Draft Strategic Communication Plan International Linear Collider

With the “cold” technology decision of August 19, 2004 accomplished, the global particle physics community has come together to begin developing a design for the proposed International Linear Collider. Already, at workshops and meetings, international groups are showing preliminary plans and reporting on progress. However, if these plans and designs are ever to evolve from PowerPoint to interaction point, the field of particle physics must first succeed at a colossal task of communication—the most challenging such undertaking this field has ever attempted.

Audiences A consideration of the target audiences gives an initial idea of the scale of the communication task ahead:

· The global ILC community · Our own laboratories · Regional HEP communities in Asia, Europe and the U.S. · Universities and institutes · Other fields of physics · Other fields of science · Funding agencies · Policy makers and opinion leaders at local, state and national levels · ICFA, ECFA, ACFA, HEPAP, OECD, IUPAP, JPS, EPS, APS, DPF…. · Media · Industry · Public · Our neighbors · Students and teachers · And more…

Each of these audiences has its own unique characteristics, interests and concerns. Each presents its own challenges and opportunities.

Communicators Fortunately, within the particle physics community and beyond, there are many communicators to take up the task of reaching this enormous range of audiences, in all regions of the world. Some of the communicators include: · Lab directors · University presidents, university provosts, Nobel laureates… · Chairs of organizations (ICFA, ACFA, ECFA, ILCSC, HEPAP…) · Soon: GDE · Funding agencies · Regional ILC communicators · Lab communicators · Lobbyists · “Outreach” committees of APS, CARE, EuroTev, LC steering groups… · Our audiences themselves

In fact, everyone in the global ILC community must become a de facto communicator, a proponent of the effort to advance the field of particle physics by means of an accelerator that can only be built by achieving unprecedented level of international collaboration and accord.

While a plethora of communicators is required to help with the enormous task confronting us, and while wide inclusion is critical to the success of the endeavor, the proliferation of communication efforts also presents a coordination challenge. So many people engaged in such a wide range of communication can lead to confused messages, crossed wires and mutual mistrust. It almost inevitably produces duplication of effort and inefficient use of scarce communication resources. It can result in the perception of a lack of clear purpose.

Need for a Strategic Plan One way to help address the issue of “too many cooks” is to develop a single collaborative , strategic Global Communication Plan for the International Linear Collider. Such a plan, while taking into account regional differences, helps to keep international communicators focused on a common goal and working more or less in harmony.

At the First Global Linear Collider Workshop held at KEK November 13-15, a group of ILC communicators met to develop a draft ILC Strategic Communication Plan, which they presented in a plenary talk to Workshop participants at a plenary session on November 15.

Draft Global ILC Strategic Communication Plan

Goal Build the International Linear Collider

Strategy Use collaborative, strategic communication to build support for constructing the international linear collider for particle physics research.

Tactics · Develop common ILC logo, common graphic standards · Publish weekly electronic ILC newsletter modeled on “Fermilab Today” · Continue to develop ILC Web site, build traffic · Prepare ILC talks in many languages · Cultivate partnership with industry · Develop common messages, try them on key audiences · Develop answers to hard questions (What’s it for? Why now? How much? Where?…) · Include communication on the agenda at ILC workshops at all levels · Develop targeted print publications (brochures, etc.) as necessary · Use available media (symmetry, CERN Courier, ILC Web site, lab publications, speakers’ bureaus) to convey ILC message · Participate in World Year of Physics “Quantum Diaries” project · Consider more inspiring names (GDX, SMTF, STF…)

Final notes In presenting the draft strategic communication plan, workshop participants stressed four points.

1. Communication for the ILC must take place in balance with the overall context of global particle physics communication. The ILC is not separate or independent from the rest of HEP. In particular · LHC is coming soon · Neutrinos! · Run II, BaBar, Belle, HERA · LHC luminosity upgrade · Experimental Astrophysics · CLIC · More….

The field of high-energy physics is a small community in a big world. In communicating for the ILC, we must first consider the overall strategic communication of particle physics.

1. No one region should dominate in ILC communication. As in the ITRP process, Asian, European and American groups all must participate equally. Laboratory HEP communicators made a good start in the collaborative announcement of the ITRP decision (and in the issuing of a press release from the KEK Workshop). It is important to turn this momentum into an established pattern.
2. Although the ILC Communication Plan has a global goal, a global strategy and global tactics, it must respect regional differences. Not only different languages but many other factors will dictate the use of different tactics in different regions at different times. The important thing is not that all the tactics must be the same (They cannot be.), but that they are communicated and coordinated.
3. Finally, any hope of success in this colossal communication task requires that we invest in it. Communication, like the other aspects of designing an ILC, takes resources. The communicators meeting at KEK estimated that to begin carrying out the draft Strategic Plan would require at least one additional FTE for each of the three regions, probably located at national laboratories, for a total cost of about $300,000 worldwide. Where such resources will come from and how they will be managed is a question to be addressed at the earliest possible time.

