&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Administration And
Resources Management
(PM-212)
EPA510-R-92-001
November 1992
Improving Internal
Communications
Final Report of the Internal Communications Workgroup
Communications Strategy Committee
Racvcted/Recvclabla
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i
OVERVIEW 1
INTRODUCTION .2
BACKGROUND 3
KEY ISSUES FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS 5
COMMENTS ON THE FOCUS GROUP REPORT 7
CONCLUSIONS 8
CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS 10
RECOMMENDATIONS... 13
APPENDIX A - COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY COMMITTEE TASK
STATEMENT
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Internal Communications Audit and Final Report would not have been possible without the
contributions of many people. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts
of the following:
Christian Holmes, Assistant Administrator and Chief Financial Officer, Office of Administration
and Resources Management (OARM); Ed Hanley, Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Management and Administration, OARM; and Kenneth Dawsey, Director, Office of Human
Resources Management (OHRM), who provided important management support throughout this
project. Also, thanks to Lew Crampton, former Director, Office of Communications, Education
and Public Affairs for his support of this project.
The Communications Strategy Committee of the Internal Communications Workgroup : Linda
Adams, Region 8; Diane Bazzle, OA; Randy Brady, RTF; Helga Butler, OA; Bob English,
OARM; Renee Goins, OARM; Peggy Knight, OCEPA; Bob Knox, OSWER; Margaret McCue,
Region 5; Charlie Osolin, OCEPA; Michael Pritz, OARM; Mike Scott, OCEPA; and Linda
Smith, ORD.
Special thanks to other people who assisted us in this study: Mell Kollander, OA; Mike Manor,
Region 10; Tom Murphy, Corvallis Lab; Laurel Seneca, Region 1; Rob Senty, OHRM, Mary
Ann Smith, RTP; all the EPA employees who participated in the focus groups; and all the EPA
Offices, Regions and Labs that gave us comments on the focus group report.
Several members of OARM coordinated the overall audit, managed the Internal Communications
Workgroup and produced this report. They are: Thome Chambers, Co-chair, Internal
Communications Workgroup and Chair, Communications Strategy Committee; Grace
Sutherland, Project Manager and Focus Group Moderator in Corvallis, OR and Region 1; Edna
Rodriguez and Dona Canales, Assistant Project Managers; and other staff from the Employee
Participation and Communication Division of OHRM.
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OVERVIEW
Last summer, the Communications Strategy Committee of the Internal Communications
Workgroup decided to learn about EPA employees' perceptions of internal communications by
conducting an internal communications audit. The Committee agreed that a focus group study
would be the best way to gather feedback from employees on their communication needs and
wants. The information gathered from the focus groups would help the Committee develop
recommendations for the Administrator and Deputy Administrator on how to improve EPA's
overall internal communications system.
On behalf of the Committee, OHRM coordinated a focus group study which included a total of
14 focus groups at Headquarters, Research Triangle Park ORD Laboratories, Region 1 - Boston,
Region 8 - Denver, Region 10 - Seattle, and the Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory.
OHRM also gathered information from different employee constituency groups, and from others
with knowledge of internal communications, i.e., DRA's, DAA's, the Quality Improvement
Board, and Human Resources Officers. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this
report are based on the overall internal communications audit, including both the focus group
data and comments from throughout the Agency.
The audit confirmed the Committee's hypothesis that employees do not receive much
information internally, on the Agency's direction, goals or current initiatives. In fact, many focus
group participants expressed a sincere interest in receiving more information on Agency business
so they can do their jobs better and represent EPA effectively to the public.
The audit also produced three other major conclusions. First, the Agency does not have an
organized internal communications system. Most focus group participants perceived the
"system" as a collection of communication channels used in an ad-hoc manner. Also, many
employees said they feel "overloaded" with internally generated information, and the lack of an
organized system seems to make the situation worse. The second conclusion deals with the
underutilization of electronic channels to communicate with all employees, which results in paper
waste. Thirdly, employees rely on managers as sources of Agency business and administrative
information and want two-way communication to be improved; however, the Agency has not
developed any specific expectations of managers and supervisors in this regard.
