September 2003

The Public Information Professional Increases Public Awareness And Understanding
by Patricia Willis-Kistler

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Few positions in government are as misunderstood as the public information official or PIO.

No two cities or government entities call this function by the same name. Management analysts, community relations coordinators, communication directors and assistant administrators are just a few of the titles that fill the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) membership directory. Even police lieutenants, secretaries, transit managers, cable producers, telecommunication directors, superintendents and city managers fill the role of PIO on occasion.

A multitude of technical and creative skills is required for this position. PIOs are expected to be all things to all people — writing and designing award-winning annual reports, pamphlets, brochures and manuals; creating professional-looking audio visual programs; crafting news releases and speeches under the strictest scrutiny and deadlines; and producing special events that steal headlines in every medium — all are part of the job description.

The Four-Step Public Relations Process

Public relations is a vital tool for managers and policy-makers in the private and public sectors. Public Relations News defines the profession as “ ... the management function that evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or organization, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and awareness.”

Every organization has a philosophy that sets the tone for how it interacts with its audiences — their customers, clients or residents. Whether in the public or private sector, the PIO helps management define its philosophy through a collaborative process of determining the needs, priorities, goals and objectives of both the organization and its residents.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is through a four-step public relations process:

1. Research. Determine the facts to identify the issue.
2. Plan. Brainstorm strategies to ad-dress the issue and determine your goals. This involves identifying the message, the audiences and ways of reaching those audiences.
3. Communicate. Develop and implement an action plan to accomplish specific communication objectives that help your meet your goals.
4. Evaluate. Assess the process to determine the effectiveness of the program.

How strategies are incorporated into the communication program depends largely on the action plan developed by the PIO and management. A communication plan should include strategies to define exactly what the message will be and how different media will be used to reinforce the message.

In the public sector, this formula translates into the following activities:

• Ask questions. Interview the chief executive, management staff and department heads to determine agency-wide and/or department-wide goals and objectives.
• Identify specific audiences, going beyond the citizenry as a whole. Recognize as many subgroups as possible, such as people who live within a certain geographic area, certain types of business owners, community leaders, seniors and young people.
• Use existing data to better understand the characteristics of each of these audiences; for example, census data, police reports, human services data, planning department statistics and chamber of commerce fact sheets.
• Conduct research. This can be done informally or by using more formal data collection techniques. Develop personal contacts throughout the organization and the community; convene focus groups; interview or survey advisory boards and commissions; monitor and analyze citizen call-in lines, letters and correspondence for feedback; talk to field workers; analyze media coverage and editorials; and conduct random mail or telephone surveys with selected residents.
• Identify internal and external factors that may have an impact on the organization.

The job of public information personnel is to be in touch with their public, which they do by immersion — by reading, asking questions and developing information networks throughout the city and community.

Tell the Truth

Professional credibility and that of the agency is always at stake; it is the PIO’s job to reflect this perspective throughout the decision-making process.

One PIO relates the story of being summoned to a meeting many years ago with a city manager, city attorney and council member who were assembled to confront a “crisis.” When asked what they should do, the PIO offered the cardinal rule: Tell the truth. Upon hearing this, the room erupted into laughter and the PIO was told, “That won’t work here.”

But it must work — in every situation. It is the responsibility of public information personnel to exemplify the highest standard of honesty, integrity, accuracy and truth.

Be Visible

PIOs must maintain visibility. Whenever possible, initiate a report, a memo or a meeting with management to advise them about a situation they may not be aware of or about changes to existing situations. Be proactive. If there is an important meeting coming up, make sure management knows that the PIO would like to be included as an observer or participant. To raise the level of public relations consciousness, management requires consistent information and support.

Perfecting the Art Of Communication

Good communication in an organization is essential, but it involves more than just memos, news releases and newsletters. Communication is a process — an exchange of information that requires active participation, generates its own momentum and changes or reinforces behavior or public opinion. Legendary editor Norman Cousins called effective communication “the ultimate art.” It demands sensitivity to the changes surrounding it and constant practice to perfect the skill.

