Formulating internal channel and content strategy and drawing up requirements for an employee app
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ) is committed to the Netherlands and the Dutch worldwide. The ministry makes our kingdom safer and more prosperous and supports Dutch people abroad, 24/7. She does this with a global network of 150 embassies, which are active every hour of the day somewhere in the world and where both broadcast and local employees work. In total, BZ has 5000 employees. Of which 2,300 work in The Hague, 700 posted employees at the post office and another 2,000 local staff.
With its size, diversity and international character (150 embassies and consulates worldwide), BZ is a complex organisation. With such a complex organizational structure and challenging assignment, a good internal communication strategy is essential. In 2018, Evolve was allowed to contribute to the creation of the new internal communication strategy in a number of coaching sessions. More than a year later, in spring 2020, the next step was taken. Translating the internal communication strategy into a content and channel strategy. To improve the internal news and information provision, by both increasing the reach of internal corporate content and developing a framework for strategic content. In very close cooperation with the corporate and internal communication team of the ministry, we have taken the following steps:
- Developing an internal content strategy;
- Drafting requirements for an employee app for internal corporate content;
- Developing a channel strategy for internal news and information provision.
In short, our activities:
- Desk research
- Coaching and evaluation
- Design workshops
- Internal content analysis
- Internal channel analysis
- Development of wireframes and requirements / program of requirements for an internal news app for BZ employees worldwide
In short, our deliverables:
- A strategic framework for corporate content
- Decision tree for publishing internal content
- Defined use cases and functional and non-functional requirements for the employee app
- A developed channel strategy outlining which platform is used for which type of content
Structure for Effective Content Strategy
The project started with the development of an internal content strategy. From the ministry came the desire to give structure to internal corporate content based on the internal communication strategy and the organizational objectives. On the basis of desk research and various interactive workshops, the following four pillars for content have been identified:
- Alignment: explaining the organization’s strategic direction
- Connection with the brand: showing the impact of the work on the Netherlands and its citizens
- Connection with the work: demonstrating the contribution and impact that employees and teams make through their work
- Connection with each other: clarifying who “the people behind BZ” are
These pillars were then translated specifically for BZ to themes, tone of voice and intended effect. This created a strategic framework with which the internal communication consultants and editors of BZ were given tools to determine whether content meets the internal communication objectives and which content formats fit this. The entire strategic framework has been tested for applicability by management and employees.
In order to further operationalize the strategic framework, we carried out an internal content analysis based on the strategic content pillars. Both for content pre-corona and during corona. The purpose of this analysis was to determine to what extent the current content related to the pillars. The following questions were central to this:
- What is the desired distribution of content per pillar?
- How does the current distribution of content compare to the desired distribution?
- What new content opportunities do you see per pillar?
- What opportunities are there for other (richer) content formats beyond text, such as video, visuals, and audio?
- What are the possibilities for reusing content (podcasts, website articles)?
Increase reach with an internal app
The analysis showed that the ministry lacked a means of communication that could serve as a carrier for the desired richer content formats. In addition, a means was missed for reaching all employees, including local employees abroad in Dutch and English. Partly on this basis, it was decided to develop an internal news app for all employees.
With the internal communication strategy, internal content strategy and the results from the content analysis in mind, the starting points for the app have been defined. We then looked at the added value of the app for both the ministry and the employees. Based on the starting points and the added value, concept use cases and high-level wishes and ideas for the app have been drawn up.
In a number of design workshops with the project group, the use cases were further elaborated and the requirements were deepened by elaborating them in concept screens for the app. This created insight into the app and made the operation of the app immediately tangible for everyone. Finally, these concepts were extensively tested internally by the ministry.
At the same time, the IT department and the privacy officer discussed which non-functional requirements the app must meet with regard to, among other things, technology, hosting, security and privacy.
Coherence in the internal channels
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a complex landscape of internal communication tools and applications. On the one hand, there are the own BZ-specific resources and on the other hand, BZ employees as government officials also have to deal with Nationwide applications. With the arrival of the new internal news app, this landscape would become a bit more complex for the employees. That is why it was decided to develop an internal channel strategy, in which it is clear which internal channels have which function and through which channels which content is shared and interacted.
First of all, it was analyzed which channels employees all have to deal with, what the functional possibilities are per channel and what content employees now come into contact with. It then looked at who owns the channel or application, to determine the scope of the channel strategy.
Once the current situation was mapped out and the scope clear, the desired situation was considered based on the internal communication strategy and the goals of the internal content strategy. This means that in addition to the aforementioned four pillars of content, we also looked at where the publication of process and task information ideally takes place and where employees can talk to each other about strategy and policy. In that desired situation, future developments such as the employee app and the community platform of the government were also taken into account.
Based on the current situation and the desired situation, a so-called Fit/gap analysis was made on content and functionality. This made it clear which means
- retain their role
- can be phased out
- which resources need to be adjusted or given a different interpretation
The future internal channel landscape is visualized in a few employee journeys (which resources and content I encounter when as an employee) so that there is a concrete overview of the internal landscape both from the perspective of the employee and from BZ as an organization. The channel strategy was then internally tested with various employees and management.
In order to make the channel strategy workable, a decision tree for content publication has been created for communication consultants and editors. Based on a number of BZ-specific criteria, it is easy to determine which content is published on which channel or which (prominent) place gets content on a channel. Of course, this decision tree was tested together with the editors on the basis of various use cases.
This decision tree not only provides editors with tools for publishing, but also provides an objective and clear review framework for content providers. This way they know in advance where their content will be published. This reduces discussions about which content deserves a place on the homepage. But no matter how nice this is for editors and content providers, in the end the employee is of course the biggest stakeholder of a channel strategy. Not only does this ensure that channels are used for their intended purpose, but employees also know which content they can find where.
Close cooperation with the ministry
Due to the very close and intensive cooperation throughout the entire process with the ministry’s internal communication consultants, the internal content strategy and an internal channel strategy have not only created a clear framework for internal reporting and interaction, but also a framework that suits the ministry. Due to the periodic review by management, fellow advisors and editors, there is also support for use. In addition, the potential range and possibilities of internal communication have been increased with the arrival of the internal employee app.
Want to know more?
Do you want to know more about internal content strategy, channel strategy or setting up requirements for an internal app? Then feel free to contact Peter via Peter@evolve.eu or +31 6 13 98 14 27.
