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Council PR chiefs meet in Leeds this week for their annual conference, David Holdstock explains the New reputation campaign. Leadership, branding and communications must be at the heart of every local authority, if they are to deliver value-for-money services in the current tough economic climate. Despite evidence that satisfaction with the public sector is at a record low, councils have made massive strides in performance, and so it is essential they get the credit and, in turn, boost the reputation of their organisation. However, residents still don't understand what we do, and we need to get better at informing them about services and benefits. A Local Government Association opinion poll conducted last year found that while nine out of 10 people know the council collects their bins, one-quarter think councils provide hospitals and dentists. Having a well-informed public is crucial to a council's reputation, and the benefits of a good reputation are clear – the top-performing councils are those with the best reputations. A good reputation also affects staff attitudes and behaviour. Employees who are engaged and understand, live and breathe the values of the organisation are likely to be more productive, perform more effectively, and take fewer sick days. Consequently, they are more likely to be your advocates and act as brand ambassadors and champions of your reputation. This research is outlined in a new guide on how to boost reputation, which has been jointly produced by the LGA and LGCommunications, the council PR chiefs body, to deliver improved reputation and ultimately, increased satisfaction in today's tough economic climate. The New reputation guide – hailed as the most important and extensively-researched tool to improve reputation since the LGA's original 2005 Reputation Campaign – will be officially launched at the LGCommunications conference in Leeds (26-28 May). As a measure of its importance, more than 350 people from more than 130 councils across the UK are due to attend. The LGA's Reputation Campaign made great progress in working with councils to show residents the value-for-money services available, and to help them understand how their council tax is spent. But, we know that the reputation landscape has moved on significantly, and town halls, together with the rest of the country, have been hit hard by the recession and need to look at a variety of cost-saving ways to keep the public informed. Reputation has been identified as a key activity, not just for communicators, but for chief executives, council leaders and partners. The New reputation guide provides council leaders, chief executives and heads of communications with a ‘route map' to improve the reputation of local public services. As every council is different, the guide has been designed to be used by small districts and large counties alike, and is not a one-size-fits-all product for local authorities that we simply plug in to help improve reputation. Instead, it identifies three big reputational themes which are universal across councils. First, leadership is key and has never been more needed than now. We are facing a period of unprecedented change – both as a country and as organisations. In the past, perhaps a strong management team and target-driven approach to delivery would have been enough to get by, but times have changed. Reputation is built on three things – what people say about you; what you say about yourself; and how your actions and behaviours reflect what you stand for. It is essential that chief executives are clear about what the council stands for and make sure it is understood by the whole organisation. A clearly-articulated and authentic sense of purpose will show residents that what they want from their local authority is what we are committed to providing. Second, developing a brand is also key, and organisations need to have a clear sense of purpose and be able to articulate what they stand for in clear and understandable language. It is then essential that organisations believe and live those values, and reinforce the brand to residents, staff and partners. Third, as times have changed, so have the roles and responsibilities of communications and public relations officers, who are now advising on the delivery of services, how to spend resources, and the development of policy. It is, therefore, vital that communications is strategic and that staff have the right skills to improve reputation. Some of the most important skills or ‘critical competencies' identified by chief executives as essential for heads of communications are political insight; horizon scanning skills to flag up reputation issues; and a detailed understanding of the perceptions and behaviours of residents and staff. These three themes need to be addressed in the context of meeting the expectations and managing the perceptions of the people councils serve, by addressing five further core challenges. These ‘rules of reputation' should be central to the communications plans of every local authority and include proving that councils provide value for money; ensuring that communications always inform and engage residents and staff; building trust and confidence in what councils do across all audiences; working to improve services and showing councils are doing so, and focusing on changing lives for the better in all communications. Ultimately, we believe those organisations which work on improving reputation will perform better, be more efficient, provide better services and improve the satisfaction of their residents Although we will be operating in very challenging times, we are confident our reputation guide will give councils the tools to refresh their approach to reputation and crucially, be able to track and measure progress against key actions. It also reflects changing economic realities and includes best practice case studies and guidance on new communications channels such as websites, social media and e-communications. What is important is that the issues within this document are universal across all councils in the ongoing challenge to improve reputation. David Holdstock is chair of LGcommunications

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WHITEHALL

Getting a good reputation

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