In May 2025, Melissa Giroux Communications was contracted to develop a comprehensive communications strategy to support the creation and approval of a new Community Services Master Plan for a municipal client. The strategy was designed to guide communications from initial planning through to Council approval and implementation, with a strong emphasis on encouraging internal and public participation in engagement activities led by a separate consultant.
Melissa is brilliant, thorough, and totally dependable – she delivered exactly what we needed. The strategy she built for us turned complex information and diverse interests into a clear, actionable communications approach for both our internal and community audiences. Simply put, her work just set us up for success.
Melissa served as the lead communications consultant for the project, responsible for developing a comprehensive strategy to guide internal and external communications throughout the lifecycle of the Community Services Master Plan. Her role included conducting research, analyzing risks and opportunities, crafting key messages, and designing a phased tactical plan to support implementation by the municipal team.
Approach:
Using the RACE model (Research, Analysis, Communications, Evaluation), the project began with a review of historical campaigns and best practices, followed by a detailed risk and SWOT analysis. Audience identification and key message development were tailored to support inclusive communications across diverse community groups and municipal departments.
The strategy included a phased tactical plan to support implementation by the municipal team, with clear guidance on timing, channel selection, and message framing. The final strategy ensured alignment with municipal priorities and supported the organization’s broader goals for transparency, participation, and long-term planning.
Challenges faced:
The project operated under a significantly compressed timeline, with only two weeks allocated to develop a full communications strategy from initial research through to final delivery. This required rapid synthesis of historical materials, accelerated risk analysis, and efficient decision‑making to ensure the strategy remained both comprehensive and actionable.
Compounding the tight schedule, engagement planning, led by a separate consultant, was still in development throughout the strategy‑building phase. Key details such as engagement timing, tactics, and audience pathways were not yet finalized, creating uncertainty around how communications would need to support or amplify those activities. The strategy therefore had to be flexible enough to accommodate evolving engagement components while still providing clear guidance to staff.
Together, these constraints required a highly adaptive approach, balancing the need for clarity and structure with the realities of an evolving project environment.
Outcomes:
The communications strategy was delivered on time and within budget, providing the client with a clear, actionable framework to support the development and approval of the Community Services Master Plan. Following delivery, the client assumed ownership of the strategy, managing implementation and developing supporting tactics internally. The plan served as a foundational guide for communications throughout the project lifecycle, enabling consistent messaging, stakeholder alignment, and broad internal and public participation.