Approximately two dozen recommendations for improving internal communications are
listed in this report They fall into the areas of: establishing an Internal Communications
Staff and Committee; creating an organized system for internal communications; making
better use of electronic systems; establishing management training and accountability for
internal communications; and providing employees with needed information.
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INTRODUCTION
For our purpose here, Internal Communications refers to how EPA communicates
information to employees Agency-wide, particularly information on Agency business and
personnel matters, and encompasses the kinds of information employees receive and how
they receive it During the past few years, there has been a growing interest in improving the
effectiveness of internal communications within EPA. The analysis of internal communications
presented in this report is part of a longer term effort by EPA to study, analyze, and improve the
Agency's internal communications.
The EPA Human Resources Council has been concerned with the effectiveness and efficiency of
internal communications for some time. In early 1990, the Council established a Subcommittee
on Internal Communications to suggest ways that EPA's top management could improve
communication with employees on the Agency's strategic direction and progress. As part of
their research, the Council looked at outside organizations for "best practices" which could be
used at EPA. The Council used this information to prepare a report for the Deputy Administrator.
In February 1991, based on the continuing interest of the Deputy Administrator to examine
communications, an Internal Communications Workgroup was established by the Office of
Administration and Resources Management, and the Office of Communications, Education and
Public Affairs. The Workgroup's members came from across the Agency. The Workgroup was
charged with building on the work of the Human Resources Council, identifying existing
problems with the internal communications system, and making recommendations to the
Administrator and the Deputy Administrator on how to improve the system.
The Workgroup members were divided into two committees: the Communications Strategy
Committee to conduct an internal communications audit; and the Newsletter Committee to create
an Agency-wide newsletter. This report represents the efforts of the Communications Strategy
Committee.
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BACKGROUND
When the Communications Strategy Committee began their work, they developed a task
statement which described current perceptions of EPA internal communications, the goal of
improving internal communications, and the purposes of conducting an internal communications
audit (included as an appendix). The committee members agreed that the goal of improving
internal communications should be that "all employees will have a base level of information that
allows them to understand EPA's mission and organization, current Agency initiatives, including
human resources and administrative issues, and how their jobs fit into the bigger picture."
The committee developed three operating perceptions or hypotheses to test in the audit:
Agency Senior Management perceives that employees do not have a uniform,
consistent understanding of EPA's mission, new initiatives, how these initiatives
relate to the mission, and how they as employees fit into the "big picture."
• Employees both need and want mission-related and human resources/administrative
information that they are not consistently receiving.
• Employees perceive that the internal communications system is not effective.
The committee decided the best way to test these perceptions and conduct an internal
communications audit was through a focus group study. They felt strongly that only in-depth
discussions with employees could reveal the real problems with internal communications and
suggest desired improvements. In preparation for the study, the committee developed an outline
which listed six "key topics" for discussion in the groups: Agency communication climate, types
and sources of information, communication channels, information needs and satisfaction with the
current system, assessment of specific initiatives, and suggestions for improving internal
communications.
Also, the committee selected the EPA locations to include in the focus group study. They agreed
that the majority of locations should be in the Regions and Labs, and spread out across different
geographic areas. The sites selected were: Region 1, Region 8, Region 10, Corvallis Lab,
Research Triangle Park Labs, and Headquarters.
After designating the focus group sites, the Committee decided that only non-supervisory
employees should be included in the study since the main objective was to find out what the
general EPA population thinks about internal communications. Then the Committee proposed
that half of the focus groups involve Professional/Technical staff, and half
Administrative/Support staff, since these two groups might have different information needs.
Once the Committee defined the focus group topics, locations and targeted employee groups,
OHRM secured a Contractor (Westat, Inc.) to conduct the focus group study. Prior to the start of
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data collection, OHRM and Westat staff worked together to develop a study plan, recruitment
strategy, and a focus group discussion guide. Next, Westat purposefully recruited participants
that represented the tenure and demographic characteristics of all employees in the two
categories, as well as the different EPA organizations and geographic locations.
