Two-hour Social Media Workshop

Wednesday - 17th September 2008

Social Media are rapidly transforming the way people interact and connect and their impact on your organisation’s reputation can be huge. Key elements in managing reputation and participating in conversations are knowing what’s been said and understanding Social Media’s strengths and weakness, rules and risks.

The challenge is immense when you consider there are more blogs in the world than there are Mexicans (112 million) and each day they produce more content that 117 years of the Dominion Post (1.6 million articles). Anyone can say anything to everyone and no one is being paid to create this content. We have to tools to listen to all of this, but are we using them?

Matt Lane (State Services Commission) will address these issues in a two-hour workshop on Social Media. It follows his popular address to Comms08 conference.

You will be shown how you can have near-omniscience, being immediately informed whenever anyone mentions your organisation on-line. This will give you the upper hand in managing your organisation's reputation, and enable you to participate in conversations that are already happening without you. The workshop will be limited to 14 participants so register early.

When: 10.30am to 12.30pm, Wednesday, 17th September 2008
Where: Boardroom, State Services Commission 100 Molesworth Street.
Cost: $25 - (GST inclusive). Workshop attendees limited to 14.
Register: Cathy Trewby, Administrator, Network of Public Sector Communicators
Email: info@psnetwork.org.nz

Senior Advisor, Communications Strategy

Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education has over 3,000 staff across New Zealand. Every day, we communicate with hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders about the education opportunities and issues that matter to them.

A key part of our communications function is to provide high-level strategic advice to senior Ministry staff and to the government of the day. This advice supports the Leadership Team, senior managers, and business units to:

• manage cross-sector communications around significant events, issues, and opportunities
• ensure that all communications from the Ministry present a coherent, compelling picture of what we do
• consider the wider communications implications of their activities as well as the immediate requirements.

The Senior Advisor, Communications Strategy will report to the Manager, Executive Communications, and will be part of a wider Communications Group. He or she will be expected to contribute vigorously to the work of the immediate team and the wider Group to ensure that internal and external stakeholders get high-quality advice and services.

We are seeking a high-performing communications professional who is ready for the next step in his or her career. A minimum of three years in a substantial communications role is required. We offer a very interesting and challenging work environment, with plenty of opportunities for job stretch and for mentoring. This is the ideal role for an ambitious and talented professional who wants to move to the next level.

If interested, please contact Emily.stott@minedu.govt.nz for a copy of the job description and application form.

Communications Advisor

Mayor's Office - Wellington

The Mayor’s Office is looking for an experienced Communications Advisor to join our busy team.

The role is responsible for researching and writing the Mayor’s speeches and for managing her interaction with the media.

The Communications Advisor also provides issues management and general communications advice to the Mayor and writes presentations and other communication materials.

The role would suit someone who loves to write, writes with flair and who has excellent relationship management skills; someone who is confident, energetic, passionate about Wellington and who likes to keep busy.

The successful candidate will be able to multi-task, work to deadlines and have a keen interest in current affairs. You will be someone who can take complex material and present it in simple language, be an advocate of Plain English and appreciate the elements of what makes a great speech.

We are looking for someone with experience in communications or PR, and preferably someone who has worked in journalism or with the media before.

Applications close 5pm Friday 5 September 2008.
Contact Nathan Scott on (04) 801 4233 ornathan.scott@wcc.govt.nz for more information. Visit our website to apply or send your application and CV to:

Nathan Scott,
Wellington City Council,
PO Box 2199,
Wellington.

www.wellington.govt.nz

Web Editor

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington

This is a newly created role in NIWAbGroup.

We are a technology-driven, innovative company with an international reputation for scientific research. Behind the scenes, we have been redesigning our current website to improve its architecture and functionality. Now we want you to take it to the next level.

You will be responsible for overseeing a complete revamp and on-going maintenance of the content on our website.

The range of material is vast. You must be adept at communicating clearly with anyone and everyone. You need to be equally comfortable handling highly technical reports for specialist audiences, and developing fact sheets for the general public. To support our words, youbcomputer-generated animations produced by our science staff.

The role is part of a small and highly-focused team and will suit a bs professional. The web will be your passion. With your great communication skills, youbdeveloping great relationships and engaging confidently with highly academic staff. Youbit, yet not lose your attention to detail. While you work independently, you donbback and forth, and accept that not every idea is a winner.

It goes without saying that you will have previous experience in website content management and maintenance and will be technologically savvy. Youbprioritisation, project management, and planning skills.

Join us, and youbreally cares about you and about the sustainability of the planet. We provide extensive staff benefits and development opportunities.

View the job description and apply on-line at http://www.niwascience.co.nz/about/jobs. For more information, contact NIWA's Communications Manager, Michele Hollis, on 04-386 0483.

Applications close 4.30pm Friday 29 August 2008.

Are you using your energy efficiently?

Senior Advisor Communications, Wellington

Trust us, when you join us you will be. That’s because you’ll be part of a team that’s at the forefront of innovative thinking when it comes to energy efficiency and conservation. We’re committed to promoting a sustainable energy future by changing the way Kiwis think about and use energy, and what’s more, you’ll benefit from the feel-good factor that comes with doing something good for the environment.

