PUTTING THE 1ST AUDIENCE 1ST - CONDUCTING USEFUL EVALUATION FOR A RISK-RELATED GOVERNMENT AGENCY

The risk communication practitioner in a government agency has two ess ential, interdependent tasks. One is to help develop and monitor effec tive communication programs with various external public audiences. Th e other task is to do the same thing for the senior government manager s whose support is a prerequisite to addressing the first audience. He nce, the second audience-the manager-is really the first. This paper a ddresses ways in which communication practitioners can satisfy this cr ucial audience. A profile of these managers suggests that they would f ind it highly beneficial to have more control over the public problems they encounter, especially in view of the growing pressures to do mor e with less and demonstrate ''customer satisfaction.'' They would rath er avoid crises than manage them. And they would rather have their bos ses praise their successes than challenge their budgets or punish thei r perceived difficulties or failures. Communication practitioners who can help them attain such benefits will find their efforts in great de mand. They would be helpful team members who provide timely insights t hat can make and show agency success. We offer ten ways for communicat ion practitioners to be more useful which focus their current strength s on satisfying senior managers' needs by becoming more valuable membe rs of the program team. By becoming more useful to the senior manager they serve both the agency and its publics.