OutreachAMS Office of the Vice-President, External Affairs.

OutreachAMSOffice of the Vice-President, External

Affairs

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

-George Bernard Shaw

Introduction

• Difficulty with External portfolio is student outreach and bridging the gap between issues and the students they effect

• Outreach to students on external issues, sporadic, lacking consistency

• Few means for students to interact with issues• Very little available information on the

“external priorities” of students

• Not just a tool, but a holistic engagement strategy

• Provide future VPX’s flexibility, and cut down on expenses related to website development/design/outreach tools

• Integrate deeper with campus communities, provide a central communication point for students on post-secondary issues

• Engage with the broader UBC community, including faculty, staff, alumni, and residents on campus priorities in a more direct manner

Concept

OutreachAMS

Web-based/CRM Componen

t

ADVOCOMDirect

Engagement

• Established to replace External Commission in March 2013

• Works with the VP External on potential advocacy campaigns and initiatives

• Comprised of six members at large, and staff members of the VPX

ADVOCOM

OutreachAMS• Concept came in mid-2012 out of the

Comms. Review, aimed to target interests and needs of students

• CRM/Web based on NationBuilder non-profit platform

• Bid process tendered to cStreet Campaigns out of Toronto, Ontario

• Constructed over a 6 month period

System Requirements

• Cost effective (brass tax within our price range)• Flexibility to run various campaigns

simultaneously• Deep social media and user integration• Able to categorize student interests (“tagging”)• Able to communicate through other mediums

(text message blasts, email blasts, social media campaigns)

• Significant analytics capability • Central management, ease of use

CAN DO• Deep social media integration• Basic surveys • Text message petition signing, text blast

campaigns• Email blasting• “Points” based • Faculty/Group integration• Expand through open API • Track usage, interest of particular issues

CAN’T DO

• Robocall: feature disabled • Detailed surveys – tool/results

limited, fixing• Replace a good ground game• Automate functions • Outside access to contact database

Direct Engagement

• Elections are won and lost by the quality of a ground game

• Direct, conversational engagement provides greater buy-in from advocates

• Consultation events, livestreams, info events

• Office hours off-site• Campus canvassing (using

OutreachAMS)

As A Strategy • Structure for developing action • Cyclic, four stages of development• Can be modified year to year by

future executives, but provides a basis to build off of

“Finally, strategy must have continuity. It can't be constantly reinvented.”

-Michael Porter

Step 1. ADVOCOM• Takes policies passed by Council and

determines what direction to take from an advocacy standpoint

• Campaign concept developed with commission, including metrics, goals, and messaging

• Campaign presented, approved by ADVOCOM

• Staff begin implementing campaign (OutreachAMS and direct engagement)

Step 2. OutreachAMS

• Content from ADVOCOM worked into the online system, uploaded, and linked

• Petitions, information and “tags” developed, as well as pre-programmed social media events

• Using contact database, students contacted about campaign, system registers activity, produced quantifiable responses to issue

Step 3. Direct Engagement• Campaign being pushed by

OutreachAMS, direct engagement events scheduled by staff

• Executive/engagement team canvass• Consultations, information events held• Executive office hours outside of the

AMS offices • Presentations and open houses for all

student groups and clubs

Step 4. ADVOCOM

• ADVOCOM reviews effectiveness of campaign, results, and evaluates completion of metrics

• Report provided to VPX on results• Provides suggestions to help improve

campaigns (ie: new messaging, event concepts, etc.)

• Process repeated

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

-Winston Churchill

Next Steps

• Advocacy guidelines – in development

• 2nd campaign launch, The Walking Debt

• 3rd campaign launch, pending • Staffing ADVOCOM – in progress • Phase 2, 3 rollout – API apps, survey

tools• Campus engagement audit –

January/February

Questions?