Moving forward with communication
When forming a new centre, the start-up phase is critical to the ongoing process. KTH has downloadable establishment and meeting templates to help in the start-up phase.
The start-up phase of a new centre is fundamental to communication going forward. When the centre director and communicators agree on expectations, information and support from day one, this lays a better foundation for cooperation and execution of operational and strategic communication efforts.
Before starting up a centre, the host school should initiate a start-up meeting with the centre director, the COM centre communicator and a communications representative from the host school to discuss and ensure consensus on the following points:
- The resources available and what has been agreed for communication activities.
- The centre’s needs and wishes linked to communication.
- Priorities for the centre communicator (based on the above points).
- Roles and responsibilities and contact channels for different issues (COM, host school, centre).
- Process for preparing the communication strategy and plan.
- Possible communication channels for the centre, KTH and host school channels.
- Guidelines for co-profiling at KTH.
- Routines for sharing content and providing tips about news at KTH.
- Practical aids (for example, templates and guides) and collaboration forums for centre communication at KTH.
A start-up meeting should be held and documented regardless of the size of the centre. The agenda and participants must be adapted based on centre size and needs. A proposed agenda and accompanying question battery can be downloaded below and can serve as a guide for a start-up meeting.