Uncovering the need for organizational changes through strategic planning and research
About this project
Client
Western Municipal Water District
Services
Strategic Communications
The opportunity
In the wake of a challenging water rate increase, Western Water was struggling with customer engagement and trust. Anecdotal information pointed to a need for an improved communication effort; however, as JPW began its research and discovery process, some more pressing challenges came into focus.
The approach
Team JPW was charged with developing a comprehensive strategic communications plan for this District in Riverside County, which serves more than one-million customers. Our work began with a comprehensive research initiative that included multiple one-on-one stakeholder interviews, internal and external focus groups, a SWOT analysis, material review, media audit and comprehensive survey. Results uncovered that Western Water not only needed a strategic communications plan but would also greatly benefit from improving their customer service approach—a key element that was eroding trust with their customers.
The solution
Comprehensive strategic communication plan
Master narrative with key messages
Three-year implementation plan
Recommendations for customer service improvements
Ongoing implementation counsel
The reward
A tremendous amount of resources had been invested in this effort—but had it changed anything?
In December 2022, Western Water went back out to its stakeholders to find out. Using a statistically valid survey, Western Water measured whether the needle moved in three key areas: trust, communications and customer service.
The data indicated that the hard work had indeed made huge strides over the past four years. In terms of communication, stakeholder sentiment regarding being informed about projects, knowing where to find information, understanding where water comes from and being informed about the cost of water improved by 17 percent—rising from 36 percent in 2018 to 53 percent in 2022.
Survey questions tailored to measure trust indicators rose 14 percent over the measurement period, from 32 percent to 46 percent.
Customer service satisfaction was measured in 2018 on a qualitative level, with anecdotal information swaying heavily on the side of dissatisfaction. In 2022, it was measured quantitively, and respondents expressed close to 65 percent positive satisfaction—a striking contrast from earlier sentiment.
The strategic communications plan can be largely credited for launching and guiding the sustained effort.