JISC

The Communications Strategy builds on the overall objectives of the DNER and the JISC PR Strategy, identifying priorities and mechanisms for communication of the DNER specifically. The strategy will be reviewed regularly and adapted to meet the needs of emerging objectives from JCEI and stakeholders.

JISC has ambitious plans for the development of the DNER. The way in which the DNER will develop represents a momentous shift in the delivery of information and support services to stakeholders of the JISC. A programme of high profile awareness raising will be critical to achieving overall objectives for both the DNER and the JISC.

This Communications Strategy details the aims and objectives of the Communications Group within the DNER, who will work closely with the DNER Team and JISC Assist in strategically raising awareness of and interest in the work of the DNER. The overarching objective of the strategy is to achieve a high profile brand and awareness across all stake holding groups, both of the JISC and the managed information environment it provides through the DNER.

The DNER vision and objectives

The long-term vision for the DNER concept articulates three key aspirations:

• provide the globe's high quality digital content to staff and students in higher and further education, at any time, and from anywhere
• be the leading innovator in UK education in the field of digital information provision and take an influential role in developing the UK’s lifelong learning agenda
• take a lead role in stimulating development both here and abroad

The objectives of the DNER are to:

• Stimulate use of digital resources within higher and further education, and ensure equality of provision within the two sectors
• Create a unified resource base which will contribute to widening participation in a learning context
• Be renowned for being user-focused in content-development, including minority interests
• Maximise accessibility to JISC services by providing a seamless journey for users
• Provide value-added and value-for-money information for HE and FE through the development and provision of cost-effective resources
• Empower users by responding to their requirements and providing customised solutions
• Enable emerging patterns of learning, teaching and scholarly communication
• Empower creators of high-quality content by providing a high-profile platform for their materials
• Stimulate collaboration among all stakeholders in learning, teaching and research to create a rich, interconnected resource
• Lead development of the technical underpinnings of a coherent and engaging information environment
• Exploit the commercial potential associated with software and content development
• Shape the development of the DNER by working closely, in partnership with JISC Services and other internal stakeholders
• Ensure coherence, clarity, inclusiveness and transparency in all communication regarding the DNER

Strategic branding issues

In order to meet its vision for the DNER, the JISC is regarding the DNER as a flagship concept. Once the brand is made visible it needs to sit ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ with other high-profile national players such as the National Grid for Learning, Learn Direct and the People's Network. It has the power and credibility of the JISC behind it. At the same time it will have the broad appeal of a unifying brand, which is meaningful to a diverse set of audiences, from senior academics and information managers to students and the commercial world. The development and launch of the DNER also comes at a time when the national learning and skills agenda is more visible than ever.

The DfEE’s policies on lifelong learning and widening participation are creating a climate in which the JISC itself and its DNER are significant players. However, this backdrop of increased activity and initiative in the learning information arena carry the risk of increased confusion and duplication in the marketplace. It is therefore vital that the DNER is able to communicate its uniqueness and its accessibility effectively, in a transparent and jargon-free way.

The new DNER brand will be flexible enough to evolve over the next 2-3 years and beyond. One of the important internal ‘success factors’ will be its adaptability in embracing all the DNER services and components which emerge over time. At present, services which are to be clustered under the DNER name have their own individual identities and also have varying relationships relative to the JISC. While some are 100% funded (and therefore technically ‘owned’) by the JISC, others are only part-funded by it, and some have a procurement relationship with it.

A number of these will need to adopt the parent branding of the JISC's DNER. Hence, as part of the roll-out of the new brand there will be a period of internal communications and negotiation surrounding how best to the manage the phasing-in of the DNER brand. In the future, the results of the JISC Service Review currently being undertaken, may rationalise behind the scenes delivery of these services. However, users will continue to interact with individual services under a DNER umbrella presentation layer, until such a time as the DNER develops its fusion services.

It is critical that the DNER brand is always endorsed by its parent brand, JISC, and therefore benefits from being associated with innovation, quality and an international reputation. The JISC has a number of significant stakeholders, not least of which are its core funding bodies, the funding councils. These stakeholders have high expectations of the JISC brand and will thus want to be reassured that the new brand does not dilute its presence. However, the launch of the new DNER brand will present an opportunity to articulate afresh the JISC’s vision for the future and re-position the services relative to it.

In summary, it is important to the overall strategy for the JISC that its profile among its core stakeholders is retained while at the same time the new DNER name becomes established with these same stakeholders and with the much wider user audience. Particular attention will be paid to the language and priorities of the further education sector, for whom the JISC and DNER will be relatively new concepts, and to those with brands positioned within the DNER landscape.

