Communication Plan 2017/18

1 Context

This document details communication activities planned in the year 2017/18 including timelines and measurable outcomes.

2 Guiding the plan 2017/18

OSPAR’s overall communication goals are rooted in the founding Convention and the overall OSPAR Communications Strategy 2014-21. OSPAR will promote its messages in both a proactive and a responsive way. We will improve the Commission’s profile by being consistent in communicating our key messages, consistent in our communications design, easy to reach and clear on who we are and what we stand for.

The Communication Plan 2017/18 builds on the Communication Plan 2016/17.

3 Key messages 2017/18

There are a number of key messages for the period of this plan (2017/18) which OSPAR would like to share. These are that OSPAR;

  • Has published the consultation version of the Intermediate Assessment 2017;
  • Has developed >20 new regional biodiversity indicators;
  • Provides a platform for regional cooperation of Contracting Parties from EU to facilitate coherence and coordination of their monitoring and assessment activities related to EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive;
  • Shares experience and good practice between organisations.

4 Communication and engagement activities 2017/18

All OSPAR’s stakeholders, experts and generalists alike, share one common requirement: the need for brief, easy to access communications. The main messages from our products must, over time, reach all our target groups across Contracting Parties. With this in mind, the primary communication activities for 2017/18 are set out in the following tables.

A. Intermediate Assessment (IA) 2017
Output / Launch and promotion of IA 2017
Promotion of final version of IA 2017 in 2018
Project description / The final version of the IA 2017 will be launched at OSPAR 2017. A press release and social media will accompany the launch along with promotional materials. Regular news items and a weekly feature will be promoted from the Key Messages and Highlights.
Measures of success /
  • Promotion of IA 2017

B. Finalisation of ‘Introduction to OSPAR’ delegate resource
Output / An ‘Introduction to OSPAR’ for delegates to use at meetings or to imbed in websites
Project description / The Secretariat was asked to prepare some resources for delegates to use in presenting the work of OSPAR. This has also been made into a series of 3 PowerPoint presentations for delegates to use when not connected to the Internet. The PowerPoint presentations will allow OSPAR delegates to ‘cherry pick’ slides that they would like to use and discard others although it doesn’t have. The version at ospar.nbcom.co.uk is still in progress and some content will need to be added and some colours changed. At this time, the introduction is only available in English. However, once approved, it will be translated into French. There is also the possibility to translate this into any other language and embed it into different websites if any Contracting Parties who would wish to do so. This would cost approximately £800 for the initial coding and the services of OSPAR’s external web management team and £400 for each additional language. The Contracting Party would have to provide the translated text.
Measures of success /
  • Useful resources for delegates to use when presenting the work of OSPAR.

C. A website for OSPAR’s Collective Arrangement with NEAFC
Output / A webpage for OSPAR’s Collective Arrangement with NEAFC
Project description / A Collective Arrangement between competent international organisations on cooperation and coordination regarding selected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction in the North-East Atlantic has now existed between OSPAR and NEAFC since 2014. The arrangement has been highlighted in many international fora as an innovative and interesting example of cooperation between different sectors and interests working in the marine environment to achieve an ecosystem approach to management and a collective arrangement website would profile the arrangement and broaden the understanding of the arrangement amongst other organisations to join the cooperation between NEAFC and OSPAR. NEAFC and OSPAR find the informal and formal meetings under the collective arrangement to provide a good basis for cooperation and a significant step forward in understanding the objectives in working in the North- East Atlantic, and a good potential for developing assistance between the organisations, whilst working within their own competence.
Measures of success /
  • A dedicated page on the OSPAR website created in conjunction with NEAFC

D. Development of the OSPAR Assessment Portal (formerly known as OAT)
Output / Development of the OSPAR Assessment Portal to house OSPAR annual assessments
Project description / The OSPAR Assessment Portal was developed in 2016/17 and was first used to house IA 2017. The portal also has the capacity to host OSPAR’s assessments of e.g. Radioactive discharges, Mercury emissions from the chlor-alkali industry etc. which are currently uploaded as publications. It will also host future cross-cutting assessments such as the next QSR. In 2017/18, the portal will be developed as necessary.
Measures of success / OSPAR assessments presented in a clear, attractive and user-friendly way
E. Annual Report
Output / A digital Annual Report for 2016/17
Project description / The annual report for 2016/17 will be available online by November 2017 and will build on the design of the 2015/16 report.
Measures of success /
  • Positive feedback from Contracting Parties and a wider audience

F. Website
Outputs / Regularly updated website
Project description / The website continues to receive a lot of positive feedback from within the Secretariat, from Contracting Parties and from the wider public. The new content management system allows the Secretariat to update the website quickly. Therefore, one of the key tasks for 2017/18 is to continue to update the website and to listen to feedback from stakeholders and adapt it as necessary to ensure that it is still relevant.
Feedback will also be sought as to any changes/amendments which may need to be made to the content or structure of the website.
Measures of success /
  • Following feedback, amend the website as necessary
  • Increased traffic
  • All links and content regularly updated
  • Amendments to content/structure following feedback

