Long-range Planning and Implementation
for Plain Language in Major
Organizations and Governments
Presentation by Nicole Watkins-Campbell and
Susan Milne
Reported by Christine Mowat and Nicole
Watkins-Campbell
Personal passion about plain language just isn't enough. The maturing of the plain language movement, now over 30 years old, has demonstrated that large organizations need large strategies as well.
Both Nicole Watkins-Campbell from the Nova Scotia government and Susan Milne from Clarica, a large Canadian financial services corporation, explored the theme of long-range in-depth planning for plain language in their organizations at the conference.
Governments and corporations approach monumental tasks in different ways:
- Clarica is beginning with a big bang and has adopted plain language as its brand.
- The Nova Scotia government is taking a slower approach, introducing the program over four years.
Nova Scotia's Approach
The Nova Scotia government's reasons for interest in plain language are:
- The increasing demand that government be open and accountable to the public
- The awareness of plain language as a way to increase social justice
- The need for clear and understandable public documents (40% of Nova Scotians have trouble dealing with government documents).
Nova Scotia's four-year plan reflects the way governments tend to do business--conservatively--and the fact that a quick introduction costs more money, which isn't an option. Nova Scotia, moreover, is in the first year of a new government.
The Nova Scotia government has based its plan on lessons learned from other provincial governments:
- Introduce plain language slowly and make it approachable.
- Give it a home in one agency that is responsible for communication.
- Adopt a policy with teeth.
- Get support from the top and from the grassroots.
In Nova Scotia's systematic approach, the four-year plan breaks the task down by the types of writing involved:
- Year 1: Documents explaining how to get a benefit or service or how to meet a requirement must be in plain language
- Year 2: Applications, other forms, and all letters
- Year 3: New educational and promotional materials and reports, including those from experts outside government
- Year 4: New regulations and remaining public documents
Communications Nova Scotia is creating a newsletter (a weekly or monthly tips sheet) for communications officers and other government writers and a Web site with an ask-an-editor service and information on plain language and literacy. An aspect that will interest plain-language consultants, at least those in the Canadian Maritimes, is that it will rely heavily on freelance plain-language consultants and practitioners, so it should help generate work.
The challenges that remain for the government of NS are how to implement the policy while government is restructuring, and how to implement it in a way that is and is seen to be cost-effective.
Clarica's Approach
Clarica is the first insurance company in Canada to use clarity to distinguish itself from its competitors. While other insurance companies are aware of plain language, none has taken it this seriously.
Clarica's advertising slogans "It's about relationships" and "Clarity through dialogue" lead to their succinct reasons: pleasing customers and saving money. Clarica's whole advertising focus depends on plain language. The profile for Clarica shows us why the time is ripe for plain language:
| Canada | 4000 employees/3000 sales agents/100 branches |
| USA | 700,000 customers, 300 staff, 500 sales agents |
| Marketing position | 1 in 10 Canadians insured by Clarica |
| Growing Asian sales forces | Cantonese and Mandarin marketing |
| Bilingualism | 25% of business in Quebec (French needed) |
| Two large acquisitions over 5 years |
The Canadian operations of Prudential Life and Metropolitan Life |
| 130-year old company new name | Clarica |
A systematic approach
Unlike many large organizations who approach plain language piecemeal, Clarica began with big objectives and detailed plans. Here is a tabular summary of their approach:
| Scope | Spoken and Written Communications |
| Sponsors (wow! starting at the top...) |
CEO and corporate
officers Marketing Legal Lines of Business |
| Plain Language Principles | Clarity, simplicity, relevance, brevity, and a human touch |
| Bottom Line (a new one for corporations) |
"It is the responsibility of the writer to be clear, not the responsibility of the audience to interpret." |
| Plain Language Mandate |
|
| Initiatives in First Year |
|
Ongoing Challenges
The challenges that remain are:
- How does Clarica ensure uniform understanding and application of plain language?
- How do they inspire genuine commitment at all levels?
- How do they measure successes and maintain the momentum?"
The presence and power of plain-language advocates make an enormous difference within an organization. Dennis Anderson (along with Diane MacGregor) was that person in the Alberta government in the early 1990s. When they left, the torch fell. (It has of late been relit.) Clarica is lucky to have Susan Milne. We look forward to learning more about Clarica's success measurements.