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Communication Vienna

Vienna Citizen & Stakeholder Engagement

General facts

Description & main goal

Communication & PR and Marketing campaign

Category
Communication
Deployment area
Wien - Simmering
Involved actors and their role

Communication: Bojan Schnabl, City of Vienna, MA 50

City of Vienna, MA 25, Smarter Together Project management

GOPAcom, Brussels, ST overall project communication task leader

Munich and Lyon ST communication partners

City of Vienna, MA 25, Coordination Unit Gebietsbetreuung Stadterneuerung (technical support in communication issues)

Gebietsbetreuung Stadterneuerung GB* 3/11 (major locally based implementation partner for all participation as well as Communication activities)

VHS Simmering (implementation partner for participation activities as well as important partner in communication activities)

Vienna based project partners with their own communication strategy and activities related to Smarter Together:
- Siemens Leberstraße
- Wiener Stadtwerke
- AIT
- Kelag Wärme
- Post

Key-contact person
Bojan Schnabl

Specific facts

Communication activities prior to ST

“Standard” communication of local governance with citizens

Target groups

“Standard” communication of local partners (including support of participation e.g. Siemens Leberstraße in the children’s design of a local metro station)

Communication Strategy & short description of communication measures intended

In Vienna the communication strategy for the district and the peer-to-peer process are elaborated together with all project partners. The following measures are intended: 
Planning phase & Organisational Set up
Elaborate organizational culture within ST team and within the governance structures
Set up a communication infrastructure for the ongoing implementation of ST

  • Elaborate communication infrastructure
  • Appoint staff to ST

Participatory elaboration of a “Vision” and “Mission Statement” as tools for internal and public communication 

  • Elaborate Vision and Mission Statement
  • Agree on Vision and Mission Statement
  • Publish vision and Mission Statement

Elaborate District Communication strategy in regard to the interrelation between governance and other project partners and citizens

  • On site visit of Siemens Leberstraße and evaluation of cooperation possibilities and communication strategies

Elaborate Internal Communication strategy (interrelation between governance, other project partners and citizens) internal communication with project partners 
Elaborate PR Strategy and e-tools (webpage, newsletter)
Elaborate communication + dissemination material (in house with support of GB* design) to enhance knowledge and through that participation
Implementation phase
Establish and run basic communication platforms established 

  • webpage & information for city of Vienna webpage “Mein Wien”
  • newsletter 
  • virtual district guide
  • staff appointed (content manager and technical support)

Produce and distribute communication material

  • Leaflet (German and English)
  • diverse material (postcards etc.) in German
  • diverse material by GB* 3/11

Organize and show presence on events to raise interest in the wider public and inform about ST

  • Presentation series
  • public lectures with the local people’s university 
  • visit street festivals
  • visit professional fairs and events 

Monitor and evaluate communication flows and conduct stakeholder analysis (project management, participation staff and internal communication staff). 

  • Agree upon meeting schedule 
  • Hold meetings, 
  • Evaluate minutes & reporting
  • Active knowledge management and CQI/Continuous Quality Improvement)
  • Participate in international conferences to exchange knowledge p2p with EU partners and scientific specialized international community
Local specifics in communication

Existing Smart City framework Strategy
Challenges of a fast growing city/Political environment in relation to city governance structures
Overall societal awareness on environmental issues and readiness to contribute individuall
/In the district the high rate of multilinguism combined with a lower educational rate

Public Relations work

In the communication strategy, media relations have been identified as key to dissemination and outreach. Staff has been appointed and procedures established.
Cooperation with local and nationwide newspapers / media as well as specialized professional newspapers / media in the following ways: 
Press releases 
Newsletter 
Regular contacts and ad hoc information
nterviews 
Development of shared strategies where, when and how to place the project in the respective media
Media surveillance (press clipping)

Incentives

As a result of the communication strategy, Incentives are used to convey knowledge and to enhance the willingness to participate in ST
Give-aways (bike bells, reflectors, t-shirts, lamps) 
Price-draws
Attention and appreciation expressed through communication and district walks and other personal communication formats

