FOREWORD This guide is intended for use in the establishment and functioning of national coalitions of services in CARIFORUM. There is no single model for services coalitions that would be appropriate for each member state. Despite the many similarities of the services sector across the region, the context, resources and priorities, as it relates to a coalition, vary. This guide will offer strategies and best practices in various areas of coalition development. It is not an exhaustive guide; the role of a coalition is extensive. Communications, however, has been addressed in depth. While communications is critically important to a coalition, it is the author’s experience that it is not given the priority it requires. The guide will address the following areas: 10 First Steps in Establishing a Coalition Membership Structure Board Structure and Role Association Support Coalition Sustainability Communications – Establishing a Communications Strategy Communications – Raising Awareness and Establishing Credibility Best Practice Features for a CSI Website Useful E-Tools for a Coalition and its Membership The best practices elaborated in this guide are based on the nine years of dedicated experience of the author in supporting coalition development in Barbados, regionally and internationally. Material from “Harnessing Services Trade for Development: A Background and Guide to Service Coalitions1” has been incorporated and elaborated on. 1 Hustler, Michelle A. “Harnessing Services Trade for Development: A Background and Guide to Service Coalitions”, International Lawyers and Economists Against Poverty (ILEAP), 2010. 1 10 First Steps in Establishing a Coalition A practical starting point in the process of establishing a coalition is in the reflection on key guiding principles. The below principles were originally noted in Kihuma, Job K. “Creating a Services Coalition: An East African Roadmap2” and are equally relevant to the Caribbean experience. Be guided by need and purpose; Individual member’s needs should converge at the coalition; Committed and effective leadership are a must; Governance structures must be formalized and institutionalized; Maintain a clear strategic plan to guide activities; Ensure benefits to members outweigh cost of membership; Maintain a sound financial and management system; Develop an effective communication strategy; Build networks and alliances; Remain relevant. Whether the process of establishing a coalition is initiated by the public or private sector, the following points will apply: 1. Identify a Champion Ideally both a private and public sector champion should be identified; The role of these persons would be to generate support for the establishment of a coalition, including raising awareness on the importance of a coalition and generating financial support from corporate sponsors, government and donors; The champions do not need be the same persons as the drivers (those persons who are doing the groundwork; see below), but rather should be high-profile leaders, credible and persuasive, with the ability to deliver their messages at a high public and private sector level; The champions should have a clear understanding of the roles and possibilities of a coalition, in order to be effective at conveying the need to establish the organization. Ideally, within the private sector, the champion should be a successful services exporter. 2. Form a Taskforce Establish a taskforce of service providers willing to donate their time to the establishment of a coalition. This is a taskforce of doers; The taskforce should ideally be comprised of representatives from the government, key trade associations (e.g. legal, accounting, engineering), large services companies, and champions of national leading services sectors; 2 Kihuma, Job K. “Creating a Services Coalition: An East African Roadmap”, International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO, 2004. 2 The taskforce should also include persons willing to donate the services relevant to establishing a coalition – attorney-at-law (to assist with the incorporation procedures, bylaws), marketing specialists, management consultants, IT specialists; Organize regular meetings of the taskforce. 3. Assess Willingness/Support of Private Sector Depending on resources, host a forum or visit all professional associations and leading services companies. Discuss the role of the coalition; Gather information regarding the challenges of services sectors and service providers both nationally and with respect to exporting; Gather feedback on the types of offerings a service provider would wish from a coalition; Consider inviting a representative from an existing coalition to discuss their own success and to generate enthusiasm at a discussion forum; Ensure buy-in on the importance of the coalition. Do this in writing; This assessment can be undertaken by university students or taskforce members who are able to donate the time. 4. Identify a Driver Identify drivers, if none have been identified. The role of these persons will be to do the ground work for the coalition. Consider using university students, if there are no private sector volunteers; The role of the drivers will include conducting surveys, organizing meetings, developing initial databases, conducting research, preparing press releases and other marketing material and generally supporting the champions and the taskforce. 5. Planning of Logistics and Operations Review coalition best practices; Determine a name, mission, objectives, and core values; Determine membership categories and criteria; Prepare bylaws for the organization that will outline governance structures, voting procedures, membership categories and criteria; Determine the core activities of the coalition; Discuss the benefits for each of the stakeholders. As above, be sure that the benefits of the coalition outweigh the costs. In addition to being ‘a voice for the services sector’, coalitions in developing countries include benefits that can more directly result in increased exports, earnings and market share; Prepare a short-term action plan for the coalition, but allow room for changes in dates, project additions and omissions. Be flexible. While it is important to plan ahead, this sector is very dynamic. Specific plans will change based on the work of other business support organizations both nationally and those doing business in your country, trade negotiations, the projects of international donors or funding agencies, the focus of government and the energies of the private sector; 3 Locate office space. Consider utilizing space at the national Chamber of Commerce or request office space from the Government, if no funds for such expenses are available; Consider structure and staffing. A coalition must have at least one professional staff to function effectively (i.e. ‘the driver’); Consider seeking advice from other coalitions and organisations providing technical support in this area (e.g. Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions); 6. Secure financial support Prepare an information package and funding proposal to secure financial support. This can include seed funding to take the initial steps required to pursue longer-term funding. At minimum, include financing for a manager and an assistant and the funds necessary to undertake an aggressive PR campaign, which should seek to raise awareness of the role of the coalition and build support for the organization; Reach out to both public and private sector actors, including large services firms operating in the country/region, the local government, bilateral and multilateral donors, private philanthropic bodies, diaspora, etc; Secure at least 3 years funding before launching a robust work programme (ideally 5 years). The rationale here is that without a solid base to scale up activities over the first 3-5 years, it will be very challenging to garner the requisite credibility and trust of beneficiaries; 7. Formalize Before launching the coalition ensure that all procedures are formalized, with special attention to membership procedures. It is essential for the CSI (Coalition of Service Industries) to have a professional tone from the outset and not appear to be driven by the ad-hoc interests of the main drivers. Formalising procedures minimises the possibility of the latter and strengthens the perception around the CSI’s ability to deliver as an organisation; Consider a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to govern the relationship between services associations and the coalition. The MOU should cover the general scope of the relationship (what the coalition will do/what the association will do) and outline topics such as the assignment of association point persons, terms for sharing information with the coalition following Annual General Meetings (AGMs) or changes in contact details; Ensure that important trade in services data is captured from Individual/Company members as part of the membership procedure of this category. This process avails the ideal time to commence both a qualitative and quantitative survey of services providers (data that will prove invaluable for the CSI to properly target effective services and offer support to its members); 8. Develop a communications strategy/public relations One of the most important roles of a coalition is communications. Trade in services is not well understood and the sector is diverse and fragmented. While the usefulness of a manufacturing or agricultural association will not be questioned, the role of a services coalition will be. It is thus very important that the message of the coalition and of the services sector is consistent and frequent, raising awareness about the importance of services, the role of a services coalition in particular and the intentions to launch a coalition in the country/region of interest; 4 To start, early and targeted newspaper articles can help to stimulate discussion and generate needed attention on services issues (this can help to attract financial resources); Develop a website and brochure that explains the role of the coalition, membership categories and procedures and outline clearly and comprehensively the member benefits for both individual/companies and service associations; 9. Launch the Coalition Host a coalition launch; Invite key public and private sector leaders; Invite national business support organizations; Invite national and regional media and ensure some articles on relevant issues appear prior to the launch (see also communications strategy above); Secure high-profile public and private sector speakers (ensure their availability for media interviews); Prepare speaking notes regarding the importance of the services sector and trade in services for the speakers; Prepare a press kit for the media with a press release, brochure, etc; 10. Coalition Functioning Host a General Meeting; Adopt by-laws; Elect a Board of Directors; Appoint Government representative to sit on Board; Incorporate the organization; Hire a paid professional staff; Ensure sound financial management systems. Consider adopting a project-based accounting approach; Monitor. Evaluate. Report. The coalition will be called to defend its existence, especially if it relies on government funding; Membership Structure This chapter will address issues related to membership structure. Again, it should be reiterated that no two coalitions are the same, nor should they be, however a better understanding of the issues, especially in the preliminary stages of coalition establishment will result in a better elaboration of early corresponding solutions. 5 Four possible membership categories will be discussed briefly below: Association, Company, Affiliate and Student. Association: An Association Member is generally a professional association - a non-profit organization related to a specific services subsector (profession) and seeking to advance the interests of that subsector, individuals engaged in that subsector and the public as it relates to that subsector. Associations are important members of a services coalition namely because: They serve to organize the services sector; They serve as sectoral focal points – as its voice, ears and eyes in its development. It is important that the coalition sets out criteria for association members in their bylaws that will facilitate and encourage the association to perform the roles noted above. An association should be registered. Registration ensures that an association has a legal identity and can undertake both association and coalition activities in an easy and transparent fashion. Ideally, an association should seek to become incorporated; however the fees involved and the length of time this process sometimes entails can be deterring. As the participation of associations in the activities of a coalition is critical, registration should suffice as a minimum membership standard of this group; An association should have standards for membership and therefore should not function simply as a ‘club’ of interested persons. Associations should be encouraged to adopt the highest international standards, both to ensure competitiveness of the sector and to avoid potentially underpinning future mutual recognition of qualifications, which a lack of competitive standards might effect; An association, in order to remain a member of the coalition, should be obliged to host an Annual General Meeting in every two year period. This is to ensure that a defunct coalition no longer shares voting privileges; An association should have at least three members. This is to ensure that an individual does not form an association in order to obtain voting rights or to serve on the Board; Generally associations have very limited resources and as it is in the coalition’s best interest to work closely with these services sector focal points, consideration may therefore be given to waiving any membership fees for this category of membership, or for implementing low membership fees for this category. Instead, fees should be sought from the larger Company Membership category. Associations should pay for unique services being offered, such as membership in the Association Incubation and Support Unit (see Association Support). Company: While all Caribbean coalitions include an association category in their membership, very few include a company category. It is in this author’s opinion that Company Membership be strongly considered as a membership category for the following reasons: 6 The majority of services associations in the Caribbean are very weak. Lacking staff and communications strategies, an association often has challenges in disseminating information to their membership, as necessitated by a coalition. This limitation in function impedes a coalition in its communications efforts. The possibility also exists that information will not be distributed transparently via associations. Company members would be required to pay membership fees providing an opportunity to collect greater membership fees with the inclusion of this membership category; There is an opportunity to collect important trade data with the inclusion of this membership category; It should also be noted that associations themselves do not generally participate in training or export promotion activities rather it is the individuals or companies