The Abu Dhabi Sports Council Communication Planning

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Area Analysis
Area Planning
Area Programming
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The organization I work for is the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The sports ministry established it in 2006 following the executive pronouncement number sixteen. The council serves an important role of offering support services to sportspersons, as well as monitoring the performance of sports organizations in the country. The council has to approve all sports events in the country to ensure they comply with the national and international standards. The vision of the organization is to utilize sports to enhance the talents of youths and improve investments in the country. Its mission is to realize the integration between sports and culture in order to have a strong and sportive community, which will facilitate the achievement of the plans, objectives, and expectations of Abu Dhabi government. My position in the organization is that of women sports coordinator whereby help women engaged in sporting activities through talent development is my main responsibility. The management created the position upon realization that women in the country are reluctant to take part in sports because of retrogressive culture. The position falls under the mid-level management and the core responsibilities include working with women to improve their performance by ensuring the ministry provides equal opportunities. In many countries, including developed states such as Britain, France, and Spain, women rarely receive sponsorship, especially when it comes to improving training facilities.

Area Analysis

SWOT analysis refers to a structural planning technique employed in assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (Chermack, T & Bernadette, 2007). The management uses the technique to determine the performance of a product, industry, organization, or the individual. The analysis entails a process in which objectives of the organization are specified as well as classifying internal and external factors, which might be either beneficial or inauspicious. Establishment of the strengths helps in understanding the special features of the organization that are likely to give it an advantage over other market players. Looking at the organizational weaknesses is vital in the sense that it plays a role in understanding the existing shortfalls in comparison to opponents. Opportunities are elements that the organization is likely to utilize to achieve competitive advantage. Threats are the factors that possibly cause problems.

Conducting a SWOT analysis is imperative in strategic planning given the fact it helps in designing appropriate steps towards success. Stakeholder analysis differs from SWOT analysis because the management uses it to identify people and groups that have the capacity of interfering with the performance of the organization, especially the actions proposed. It entails classifying important people and sorting them out based on their importance. The management has to ensure it weighs and balances the demands of various stakeholders to prevent conflict escalation (Fletcher, 2003). In other words, stakeholder analysis ensures the interests of a certain group in the organization do not override those of others. A stakeholder is any person or company that is directly involved in the affairs of the organization. While SWOT analysis diagnoses the market, stakeholder analysis evaluates the potential effect of groups and people associated with the organization.

Issue identification differs from SWOT and stakeholder analyses because it is related to problem solving. Whenever an organization faces a serious problem that affects its performance, issue identification is the first step towards solving it. Many organizations tend to suggest problem solving techniques and procedures, but they end up failing because of insufficient identification problems. For instance, an organization might be facing a challenge of retaining employees, which signifies an effect and not a cause. Under such a scenario, finding out the reasons why many employees could be handing in their resignation letters is critical. Therefore, the organization has to come up with an effective tool that will always capture the feelings of workers and the problems they encounter at the place of work. Additionally, the management has to adopt the strategies that work well in averting the situation by establishing effective strategies.

The best approach towards solving people’s problems is setting up an issue desk that will be charged with the role of collecting their suggestions, identifying the real problems, and acting upon the information collected (Pont, 2012). The government and other stakeholders fund the non-profit organization I work for (Abu Dhabi Sports Council). Based on this, it is important to conduct stakeholder analysis to ensure the organization continues to receive funding as well as realizing its desired goals and objectives. Development of a communication plan needs completion of an interest matrix by noting down the concerns of each group. Not all stakeholders are the same in terms of influence hence mapping their concerns is very important. The government is the key participant meaning it has to be involved in the governance structure, as it has to play a role in decision-making. Additionally, the management has to consult and engage the government regularly to facilitate continuous flow of funds. Informing the less important groups of the decisions should be through general communications, newsletters, company websites, and mail shots. The management has to show consideration for the minor stakeholders with an aim of increasing their participation in the organizational matters. The popular slogan would be, “let us make the bird fly.”

Area Planning

Communication planning entails adoption of a number of processes and strategies, but the most important is setting goals and objectives because it increases effectiveness. A communication plan with clear goals and objectives is likely to succeed because people are aware of what is expected of them. Again, members of the public are informed of what the plan aims to achieve through the goals and objectives. Without goals and objectives, chances are high that the concerned parties will misuse resources meaning they play a critical role of preserving the funds. Communication experts never believed that communication plans could be measured hence they never expected media planning to go through performance and budget evaluation, as is always the case with other projects set up in the organization (Latham, & Locke, 2002). Goals are defined as the ways through which results are articulated. They are often broad, intangible, and hard to measure. On the other hand, objectives pertain to the subgroups of goals and are usually articulated in scientific terms. In this regard, an objective is based on fact and is observable as compared to a goal, which is abstract. When a communication plan achieves a number of objectives, it is said to have achieved the goal as well. At least three types of goals exist in communication planning, including the one aiming at improving the reputation of the organization, relationship management goal, and task management goal. A communication plan to be generated at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council will be seeking to strengthen the relationship with stakeholders.

Area Programming

The council has a number of options regarding dissemination of information to important stakeholders. The major sponsor, which is the government, is notified of any activity going on in the organization through written documents because any message has to be signed to make it formal. In any bureaucratic environment, formal communication is valued meaning written letters are sent to respective ministries, departments, agencies, and institutions notifying them of the planned actions. The financial reports must be published in the popular newspapers and magazines in the country, as this will allow members of the public to comprehend the performance of the organization and scrutinize the accounts. Any organization funded through the public finances has to ensure it satisfies the populace to prevent conflicts that might lead to the closure of the organization (Taylor, 2005). Fans are notified of the events and proceedings of the organization through the radio and television, as they are interested in listening and seeing what happens frequently. However, the use of social media should be considered in the future because it attracts many youths who are the targeted group of fans (Young, 2010).

Conclusion

Planning for an effective communication is not an easy task because it entails conducting a SWOT analysis, stakeholder evaluation, and identification of issues that are likely to affect goal attainment. Working at the Abu Dhabi Council as sports coordinator for women is challenging since the position involves linking up with various stakeholders who facilitate the organization’s programs. In designing the communication plan, the stakeholder views and aspirations are taken into consideration because the organization cannot operate without them. Setting the goals and objectives is the first step towards designing a successful plan because it helps in attainment of results, as well as guiding the participants. Passing the messages to sponsors is important and the most preferred channels are writing letters, publishing the reports in the newspapers and magazines, and advertising on the radio and television. For fans, informing them of what is happening through the social media is preferred.

References

Chermack, T.J., & Bernadette, K.K (2007). The Use of and Misuse of SWOT analysis and implications for HRD professionals. Human Resource Development International, 10(4), 383–399.

Fletcher, A. (2003). Mapping stakeholder perceptions for a third sector organization. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 4(4), 505 – 527.

Latham, G., & Locke, E.A. (2002). Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation. The American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–715.

Pont, S. (2012). The Better Mousetrap: Brand Invention in a Media Democracy. New York: Kogan Page.

Taylor, J. (2005). Space Race: An inside view of the future of communications planning. New York: John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Young, A. (2010). Brand Media Strategy: Integrated Communications Planning in the Digital Era. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

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