Situation Analysis
Background Information
The state government of Australia is proposing to construct desalination plant a hundred kilometers South West of the state capital of Melville. Desalination plant is meant to convert sea water into drinking water. Reason behind this government proposal is to find a solution to water shortage to the people living in Harbour town, Melville, and its neighborhoods. The government needs a large track of land to do this, opting to go for the farming and bush-land situated to the coastal region and which also happens to be the countrys top tourist attraction site (Hannan, & Wallace, 2007).
This proposal is at first welcome by Harbour Town Rural Council on the ground that it would establish job opportunities and bring publicity to the region in the course of its construction. Unfortunately, this did not go well with local community who rejects the proposal for fear that it will interfere with their booming tourism site, given that the sea views are the main target for the project. Local community also argues that construction of desolation plant will further pose a big threat to both the marine and wildlife creatures which may consequently reflect on their residential property values. Additionally, this proposal appears to have been weakened in terms of support after heavy rains came and levels of water reservoir rose again (Hannan, & Wallace, 2007).
The Horbour Town Rural Council is compelled to lobby state government to consider minimizing possible effects that construction of desalination plant would have on regional environment and the local community. State government insists on construction of this plant, with an aim of providing adequate water supply to residents. The state, however, takes into account concerns raised by Harbour Town Rural Council on reducing possible environmental effects and negative impacts on local community. Minimizing the effects on environment, sea views and local residents include maintenance and protection of wildlife habitat and marine parks (Department of Planning and Community Development, 2010).
In support of the local community is a newly established action group known as Green Gift. Green Gift activists are engaged in lobbying state government, media and local residents regarding environmental issues. This group is in support of sufficient water supply in the region, but is sternly against any project that is seemingly hazardous to environment (Hannan, & Wallace, 2007).
Research Methodology
Using a quantitative research method, this campaign will be seeking answers to questions such as how is state government proposal construed by the local community and the environmental activists i.e. Green Gift group; why are the locals against or in support of the plan; what are the issues in conflict between the locals and the council, the green Gift and the council, the locals and the Green gift group, and lastly, are there certain issues that are of common interest to all?
A quantitative research is concerned with quantities. It involves interviews, data sampling and use of questionnaires as some of the most utilized tools in this research methodology. In this scenario, the publics to be interviewed will include local residents and the Green Gift Group. Two different sets of questionnaires will be served to both publics, that is, the Green Gift group and local residents who will have to respond to specific questions. The following table gives an outline of interview questions.
This survey will involve about 50 respondents from the local community and one representative from the Green gift group. The interview questions will be in the form of questionnaires, phone calls, online survey, and/or discussions.
Problem/Opportunity Statement
With regard to SWOT analysis discussed by Wilcox, and Cameron, (2009) among other researchers, we can identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that Harbour Town Rural Council will come to terms with in its endeavor to achieve certain goals. The council enjoys full support of government, as it proposes construction of the plant. This, however, places it in a difficult situation of having to convince both the locals and the Green Gift groups that all will be well in spite of prevailing conflicting circumstances.
The Green Gift Groups is potentially influential over the local community as the two share common interests. This makes Green Group to be a big threat to the council in executing its PR campaigns. The opportunity that the council has lies in common interests it shares with the Green Gift Group and the locals.For instance, agreeing to protect the environment by preserving wildlife and marine creatures.
The problem is therefore concentrated between the council and local community. The local community feels that if state government goes ahead with its proposal, they will incur losses more than the promised benefits. The council is on the other hand for the idea that with the desalination plant coming into place, there will be job opportunism, the problem of drought would have been resolved and other development opportunities will be available.
Objectives
The objective of Harbour Town Rural Council is to convince the local community and the Green Gift Group that within a period of three months after construction of desalination plant, there will be increased job opportunities to the local residents; there will be enhance development of public facilities, and there will be sufficient supply of fresh drinking water. The objectives of the council thus include.
- To ensure there is sufficient drinking water in future
- To create more job opportunities for local residents and its regional areas
- To pave ways for development of public facilities in the region i.e. roads
Creation of job opportunities will act as source of income in the vent that construction of desalination plant interferes with the residential property values. The council will be enforcing for construction of high technology plant that will provide sufficient drinking water to the locals and its neighboring regions to prevent recurrent of drought in future. Because the locals have a feeling the project will interfere with the wildlife and marine creatures, farming lands and tourist attraction sites, the council has put in place measures that will ensure protection and preservation of environment, especially the wildlife and marine species. Besides sufficient drinking water and job opportunities, the council is also assured of development of public facilities within the region i.e. roads.
Target Publics
Before the Council can achieve its stipulated objectives, it will be targeting two main publics. Target publics in this context are those who are against construction of the desalination plant proposed by state government and initially supported by Harbour Town Rural Council. These target publics are the local residents and the Green-Gift group.
