Communications Audit
Objective
Describe what you are trying to achieve with this audit. Here’s an example:
To assess the current perception of communications produced within the company and scope
the actual job communication needs to do. This includes determining the strengths and
weaknesses of the communications produced – specifically:

Do the communications support the company’s business plans?

Do they add value?

What communications processes, vehicles and support does the company’s staff need
to be more effective?

Is there consistency and reinforcement of Corporate messages and communication
plans?

Are there local ‘centres’ of communications within the company and who are the
stakeholders involved in creating and distributing communications materials?

What processes, tools and/or training are needed to drive the company to best
practice communications?
Scope
Describe the communications that included in this audit – internal, external, which parts of the
business, just the communications produced by the Communications department or are you
including communications produced by other people in the organisation?
e.g. All internal and external communications across all media within the XX Business Unit.
This is not just communications produced by the Communications professionals in the
organisation, but any communications distributed to an audience beyond an immediate
workgroup.
Exclusions
List any areas you are specifically excluding from this audit. E.g. branding or project
communications
Methodology
List which stakeholder groups you will be consulting, how many of each, how you will get the
information from them and the questions you will ask. Here’s an example:
The following methodology will be used to gather data from the various stakeholder groups.
Stakeholder group
# of
interviewees
Business Unit
Input method
Questions
MDs
3
A, B & C
1-to-1 interview
Set 1
Sales
All - 156
A, B & C
Online survey
Set 2
Operations
Management
4
A&C
1-to-1 interviews
Set 3
Customer support
1 group x 5
A
Focus groups
Set 4
Operations staff
No specific
number
A&C
Informal
walkabouts
Set 5
Professional staff
This one is optional – maybe one focus group with finance/purchasing type
people within Business Unit A. Use the set 4 questions.
Customers
Media
Local
communities
Trade unions
Analysts
Investors
Input methods
This expands on the Input method column in the table above, explaining what each method is.
E.g.
As listed in the table above, several different methods will be used to gather data from the
various stakeholders. These include:
1-to-1 interview: Conducted either face-to-face or over the phone, these interviews are with
stakeholders high in the organisation. The intent is to both get their input about the current
Comms situation and to get their buy in for change.
Focus groups: Conducted face-to-face in a meeting room situation. Ideally, the participants
will be representative of various business units, product groups and countries so that a true
cross section of opinion can be obtained. Interpreter services may be required.
Online survey: A multiple-choice and open question survey will be created using an online
survey tool and sent to all salespeople. The aim is to get their input about the current state of
the communications produced by the company and also to determine how this compares to our
competitors.
Informal walkabouts: This method is used to gather input from Production staff who may feel
threatened in a meeting environment. Permission from Production management will be
obtained and interpreter services may be required. Ideally, sites that represent a cross section
of business units, product lines and countries will be included.
Question set 1 – MDs
Not all of these questions will be appropriate for each MD – choose the ones that suit the
situation.
Q1. How would you rate the following communications produced by your business unit?
Poor/good/excellent/don’t know?

Press releases

Product literature

Company literature e.g. brochure describing the company

Sales tools such as competitive comparisons, application information

The Intranet

Website

Internal announcements

Advertising

Trade show booths

Presentations to customers

Customer proposals

Emails to customers

Internal newsletters

Information about company restructure

Information about company direction and goals
Q2. What tools, materials, processes, training or support could the Communications
department provide to make you more effective? e.g. editing presentations to be given to
staff, providing media training
Q3. Where do you go to find out what communications materials are available e.g.
presentations, policies, newsletters etc?
Q4. Are there any information/data/files that you seem to spend a lot of time trying to find?
Q5. Can you think of a competitor or other company (maybe a previous employer) who
produces great materials? What makes them great?
Q6. Prioritise the following communications objectives (number from 1 to 6, with 1 being the
top priority):

Creating materials to help staff understand where the company is heading and how
they can work towards those goals.

Supporting organisational change

Building the company’s name as a good company: to work for/ to live near/that has
sustainable practices

Building the company’s brand in the market place
Q7. What are the biggests areas of need for communications that you see?
Question set 2 – Sales staff
Q1. How would you rate the following communications produced by your business unit?
Poor/good/excellent/don’t know?

Press releases

Product literature

Company literature e.g. brochure describing the company

Sales tools such as competitive comparisons, application information

The Intranet

Website

Internal announcements

Advertising

Trade show booths

Presentations to customers

Customer proposals

Emails to customers

Internal newsletters

Information about company restructure

Information about company direction and goals
Q2. What tools, materials, processes, training or support could the Communications
department provide to make you more effective? e.g. sales materials in local language,
presentation training
Q3. Where do you go to find out what communications materials are available e.g.
presentations, policies, newsletters etc?
Q4. Where do you go when you want to know about company information – do you ask
someone, call HR or look on the Intranet? Look on the bulletin board. Somewhere else?
Q5. Are there any information/data/files that you seem to spend a lot of time trying to find?
Q6. Can you think of anyone onsite who generates communication materials such as
newsletters, reports or procedures that are distributed to people beyond their immediate work
group?
Q7. Can you think of a competitor or other company (maybe a previous employer) who
produces great materials? What makes them great?
Q8. Prioritize the following communications objectives (number from 1 to 6, with 1 being the
top priority):

Generating sales leads

Providing sales tools to support salespeople in selling

Creating materials to help staff understand where the company is heading and how
they can work towards those goals.