Refurbishment of a Municipal Housing Estate, Integration of renewables 

“Standard” communication of local governance with citizens

Implementation status

In which phase is the project (Planning, Implementation, Operation or Evaluation)?
Operation phase
What is the current implementation status/ what is the current activity step?
The project is currently in the operation phase and updates are ongoing. 
The task leader prepares the communication texts ether himself or he initiates texts from experts. 
Is the implementation process on time or are there any derivations? Please outline any changes and reasons.
On time.
Which project steps were performed since the last project reporting?
At the beginning of the task a Vision & Mission Statement was developed in a Meeting together with the project partners and the city council office. A CI was developed and most of all a common understanding on internal communication and respective roles was created. In this way, agreement on single ongoing activities such as homepage, other social media and especially the structure of “political” coordination inside the City.
Each partner is active in its own channels and they report their communication activities to the task leader. The reference to Smarter Together is linked on every partner homepage.  
Concerning the ongoing activities the following were carried out; regular posts on twitter, project documentation on flickr (events, project progress, impressions), newsletters (min. once per month), publications, city internal press releases, homepage updates.
In October 2016 Vienna received the green city award from UN habitat.
Have there been changes regarding the planned solution? Please outline any changes and reasons.
The local communication is extended and films about Smarter Together and about the implementation projects are carried out.
 

Complete 75%

Risk and challenges

Which risks & challenges is the project currently facing?

The content and date of publications have to be coordinated with economic and political interests. The balance between political and objective project communication has to be found.

Which are critical or seem invincible? Please provide a detailed description

Possible interference of (State wide and regionqal) election calendar might represent a challenge. However, the project communication structure took such possible events into account through positioning of Smarter Together as a professional EU project implemented in the City of Vienna.

Which previously identified risks and challenges have you managed successfully and how

The possible “ad hoc political” interference or general communication issued that could potentially interfere not only in single project but also in the overall project dynamics have been targeted with initial emphasis on communication issues such as the workshop on Vision and Mission Statement (in German for Vienna) and have been taken into account in the every-day coordination with all relevant partners and stakeholders as an ongoing measure.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?

Have external recommendations / lessons learnt from other projects (not in the WIKI) been used for the project development? 
- If yes, which ones and how?
Would this example be a good add to the Wiki?
Not directly but evidently through ongoing CQI.
Have relevant internal recommendations / lessons from the WIKI’s best practices been used for the project development? 
If yes, which ones and how?
Not directly but evidently through ongoing CQI.
Is the development/ implementation of the project affected/ supported by the peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and cooperative problem solving in Smarter Together? How did the peer-to-peer process support the project? 
The project meeting in Munich was very helpful for seeing in reality how colleagues in the same field are working. The idea to perform guided walks through the target area (Grätzelspaziergänge) was confirmed with the international colleagues.
Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?
The integration into the overall project and an ongoing coordination with all partners is key.
The creation of a joint standing by creating a mission statement together with all relevant stakeholders and partners is very helpful.
What could be done better in comparable future projects (what needs to be done and what needs to be prevented)
The continuous process of improvement is ongoing (CQI).
Would you describe the project as best practice project and interesting for the WIKI? If yes, in what regard?
Yes, due to the positive feedback from other project cities. Elements can certainly be inspiring to third parties.
 

Next steps & To Do ́s

Please shortly outline the next steps planned for the implementation of the project.
An award for smart city pioneers may be created in Vienna upon coordination with other lighthouse partners.
Are there additional steps planned due to occurred challenges? Which corrective activities have been taken?
The start workshop for the vision and mission statement for Vienna was carried out similar was done on the European project level. 
The areas of responsibilities were defined in more detail with GOPA com.
 

