Solutions
Developing and delivering on an effective communications strategy
HAP partnered with our team to create and execute a strategy to produce relevant, timely content for internal and external stakeholders.
Implementing a communications project management plan
Our team developed a communications project management plan (CPMP) to track, manage and evaluate the components of the strategic communications strategy. The CPMP describes the high-level approaches the our team team uses to manage support of contract deliverables; implement processes and mechanisms to effectively manage the work; and employ innovative tools, techniques and methods to support outreach activities. The CPMP also includes schedules and calendars, key initiatives, milestones, metrics, risk reduction steps and resource support.
Creating salient messaging and communications products
Our team develops all HAP public-facing materials, including newsletters, articles, technical artifacts, videos, fact sheets, brochures, flyers, press releases, toolkits and an annual report. Our team works with:
- HAP coordinators to create and share integrated messaging and compelling narratives in accurately branded creative materials
- Partner coordinators to ensure message integrity, include real-time quotes and add the Veterans’ voices to the medium to increase resonance with various Veteran community audiences
Our team works to develop a visual component to the content that cohesively reflects VA’s message and meets branding guidelines before disseminating materials across available VA and partner resources.
Improving the HAP website to enhance the user experience
Our team was charged with proposing improvements to the HAP website to enhance the user experience. Across the HAP website, information was inconsistently coded to display in sometimes unpredictable ways. For example, users did not experience a seamless or optimized website on which items displayed in a consistent manner, which ultimately diminished the brand’s professional appearance. Additionally, the website housed materials that were obsolete or no longer relevant to audiences. The team developed and implemented a plan that modernized the website and synchronized content while adhering to VA’s strict branding and digital requirements — and began archiving outdated content.
Applying rigorous project management techniques
Rigorous project management methods must be in place to effectively track and manage the vast number of communications products HAP creates and disseminates. Our team creates and distributes several reports each month to monitor pitched topics and content that is in progress, completed (unbilled and billed), and published. Our team applies best practices from the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge to successfully execute HAP’s goals and objectives. The team uses the CPMP in addition to internal controls and project management reviews to deliver high-quality products on schedule and within budget. To mitigate risk, our team maintains a program risk register that includes a description of the risk/issue, an assessment of probability and impact and the planned risk mitigation strategy. This risk management approach allows for early identification and mitigation of risk and makes all team members responsible for identifying potential risks and issues and reporting them to the program manager. Our team also developed strategic communication metrics in the communications plan. The metrics for assessing the communication strategy center on message effectiveness, evaluation of vehicles and platforms used and available analytics on various platforms.