An organizational communication assessment or strategic communications audit is a systematic assessment, either formal or informal, of an organization’s capacity for, or performance of, essential communications practices. It determines what is working well, what is not, and what might work better if adjustments are made to communication processes or structures.
Just like people go to the doctor for a health checkup, a strategic communications audit can help an organization assess and improve communication performance and practices that improve success and effectiveness. Defined in this way, a strategic communications audit has both evaluative and formative value. It is evaluative in that it provides a “snapshot” of where an organization currently stands in terms of its communication capacity or performance. It is formative in that it also points to areas in which the organization can strengthen its performance.
Communications audits are a relatively common practice, though they are more common among for-profits than nonprofits, and not familiar to most non-communications professionals. External communications or evaluation experts are most often the ones who perform audits. Experts are trained in using the organizational communication assessment tools.
There are methods of assessment (assessment technology) that provide a framework for assessing communication processes within an organization and there is a structured way to analyze and utilize the results to develop improved organizational strategies. As a part of his consulting services, TJ is an organizational communication consultant who can quickly and inexpensively facilitate a communication audit that meets your needs and that provides tangible strategies you can implement to improve the success and effectiveness of your organization.
TJ has also taught Organizational Communication Assessment and Strategic Communication Audits at the college-level and can facilitate trainings or workshops on the following topics that teach individuals, work teams, or organizations how to utilize these audits for improvement:
- Communication Audits as Organizational Development
- Initiating and Planning an Assessment
- Conducting Team Audits
- Identifying Communication Networks
- Choosing Focal Areas to Assess
- Final Report: Analysis and Interpretation
Incorporating Assessment Technology / Methods of Assessment:
- Individual Interviews
- Focus Group Interviews
- Questionnaires
- The International Communication Association Survey
- Downs-Hazen Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire
- Critical Communication Experience Survey
- ECCO Analysis