Implementation status

In which phase is the project (Planning, Implementation, Operation or Evaluation)?
The project is currently in the operation phase and updates are ongoing. The task leader prepares the communication texts ether himself or he initiates texts from experts. 
What is the current implementation status/ what is the current activity step?
--
Is the implementation process on time or are there any derivations? Please outline any changes and reasons.
On time.
Which project steps were performed since the last project reporting?
At the beginning of the task a Vision & Mission Statement was developed in a Meeting together with the project partners and the city council office. A CI was developed and most of all a common understanding on internal communication and respective roles was created. In this way, agreement on single ongoing activities such as homepage, other social media and especially the structure of “political” coordination inside the City.
Each partner is active in its own channels and they report their communication activities to the task leader. The reference to Smarter Together is linked on every partner homepage.  
Concerning the ongoing activities the following were carried out; regular posts on twitter, project documentation on flikr (events, project progress, impressions), newsletters (min. once per month), publications, city internal press releases, homepage updates.
In October 2016 Vienna received the green city award from UN habitat.
Have there been changes regarding the planned solution? Please outline any changes and reasons.
The local communication is extended and films about Smarter Together and about the implementation projects are carried out.
 

Complete 75%

Risk and challenges

Which risks & challenges is the project currently facing?

The content and date of publications have to be coordinated with economic and political interests. The balance between political and objective project communication has to be found.

Which are critical or seem invincible? Please provide a detailed description

Possible interference of (State wide and regional) election calendar might represent a challenge. However, the project communication structure took such possible events into account through positioning of Smarter Together as a professional EU project implemented in the City of Vienna.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?

The integration into the overall project and an ongoing coordination with all partners is key.
The creation of a joint standing by creating a mission statement together with all relevant stakeholders and partners is very helpful.
What could be done better in comparable future projects (what needs to be done and what needs to be prevented)
The continuous process of improvement is ongoing (CQI).

Next steps & To Do ́s

Please shortly outline the next steps planned for the implementation of the project.
An award for smart city pioneers may be created in Vienna upon coordination with other lighthouse partners.
Are there additional steps planned due to occurred challenges? Which corrective activities have been taken?
The start workshop for the vision and mission statement for Vienna was carried out similar was done on the European project level. 
The areas of responsibilities were defined in more detail with GOPA com.
 

Implementation status

In which phase is the project (Planning, Implementation, Operation or Evaluation)?
The project is currently in the operation phase and updates are ongoing. 
The task leader prepares the communication texts ether himself or he initiates texts from experts. 
Is the implementation process on time or are there any derivations? Please outline any changes and reasons.
On time.
Which project steps were performed since the last project reporting?
At the beginning of the task a Vision & Mission Statement was developed in a Meeting together with the project partners and the city council office. A CI was developed and most of all a common understanding on internal communication and respective roles was created. In this way, agreement on single ongoing activities such as homepage, other social media and especially the structure of “political” coordination inside the City.
Each partner is active in its own channels and they report their communication activities to the task leader. The reference to Smarter Together is linked on every partner homepage.  
Concerning the ongoing activities the following were carried out; regular posts on twitter, project documentation on flikr (events, project progress, impressions), newsletters (min. once per month), publications, city internal press releases, homepage updates.
In October 2016 Vienna received the green city award from UN habitat.
Have there been changes regarding the planned solution? Please outline any changes and reasons.
The local communication is extended and films about Smarter Together and about the implementation projects are carried out.
 

Complete 75%

Risk and challenges

Which risks & challenges is the project currently facing?

The content and date of publications have to be coordinated with economic and political interests. The balance between political and objective project communication has to be found.

Which are critical or seem invincible? Please provide a detailed description

Possible interference of (State wide and regional) election calendar might represent a challenge. However, the project communication structure took such possible events into account through positioning of Smarter Together as a professional EU project implemented in the City of Vienna.
Is there a need to work cooperatively on solutions for specific problems? 
Ongoing communication and cooperation in regards to communication issues is state of the art of the project Smarter Together.