Communication planning is a management tool that supports an organization’s objectives; it is a continuous function. Proactive communication strategies might include:

• Establishing a communications board of management, public information specialists and a cross section of audiences to address internal objectives (employees) or external objectives (residents);
• Maintaining key contacts within agency departments and the community;
• Working with management to help identify future organizational leaders and providing training for supervisors and top management that emphasizes small group and organizational dynamics and presentation skills;
• Revising and refining communication materials to be more responsive and effective; and
• Conducting media training and awareness workshops.

Budgeting for Communications

Most jurisdictions recognize the importance of the budget process as a tool for managerial planning and control. This is also true when implementing a public information budget. The budget will be the catalyst for specialized policy statements, programming goals, staffing guidelines and capital expenditures for computers, accompanying software, and electronic media and cable equipment.

Each jurisdiction must develop a communications budget to meet its own unique requirements and facilitate the accomplishment of agency goals, objectives and priorities.

The benefits of a counseling relationship between PIOs and management are numerous. Once the relationship is established, work is more easily focused on the highest priority objectives and issues. As a result, the PIO becomes a vital contributor to the agency’s positive and proactive image.

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CAPIO: An Important Partner at the League’s Annual Conference

For a number of years, the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) has provided valuable media relations support, media training and public relations counseling to city officials attending the League’s annual conference. A new service, initiated two years ago, provides city officials attending the conference the opportunity for free, personalized, on-camera media training on a first-come, first-served sign-up basis.

In addition, all city officials attending the conference can get help from CAPIO volunteers in drafting and distributing “hometown press releases,” which help tell the story to hometown media about what, exactly, they did at the conference.

CAPIO volunteers also produce the popular annual conference newsletters, which provide professional reporting on presentations of key speakers and numerous conference sessions.

“We are proud of our long-standing association with the League,” says Rick Kitson, CAPIO’s immediate past president and PIO for the City of Cupertino.

“It’s a relationship that provides important support to each organization, ”says League Communications Director Megan Taylor. “CAPIO’s a great organization, and we value the affiliation.”

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If You’re a PIO, You Need CAPIO

Established in 1971, the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) has become the leading membership organization for public communications professionals throughout California. With nearly 300 members, CAPIO provides professional growth opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines, catering to both new and established practitioners. CAPIO strives to improve the public’s access to information and services while promoting ethics and integrity in the profession.

In addition to offering a statewide annual conference, CAPIO sponsors intensive regional workshops featuring noted speakers and leaders from the public and private sectors; a professional resource library; an annual awards competition, including the prestigious Paul B. Clark award for outstanding service to the profession; and mutual aid assistance to other agencies to improve dissemination of public information.

Based in Sacramento, CAPIO maintains an active website that lists statewide job openings, professional resources and links to other agencies. In 2003, CAPIO introduced a comprehensive training certification program for members, called the PIO Institute, to complement ongoing workshops in crisis management; media relations; special events planning; and Internet, e-government and public policy issues, among others.

CAPIO’s annual conference locations alternate each year from northern to central to southern California. The 2004 conference will be held next spring in Monterey. Annual dues are $175.

For additional information about CAPIO, call Jeff Hobbs, first vice president, at

(562) 804-1424, ext. 2278, or visit www.capio.org.

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What City Officials Are Saying About CAPIO

“In this age of budget cutbacks and streamlined government, CAPIO is a vital yet cost-effective communications tool for our agency.”
       — Allison Hart, city manager, Irvine

“CAPIO has been an excellent resource for us in our many outreach efforts.”
      — Charles Batts, general manager, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District

“The value of CAPIO to our organization is immense. The ongoing training and professional resources have proven extremely helpful to us many times over.”
       — Michael Egan, city administrator, Bellflower

“CAPIO gave me an active resource base that could not be matched. And more than 10 years later, I still call on those resources.”
      — Joseph Kreins, chief of police, City of Sausalito

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Western City

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CAPIO is a leading statewide membership organization with 300 members throughout California. Based in Sacramento, CAPIO strives to offer innovative ongoing training and educational opportunities to public information professionals while promoting ethics and integrity in public service. For more information, visit www.capio.org.