The focus groups were conducted between December, 1991 and February, 1992. After analyzing
the group feedback, Westat produced a focus group study report entitled "A Qualitative
Evaluation of the EPA Internal Communication System" (available upon request). To gather
additional comments, OHRM sent the report to a large internal audience including AA's, RA's,
DAA's, Lab Directors, the Quality Improvement Board, the Human Resources Council, and
others. After collecting comments, doing additional research, and incorporating ideas from the
Human Resources Council's earlier study, OHRM worked with the Communications Strategy
Committee to develop the final recommendations presented in this report.
The next sections summarize the key issues from the focus group study, comments collected
on the focus group report, conclusions from the internal communications audit, current
developments, and recommendations for improving internal communications.
It is important to note that the key issues, along with many of the conclusions and
recommendations mentioned in this report, are based on fourteen focus groups, involving a total
of one hundred and twenty employees from various EPA locations across the country. There
were many recurring perceptions and comments from the focus groups. These recurring themes
form the basis for the committee's conclusions and recommendations presented in this report.
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KEY ISSUES FROM THE FOCUS
GROUPS
Several themes came up repetitively in the focus groups:
Internal communications needs improvement Many employees feel uninformed
about EPA's direction and current initiatives, and think the Agency should do a
better job providing them with candid, relevant and timely information. They are
frustrated when the Agency informs outside organizations before it communicates
with its own "family." Most of what they hear about EPA comes from outside
sources (e.g., newspapers, other organizations).
Employees do not think the Agency has an organized internal communications
system. They perceive the "system" as a collection of communication channels used
in an ad-hoc manner. Also, many employees feel "overloaded" with internally
generated information, and the lack of an organized system seems to make this worse.
As one focus group participant summed it up, "EPA is a blue jeans and T-shirt
Agency, but we need to formalize our communications system so it's not ad-hoc."
Employees at all levels feel that the Agency is least effective communicating EPA's
mission, goals, direction, and current initiatives. Most employees want current
information on Agency business so they can do their jobs more effectively and
accurately represent EPA to the public. Many employees perceive themselves, and
are perceived by others in the community, as representatives of the Agency, and say
they can be more effective hi this role if the Agency keeps them better informed on
EPA business.
Employees rely on their managers as sources of Agency business and administrative
information. Many feel that managers should be held accountable for internal
communications. Also, employees said two-way communication needs to be
improved; managers should not only pass on information but also seek input from
employees.
Most employees tend to use the variety of communication channels available to them;
however, many employees expressed a preference for staff meetings and electronic
communications (e.g., electronic mail, Local Area Networks).
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While most employees see staff meetings as a good forum for two-way
communication, frequency of such meetings varies greatly from one office to another.
In fact, several employees said they have not had a staff meeting in years.
Different employee populations expressed preferences for different types of
information, in addition to general information on EPA business:
Professional/Technical staff said they want more high quality technical information,
while the Administrative/Support staff want current information on administrative
policies and procedures.
Communication on human resources matters seems to be more effective than
communication on Agency business. However, many employees said information on
training opportunities and vacancies needs to be more timely and readily accessible.
Many employees in the Regions and Labs seemed to feel isolated from Headquarters
and other EPA locations. Several complained that they frequently submit work to
Headquarters, but do not receive follow up or feedback.
Employees throughout the Agency agree that informal channels are the best source of
unbiased and reliable information. Personal networks are valued as key sources of
internal information.
Many employees, especially those in western locations, feel the Agency should reduce
its use of paper for internal communications. Employees want to see
"environmentally sound" communications practices. Many commented that greater
use of electronic communication channels would not only reduce paper use, it would
also allow them to browse through information and choose what to read and save.
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COMMENTS ON THE FOCUS GROUP
REPORT
The focus group report was sent to a large internal audience (i.e., Assistant Administrators,
Regional Administrators, Lab Directors, the Quality Improvement Board, the Human Resources
Council, the Secretarial Advisory Council, Women in Science and Engineering, etc.) for
comments and recommendations. In general, those who commented on the report said it
contained valuable information and captured the major concerns associated with internal
communications. Most of the comments centered around two key themes: cut down on the
use of paper by making better use of electronic communications; and encourage more
face-to-face, two-way communication.
