Allocating Resources

By Marijke Hallo de Wolf, Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA)
May 2001

It is common to see organizations allocating limited and uncommitted resources to improve internal and external communications systems. In order to effectively develop and implement a communications and engagement strategy that enhances the organization's work, it is essential to allocate and secure the necessary human, financial, technical and institutional resources.

This means:

• Having a staff member or a team in charge of the specific task to develop, implement, maintain and review the strategy.
• Setting out time for meetings with other staff members and "top management" to review internal and external communication needs and preferred communication tools.
• Identifying all the technical and equipment requirements to fulfill the strategy's goals, including capacity building needs within the organization.
• Allocating the proper amount of financial resources to: a) cover the staff time required for developing, implementing, maintaining and reviewing the strategy; b) acquire the necessary equipment and build the capacity in-house for the use of different communication tools that will fulfill the strategy's goals.
• Having access to different institutional resources, such as library resources, organizational archives and board of directors meetings, will provide relevant information for developing, implementing and maintaining the communications and engagement strategy.

SD Case Studies

How Does Undervaluing Communication Tools Affect an Organization's Work?
After a strategic planning meeting, FFLA staff realized the importance of having a person specifically in charge of communications, and has set the goal of hiring a person with a communications management background to help set a clear communications strategy that will help the organization enhance its work as related to different project needs.