that make up an association that engage in these types of activities. Full inclusion of Company Members in the activities of a coalition enables a coalition to better reach its objectives with respect to development and export promotion; A coalition cannot insist that services providers affiliate themselves with an association should they not wish to do so. Joining an association, in most cases, is not mandatory to practicing in most professions. Insisting that an individual/company become a member of an association before they can benefit from the services of a coalition, might not be in the best interest of that individual/company; Assigning a service provider to one category might not accurately reflect their service offerings, as services and service providers are becoming increasingly dynamic and diversified. The challenges foreseen in including a Company membership category and possible rebuttals to the challenges are noted below. Including Companies as coalition members might discourage the establishment of associations and therefore impede the very important organization of the services sector; The implication here is that associations will be established simply to take part in the activities of a coalition. If this is indeed the case, it is unlikely that the association established simply to become a member of a coalition will be a well-functioning association and will not serve its purpose in effectively organizing the services sector. Association formation should be driven by a need and a will separate to the participation in a coalition. The coalition will be acting in competition to service associations; An association serves individual service providers, what is being discussed is the inclusion of companies as coalition members, therefore as an association and a coalition serve different target groups, no true conflict should exist. Membership in a coalition should not replace membership in a sector association, but rather enhance this membership. A coalition should seek to organize the services sector by forming associations, assist associations in membership recruitment, strengthen these associations to play a meaningful role in national 7 development and export promotion and empower the associations to lobby effectively on behalf of their members. At the same time, a coalition should also seek to develop the international competitiveness of service companies and encourage and enable them to export. Both associations and service providers can be served by the coalition, thereby enabling the coalition to most effectively meet its objectives. A well-functioning coalition should not draw potential members away from the sector association rather demonstrate why being a member of such an association would be even more valuable. Board/voting structures will become complicated. This point will be addressed in the next chapter on the structure of a coalition Board of Directors. Affiliate: To avoid duplication of efforts, poor inter-agency communication and potential tensions, a formal relationship with national/regional business support organizations, the chamber of commerce and academic institutions should be implemented. Student: As entrepreneurship is deemed to be a mindset, the message of entrepreneurship and export should be offered early - to students. Inclusion as members, therefore enabling easy access to information, will serve a coalition’s objectives in the long term. 8 Board Structure and Role As it relates to regional coalitions, only associations currently have the right to vote (at one vote per association) and only associations (a representative thereof) are eligible to sit on the Board of a coalition. At present, the coalitions in the region that incorporate a Company Member category, do not allow these members voting rights. While it may appear most logical and easy to simply assign such rights only to associations, this is not necessarily the best solution in the long term and will likely pose challenges in the future of the organization. In this respect, it is important to recognize that governance elements such as this may require fine-tuning as the CSI evolves and grows. The result of not allowing companies to sit on the Board/vote (which are unarguably affiliated with coalition via training, networking and export promotion initiatives for example) is the sentiment of companies of being excluded from important processes of the organization and more importantly, the loss of the coalition in securing the valuable input of entrepreneurs and exporters. Note – there is no guarantee that representatives of associations serving on a coalition’s Board have any experience in exporting or entrepreneurship – critical skills in being able to guide the vision of the organization. As the development of the services sector is still a relatively new realm and its impact far-reaching and dynamic, the composition of the CSI’s Board of Directors should ideally be drawn from a variety of sources – including associations and individual operators (companies), as well as possibly public sector representatives and even representatives from academia. Ideally a coalition’s Board should comprise as follows: influential persons who can encourage government support, financially and otherwise, as well as ensure robust private sector participation; practitioners, not necessarily representatives from associations, who have experience in exporting, as well as policy development and/or services negotiations; sectoral leaders who can help devise sectoral strategies to enhance competitiveness; an influential government representative whose role it is to raise awareness about the coalition across Ministries/Departments/Agencies, and who can work to help ensure that the services sector remains a primary focal point for the government and to actively support the continued funding of the organization. Consideration might be made to the election of a set number of Board Members from associations, who will in turn appoint other Board Members (Companies, Affiliates, Students) based on the current needs of the organization. This will ensure not only that the best Association Members are serving on the Board (by enhancing competition by reducing Association seats on the Board), but that the human resources needed to drive the coalition forward are acquired. Another issue that should be considered with respect to voting rights is the vote ‘weight’ of large associations versus small associations. Is it just to allow, for example, an association of accountants (which tends to have many members) the same voting privileges as an association of reflexologists 9 (which will have much fewer members)? A coalition might consider a ‘weighting’ of votes – i.e. associations of 3-49 members = 1 vote, 50-99 = 2 votes, etc. Role: The Board’s role vis-à-vis the coalition secretariat should also be clearly defined. As much as possible, Directors should not be involved in the day-to-day management of the coalition. The Board should establish general policies and strategies for the organization. The Board should also be responsible for funding and should interface with the government and other funders on a regular basis. Trade in services in a relatively new area. Board members might require training in certain areas upon assumption of their role and staff, who is actively engaged with the service sector, should be consulted as much as possible on coalition initiatives. To support the Board’s efforts, committees should be established with a mix of Board representation and well-qualified members to ensure that relevant and valuable input will be made. No committees should be established for the sake of establishing a committee if suitable committee members are not also identified. Committees require clear and achievable terms of references and objectives. Committees, as much as possible, should include staff representation. Consider committees such as fundraising, public relations, member expansion, export promotion and lobbying, as well as those along a sectoral and/or activity-cluster basis. 