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CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY 
Paper 5 Annex 1 07/04/06 


COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME 2006-2008 

Overall Communication Aims: 

a) To raise the profile of the Cairngorms National Park and promote good 
understanding and appreciation of the Park and its importance/special qualities with 
all stakeholders 

b) To raise awareness, understanding and support for the role of the CNPA and partner 
organisations to deliver the Park aims with opinion formers 

c) To support the development of the CNPA as an organisation, particularly in relation 
to its decision making process, way of working and communication processes to 
allow it to meet its statutory duties and responsibilities and establish it as an 
enabling organisation that is open, trusted and respected 


Communication Group Objectives: 

a) To establish good working relationships with our partners and identified opinion 
formers to ensure they have a good understanding and appreciation of the Park, the 
Park aims and the role of the CNPA and its partners and that they support the work 
of the CNPA and its partners 

b) To establish mechanisms which allow for regular two-way communication and 
consultation with identified target audiences including consultation on the draft 
National Park Plan and Local Plan 

c) To identify potential issues which affect the Park or the work of the CNPA and 
provide CNPA staff and board members with support and advice on how to manage 
these issues from a communications point of view by producing position statements 
and briefing notes as required 

d) To provide CNPA staff and board members with a media relations service by taking 
a proactive approach to communicating CNPA activities and any issues with the 
media, providing advice and support in handling any media enquiries and actively 
promoting the Park and its special qualities 

e) To support the development of an identity for the Park as a whole by promoting the 
Park brand and the Park and its special qualities at various events across Scotland, 
the UK and internationally and co-ordinating the production of promotional 
materials aimed at identified target audiences 

f) To maintain and develop the CNPA website and intranet to ensure both internal and 
external audiences can easily find and access relevant information about the CNPA 
and its activities as well as providing a mechanism to send feedback directly to the 
Board and Management Team 

g) To support the development of a Cairngorms National Park website which provides 
information on the Park to meet the needs of all stakeholders 

h) To establish two-way communication mechanisms which ensure all staff understand 
and support the overall strategic direction of the organisation, the goals/priorities 
that need to be delivered and are aware of the overall performance against set targets 

i) To support the development of organisational values and ways of working which 
encourage staff and board members to be open, inclusive, innovative, trustworthy 
and supportive and to behave professionally and with integrity at all times 


Desired Outcomes by 2008: 

a) Public Opinion survey carried out with visitors and residents within the Park shows 
high levels of awareness and understanding of the Park and its special qualities 

b) Opinion former survey shows high levels of understanding of the CNPA’s and 
partner organisations’ roles, responsibilities and achievements 

c) Opinion former survey confirms the organisation is seen as one that is open, trusted, 
respected and delivers its aims and objectives effectively 

d) CNPA staff survey shows high levels of awareness and understanding of our overall 
strategic direction, goals and priorities and staff feel able to raise any issues or 
concerns which are subsequently listened to and acted upon by the management 
team 

e) CNPA staff survey shows high levels of motivation and commitment to the 
organisation’s values and ways of working 


Key Messages: 

a) Cairngorms National Park, the largest in the UK, includes the highest and most 
extensive range of arctic mountain landscape anywhere in the British Isles, is home 
to a quarter of Scotland’s native woodland and has the biggest continuous stretches 
of near-natural vegetation in Britain providing refuge for a quarter of the UK’s 
threatened plants and animals 

b) Human beings have lived in the Cairngorms for 7000 years and today there are many 
vibrant communities which welcome visitors who can enjoy a wide range of 
recreational activities from outdoor pursuits to visitor attractions focused on natural, 
cultural and historical interests 

c) The Cairngorms National Park was established in 2003 with four clear aims; to 
conserve and enhance the area’s natural and cultural heritage, to promote 
sustainable use of the area’s natural resources, to promote understanding and 
enjoyment of the Park’s special qualities, to promote sustainable economic and social 
development of local communities 

d) The Cairngorms National Park Authority was set up to co-ordinate the delivery of 
these four aims by acting as an enabling organisation which promotes partnership 
and gives leadership to all those involved in the Cairngorms – public bodies, private 
organisations and the voluntary sector 

e) The CNPA is committed to being an open, trustworthy and fair organisation which 
delivers its aims and objectives efficiently 


Target Audiences: 

a) Local residents and businesses within the Park 

b) Partner organisations 

c) Opinion formers/influencers (includes Scottish Executive) 

d) Visitors to the Park 

e) CNPA board members and employees 


Action Plans: 

Six activity areas have been identified which relate back to the three overall communication 
aims for the organisation. The Communications Group will lead on these activities to ensure 
they are co-ordinated across the organisation and aligned to the desired outcomes identified 
as part of the Communication Programme 2006-2008. 