As for electronic communications, many people agreed that the Agency should use electronic
mail and LANs to get information out to employees in an organized fashion. Several endorsed
greater use of electronic bulletin boards to enable staff to exchange information and ideas easily
(e.g., automate communication links between the Procurement and Contracts Management
Office, Project Officers, and Delivery Order Project Officers/Work Assignment Managers.)
Some also suggested that the Agency develop multiple, easy-to-use data bases on a variety of
subjects, from policy to science.
However, most respondents emphasized that training is the key to ensuring that employees use
various electronic communication tools. Several people also cited the need for intuitive, "user
friendly" tools that are integrated into a comprehensived communications system.
Comments also acknowledged the need for more face-to-face communications, such as staff
meetings, senior management visits to Regions and Labs, and video conferences. Most agreed
that these forums are important because they foster two-way communication. Many people
supported the idea that managers and supervisors have a key role in internal communications.
They said that managers should be held accountable for keeping their staffs informed and
gathering feedback from employees.
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CONCLUSIONS
Based on the feedback from the focus groups and comments from throughout the Agency on the
focus group report, the Communication Strategy Committee has reached the following
conclusions:
While internal communications will always need improvement, the Agency can make
noticeable improvements now by focusing attention on this issue and making a
concerted effort to address current internal communications deficiencies.
Efforts to improve communication with employees, especially keeping them informed
on Agency direction and initiatives, should help employees feel part of the "F.PA
family" and do their jobs more effectively. The lack of such efforts is having a
negative impact on morale.
The Agency does not have an organized internal communications system. A variety of
communication channels are used on an ad-hoc basis to communicate Agency-wide.
This "ad-hoc system" results in an over-reliance on paper and only contributes to
employee frustration with information overload.
The Agency has not recognized and responded to the specific information needs and
preferences of various employee segments, namely the Professional/Technical staff
and the Administrative/Support staff.
Perhaps the weakest area of internal communications concerns Agency business
information (e.g., information on EPA's mission, direction and current initiatives,
policies, etc.). The Agency has offices to handle external communications, but no
designated organization or staff responsible for and equipped to handle employee
communications. This results in employees looking to outside sources for information
on EPA business, and frustration that EPA keeps outside groups informed better than
its own "family."
Many employees want and need candid, timely information on Agency business to do
their jobs more effectively and represent EPA to the public.
Many employees want better access to timely training and vacancy information. The
paper distribution system is not effective for this type of time sensitive information.
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While employees rely on their managers and supervisors to foster two-way
communication, the Agency has not "asked" managers/supervisors to assume this
responsibility. The importance of their role in internal communications is not
conveyed through management training, performance standards or EPA's culture.
Managers and supervisors are not held accountable for internal communications.
While many employees seem to prefer staff meetings as an internal communications
channel, many managers do not utilize this communication tool. There is a general
need for regularly scheduled staff meetings throughout the Agency to foster two-way
communication between staff and management
Other than the newly developed "EPA Insight," no mechanisms are in place to help
foster a sense of organizational unity among all EPA locations.
There is a need to improve communications between Headquarters and Regions/Labs,
especially with regard to deadlines and feedback. Headquarters organizations do not
provide feedback regularly to the Regions and Labs on work submitted to
Headquarters. As a consequence, the Regions and Labs seem to be frustrated not
knowing how and if their work has been used.
Without an effective internal communications system, employees rely heavily on
informal channels. While some reliance on informal channels is natural, a lack of
effective, formal channels creates an unnatural reliance on informal channels and
negative feelings towards the organization.
While many Regions have developed excellent models of electronic communications,
as a whole, the Agency underutilizes electronic channels to communicate with all
employees. Both All-in-One electronic mail and Local Area Networks (LAN) offer
many features that can reduce paper-based communication. Most employees seem to
favor more "environmentally sound" internal communication practices, such as using
electronic channels.
There is a need to improve awareness and utilization of electronic communication
channels, as well as training on these systems. Many employees in the focus groups
emphasized the importance of getting adequate training on electronic mail and the
LAN.