Draft Strategic Communication Plan International Linear Collider

With the “cold” technology decision of August 19, 2004 accomplished, the global particle physics community has come together to begin developing a design for the proposed International Linear Collider. Already, at workshops and meetings, international groups are showing preliminary plans and reporting on progress. However, if these plans and designs are ever to evolve from PowerPoint to interaction point, the field of particle physics must first succeed at a colossal task of communication—the most challenging such undertaking this field has ever attempted.

Audiences A consideration of the target audiences gives an initial idea of the scale of the communication task ahead:

· The global ILC community · Our own laboratories · Regional HEP communities in Asia, Europe and the U.S. · Universities and institutes · Other fields of physics · Other fields of science · Funding agencies · Policy makers and opinion leaders at local, state and national levels · ICFA, ECFA, ACFA, HEPAP, OECD, IUPAP, JPS, EPS, APS, DPF…. · Media · Industry · Public · Our neighbors · Students and teachers · And more…

Each of these audiences has its own unique characteristics, interests and concerns. Each presents its own challenges and opportunities.

Communicators Fortunately, within the particle physics community and beyond, there are many communicators to take up the task of reaching this enormous range of audiences, in all regions of the world. Some of the communicators include: · Lab directors · University presidents, university provosts, Nobel laureates… · Chairs of organizations (ICFA, ACFA, ECFA, ILCSC, HEPAP…) · Soon: GDE · Funding agencies · Regional ILC communicators · Lab communicators · Lobbyists · “Outreach” committees of APS, CARE, EuroTev, LC steering groups… · Our audiences themselves

In fact, everyone in the global ILC community must become a de facto communicator, a proponent of the effort to advance the field of particle physics by means of an accelerator that can only be built by achieving unprecedented level of international collaboration and accord.

While a plethora of communicators is required to help with the enormous task confronting us, and while wide inclusion is critical to the success of the endeavor, the proliferation of communication efforts also presents a coordination challenge. So many people engaged in such a wide range of communication can lead to confused messages, crossed wires and mutual mistrust. It almost inevitably produces duplication of effort and inefficient use of scarce communication resources. It can result in the perception of a lack of clear purpose.

Need for a Strategic Plan One way to help address the issue of “too many cooks” is to develop a single collaborative , strategic Global Communication Plan for the International Linear Collider. Such a plan, while taking into account regional differences, helps to keep international communicators focused on a common goal and working more or less in harmony.

At the First Global Linear Collider Workshop held at KEK November 13-15, a group of ILC communicators met to develop a draft ILC Strategic Communication Plan, which they presented in a plenary talk to Workshop participants at a plenary session on November 15.

Draft Global ILC Strategic Communication Plan

Goal Build the International Linear Collider

Strategy Use collaborative, strategic communication to build support for constructing the international linear collider for particle physics research.

Tactics · Develop common ILC logo, common graphic standards · Publish weekly electronic ILC newsletter modeled on “Fermilab Today” · Continue to develop ILC Web site, build traffic · Prepare ILC talks in many languages · Cultivate partnership with industry · Develop common messages, try them on key audiences · Develop answers to hard questions (What’s it for? Why now? How much? Where?…) · Include communication on the agenda at ILC workshops at all levels · Develop targeted print publications (brochures, etc.) as necessary · Use available media (symmetry, CERN Courier, ILC Web site, lab publications, speakers’ bureaus) to convey ILC message · Participate in World Year of Physics “Quantum Diaries” project · Consider more inspiring names (GDX, SMTF, STF…)

Final notes In presenting the draft strategic communication plan, workshop participants stressed four points.

1. Communication for the ILC must take place in balance with the overall context of global particle physics communication. The ILC is not separate or independent from the rest of HEP. In particular · LHC is coming soon · Neutrinos! · Run II, BaBar, Belle, HERA · LHC luminosity upgrade · Experimental Astrophysics · CLIC · More….

The field of high-energy physics is a small community in a big world. In communicating for the ILC, we must first consider the overall strategic communication of particle physics.

1. No one region should dominate in ILC communication. As in the ITRP process, Asian, European and American groups all must participate equally. Laboratory HEP communicators made a good start in the collaborative announcement of the ITRP decision (and in the issuing of a press release from the KEK Workshop). It is important to turn this momentum into an established pattern.
2. Although the ILC Communication Plan has a global goal, a global strategy and global tactics, it must respect regional differences. Not only different languages but many other factors will dictate the use of different tactics in different regions at different times. The important thing is not that all the tactics must be the same (They cannot be.), but that they are communicated and coordinated.
3. Finally, any hope of success in this colossal communication task requires that we invest in it. Communication, like the other aspects of designing an ILC, takes resources. The communicators meeting at KEK estimated that to begin carrying out the draft Strategic Plan would require at least one additional FTE for each of the three regions, probably located at national laboratories, for a total cost of about $300,000 worldwide. Where such resources will come from and how they will be managed is a question to be addressed at the earliest possible time.