ABCI 6 March 2009

1. ABCI 6 March 2009 Internal Communication at the European Commission 1 1

2. Who are we? • Approx. 33,500 staff (+ 8,000 pensioners) • 41 DGs and services • 2 main sites: Brussels and Luxembourg • Numerous other sites, including: • Ispra, IT and 4 other Joint Research Centre institutes • Grange, IRL • Representations in all 27 Member States • Over 120 Delegations around the world

3. What are our main challenges? Budget and resources: zero growth in resources Internal context: implementation of reform process External context: Need to communicate with citizens and stakeholders, to ‘go local’

4. What are the structural challenges? 41 DGs and services spread over different sites, with: • differences in ‘local’ identity and culture • hierarchical structures • complex information flows

5. What are the policy challenges? For internal communication, trying to balance: • information role • communicating the administrative reform process • role in broader process of organisational change management

6. What are the human challenges? Managing internal communications as a change process in a context of high staff diversity: • cultures (national, professional, social) • languages (27 official + minority langs) • employment status • educational profiles

7. What is our strategic approach? At Commission and DG levels: • building a collaborative network of internal communication professionals through the Internal Communication Network (ICN) • sharing and supporting best practices • making necessary connections with our colleagues working in external communication and human resources management (virtuous triangle)

8. How has internal communication developed? 1999-2004 – growing role in support of reform process 2005-2007 - external communication challenges provide springboard (2005 Communication Action Plan) for further focus on internal communication July 2007 - Commission adopts an Internal Communication and Staff Engagement Strategy Now - using internal communication strategy and practices: • to motivate and engage staff • to support gains in efficiency and effectiveness • to improve staff satisfaction

9. What does the Strategy cover? 5 main areas: • A communicating management • Linking internal and external communication • Staff as ambassadors • Improving flows of information • Monitoring and evaluation

10. What are we doing? 1.A communicating management Priority focus on: • raising awareness of management’s crucial role in promoting and tapping into staff engagement • providing training and learning opportunities • supporting implementation of internal communication best practices

11. What are we doing? 2.Linking internal and external communication Priority focus on: • raising awareness of links between internal and external communication • building practical cooperation at corporate level between DGs ADMIN and COMM; and with all DGs through ICN • encouraging cooperation between IC, EC and human resources communities in DGs

12. What are we doing? 3.Staff as ambassadors Priority focus on: • providing support and training to ‘ambassadors’ (website resources) • targeting different audiences at corporate and DG levels (division of labour) • raising awareness of role of all staff as ‘ambassadors’ or ‘advocates’ for the organisation

13. What are we doing? 4.Improving flows of information Priority focus on: • developing tools to simplify access to targeted information and provide collaborative working tool (briefings, corporate portal project) • fostering greater two-way communication • developing the ICN ‘community of practice’

14. What are we doing? 5.Monitoring and evaluation Priority focus on: • raising awareness and improving competences in monitoring and evaluation • developing a common evaluation toolkit for communication activities (common set of metrics for IC)

15. What levers do we have? The IC and Staff Engagement Strategy itself is reinforced by: • Internal Control Standard 12 • revised training offer for managers and communication staff • work of ICN, with annual seminars and workshops • collaborative behind-the-scenes efforts

16. Conclusions? The Strategy: • is an ambitious change management project • but has limited resources This means : • focusing on priority actions • using strategic leverage and networking • accepting change is gradual and incremental

17. Thank you! Merci !Dank U wel ! 17 European Commission Directorate-General for Personnel & Administration