Supporting organisational change

Building the company’s name as a good company: to work for/ to live near/that has
sustainable practices

Building the company’s brand in the market place
Q9. If you were the Communications Director what would you do first?
Q10. What are the biggest areas of need for communications that you see?
Q11. Can you personally describe what the company’s goals are?
Question set 3 - Operational Managers
These questions are designed for factory managers – those who work directly with
manufacturing staff.
Q1. How do you normally communicate ‘company’ information such as changes onsite,
restructuring, management changes, company results, new or changed policies with your staff?
Where/How/what?
Q2. Do you have the materials and support you need to communicate company information to
your staff?
Q3. Can you personally describe what the Corporate goals are?
Q4. What tools, materials, processes, training or support could the Communications
department provide to make you more effective? e.g. training on how to use the Intranet to
document common procedures for staff to follow, including photos and videos, materials in
local language
Q5. What are the biggest areas of need for communications that you see?
Q6. Where do you go to find out what communications materials are available e.g.
presentations, policies, newsletters etc?
Q7. Do all your staff have access to a computer with broadband Intranet access?
Q8. Where do you go when you want to know about company information – do you ask
someone, call HR or look on the Intranet? Look on the bulletin board Somewhere else?
Q9. Are there any information/data/files that you seem to spend a lot of time trying to find?
Q10. Can you think of anyone onsite who generates communication materials such as
newsletters, reports or procedures that are distributed to people beyond their immediate work
group?
Question set 4 – Customer support staff
Q1. How would you rate the following communications produced ?
Poor/good/excellent/don’t know?

Press releases

Product literature

Company literature

Sales tools such as competitive comparisons, application information

The Intranet

Website

Internal announcements

Advertising

Trade show booths

Presentations to customers

Customer proposals

Emails to customers

Internal newsletters

Information about company restructure

Information about company direction and goals
Q2. What tools, materials, processes, training or support could the Communications
department provide to make you more effective? e.g. sales materials in local language,
presentation training
Q3. Where do you go to find out what communications materials are available e.g.
presentations, policies, newsletters etc?
Q4. Where do you go when you want to know about company information – do you ask
someone, call HR or look on the Intranet? Look on the bulletin board Somewhere else?
Q5. Are there any information/data/files that you seem to spend a lot of time trying to find?
Q6. Can you think of a competitor or other company (maybe a previous employer) who
produces great materials? What makes them great?
Q7. Prioritize the following communications objectives (number from 1 to 6, with 1 being the
top priority):

Generating sales leads

Providing sales tools to support salespeople in selling

Creating materials to help staff understand where the company is heading and how
they can work towards those goals.

Supporting organisational change

Building the company’s name as a good company: to work for/ to live near/that has
sustainable practices

Building the company’s brand in the market place
Q8. If you were the Communications Director what would you do first?
Q9. What are the biggest areas of need for communications that you see?
Q10. Can you think of anyone onsite who generates communication materials such as
newsletters, reports or procedures that are distributed to people beyond their immediate work
group?
Q11. Can you personally describe what the Corporate goals are?
Question set 5 - Operational staff
During walk arounds on factory floor, ask the following questions:
Q1. When was the last time you heard about the company’s plans and goals?
Q2. If you can remember hearing about company plans can you remember the format -was it
during a meeting with your team or did you attend a presentation or watch something on the
web?
Q3. Did you understand what you needed to do to support those plans?
Q4. Did you understand how the plans will impact you?
Q5. Which topics would you like to hear more about – company plans? How our customers use
our products? Information from other business units about ideas that could be implemented at
your site?
Q6. Where do you go when you want to know about company information – do you ask
someone, call HR or look on the Intranet? Look on the bulletin board Somewhere else?
Q7. Are there any information/data/files that you seem to spend a lot of time trying to find?
Additional questions for communications producers
The following questions should be asked of those who have been identified by the other
stakeholder groups as being producers of communications. The aim here is to determine the
extent and purpose of their communications and the support they need to make it best
practice.
Q1. Your name has been mentioned as someone who produces communications within the
company. Please can you provide samples of materials that have been produced over the past
12 months? How often do you produce them and what is their purpose?
Q2. What tools, processes and/or training would make you more effective? e.g. do you
struggle with getting pictures right? Are you a power Word user?
Q3. What is working well? Have you had success that could be used else where within the
company?
Q4. Have you ever seen similar materials produced by other business units? If so, how would
you rate them?
Q5. Where do you go when you want to know about company information – do you ask
someone, call HR or look on the Intranet? Look on the bulletin board Somewhere else?