G. OSPAR news feed/blog
Output / News feed and blog
Project description / The new OSPAR website now has a dedicated news feed and blog ( The Secretariat should update this regularly with any news and information on external meetings attended etc. but there is more scope to develop this page which will be done in 2017/18. The Secretariat will also source ‘guest’ articles from Contracting Parties and OSPAR participants and will ensure that all meetings and developments within OSPAR are featured.
Measures of success /
  • Blog and news feed developed and regularly updated

H. E-newsletter
Output / Regular newsletters
Project description / The Secretariat will use the e-newsletter to reach wider stakeholders and celebrate OSPAR achievements and raise awareness of our work.
Measures of success /
  • An attractive e-newsletter
  • Increased traffic to the website through links on the e newsletter

I. Social media
Output / Regular relevant Tweets and LinkedIn updates
Project description / OSPAR will continue to build a community online to collect feedback from and to strengthen its links to stakeholders. OSPAR will do this by writing regular, informative and useful Tweets and LinkedIn updates. As social media is a public platform it will demonstrate that OSPAR has integrity and values interaction, criticism and debate.
Furthermore, considered use of social media will give OSPAR the opportunity to build its sphere of influence by adding a personal dimension and providing a platform for stakeholders to communicate with and comment on OSPAR.
Measures of success /
  • Regular ‘good news’ updates
  • All publications mentioned
  • LinkedIn network increased

J. Media relations
Output / Press coverage
Project description / OSPAR needs to work with the media to help deliver key messages and maintain an open dialogue. Targeted media will range from scientific publications to national and regional media and specialist press. As a standard routine formal press briefings at annual Commission meetings to celebrate the achievements of the Commission over the year should continue.
As well as continuing its current practice of contacting the press when OSPAR has news to report, a new direction for media relations will take the form of timely press releases with a good news hook. OSPAR will coordinate its press releases with current events, recent studies, trends and social issue. This will bring relevance and importance to the OSPAR message along with wider coverage. Any coverage will be tracked and recorded to assess this strategy’s effectiveness.
The press list will be expanded and continually updated. Contacts and relationships with journalists will be improved.
Measures of success /
  • Articles in 2017/18 across contracting parties

K. OSPAR Assessment/Fact Sheets
Output / OSPAR Assessment/Fact Sheets
Project description / OSPAR 2012 agreed to a procedure for producing Assessment and Fact Sheets, as required by the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme. The aim of these is to give more publicity to OSPAR assessment products and policy development. An OSPAR Assessment Sheet is a communication product to provide timely, easy to understand and synthesised assessment information in relation to delivery of an agreed OSPAR objective (e.g. those of the North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy). An OSPAR Fact Sheet will provide easy to understand and synthesised factual information on (developments in) human activities and/or the policy response relevant for the marine environment.
The development of the Assessment/Fact sheets is the responsibility of the individual task managers and thematic committees; however the design, communication procedure including audience, timing and methods are important communications considerations which could elevate the utility of these products considerably.
Assessment sheets and fact sheets will be sent to key stakeholders to be used as e.g.;
  • Briefing notes for ministers , marine directors and OSPAR Heads of Delegate
  • Education tools for students and educators
  • Updates for journalists, NGOs and other IGOs

Measures of success /
  • new Assessment/fact sheets published in 2017/18
  • Fact sheets disseminated to all relevant stakeholders

L. Marine Litter RAP Communications
Output / Marine Litter RAP Communication Plan 2017/18 activities
Project description / In 2014 a communication plan was written for the (OSPAR Agreement 2014-01) Regional Action Plan for Prevention and Management of Marine Litter in the North East Atlantic (ML RAP). The plan sets out key communication opportunities and timings to communicate the achievements of the key products of the ML RAP. Many of the actions detailed in the ML RAP are now producing interesting results which should be communicated. As a result of resourcing issues in 2016/17, the communication plan for the ML RAP was now fulfilled. In 2017/18, the ML RAP communication plan will be updated in accordance with the ML RAP and action will be taken to fulfil it.
Measures of success /
  • Fulfilment of the MLRAP communication plan

M. Communication Plan 2018/19
Output / A communication plan for 2018/19
Project description / Following appraisal of 2017/18 communication activities, a communication plan will be produced for 2018/19. It will build on the communication activities of 2017/18 and help OSPAR move towards the fulfilment of the 2014-21 communication strategy.
Measures of success /
  • A communication plan for 2018/19 agreed at OSPAR 2018

5 Project timeline

Project / J / A / S / O / N / D / J / F / M / A / M / J
Intermediate Assessment 2017 updates
Finalisation of ‘Introduction to OSPAR’ delegate resource
A website for OSPAR’s Collective Arrangement with NEAFC
Development of the OSPAR Assessment Portal
Annual report
Website update
OSPAR news feed/blog
E Newsletter
Social media
Media relations
Fact/assessment sheets
Marine Litter RAP Communications
Communication plan 2015/16

6 Resources

The Communications Plan 2017/18 has been written to be both low risk and manageable. All activities can be coordinated and achieved by the Communications Assistant, however buy-in from the Secretariat and Contracting Parties will be needed if the plan is to be a success. Furthermore, although most of the activities detailed in the plan require no additional budget, additional funding may have to be secured in future years.

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OSPAR CommissionCommunication Plan 2017/18 CoG(1) 16/6/2 Add.1 and HOD 16/2/4 Add.