Which previously identified risks and challenges have you managed successfully and how

The possible “ad hoc political” interference or general communication issued that could potentially interfere not only in single project but also in the overall project dynamics have been targeted with initial emphasis on communication issues such as the workshop on Vision and Mission Statement (in German for Vienna) and have been taken into account in the every-day coordination with all relevant partners and stakeholders as an ongoing measure.
 

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?

Have external recommendations / lessons learnt from other projects (not in the WIKI) been used for the project development? 
- If yes, which ones and how?
Would this example be a good add to the Wiki?
Not directly but evidently through ongoing CQI.
Have relevant internal recommendations / lessons from the WIKI’s best practices been used for the project development? 
If yes, which ones and how?
Not directly but evidently through ongoing CQI.
Is the development/ implementation of the project affected/ supported by the peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and cooperative problem solving in Smarter Together? How did the peer-to-peer process support the project? 
The project meeting in Munich was very helpful for seeing in reality how colleagues in the same field are working. The idea to perform guided walks through the target area (Grätzelspaziergänge) was confirmed with the international colleagues.
Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?
The integration into the overall project and an ongoing coordination with all partners is key.
The creation of a joint standing by creating a mission statement together with all relevant stakeholders and partners is very helpful.
What could be done better in comparable future projects (what needs to be done and what needs to be prevented)
The continuous process of improvement is ongoing (CQI).
Would you describe the project as best practice project and interesting for the WIKI? If yes, in what regard?
Yes, due to the positive feedback from other project cities. Elements can certainly be inspiring to third parties.
 

Next steps & To Do ́s

Please shortly outline the next steps planned for the implementation of the project.
An award for smart city pioneers may be created in Vienna upon coordination with other lighthouse partners.
Are there additional steps planned due to occurred challenges? Which corrective activities have been taken?
The start workshop for the vision and mission statement for Vienna was carried out similar was done on the European project level. 
The areas of responsibilities were defined in more detail with GOPA com.
 

Implementation status

In which phase is the project (Planning, Implementation, Operation or Evaluation)?
The project is implemented and finalised. 
 

Is the implementation process on time or are there any derivations? Please outline any changes and reasons.
On time.
 

Which project steps were performed since the last project reporting?
Ongoing implementation of reporting, sharing and information.

Complete 100%

Risk and challenges

Which risks & challenges is the project currently facing?

The webpage is to be saved and available for external viewers as a source of information.

Which are critical or seem invincible? Please provide a detailed description

Due to financing and management needs, the photo-documentation on the Flickr-webpage is offline.

 

Do challenges affect other topics and projects? If yes, which ones and how?
No side-effects at the moment.

Which previously identified risks and challenges have you managed successfully and how

The possible “ad hoc political” interference or general communication issued that could potentially interfere not only in single project but also in the overall project dynamics have been targeted with initial emphasis on communication issues such as the workshop on Vision and Mission Statement (in German for Vienna) and have been taken into account in the every-day coordination with all relevant partners and stakeholders as an ongoing measure.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?

The integration into the overall project and an ongoing coordination with all partners is key.
The creation of a joint standing by creating a mission statement together with all relevant stakeholders and partners is very helpful.

 

Would this example be a good add to the Wiki?
Not directly but evidently through ongoing CQI.

 

Have relevant internal recommendations / lessons from the WIKI’s best practices been used for the project development? If yes, which ones and how?
Not directly but evidently through ongoing CQI.

 

Is the development/ implementation of the project affected/ supported by the peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and cooperative problem solving in Smarter Together? How did the peer-to-peer process support the project? 
The project meeting in Munich was very helpful for seeing in reality how colleagues in the same field are working. The idea to perform guided walks through the target area (Grätzelspaziergänge) was confirmed with the international colleagues.

 

Would you describe the project as best practice project and interesting for the WIKI? If yes, in what regard?
Yes, due to the positive feedback from other project cities. Elements can certainly be inspiring to third parties.

What could be done better in comparable future projects (what needs to be done and what needs to be prevented)?

The continuous process of improvement is ongoing (CQI).

Next steps & To Do ́s

Website accessible as an source of information upon completion of the project.