Clear language is an approach to communication that puts the reader first – it focuses on action. Clear design uses the visual aspects of communication, such as type, formatting, and graphics, to help readers get the message.
This kit is for clear language champions who work in Canadian municipalities. It was developed jointly by the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), with support from the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program, Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).
The tools in this kit are designed to be used co-operatively by both management and union advocates. We have modeled the process on that used to set up joint labour/ management workplace literacy programs in many Canadian municipalities.
Changing the way a large organization communicates is a major cultural shift. It involves change, not just in how we speak to the public, but in how we speak to each other throughout the municipal workplace.
Like all major cultural changes, clear language reform is hard work. It takes time, energy, resources, and strategy. It requires new skills and a shift in perspective. It calls for tools to get the job done.
That’s what this kit is for.
A workplace clear language initiative can be broken down into nine steps, starting with finding your allies, and ending, we hope, with a big party.
Here are the steps:
Identify Clear Language Champions and Supporters.
Look for the people and places in your municipality where you can find support to get started. Is there a joint workplace training committee in place that can help?
Is there an elected representative willing to champion clear language? Which departments or divisions have already done some work or training in this area? Where have union members been most active on this issue? Which managers are the most supportive?
Form or Find a Stakeholder Committee.
Your workplace may already have a committee with a mandate to take on this kind of initiative. For instance, is there a workplace education committee or a communications committee already in place? If possible, take advantage of this existing resource. Your committee should have the support of senior management and the union executive. There should be shared union/management leadership and balanced representation from a good cross-section of the workplace. You should have a clear understanding of how you will make decisions and when members may have to take decisions back to their constituencies.
Make sure your committee has the resources it needs to get started. For instance, make sure each member has management support for the time needed to serve on the committee. Are there meeting rooms you can use? Is there money to hire an outside consultant or facilitator if needed? Can you get some help with co-ordination and paperwork?
Set Overall Goals.
Come to agreement about the over-arching goals for your initiative. Here are some examples of over-arching goals:
When you set your goals, make sure you know how, and when, you are going to measure your success. For instance, how will you know that awareness is growing in your organization? You might look, for example, at the number of requests for information your committee gets. Start with a baseline number during the early weeks of the committee’s existence. Monitor the requests monthly and check for growth over time.