Management of communication of the performance according to the policies and strategies of the Provincial Administrative Organization of Songkhla

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study communications management to publicize the work results of Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization according to its policies and strategies, in terms of 1) planning communication management 2) implementation of communication management; and 3) approaches for developing better communication management. This was qualitative research based on in-depth interviews. The 13 key informants were chosen by purposive sampling from people directly involved with the management of communications of Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO). The research tool was a semi-structured interview form and data were analyzed by drawing conclusions.

The results showed that 1) Planning communication management was focused on solving problems involved with the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of message receivers. The message senders did the planning of communication management for communication of messages about public participation, organizational development and budget matters. A plan to manage communications about PAO operations was included as part of each policy, strategy, project and activity. A joint team of political leaders and career bureaucrats also made an overall communication management plan. 2) Implementation of communication management consisted of 4 steps – (a) identification of messages about the PAO’s operations, projects and activities following its policies and strategies. This content had to be communicated continuously; (b) transmission of messages via conventional media (print media, journals, signs, internal meetings, meetings with the public, speeches at mobile PAO events, radio programs, and TV programs) and new media (website, Facebook, Line and Youtube); (c) management of people, money, structures and technology, for which the PAO academic and planning division was responsible; and (d) evaluation of the communication of PAO operations under each individual policy, strategy, project and activity, with an emphasis on assessing the knowledge, understanding, and behavior of the message receivers and their exposure to each form of media used. 3) Approaches for developing better communication management: (a) messages should be designed to be short, concise, and easy to understand with pictures and data that clearly communicate the meaning appropriately for each medium, and the language used should be made suitable for the different groups of message receivers in different areas; (b) the presentation of messages through both conventional and new media should be creatively designed and produced by professional level producers. It might be necessary to hire skilled people specifically for this task; (c) as for human resources management, existing personnel should be trained to have good creative skills for designing and producing digital media. A sufficient budget should be allocated to communicate the PAO’s operations according to each local development policy, strategy, project and activity, in addition to an overall PAO communications budget. For work structure, work duties should be specified for digital media, social media and press relations. Technology should be implemented in the organization of messages to be communicated, in message design, and in message transmission to the press and the public via a “news bin” on the website or applications.