10 Association Support Typically, in most member states, there are relatively few professional associations established. Of those, even fewer are actively and effectively serving their membership. Associations face similar challenges as a coalition in terms of financing and generally do not have the resources available (human, financial) to serve as meaningful focal points for the sector. As would be expected given the resource constraint, associations normally do not have strategic plans or work programmes to shape their service offerings or guide the activities of the group. Activities of an association typically include the hosting of an annual general meeting, association networking events and lobbying efforts as necessary. Weak associations pose a challenge to a coalition, in that coalitions must assist in strengthening the associations in order to develop the membership qualities necessary to best enable the coalition in turn to perform a meaningful role. A coalition should consider offering administrative and developmental services to associations, to further support a coalition’s objective in ‘organizing the services sector’. Developmental Support Ensure that the relationship between a coalition and its association members, including mutual obligations, are well understood, recognizing that an association’s leadership changes on an annual basis. Elaborate a Memorandum of Understanding or other similar contract to ensure this clarity. Encourage association members to appoint a ‘point person’ for coalition interactions as the president of an association is not always the ideal person to serve this role; Undertake lobbying activities in collaboration with an association or a cluster of associations. A coalition’s skill and experience in effective lobbying, in tandem with its well developed relationship with the public sector and its position as ‘the voice of the services sector’, will ensure greater success with lobbying efforts than an association alone; Assist the private sector in forming services associations. It is useful to develop a manual on best practices in forming an association to guide interested private sector stakeholders in the process; Provide opportunities for associations to develop their networks through the elaboration of networking events. Consider full-membership, but sector focused networking events to raise awareness on the strengths of a particular sector; Support associations in collecting data from their membership. In turn, collect information on associations (size, standards, challenges, market interests, needs); Develop proposals on behalf of associations, sectors or clusters that will aid in its development for government and funding agencies; Offer training opportunities for associations in ‘best practices’; Offer awareness building opportunities to associations, for example encourage associations to participate alongside the coalition at trade shows, offer speaking opportunities to associations at relevant events, display association marketing material at trade shows, trade missions and other relevant events; 11 Encourage and assist associations in marketing the strengths of their membership. These activities might include: o Developing a skills database; o Developing an industry promotional piece; o Publicizing success stories; o Developing a website (train associations to build websites using free website building tools); Support associations in establishing relationships with parallel associations in the region; Assist associations in establishing export committees that will feed into negotiation processes, encourage the development of supporting policies, provide market information and generally comment and support trade-related matters. Administrative Support Recognizing that few associations have a secretariat available to them and are therefore not functioning at full capacity, consider offering administrative services to these members as a means of supporting the association and generating revenue as well. Contact details of an association typically change with the election of a new secretary of the Board. A coalition can provide more permanency to the association by offering the association the use of the fixed mailing address and telephone number of the organization; File management can be mishandled by associations with no fixed file storage location. The coalition can provide file management services to ensure that no documentation is misplaced; A coalition can provide a range of administrative services including; email and correspondence, database management, call-answering, mail forwarding, photocopying/printing, research and marketing, event planning, etc; A coalition can allow associations to rent its Board Room for meeting purposes. 12 Coalition Sustainability The issue of organisational sustainability is invariably one of the greatest challenges for a coalition in a developing country. This is due to the fact that: the private sector does not clearly understand the services sector or the opportunities in trade in services (and hence see the value of the coalition); the Government is typically attached to the agriculture and manufacturing sectors; the emphasis on services is often policy or negotiation related (with inadequate attention to helping existing or potential services providers produce/export more services); the full benefit of a coalition is poorly understood with few successful developing country models to refer to; convincing a government, donor or private firm to provide financial support requires overcoming the above challenges; developing into a financially self-sufficient body requires demonstrating to your beneficiaries that your services are worth paying for. To overcome these challenges: the benefits of a coalition vis-à-vis all the stakeholders need to be clearly and comprehensively defined in all promotional materials; the coalition as a service to the government needs to be clearly explained and demonstrated. Consider how existing coalitions can assist in advocating to the government. Consider seeking support for the establishment of a coalition from the Global Services Coalition by way of a lobbying letter. establish a fundraising committee of high profile business persons that will be able to encourage the business community to support the coalition. generate funds wherever possible. Consider sponsorship for all activities. Charge break-even fees. Barter services wherever possible. host a regional or international event to generate brand recognition and funding. Consider partnering with relevant international institutions (e.g. International Lawyer’s and Economists Against Poverty (ILEAP), International Trade Center (ITC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), etc.) encourage funding agencies, government, regional bodies to consider the coalition in undertaking consultancies. Prepare a profile to reflect this line of activity. develop publications for members, business support organizations or regional organizations. consider activities that international funders would sponsor. Send proposals to these agencies. consider a special category of members that would enjoy additional benefits such as US Coalition of Service Industries’ (USCSI) Chairman’s Circle. be creative. Consider for example, monthly business networking events or silent auctions with prizes donated from members. undertake activities that are time consuming but not necessarily expensive – such as association building, lobbying, public relations, training. 