Communicating With External Stakeholders

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Communicating With External Stakeholders

• Scott Rayder
• NOAA Chief of Staff
• August 27, 2007

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NOAA Business Model
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What are Elevator Speeches

• Detail Detail Detail
• Why is your program so important?
• Dont get bogged down in the details
• Why should other people care about your program?

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Who are our stakeholders?

• Executive branch
• National interest
• Other Government Department and Agencies
• Congressional members
• Staff
• Academia
• Industry
• Media

In other words everyone!
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How Does NOAA get its message to External
Stakeholders?

• Directly
• The Administration does so via briefs or updates
  in person (e.g. briefings to Hill, press, NGOs
  and industry)
• Through the press
• We use the media as a means to leverage the
  importance of NOAAs programs
• Through constituents
• 3rd party validation of the NOAA program is
  critical for support of our organization

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NOAA Past Culture No Organization At All
NOAA Future Integrated Culture Number One Action
Agency
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Why Are External Stakeholders Important?


X
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The HillAppropriations Reorganization a Surprise

• House Appropriations Committee contracted from 13
  to 10 Subcommittees
• Senate appropriations Committee, despite
  opposition, eventually acceded to most changes
• In House, NOAAs funding subcommittee has been
  renamed the Science, State, Justice and Commerce
  Subcommittee
• In the Senate, the funding subcommittee has been
  renamed the Commerce, Justice and Science
  Subcommittee

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The HillAppropriations Reorganization a Surprise

• NOAA will now be considered by both the Senate
  and House subcommittees with
  
  
• 17.3B FY 08 budget request
• 6.43B FY 08 budget request
• 3.82B FY 08 budget request
• Although budget allocations should cover all of
  the requests, it is ultimately up to the
  Subcommittees to divvy up the money

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The HillNOAAs Unique Hill Relationship

• Viewed as a non-political science-based agency
  
• Intense support from key leaders
• Positive public image programs touch
  constituents lives daily
• Fisheries regulations causes most controversy and
  Member concerns

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How Does NOAA Legislative Affairs Work

• Pro-active 24/7/365
• Meeting members needs
• Keeping NOAA Legislative Affairs in the loop
  (e.g. one NOAA)
• Respond promptly
• Get members and staff into the field

[phone]
BUILDING TRUST!
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How Does NOAA Legislative Affairs Work (contd.)

• Legislative coordination
• Drafting Assistance
• Monitoring bill and amendment introductions
• Maintaining communication with bill sponsors
• Coordinating Views Letters, Statement of
  Administration Policy and unofficial views

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How Does NOAA Legislative Affairs Work (contd.)

• Communications
• Initiate meetings and briefings with members and
  staff
• Respond promptly to Congressional inquiries
• Introduce key staff to NOAA through meetings,
  site visits and written materials
• Maintain website
• Keep DOC and NOAA leadership informed through
  written and oral reports

http//www.legislative.noaa.gov/
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The Press
DO YOU KNOW THE RULES?

• On the record
• Off the record
• On background

As you move upwards in NOAA you need to know the
rules!
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The Press

• On the record
• Your name in print
• Off the record
• You provide information but that information
  cant be used directly, however, it will enable a
  reporter to ask sharper questions of others
• On background
• The information you provide is used but your name
  is not in print (e.g. A Commerce official
  noted...)

Ask the reporter before you talk!
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The Press

• Be careful names in lights get shot at!
• You may get burned!
• Reporters can get information wrong!
• Report to your NOAA PA rep on your dealings. The
  goal here is to speak as one NOAA
• Getting cross-wired in the press is embarrassing

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3rd Party Endorsements

• Implementation of US Ocean Action Plan
• NOAA needs to work with key constituents

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3rd Party Endorsements

• Letters
• Emails
• Telephone
• Faxes
• Events in DC to support specific initiatives
  (e.g. CHOW)

Our constituents target the following The Hill
â Enacted Budget DOC â Formulated Budget OMB
â Formulated Budget

Goal Constituents care about programs!
We want them to care about NOAA programs!
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3rd Party Endorsements

• We cannot ask people to lobby on our behalf. This
  is illegal!
• If you are asked by a constituent if support for
  this organization would help, you can...
• Any correspondence in support of NOAA
  programs/budget needs to go to AAs and Ed Shaw
  in NOAA Business Liasion

BE RESPONSIBLE!
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NOAA LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE-

• The Committee is concerned that after three
  decades in existence and in spite of recent
  leadership guidance, many of the NOAA line
  offices operate as automats entities acting alone
  without considering the greater good of the
  agency. NOAA has a long track record of success
  but it is the Committees firm belief that one
  line office would undercut another line office in
  an instant if it could receive additional
  funding. This culture is detrimental to the
  entire agencys mission. Because of these
  concerns the Committee directs NOAA to contract
  with the National Academy of Public
  Administration to examine these issues and
  improve NOAAs Culture.

Source U.S. Senate 2008 Full Committee Mark