Communications strategy: objectives

Brand positioning and development

• Create and develop a high profile brand for the DNER which will complement and relate to the JISC's powerful and credible brand
• Position the DNER as a catalyst within the learning resource landscape (learning in its widest sense of research, teaching, skills, personal and professional development, vocational training)
• Position the DNER as a leading-edge, high quality, digital information environment and service provider
• Ensure coherence in the perceptions of both internal and external stakeholders
• Achieve visibility across all its diverse markets

Presentation

Present a series of targeted, engaging and coherent "views" of, or "windows" on, the DNER, and its resources, using a variety of media

Awareness raising and engagement

• Develop a high profile, far reaching roll-out programme of awareness-raising activity; which will stimulate widespread interest in, and commitment to, the many facets of the DNER across its stake holding groups
• Promote the DNER as the ideal/natural environment for the placement of scholarly research, learning and teaching materials
• Encourage those involved in the creation of other major UK networks to participate collaboratively in building a national digital resource in its widest sense
• Encourage end-users of other UK networks to engage with the DNER
• Actively encourage publishers to collaborate in, and support, the development of the DNER
• Encourage the international academic and learning community to co-operate with development
• Raise awareness of the DNER within the international learning community to stimulate potential sources of income
• Work with projects to capture and communicate their lessons; develop mechanisms for effective sharing of programme outcomes, to ensure that the DNER and the wider community benefit from experiences and products
• Ensure all stakeholders are aware of the importance of digital preservation and feel empowered to achieve good practice in this area

Consultation and community-building

• Remain flexible, adaptive and responsive to changing behaviour, technology and service pressures
• Remain open to influence in policy and service development
• Ensure continued relevance by engaging in widespread consultation and proactive intelligence gathering
• Encourage and create consensus and common purpose within the community

Stakeholders and users (customers/clients)

Broadly speaking, the DNER’s audiences fall into two groups: end users/customers and influencers/stakeholders.

The short-term (18-month) goal will be an opportunity to embed the brand among the following priority stakeholders and influencers:

• FE College Principals and senior management teams
• HE Vice Chancellors
• HE Chief Librarians and Directors of Information Technology
• Funding councils (including emerging Learning and Skills Council)
• Representatives of the Research Assessment Exercise, Quality Assurance Agency for HE, Teaching Quality Assessment, ILT, ALT etc
• Discipline specialists in higher and further education
• Information and Learning Technology champions
• Specialist media (e.g. Times Educational Supplement)
• Services and Data Providers
• JISC Committees and other JISC staff

Of equal importance will be reaching both existing and potential end-users (i.e. HE and FE students) so as to build demand for the DNER from ‘bottom-up’.

Key messages of the DNER

For end-users:

• Using the DNER will make your life easier by guiding you towards information you can trust
• Your journey through the DNER will open your eyes and enhance your learning potential

For data creators and services:

• Associating yourself with the DNER name will lend credibility and profile to your work
• Your input to development is highly prized and essential to the success of the DNER

For stakeholders:

• Through the pioneering presence of the DNER, you can see that the JISC continues to lead the way in its field

Competition and differentiation

There are a number of national digital information environments within the UK. However, the JISC is clearly at the leading edge of technical development and digital information provision. The DNER is able to aggregate and deliver high quality information in a uniquely unified way for the learning and teaching community. This content is available alternatively only from many disparate sources. The DNER will continue to collect, digitise, enhance and preserve materials from across the UK, at the same time providing technical and information solutions to enhance the institutional information environment.

Communication mechanisms

A variety of mechanisms will be employed to communicate the DNER under three umbrella headings:

• Awareness Raising and Outreach
• Presentation
• Market Research

Awareness raising

Events

• Prestigious international profile launch event
• Series of high profile focus group events/lecture series
• Workshops events and guides providing information and experience of the services available from the DNER (Resource Guides)

Community announcements and mailings

• A series of high profile direct mailings to raise awareness and solicit key contacts (site reps) at each HE/FE institution
• Provide quarterly briefings via DNER site reps
• Use of key community electronic mailing lists for dissemination of regular announcements
• Development of family of DNER mailing lists, to facilitate engagement with internal and external audiences
• Develop DNER website to encourage users to visit Latest News

Publications/publicity

• Creation of a family of DNER informational guides and publicity material targeted at various stake holding groups
• Regular column in JISC news
• Internal briefings via JISC update
• Comprehensive programme of conference activity and opportunities for awareness raising
• Press releases/articles, including planned programme for solicitation of press coverage at particular milestones

Market research

• A programme of high profile focus group events/lecture series to facilitate market research with key representatives from across the sector
• Regular consultations and intelligence gathering from within the stake holding communities via formal and informal meetings/events

Presentation

• Creation of a series of timely, coherent and engaging presentational layers to the DNER for its various stake holding groups