13 on-going public relations must always be undertaken to ensure that the work of the coalition is well noted. Worthy of consideration is the model of EduNova. EduNova is an umbrella body for Nova Scotia’s education sector that aggressively pursues export opportunities on behalf of its membership, serving as a joint bidding mechanism and developing consortiums from within its membership to win bids. EduNova benefits from a fee in this effort from the project financiers.3 Additional information on coalition sustainability can be found in de Villers, Div and Villinger, Georg. “Sustainability of Coalitions of Service Industries in the Caribbean”, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (GIZ), 2012. 3 See www.edunova.ca. 14 Communications – Establishing a Communications Strategy While, arguably, the most important role of a services coalition is communications, limited resources coupled with stakeholders’ demands regarding the elaboration of deadline driven projects often results in communication efforts not being given ample priority. Maintaining visibility with stakeholders is fundamental in encouraging support for the activities and objectives of the coalition. Communications includes raising awareness on matters relating to services and trade in services, for example, trade news and information, sectoral information, success stories, trade/business/funding opportunities and events, amongst other information. Communications also includes the marketing efforts of a coalition and the ‘dialogue’ between stakeholders and the organization. It is important for a coalition to develop a communications strategy. This need not be a complicated or lengthy process. It need not result in an extensive and complex document. It need simply be a tool to ensure that communications is predictable, ongoing and effective. Communication strategies should be prepared not only as an element of the organizational strategy, but on a project basis as well. Before any communications is undertaken, contemplate the following questions: What are the coalition’s objectives in communicating? What is the organization trying to achieve? How does it hope that the audience will react? What will be different as a result of the efforts? After defining objectives, endeavour to refine into measurable outcomes. Consider, ‘Who is the audience?’ and develop specific communication strategies for each audience. Prioritise the CSI’s communication efforts – for example focus on effective dialogue with members before pursuing dialogue with the general public. Concentrate the efforts nationally before engaging internationally. Use the limited human resources as strategically as possible. Create compelling messages that will best motivate the target audience to react in-line with the organization’s communications objectives. Be positive and persuasive and ensure that the responsive action that is being encouraged of the reader is clear. To expound, the audience of a coalition will include its members, the government, the general public, supporting funding agencies, partners, the press, etc. Determine the organization’s objectives in communicating with each audience, but equally, consider the objectives of the audience as well in order to better persuade them in consuming the message and reacting as anticipated (the WIFM - “What’s in it For Me” – marketing principal). Establish how the message will be conveyed to each party – not only in the communication tools applied, but in the use of language as well – for example, do not use ‘trade policy language’ when addressing the business community. Communicate regularly – but do not over communicate! Assign resources and hold these resources accountable for communication successes and failures. Consider hiring a staff member responsible exclusively for communication efforts. 15 Know your tools – well! In this information age, the number of communication vehicles is continuously increasing. Consider which tool would best suit each audience. Do not wait until the communication pieces are required before developing them, but rather begin preparing communication tools immediately. Listed below are communication vehicles a coalition should consider incorporating a communications strategy. Ongoing Communication Strategies: 1. Website – See Best Practice Features for a CSI Website. 2. E-newsletter - An e-newsletter is an ideal tool to support consistent communications. Ideally, prepare an e-newsletter on a monthly basis. It is not necessary to develop a verbose, lengthy piece. Given the competition for readers’ attention that the internet engenders, due to the amount and speed of information it provides, overly-long newsletters may be put aside indefinitely for “later reading”. Further, it is said that 65% of email marketing efforts are read on a mobile phone. Do not make the information overly-dense with excessive images and text. It is more effective to develop an e-newsletter that complements the CSI website and serves to generate traffic to the site (where the website serves as the primary information source). Catchy headers and a few telling sentences to draw in the reader, in addition to the link to a specific website article and world-class layout is really all that is necessary. a. Maximize on the resources of the Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions (CNSC). Share the articles, opportunities, events and news pieces that the CNSC has sourced or written. 3. News Column – In the Caribbean, where there are limited media sources and where developing good relationships with traditional media outlets is not exclusive to large firms or business support organizations, it is useful to maximize on the ‘general public’ audience through the establishment of a monthly news column in the country’s leading newspaper. It is not however necessary for the coalition staff to write the column themselves, rather a coalition should invite sector leaders to contribute articles and simply provide clear guidelines that will ensure a consistency between authors/articles. 4. Facebook – In the Caribbean, Facebook is the most widely used communication tool (see Table I). Facebook allows for the ongoing consumption of bite-sized information, encourages dialogue between the coalition and it stakeholders and enables the organization to maintain a daily presence. As noted in the Best Practice Features for a CSI Website article, ensure that, if Facebook is being used by a coalition, it is done so thoughtfully and effectively. Do not send RSS feeds directly to the coalition’s Facebook page. This bombards readers’ newsfeeds and encourages deletion. Do not simply post links to news articles. This does not encourage twoway communication. Control the information posted – only the most interesting and most relevant should appear. Control the number of posts per day. Post during peak periods – at the 16 start of the work day, after lunch, before the end of the work day to better maximize on the number of stakeholders that will view the post on their newsfeeds. a. Facebook is an important tool for engaging audiences. Encourage dialogue through ‘fillin-the-blank’, ‘question-of-the-day’ or Facebook-poll posts (for example The market I am most interested in exporting my service to is ___________? Be specific and explain why!) 5. SMS Marketing – SMS Marketing (text messaging) is an effective tool but should be used sparingly - to market important events for example. While the message will reach its target audience in a most effective manner, unsolicited text messaging is not well-received. It would be useful to develop an ‘opt-in’ SMS list, securing permission from stakeholders to use this form of marketing. Given the high penetration of Blackberrys in the Caribbean, equally consider the establishment of an opt-in BBM group. 