There is likely to be a big challenge in lobbying Green-Gift activists, as they are also active in lobbying media, local community and state government at the same time, making them to be construed as potential force of resistance against the proposal. The Green Gift Group is likely to be constituted with individuals who are well educated, and have experience in environmental issues.
The local community on the other hand is composed of individuals of various kinds, some are educated, others are illiterate, they are however adults with sound minds and therefore they know what they want. Achievement of objectives mentioned will require the council to engage itself in communication with both the locals and the Green Gift environmental activists.
Best ways to communicate between the Harbour Town Rural Council and the local community will be through lobbying, public presentations, conferences and public events, holding discussions at grassroots levels, and use of media i.e. radio and television. Appropriate ways to communicate between the Council and the Green Gift Group will include all the above stated in addition to telephone conversations, newsletters, and brochures.
Persuasive Strategy
Strategy
In endeavor to persuade local residents and Green Gift Group that development of desalination plant will bring more benefits, the council will first deal with concerns raised by the Green Gift group that is, solving environmental issues. The Green-Gift environmental activists argue that construction of desalination plant at the coastal region will be a big threat to both wildlife and marine creatures and will hamper regional tourism views. These happen to be the same assumptions held by local residents, making Green Gift group to be on the upper hand in stifling with execution of the project and possibly manipulating views of the locals. The Council presents them with logical and highly convincing benefits to supersede the shortcomings already clouding the minds of both activists and locals.
As long as the environment is not badly affected by this project, the Green Gift activists will have no reasonable grounds to reject it, and they will likely stop lobbying the media, state government and local community to be on their side. This is going to make things easier for the Council to lobby locals, gain full support of media, state government and the activist group
Key Messages
When the plant is established, there will be constant and sufficient supply of clean water, job opportunities will be available, development of public facilities will take place and environmental concerns will still be taken care of. On the other hand, if the project is rejected all together, there may still be a dire shortage of water supply in future; there will be no new job opportunities available to local residents, no development of new public facilities such as roads.
Tactics
The tactics to be used in communication and deliverance of key messages will include public presentations, conferences and public events, holding discussions at grassroots levels, and media releases for communication between the Council and the local community. Appropriate ways to communicate between the Council and the Green Gift Group will include all the above stated in addition to telephone conversations, newsletters, and brochures.
Calendar-The Gantt chart
The campaign is scheduled to run for three Months within which the mentioned objectives aught to be achieved. As Keith (2011) posits, timescale is crucial in Public Relations Campaign as it allows for coordination of tactics and presents clear awareness of deadlines to be met. The three Months campaign would be best done during dry seasons when there is minimal rainfall and demand for clean water.For instance, if the months between April and June are characterized by low rainfall, the campaigns will be conducted within these months.
In the first Month of campaign, the Council will be involved in public events, conferences presentations, discussions, and intensive lobbying and involving both the locals and the Green Gifts. In the second month of campaigns, there events of previous Moths will continue but not as intense as in the first month. There will also be use of newsletters, brochures and media releases. The campaign will finalize in the third Month where it will concentrate on media release to continue reach out for the target publics. The table below depicts the occurrence of events per month within a span of three months.
Reduction in the number of tactics used will be directly propos anal to the cost per Month. The cost is meant to reduce monthly as the campaigns proceeds with lesser tactics used. There will be heavy expenditure in the first Month, the expense will reduce in the second Month and it will be lowest in the last Month of campaign where only Media releases will be used.
Evaluation
Here, we will be assessing whether our objectives have been achieved or not. To evaluate whether there are job opportunity created as a result of constructing the high-tech water plant, a survey involving approximately 50 respondents from the local community will be conducted. The survey will also help in assessing whether the desalination plant served the purpose for which it was intended, that is, supplying drinking water to all the local residents and its neighborhood. Other objectives such as establishment of new public facilities and environmental conservation will be assessed through an audit plan.
References
Department of Planning and Community Development, (2010). “Victorian Desalination Project”. Victorian Government. Web.
Hannan, E, & Wallace, R, (2007). Desalination plant caught in middle. The Australian Online Newspaper. Web.
Johnston, J & Zawawi, C., (2004). “Public relations: theory and practice”. 2nd Edition. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.
Keith, H., (2011). “Public Relations Theory and Practice”: The Public Relations Industry Background. Deakin University of Australia. Geelong, Victoria 3217. Web.
Stephen, D., (2011). “The 12- Steps to successful Public Relations Campaign”. Web.
Tompkins, J. (2005). “Organization Theory and Public Management“. Thompson Wadsworth. ISBN 978-0-534-17468-2.
Wilcox, DL., & Cameron, GT., (2009). Public relations: strategies and tactics, 9th Edition. Pearson Education, Boston, Massachusetts.