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CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
Before moving on to recommendations, we need to point out some initiatives underway to
enhance internal communications, particularly electronic communications.
The electronic channels for communicating information to all employees or a group of
employees are All-in-One electronic mail and Local Area Networks (LANs).
All-in-One offers three different communication tools: 1) Videotext (communicating text for
reading only, e.g., "EPA Insight," 2) Electronic Messaging (sending and receiving
information/files to specified recipients), and 3) Bulletin Boards/Group Conferencing ("posting"
information and allowing users to "post" comments, e.g., Grants Management Information
Bulletins). Currently, about 7,800 EPA employees have All-in-One mailboxes. However, only
40% of these boxes are used in a given month, meaning many employees are not using this
system regularly.
All EPA Regional Offices, as well as many Labs and Headquarters Offices, have established
LANs. In fact, several Regions have developed LAN applications and have greatly enhanced
communications with employees. For example, Region 4 employees can log onto the network
and find daily news (Regional information, environmental news clips, etc.), a training calendar,
vacancy announcements, personnel notices, travel/per diem information, organizational charts,
and a national and regional locator service. Region 9 has developed a similar system with all
employee news, vacancy announcements, per diem rates, newsletters, directories, US/Mexico
Border news, and an employee information guide, featuring information on EPA's mission and
organization, personnel policies benefits and services.
Right now, anyone on a LAN can share information easily with others on that same network.
With LAN "Backbones," LANs within the same building or even at different locations can be
interconnected. This "backbone" system has the potential to provide a channel for reaching all
EPA employees on LANs. Information can be captured in a computer application, manually
disseminated to the LAN administrator at each EPA location, and loaded onto each network.
Eventually, a central "super server" will be able to handle nationwide dissemination
electronically, making paperless commuri; cation to all employees a real possibility.
Possibilities for Electronic Communications
The Office of Administration and Resources Management is working to increase the number of
employees using electronic mail and to continue building an Agency-wide network. OARM
officials also want to raise employee awareness of these systems and improve training.
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In the meantime, several offices have started using the All-in-One system to provide information
to employees. For example, the "EPA Insight" is available on All-in-One/Videotext each month.
In May and June, over 1,000 employees used this system to read the newsletter. The Office of
Communications, Education and Public Affairs is taking steps to make the EPA Journal, press
releases, and the weekly "EPA Activities Update" available on All-in-One. Other possibilities for
new electronic mail applications include: regular updates for Administrative and Support staff
(Videotext), electronic bulletin boards for research in progress and administrative/support
information (Group Conferencing), and an internal "hotline" service for employee questions on
EPA policy or organizational issues (Electronic Messaging).
The EPA Contracts Management Manual, EPA Locator, vacancy and training information, an
EPA Directives infobase, and a "scanned" image version of the newsletter are just a few items
currently being adapted for the LAN. In addition, Region 9 is sponsoring a pilot to distribute the
"EPA Insight" on the LAN and reduce hard copy distribution. So far, Regional employees have
expressed support for this initiative and would like to see other all-employee communications
disseminated on the LAN. Next, the Region plans to pilot electronic distribution of all-employee
memos.
Once all EPA locations are connected to LANs and the technology is in place to create a
nationwide network, information intended for all-employees can be distributed electronically,
making paper-based communications the exception rather than the norm.
Other Developments
There are some other developments worth noting.
First, the Office of Communications, Education, and Public Affairs (OCEPA) recently developed
an "EPA Insight Policy Paper" to supplement the employee newsletter. This paper highlights
special policy areas or issues, and describes EPA's activities and positions on these issues.
OCEPA is making this paper available in hard copy as well as on electronic mail. Also, OCEPA
sent the Agency's annual report to all managers and supervisors this year, asking them to share it
with their staffs and discuss the report in staff meetings.
Another new development is the creation of 'EPA Science Notes" by the Office of Research
and Development. This monthly newsletter provides a summary of research activities in the
various ORD labs, upcoming meetings, and new Agency research publications. So far, ORD
sends this newsletter to senior management and all ORD offices, in addition to members of the
press and the general public. Plans are underway to make "EPA Science Notes" available
electronically.