6. Email – Keep in touch with national, regional, international partners. This includes regional/international coalitions, funding agencies, regional business support organizations (Caribbean Export, Office of Trade Negotiations, Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce), the Global Services Forum, the International Trade Centre and of course the Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions, amongst many other partners. Let them know what the organization is doing. Find out what initiatives they are undertaking. Determine if there are where the organizations might collaborate. Emailing partners on a quarterly basis will serve well in enhancing the coalition’s network and ultimately in sourcing opportunities and information. Other Communication Strategies: 7. Press Releases – As above, as newspapers are an effective means of targeting a large audience, initiatives of the coalition should be highlighted publically. This will ensure a wider understanding of the activities of the organization and buy-in from stakeholders with the assurance that the organization is ‘doing something’. Press releases do not need to be written immediately before or after an event, when resources are focused on the event itself. A general press release can be written weeks in front of an activity and sent to the press on its conclusion, with simply an addition of a relevant quote. 8. Press Kits – It is highly useful develop a press kit to offer media in tandem with a press release, as well as to other general interest groups. A press kit could include the coalition’s brochure, background information on the organization, general facts/statistics on the national service sector, staff/Board information (including titles and contact details). A press kit will aid the media in developing meaningful news pieces. 9. Video – Youtube remains the third most frequented website after Google and Facebook. This suggests that persons prefer/enjoy consuming information in video format. Consider 17 developing a brief commercial-type production (up to 60 seconds) outlining the role of the organization for inclusion on the coalition’s website and to play before relevant coalition events. 10. Email Marketing – Email marketing can be undertaken in addition to the e-newsletter to market specific initiatives of the organization. Email marketing, e-newsletters and even event management, should be undertaken via an email marketing service (i.e. MailChimp, Constant Contact, Vertical Response). The advantages of email marketing services include reliable delivery, tracking and monitoring of emails and mailing lists, professional templates. 11. Public Speaking Engagements – Public speaking engagements are a great means of enhancing the credibility of an organization, thereby encouraging buy-in from service sector stakeholders. Be aware of service-sector related events nationally, regionally and even internationally and endeavour to secure a role on the speaker’s panel. 12. PowerPoint Presentation – A coalition will be called upon to deliver presentations to various stakeholders – members, trade representatives, government representatives, partners. Typically, an organization will wait until they are asked to make a presentation before they develop one. Develop a professional looking template in line with the organization’s branding and prepare background slides (organizational background, objectives, membership, etc.). This will serve to provide consistency amongst presentations delivered by the organizations and will provide a starting point on which to elaborate presentations as well. 13. Internal Communications – Do not overlook the organization’s internal communications systems. An internal communications strategy is equally, or more important, than its external communications efforts. Be sure that there is a system for communicating and sharing information between Board Members and staff, between manager and staff and between staff members. Be assured, that only a ‘seen’ coalition can encourage the support necessary to ensure its success. Remember that, in the case of communications, “Consistency is key!” Do not forget to evaluate the communications efforts using measurables (many electronic communications tools have reporting mechanisms built in). Determine what worked and what did not work and continue to improve. 18 Communications – Raising Awareness and Establishing Credibility Raising awareness on the importance and quality of the services sector is one of the primary messages a coalition should communicate. Establishing credibility for the national services sector will result in increased support to the coalition as well as increased exports. Establish a partnership with the national investment agency. Ensure that information on the range and quality of services is communicated to possible investors and promoted via the investment agency’s website and promotional material; Provide statistics, success stories, information of the range, quality and key sectors: o On key governmental websites (Ministry of Trade); o To trade officers stationed abroad; o For Government official speeches (be aware of important speaking engagements abroad); o In in-flight magazines; o To diaspora; o To inbound trade missions; Success stories are important in encouraging other service providers to export and in promoting the value of the services sector. Collect success stories, even those not directly attributable to the efforts of the coalition. Ensure that these success stories are heard – newspaper, television, radio, speeches; Establish an awards programme for successful service providers. It might be useful to partner with other agencies in this initiative (Small Business Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Investment Agency); Host a national/regional/international trade in services event. Ensure that services providers have the opportunity to showcase their services at the event; Partner with the national manufacturer’s association in establishing a services section at national trade expositions; Develop a services directory; Convene open networking events. These events should not be limited to services providers alone as all sectors require the services of service providers to support their businesses; Participate as much as possible at international trade events. Secure speaking roles. If attendance is not possible, determine if distribution of materials at the event is possible. A point to note, not only does credibility need to be established, but also defended. A coalition should be on guard and counter any negative press, particularly negative information in the international press. It is easy to monitor international news via email alerts. 19 Best Practice Features for a CSI Website While this chapter will discuss best practices for services coalition websites, it will not address the technical aspects, which, keeping with the pace and trends of technology, are subject to change quickly and are better examined by professional web developers. The primary purpose of a website is to communicate in order to forge new and develop existing relationships. Effective communication depends on several factors: as it relates to a CSI website, some of these factors are identified below. 