Working on a wide variety of projects, you’ll play an integral part in raising awareness of energy efficiency through innovative and wide-ranging communications to promote and support our programmes and activities. Our team deals with all communications across the spectrum, which means you’ll be involved with all our initiatives. As an organisation we’ve grown hugely over the last few years, and we’re continuing to grow, with heaps of new projects on the go.

With your strategic experience and initiative, you’re a true professional, so you’re confident making big decisions, while your superb writing skills and experience mean you’re a whiz at producing quality communications documents. Your understanding of and experience with the media and the government sector will also see you excel with us, as will your motivation and can-do attitude.

Don’t let your career go to waste – put your energy to efficient use. Plus, you’ll enjoy working with a team who genuinely care about making a difference for future generations and we have heaps of fun while we’re doing that. To apply, visit www.eeca.govt.nz.

Corporate Communications Consultant

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (Wellington)

NZTE seeks a Communications Consultant who can lead projects and enjoys working in a collaborative team environment. Reporting to the Corporate Communications Manager, this role provides broad scope for a communications professional to apply their range of skills to a variety of projects, issues and developments. The primary focus is corporate communications, with an emphasis on strategy and delivery. It's challenging but also highly rewarding and would suit someone wishing to further their career as a communications professional. Ideally the successful candidate will have a good grounding in journalism and/or communications, exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrable project, issues and media management skills.

To apply and for a job description, please see Seek or NZTE's career centre at www.nzte.govt.nz/careers

For an informal chat please contact Jennifer Andrewes on 04 816 8318.

Only thirteen working days left!

Only thirteen working days until the big event hits Wellington! Comms@08 Communications Conference. Early bird rates are over, the workshops are full but there are still places available for our Plenary day 25th June at the Holiday Inn, Featherston Street, Wellington.

The Comms@08 Conference will be a great place to network with fellow professionals, get insight into exciting new tools and strategies and not least hear out key note speaker Howell James, Permanent Secretary Government Communications. His key note will give us insight into how the UK government uses good communications to 'Put people at the centre of their thinking'!

So go online http://www.psnetwork.org.nz/commsat/register.html , sign up and come join us at Comms@08, bought to you this June from the Network.

Just two more days

Just two days to go before the early bird rates for the Comms@08 Conference close, so go online (make this a link to registration page) and sign up now so you too can discover exciting new tools, strategies and insights into communications planning, internal communications and organisational change. From the 25th of May, full rates apply. So get in quick and come and be inspired by a line up of fascinating and engaging speakers! Comms@08, coming this June from the Network.

Comms@08 update: Workshops one and two on 24 June are full

There's been overwhelming interest in our workshops on 24 June, so we've had to close registrations for these.

We know this may be disappointing, but rest assured we'll be running additional workshops for you later in the year.

There's still space on day two of Comms@08 on 25 June where you'll have the chance to hear from a range of interesting and exciting speakers including our key note speaker Howell James, the UK's Permanent Secretary of Government Communications, so get in soon. Book now.

The importance of Perception - Managing an organisations reputation

Reputation is what the people who matter think about what THEY think matters. Your reputation is what your key stakeholders THINK. Even more important, your future reputation is being created and shaped dynamically by what these people SAY.

As one of your single most important assets, your organisation's reputation demands your personal attention. Reputation managers, brand stewards and professionals responsible for corporate communications, governance and social responsibility need to be decisive leaders at times of social and cultural change.

Lost in translation - how to help hopeless leaders communicate change

Communicating change depends on big leaders, not big words! In this session Paul Rayner from Working Words shares some pragmatic techniques for helping inexperienced or mediocre managers to be better communicators. Paul's eclectic background in organisational change, leadership, HR, and internal communications provides a unique perspective on this Achilles heel of change communication.

5 Key skills good communications people need

Are you looking for a way to build your personal development plan? Knowing what your key skills are and measuring them effectively make it easier to see where you need to increase your level of knowledge and application. Creating a personal development plan, with measurable characteristics will help you succeed at work. In this session we will take you through the skills good communications people need to succeed.

Comms@08 Registrations Up!

Just 12 days to go before the early bird rates for the Comms@08 Conference close, so go online and sign up now so you too can discover exciting new tools, strategies and insights into communications planning, internal communications and organisational change. From the 25th of May, full rates apply. So get in quick and come and be inspired by a line up of fascinating and engaging speakers! Comms@08, coming this June from the Network.

Comms@08 KeyNote Speaker Confirmed

Howell James CBE - Permanent Secretary, UK Government Communication

The role of Permanent Secretary for UK Government Communication was created as part of recommendations made by an independent review of government communications.

Responsible for communication across Whitehall*, Howell was appointed in March 2004 as the head of profession. His job is to: lead government communicators; improve the co-ordination of cross-departmental issues; and help improve the abilities and capabilities of communicators within every government department.

In June as our key note speaker he will give us a UK perspective of how the government is coordinating of communication across departments, the strategy behind it and how effective it has been. He will take us through some of the lessons his team has learned from government communication across Whitehall; what they would do differently and what new methods have attracted the best response from people.

Visit this page regularly as we load the programme of events for the conference. Alternatively, sign up for the RSS feed which will alert you anytime we make a change.

(*Whitehall is the name of a street in central London. It runs from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. Many of the most important (British) government departments are there. The word is used to denote the central government apparatus and bureaucracy. Originally, Whitehall was the name of a royal palace, of which only the splendid Banqueting Hall by Inigo Jones survives. It is still used for some major government events.)