Also, this year the Office of Human Resources Management , in conjunction with the various
training entities throughout EPA, developed a "Curriculum of the 90's," a fairly extensive list
of skill and knowledge areas intended for all employees. A subset of that list, the "Core
Curriculum," is designed to provide a crosscutting foundation of knowledge and skills. "Core"
courses cover broad Agency themes (e.g., pollution prevention, diversity), current environmental
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issues, important management initiatives (e.g., total quality, contracts management), and the
Agency's organization, mission and current priorities. This curriculum is being implemented at
Headquarters and will eventually be implemented Agency-wide.
Finally, two new work groups have been established by OARM and OCEPA. The "Internal
Distribution Quality Action Team" is looking at ways to ensure that the Agency has an
effective and efficient hard copy distribution system in place. Another work group, the
"Internal Communications and Publishing Interest Group," will share information and
encourage better communications and publishing practices in the Agency.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the foregoing conclusions, the Committee recommends initiatives in several key areas:
1) creating an organized system, 2) responding to unmet needs, 3) strengthening the role of
managers, 4) enhancing electronic communications, and 5) expanding existing information
resources. Overall, the Committee sees organization of an internal communications system as the
main priority and "umbrella" recommendation under which all the other recommendations fall.
While the current developments mentioned in the previous section can improve internal
communications, these efforts need to be coordinated and integrated into an Agency-wide system
and considered part of an overall strategy for internal communications. So, in addition to
supporting current developments , the Committee makes the following recommendations:
Creating an Organized System
• The Agency should establish an Internal Communications Staff with responsibility for
coordinating Agency-wide communications with employees. This staff should have
responsibility for ensuring employees are kept informed of Agency business and
important administrative information. They also should monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness of internal communications in general.
Establish an on-going Committee for Internal Communications to advise senior
management. The committee should h?ve responsibility for identifying internal
communications problems, and making recommendations on ways to solve the
problems or otherwise improve internal communications. The Committee should be
comprised of managers and employees from Headquarters, Regions and Labs.
The Staff, in consultation with the on-going Committee, should develop an organized
system for internal communications that improves use of formal communication
channels and reduces the use of paper. The Staff should look at existing Regional
LAN based communications systems (e.g., Regions 4 and 9) as models for developing
an Agency-wide communications system.
While some of these already exist, the Internal Communications Staff should consider
incorporating the following elements into a comprehensive internal communications
system:
— Employee Orientation with an overview of EPA, including the Agency's mission,
direction and organization.
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— Regular short, non-technical news updates for employees, highlighting Agency
initiatives, actions, policy positions, etc.
— Periodic candid messages from Senior management, updating employees on
EPA's direction and progress.
— Targeted information for various employee populations, such as policy and
research updates to appropriate Professional/Technical staff, and administrative
policy and procedural updates to Administrative/Support staff.
— Regular all-employee newsletter that communicates EPA's mission, direction,
and current initiatives (i.e., "EPA Insight").
— Management training on fostering two-way communication with employees.
— Special news updates to managers/supervisors to help them keep their staffs
informed on important Agency business and administrative matters.
— Regular staff meetings throughout the Agency.
— Senior management visits and/or video conferences with Region and Lab
employees.
— Agency annual report distributed internally to all offices.
*
— Timely, easily-accessible vacancy and training information.
— Reference systems available to employees on various policy and administrative
topics, including organizational information on who does what in EPA.
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— Training on current Agency themes (i.e., the EPA Institute "Curriculum of the
90's)."
Responding to Unmet Needs
• The Internal Communications Staff, along with the on-going Committee, should look
at the special information needs of Professional/Technical staff and
Administrative/Support staff, and work to meet those needs.
• The staff should develop a "Guide to EPA Internal Communications" - a short,
easy-to-read booklet or computer based reference tool that describes where employees
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can find various types of information. This guide is needed to help publicize existing
resources (e.g., what is available on electronic mail) and describe EPA's evolving
internal communications system.