1. Visitors to a CSI website will be primarily CSI members and those who have an interest in the national/regional services sectors, the coalition movement or very specific related issues. Maximum readership is limited. Therefore, generating traffic via search engines alone is not adequate and overly focusing on search-engine-optimization is not essential. The world-wideweb competition for possible search subjects like “services coalitions” or “St. Vincent services sector”, etc. is small. 2. Therefore, traffic to the website needs to be generated through targeted marketing, such as email or Facebook4 campaigns. This adds to the human resource requirements involved in managing a CSI website as both web updates and web campaigns need to be developed hand in hand. Social media integration should be considered, but this process must be well managed (see 9). 3. A website is not effective if it is not updated frequently. A static website will impact negatively on the credibility of the organization. There is no need to be overly-ambitious in incorporating a multitude of website applications and functionality if the time and resources necessary in using these functions and in keeping the site updated are not available. In this case, it would be more effective to develop a static site for basic information and use email campaigns and Facebook as more manageable communication tools. 4. Note the following statistics regarding Facebook (in many Caribbean countries 100% of persons using the internet have a Facebook presence) and strongly consider the leading role this easy-touse platform should play in your marketing/communications efforts. 5. The website design should be clear and uncluttered - easy to read, navigate and use. As the website’s main target audience is its members, member-specific features and functionality must be considered. 4 Facebook is presently being utilized in the Caribbean by numbers well exceeding those of any other social media platform. See Table I for further information. 20 6. Efficient member/partner management is a key challenge for coalitions as there tends to be numerous stakeholders involved in coalition efforts (associations, private sector companies, public sector officials, business support organizations, regional organizations, international donors, etc.), which makes management of this information challenging. A good CSI website should incorporate member management functionality (data management) and allow for members to join, as well as pay for membership (and other services – such as workshops, trade missions) via the website (this therefore requires e-commerce functionality). 7. Micro-site capability will allow members, in particular service associations, to have a presence and to run campaigns via the coalition website. This will enable the coalition to provide the valuable service of ‘enhanced visibility’ to its members, enable the association member to communicate in a more effective manner with its own membership (and therefore serve a more valuable resource to the coalition), as well as provide a possible source of income to the coalition. 8. Both public and private discussion forums to discuss issues of relevance amongst membership should also be incorporated. The two, to allow a distinction between members and nonmembers, where there is value perceived in becoming a member. Other functions of a CSI website should include: 9. Social media integration should be thoughtfully utilized. Do not send RSS feeds directly to your Facebook page. Control the information posted – only the most interesting and most relevant should appear. Control the number of posts per day. Post during peak periods – at the start of the work day, after lunch, before the end of the work day. 10. A document management application with simple to use search features should also be included on a CSI website. Use this area to post archived newsletters, trade information such as relevant trade agreements, etc. 11. An interactive ‘blog’, is a good way to discuss issues related to competitiveness. This does not need to be managed in-house, even if resources are available. Ask a member or members who are involved in business development to submit bi-weekly articles on issues related to competitiveness – enhancing networking skills, effective use of ICT, heeding cultural differences, etc. This is a good method to include membership in the activities of the organization, enhance credibility of those participating and engage in dialogue with members on topics they can easily relate to. 12. Include integrated survey applications to collect information from members, but do not compose lengthy surveys, as they will not be participated in. Try very simple methods for information collection. For example, one question surveys, “Are you interested in the Canadian market? / If yes, what services would you like to provide?” 13. Include an events function and advertise relevant events of members (training session, sector awareness days, entrepreneurial promotion events, etc.). Again, this provides value in membership and might also be a source of income for the coalition. 14. Certainly include a news/coalition news area, but be sure that this is kept up to date! 21 15. Posting the titles of opportunities, but only allowing members access to the details is another way of providing value and incentive regarding membership and reflects the standard objective of a CSI to provide or facilitate export opportunities. 16. Success Stories are encouraging and services providers need all the support and encouragement they can get. Track stories of micro and small enterprises that were successful in exporting and share them as much as possible. 17. Endorsements from members and high profile persons are also effective in generating credibility for a coalition. Collect endorsements from members when you have provided assistance to them and post the most relevant on the website. A coalition needs to constantly prove its value to the services sector. 18. Posting links to business support partners and other coalitions keeps the overall mission of supporting the services sector/economy in focus. 19. E-newsletter functionality should also be incorporated where email addresses can be captured directly from the website and applied to the distribution of information and in directing the same persons back to the website. 20. Photo galleries are relevant only if information on the pictures is also provided. Who is in the photo? What was the event? Where and when did it take place? What were the objectives or outcomes of the event? Picture galleries that do not include this information add no value and are therefore not necessary. Instead, attach pictures (the best ones and more than one) to relevant news articles. 21. Google analytics should be incorporated to measure website traffic and collect statistics to assist in continually optimizing your website. 22. Multi-user access control capability should be applied allowing different users the opportunity to login and post content to authorized sections within the site. Remember that: “Marketing is about relationships and not about the medium.” ~ Ben Grossman, founder of BiGMarK And, “If you’re going to do something, do it right.” ~ Mom. Not keeping a website up-to-date will be more harmful than good, no matter how great the website is. Complicated websites that are difficult to use will not encourage staff to update and will limit the number of persons able to make these updates (as extensive training will need to be undertaken in order to use). Only apply the features that you will in fact use and maintain. Remove the features that you do not use from public visibility. Keep it SIMPLE! Keep the dialogue ongoing and predictable. 