Communication Audits

A communications audit is a specialized audit of an organisation’s communications with internal and external groups. It focuses on messages exchanged, media used, and the extent to which the purposes of communication are achieved.

Communications audits can take place under a variety of circumstances, such as: when an organisation changes direction or change in leadership; when the organisation constantly finds itself on the defensive; when the organisation’s positions are misunderstood; when emerging issues are constantly catching the organisation unprepared; when key target audience groups complain about the organisation’s communications vehicles; or when target audience groups question the relevance of the organisation’s overall efforts.

TCA recommends four components of a communications audit:

Internal Research, to assess, as precisely as possible, the communications goals, objectives, strategies and tactics of the organisation itself, assessing - from a communications perspective - the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, and also identifying key internal and external target audience groups. This involves conducting face-to-face interviews with representatives of senior management, the conducting of qualitative focus groups with staff members and the conducting of quantitative surveys with larger samples of an organisation’s employees and others such as shareholders.

External Research, to assess the awareness, attitude and behaviour levels of selected outside target audience groups (academia, business, media, NGOs, local communities), using a mix of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, such as focus groups, telephone, mail, Internet polling, and face-to-face interviewing.

A Communications Materials Critique, to examine, as objectively as possible, the contents of the organisation’s various communications vehicles - including such items as brochures, booklets, magazines, memos, newsletters, press releases and web sites - in an effort to assess the overall effectiveness of these vehicles in meeting the organisation’s broader communications goals and objectives.

Summary Review and Action Plan. Based on all of the data collected in the three phases described above, TCA will prepare a summary report of the principal findings and their implications as well as a set of recommendations for action steps aimed at improving internal and external communications.