Since the focus groups indicated that the weakest area of internal communications
concerns Agency business information, the staff should provide employees with
regular updates on EPA's direction, goals, and current initiatives through weekly or
biweekly news updates. These updates should be written for all employees (e.g.,
non-technical and easy-to-read), and be available on electronic mail and LANs (where
available), with limited hard copy distribution to supplement
The staff should provide managers and supervisors with a regular news update,
tailored to their needs and designed to supplement the all-employee update (described
above) and help them keep their staffs informed. This "management news brief"
should help reinforce the importance of the manager's role in internal
communications.
Strengthening the Role of Managers
Organizational leadership should develop, communicate and reinforce clear
expectations for managers/supervisors with regard to internal communications.
These expectations should include fostering two-way communication with employees,
and, for Headquarters, providing feedback to Regions and Labs on the work they
submit
• Senior management should make an even greater effort to visit the Regions and Labs
and/or use video conferences to provide face-to-face updates on EPA business, allow
for two-way communication with staff, and reinforce the perception of a unified
Agency team.
Enhancing Electronic Communications
• Senior management should make electronic networking a priority for the Agency with
the goal of building a more sophisticated network to provide employees with
enhanced, " user friendly" services.
• Senior management should encourage and support efforts to use existing computer
technology to get information to employees, facilitate information exchange within the
Agency, and increase opportunities for interactive learning on personal computers.
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Organizational leadership should ensure that adequate resources are in place for
training on various electronic communication systems, enhancement of such systems,
and marketing these systems to employees.
The Office of Administration and Resources Management should take the lead for
making the following information available to employees electronically: 1) general
administrative policy and procedural information (e.g., contracts management, travel
guidelines, etc.), 2) updates to Administrative/Support staff (i.e., secretaries, clerks,
administrative officers, etc.) on changes in administrative policies and procedures,
and 3) general information on EPA's organizational structure, functions of various
offices, and who does what within each office (i.e., LAN based version of EPA
SOURCE).
The Office of Human Resources Management and Servicing Human Resources
Offices should continue to explore ways to make vacancy and training information
available on electronic mail and LANs.
ORD, as well as other offices, should establish electronic bulletin boards to facilitate
information exchange among staff at various EPA locations.
Expanding Existing Information Resources
Insight," the all-employee newsletter developed by the Internal
Communications Workgroup and launched in February of this year, should continue
to publish timely information on EPA's direction and the status of major Agency
initiatives, along with human resources news, human interest articles, Total Quality
"success stories," and other news of interest EPA-wide.
The Office of Research and Development should expand internal dissemination of
"EPA Science Notes " in order to provide Professional/Technical staff with needed
information on research in progress. ORD should also distribute this newsletter
electronically.
The Office of Communications, Education and Public Affairs should continue to
distribute the Agency's Annual Report and similar publications internally to all EPA
offices.
OCEPA should also continue efforts to develop new information resources and make
existing ones available for employees on electronic mail and LANs, to contribute to an
overall internal communications system.
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Based on the suggestion of many focus group participants and comments on the focus
group report, Headquarters and Regions should consider consolidating their
respective weekly/biweekly updates to senior management, and making these
available to employees on electronic mail and LAN.
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COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY SUBCOMMITTEE
REVISED TASK STATEMENT - May 14,1991
Operating Perceptions
* Agency Senior Management perceives that employees do not have a
uniform, consistent understanding of EPA's mission, new initiatives,
how these initiatives relate to the mission, and how they as employees
fit into that picture.
* Employees both need and want mission-related and human
resource/administrative information that they are not consistently
receiving.
* Employees perceive that the internal communication systems are not
effective.
Goal
All employees will have a base level of information that allows them to
understand EPA's mission and organization, current Agency initiatives,
including human resource and administrative issues, and how their jobs fit
into the bigger picture.
Task of Communication Strategy Committee
To test these perceptions by conducting some form of internal
communications audit and, based on the information gathered, to make
recommendations for improving how the Agency communicates with its
employees.
Purposes of Communications Audit
- To assess the base level of information employees currently have/receive on
EPA's mission and direction and other administrative issues, and what
information they need and want to receive.
- To find out how employees receive information, if they find these methods
effective, and what other ways they may prefer to receive information.
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