Public Affairs to raise awareness, understanding and support for the role of the CNPA 
and other partner organisations to deliver the four Park aims 

a) Identify opinion formers/influencers and establish central relationship management 
database 

b) Determine key messages and prepare engagement programme 

c) Allocate CNPA contact responsible for relationship management 

d) Carry out opinion surveys to monitor progress 


Community Relations - to raise awareness, understanding and support for the role of the 
CNPA and other partner organisations to deliver the four Park aims 

a) Develop a community consultation standards framework which sets out guidelines 
and procedures for ongoing community relations and consultation within the Park 

b) Establish a community communications programme to ensure local communities 
within the Park are kept informed of CNPA activities 

c) Produce ‘Park Life’ for all residents and businesses in the Park twice a year and 
regular e-newsletters to promote the Park and activities carried out by the CNPA and 
its partner organisations 

d) Develop a monitoring process to measure the effectiveness of CNPA community 
consultation and communication activities and carry out opinion surveys to monitor 
progress 


Media Relations & Issues Management - to raise the profile of the Cairngorms National 
Park and promote good understanding and appreciation of the Park and its 
importance/special qualities with all stakeholders 

a) Create media databases to target all relevant media including specialist interest 
media, newsletters and websites 

b) Prepare a media plan to promote all aspects of CNPA’s work and the Park and its 
special qualities and deliver a media relations service 

c) Establish close working relationships with partner organisation press officers to 
ensure the Park and it special qualities are promoted as effectively as possible 

d) Identify issues which affect the Park or the CNPA and prepare position/response 
statements and plans if required 

e) Provide a media monitoring service for CNPA board and staff members and 
evaluate media coverage achieved 


Events & Promotions Programme - to raise the profile of the Cairngorms National Park 
and promote good understanding and appreciation of the Park and its importance/special 
qualities with all stakeholders 

a) Identify events where the Park can best be promoted 

b) Co-ordinate the production of promotional materials, including publications, to 
promote the Park and the work of the CNPA to identified target audiences 

c) Establish close working relationships with partner organisations to ensure the Park 
and it special qualities are promoted as effectively as possible 

d) Monitor the impact of these events & materials against set objectives 


Websites - to promote good understanding and appreciation of the Park and its 
importance/special qualities with all stakeholders and raise awareness, understanding and 
support for the role of the CNPA and other partner organisations to deliver the four Park 
aims and to raise the profile of the Cairngorms National Park 

a) Continue to develop the CNPA website to ensure information about the CNPA and 
its work is easily accessible with links to partner organisation sites/information 
where appropriate 

b) Support the development, in partnership with other organisations, of a Cairngorms 
National Park website which provides relevant information about the Park to meet 
the needs of all stakeholders, particularly visitors to the Park 

c) Monitor the use of the websites and gain feedback from users to continually improve 
and develop the sites 


Internal Communications - to support the development of the CNPA as an organisation, 
particularly in relation to its decision making process, way of working and communication 
processes to allow it to meet its statutory duties and responsibilities and establish it as an 
enabling organisation that is open, trusted and respect 

a) Review the current internal communication processes to ensure they meet the 
information and communication needs of all members of staff and the management 
team with the support of the internal communications user group 

b) Develop an internal communications plan which meets these needs 

c) Develop an intranet site with support from the internal communications and IT user 
groups 

d) Hold an annual staff ‘away-day’ which gives staff an overview of CNPA strategic 
aims and objectives and progress against agreed goals and milestones and helps to 
continue to ‘build the organisation’ 

e) Carry out a staff survey to monitor staff views on internal communications within 
the organisation 


Evaluation: 

a) Opinion survey with residents and visitors within the Park 

b) Opinion survey with identified opinion formers/influencers 

c) Staff and Board surveys/feedback