This is an actual case study of Stakeholder Engagement and Communications by DMC. Learn more about DMC's In-District Strategic Briefing and Facilitation offerings
Fairfax County Public Schools faced a large budget deficit and wanted to think about developing target messaging strategies for the various stakeholders that would need to be involved in the budget process. In the previous year, FCPS had involved its stakeholders in the budget process in an unprecedented fashion, but a larger deficit was looming and issue-oriented detractors were an increasingly prominent voice in the community.
DMC worked with the FCPS Communications Office to assess stakeholder views about the district (and budget process), and to develop a targeted messaging strategy for each of the important stakeholders. DMC conducted internal and external interviews, focus groups, and surveys in order to gather a factbase about stakeholder perceptions of district performance and the budget process.
The FCPS Communications office developed a full fledged communications plan based on the factbase and key target messaging strategy that was developed. Implementation of this plan began almost immediately as the district entered into the process of closing an 8% budget gap.
