The challenge
Colleagues who recently joined the communications team at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) needed to write three OASIS comms plans from scratch, for key priority areas. This would be the first time ideas, strategies and tactics would be written down in full and communicated formally to the Secretary of State, Special Advisors and other key Departmental figures. The plans would also be used to inform other teams such as Chief Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and Government Digital Services (GDS), who were new to DSIT and seeking guidance on DSIT approaches, in order to inform their own OASIS plans and narratives.
How Assist helped
Assist offered a helpful starting point in terms of how to structure the OASIS plan and the key elements to include, particularly for colleagues who were new members of Government Communications and had no prior experience of creating OASIS plans. It helped that Assist’s suggestions were already in the correct style. This meant, despite each OASIS plan being drafted by different people, colleagues could be confident that all the OASIS plans would follow the same format and principles. The team used Assist initially by asking open questions and, after team review, asked Assist more niche questions to strengthen their plans. They particularly found Assist useful for identifying potential risks, key audiences and making objectives more concise. The team asked Assist to critique the updated plans, which produced further ideas for refinement.
Outcomes
- The team produced three comprehensive OASIS plans
- As departmental communications objectives continue to evolve, various aspects of the Assist-supported OASIS plans are still being used to inform key discussions and long-term strategic planning
- Key insights from the OASIS plans are often used to inform development of high-profile DSIT announcements
Why this matters
This was the first time that DSIT colleagues, who were new to the Civil Service and government communications, were creating OASIS plans. Assist was a valuable guide on OASIS and best practice. The team were able to repeatedly ask for ideas and feedback before the OASIS plans were presented to more senior members of the team for clearance.