22 Summary of CSI Website Functionality Social Media Integration (Facebook, Twitter) Site Search Member Management (On-line Registration) E-Commerce Micro Sites Public and Private Forums Document Management Interactive Blog Integrated survey functionality Events Calendar News/Coalition News Tips/Quotes E-Newsletter Opportunities Success Stories Endorsements Links Photo Gallery Google analytics SEO 23 TABLE 1: CARIBBEAN Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guadeloupe Haiti Jamaica Martinique Monserrat Netherlands Antilles Puerto Rico St. Barthélemy (FR) Population 2011 (est.) Internet Usage, Latest Data % Population Penetration Facebook Subscribers Percentage of Internet Users who Subscribe to Facebook 15,094 6,940 46.00% 6,100 88 87,884 65,000 74.00% 29,020 45 106,113 48,760 46.00% 48,760 100 313,312 155,820 49.70% 155,140 100 286,705 188,000 65.60% 114,240 61 25,383 14,620 57.60% 9,720 66 51,384 30,420 59.20% 24,540 81 11,087,330 1,605,000 14.50% n/a 72,969 27,500 37.70% 22,800 83 9,956,648 4,116,870 41.30% 2,233,360 54 108,419 33,040 30.50% 29,640 90 405,500 155,740 38.40% 125,860 81 9,719,932 1,000,000 10.30% 202,820 20 2,868,380 1,581,100 55.10% 629,440 40 397,166 170,000 42.80% 125,680 74 5,140 1,200 23.30% n/a 199,800 95,420 47.80% 95,420 100 3,989,133 1,486,340 37.30% 1,486,340 100 7,367 n/a n/a n/a St. Kitts & Nevis 50,314 22,140 44.00% 22,140 100 Saint Lucia St. Martin (FR) St. Vincent & Grenadines Trinidad & Tobago Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands 161,557 142,900 88.50% 48,300 34 30,615 n/a n/a n/a 103,869 76,000 73.20% 40,000 53 1,222,505 593,000 48.50% 435,240 73 44,819 14,760 32.90% 10,620 72 109,666 30,000 27.40% 8,340 28 TOTAL CARIBBEAN 41,427,004 11,660,570 28.10% 5,903,520 51 www.internetworldstats.com 24 Useful E-Tools for a Coalition and its Members The internet has evolved from primarily text based, to incorporating audio, video and animations, to becoming a place where things are done – a place where business is done. From sending emails, to editing photos, to conference calling, to information management and sharing – and much more – businesses can be run more efficiently and effectively applying web-based tools. Application software, or simply ‘app’, is computer software designed to help the user perform specific tasks. In a 2009 iPhone commercial, the phrase “there’s an app for that!” was coined, intimating that a software solution exists for every challenge. Nose-job apps, singing cat apps, fearless flight apps (to console those scared to fly), shaving apps (try on facial hair), hygiene apps (the bathomatic), face-remixing apps, body-piercing apps, alcohol monitoring apps are among the endless applications in circulation. It is no surprise that there are also apps available that would well-serve a coalition. A resource-constrained coalition should become familiar with the web-based solutions (applications and websites) that would best serve both the organization and its member associations as well. Outlined below is an indicative collection of ten applications in various categories that may prove useful. 1. File Sharing and Storage – Dropbox enables users to store their files on the internet in the same fashion in which they would store their files on their computers. This ensures that the files are not lost if there is a hardware failure and that the files are accessible from anywhere in the world. Dropbox also allows for a very simple sharing of files. This is useful if one has many files to send to another person. www.dropbox.com 2. Email Marketing – There are many email marketing services being offered. MailChimp is a good one. Email marketing services allow for the easy management of mailing lists – for example the construction of multiple lists, monitoring of the persons who actually opened the communications piece, monitoring of faulty email addresses. Email marketing services also provide detailed reporting. This allows for a better understanding as to who/how many persons are in fact receiving and reading the coalition’s communications. Some quick tips regarding email marketing: the information should not be dense, sender name should be easily recognized to avoid being mistaken for spam, subject line should be relevant and catchy to encourage reading (most people decide if an email is interesting by previewing it and not by opening it), inserting a person's name into an email increases open rates by as much as 10%. www.mailchimp.com 3. Web Conferencing – Skype boasts 124 million users. Its features includes video calls, group calls, low cost Skype calls to landline/mobile phones, instant messaging and file sharing, amongst other features. Skype has recently added the “share screen” function to its features 25 enabling users to allow other users to ‘view’ their laptop screen. This, for example, enables users to easily deliver presentations online. www.skype.com 4. Photo Editing – For easy photo editing try Picnik. This free service is useful when, for example, it is necessary to adjust photo size for the website. Crop, resize, fine-tune, rotate and many special effects are among the service’s many features. www.picnik.com 5. Project Management – Managing multiple projects effectively is a day-to-day activity of a coalition. Podio is a useful project management tool that enables staff and members to work together in an efficient fashion. It is easy to use and allows for the customization of project tools because managing a workshop, for example, is different than managing a communications strategy. www.podio.com 6. Presentations – SlideRocket has modernized the PowerPoint presentation, enabling users to create modern, world-class looking presentations. Access the projects from anywhere, easily collaborate on its design with colleagues, share presentations easily (no more sending large files via email) and best of all, measure your presentation’s effectiveness through SlideRocket analytics. www.sliderocket.com 7. Accounting - Wave is a free online accounting application for small businesses that removes the tedium of manual entry through bank transaction imports. www.wave.com 8. Form Survey Builder – Creating forms in word processing applications is time consuming for both a coalition and the form recipient. Wufoo collects information (think: contact forms, online surveys, invitations, membership forms), compiles the data and provides reports. Forms can be embedded onto websites or Facebook pages. Payments can even be made through Wufoo. (Wufoo can be integrated with MailChimp). www.wufoo.com 9. Website Building – Weebly 'drag-and-drop' website builder is about the easiest website builder there is. While the flexibility is limited, the many templates and relevant widgets will enable associations to have professional looking and very easy to maintain websites for free. www.weebly.com 10. CRM – The stakeholders related to a coalition are wide – members, government, partners, services providers, etc. It is very important that this network is well managed and synchronized amongst coalition staff. A coalition should have CRM (Customer Relationship Management) 26 tools in place. Batchbook is "the social CRM”, enabling a coalition to keep track of business and social networks. Shared address books, custom data management, communication history, reporting, are some of the many features of the services. www.batchblue.com Also be aware of services, applications or websites that might be useful to members, for example, printon-demand books, CDs, DVDs, fabric and even board games services for those in the creative industries. 27
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