Decision details

The report set out an update on work undertaken by the Communications team in relation to South East Devon Wildlife (SEDW), the public facing brand for the South East Devon Habitat Regulations Partnership.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) used had been recently amended to reflect software changes. These have been amended to:

1.     Website visitors (previously website page views).

2.     Website sessions (previously time spent on site).

3.     Website average engagement time (previously average number of pages/session).

4.     Website top referral channel (unchanged).

5.     Top website content (previously website referrals).

6.     Number of people signing up to newsletters

In addition, social media engagement is being monitored:

7.     Social media followers and reach – facebook, twitter, Instagram

This data is reviewed with the team on a bi-monthly basis to understand how project delivery, stakeholder engagement and communications are impacting on overall goals and to steer improvement.  Communications are delivered through the communications officer role as well as the Wildlife Wardens, so this work can be limited during busy summer months when direct engagement with visitors is underway.  When resources permit, a campaigns approach, for more targeted messaging and QR codes for tracking and measurement, has been undertaken.

Due to a change in a staff members’ circumstances, SEDW has benefitted from an uplift in communications resource. Warden Imo Salmon has been partially confined to desk based activities since July 2024. This has seen a raft of newsletter articles supplied to nature and other publications, work on the wildlife refuge public awareness campaign and increased scope and breadth of our social media approach. This re-emphasises the case for an increase in comms resource, as previously reported.  A move to annual communications reporting would also free up resource.

Members were in agreement with how impressive the scale of communications was in relation to the time available.

RESOLVED that the Executive Committee:

1.     Notes the results of the communications report for the period March 2023 – August 2024.

2.     Receives an annual communications update within the annual progress report for future meetings, rather than as a separate report.