EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006

1. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Mary Hanson Senior Project Facilitator Office of Legislative and Public Affairs • New Public-Friendly NSF Web Site • New Public Affairs Resource Center

2. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Strategic Tactical

3. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006

4. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Context (quick glance)

5. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Public Context What Americans Say About Science Source: S&E Indicators 2004

6. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Policy Context Grants General Conditions (GC-1) Article 19, “Publications.” a. Acknowledgment of Support. 2. NSF support must also be orally acknowledged during all news media interviews, including popular media such as radio, television and news magazines." Need to add web

7. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Policy Context • Criteria for Receiving NSF Funds • Intellectual Merit • Broader Impacts

8. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Policy Context • Criterion 2 - Broader Impacts • Advance discovery & understanding* • Broaden participation • Enhance infrastructure • Disseminated broadly * • Benefits to society • * Public affairs applications

9. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • Media Context • Time Magazine cover (13Feb) • Is American Failing in Science? • Washington Post Op-Ed (6Feb) • The Fake Science Threat • Washington Post Op-Ed (15Feb) • The Silencing of Science

10. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Mission Context Inform the taxpayers Sub-text: Public enthusiasm Public understanding Science literacy *** Accountability ***

11. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Case Study – Example #1 Public-Friendly Web Site www.nsf.gov

12. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Why Site Redesign? Direct-to-public communication Increasing Internet usage

13. Sources of Information in U.S. Current News Events Science & Technology Specific Scientific Issue Source: Science & Engineering Indicators 2006/University of Michigan

14. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • It’s Just Another (Powerful) Tool • … the Basics Still Apply • We still need: • Internal support • Credibility • Quality • A nose for news • Writing & editing skills • Personal relationships

15. Old Site New Site

16. Serving S&E Folks As Usual (same internal audience)

17. But Now the Public Too (new external audience)

18. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • New Types of Public Content • Research Overviews • Special Reports • Discoveries • Now Showing • Classroom Resources • Multimedia Gallery • Redesigned pages: NSF & Congress • Speeches & Lectures • Priority Areas

19. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Redesigned NSF Web Site 1-minute tour

32. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • NSF’s Lesson-Learned #1 • Get Buy-In • Share the process • Assign rep from all segments • Record decisions • (make them up if necessary ;) • Disseminate decisions

33. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • NSF’s Lesson-Learned #2 • Maintain Focus • Everyone has an opinion! • Keep your eye on the ball (goals & audience) • Do solicit input--but one decision-maker

34. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • More Lessons Learned • Get buy-in • Maintain focus(audience & goals) • Put a process in place • Hire the right people • Use visuals well • Maintain variety & quality • Measure (assess & evaluate) • Get the word out!! (market)

35. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • Kinds of Measurements • American Customer • Satisfaction Index (ACSI) • General Survey • - Measures preference • Usability Tests • - Measures performance • User Statistics • - Measures actual hits

36. Web Stats: 1-Year Comparison Necessary but not sufficient. What about target audience?

37. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • Marketing Strategy • Internal audiences form the base … Build awareness there first • Expand to new audiences • Seek out blogs, partnerships, allies

38. The new nsf.gov outreach plan NSF staff University PIOs S&E Researchers S&E Educators Professional Orgs Target audiences… …..by group Policy Makers Media/Press Industry Interested Public 2/06

39. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • Web Redesign 1-Year Status Report • Internal support  • Measurable increase in hits  • Maintaining quality  • Webby Award  • Outstanding Questions: • - Have we found our niche? • - Can we maintain variety? • - How to increase public audience?

40. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Case Study – Example #2 Public Affairs Resource Center www.nsf.gov/pio Using technology to facilitate collaboration

41. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 NSF PIO Collaboration A long road to success e-mails meetings workshops resource center

42. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • NSF PIO Collaboration • A long road to success • Ongoing since 1996 • 3 meetings, 3 workshops • 6-person PIO Advisor group • Goal:mutual benefit • broader distribution • better serve the public

43. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • Public Affairs Resource Center • 2 Modes • Share mode - useful urls, reports & surveys, PIO list • Receive mode – PIOs send us info (releases, images, illustrations, etc)

44. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 Public Affairs Resource Center (1-minute tour)

50. EPSCoR Public Affairs Workshop – 2006 • Public Affairs Resource Center • 1-Month Status Report • Enthusiastic response • 100+ registrations • Interest from other agencies • Outstanding Questions: • - How to reach all our 1,700 grantees? • - Can we maintain it with current staff?