Be prepared to evaluate the communications plan to determine whether it meets the objectives.

When evaluating the communications plan for the evaluation results, there are a few things that should be examined to assess its merit. Experts suggest that communication should be:

• Minimalist (as short and succinct as possible to achieve the goals)
• Automated if possible (easier to monitor and share)
• Local (meet the needs of campus administrators, funders, local media, etc.)

Evaluating the communications plan provides the opportunity to adjust the communications goals and campaign strategy in the following ways:

• Formally or informally, ask audience members, stakeholders, and funders or potential funders for their reactions and suggestions for improvement
• Improve the communications processes where needed based on the feedback and constructive suggestions

Evaluating the communications plan also provides the opportunity to monitor the communications goals and campaign strategy in the following ways:

• Track any completed communications events, presentations, or reports
• Track any solicited and/or unsolicited feedback coming from audiences or stakeholders
• Track the development of interest in the evaluation from potentially new audiences or stakeholders that were not previously considered