members that is based on the ongoing activities of ETI's members or the organisation as a whole. The annual work programme for this would be approved by the Board as part of the overall ETI strategy, but not individual products. There would be a system of quality control involving relevant parts of the membership.
    
3. WHITE INFORMATION: Information for members on areas of interest using input from members and other parties. Unlike 'purple information' this need not be based on ETI experience, and could for instance take the form of think pieces on topics that are likely to be relevant to members in the future but haven't been dealt with by ETI as yet. Again, the Board would approve the annual work programme, but not the individual products.
    
4. PUBLIC DOMAIN: Information to be put in the public domain.
    

Footnotes:

• The objectives are:
  1. Identifying and promoting good practice regarding corporate codes of labour practice;
  2. Consolidation and growth of ETI's membership; and
  3. Building strategic alliances and relationships. [context]

 

See also:

• From good intentions to good practice: ETI's strategy in support of ethical trade 2001 - 2004