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Home My WebLink About011420wsa9:00 am 9:15 am 9:45 am 10:15 am 10:45 am 11 :15 am 11:30 am 12:00 pm Harnett County Board of Commissioners Work Session Tuesday, January 14, 2020 9:00 am Call to order, Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation Year in Review Discuss Hamett County Nonprofit Committee's bylaws, funding criteria and priorities Communications Survey Results, Ashley Deans Discuss the County's Legislative Priorities County Manager's Report: January 21 , 2020 Regular Meeting Agenda Review Review applications to serve on Boards and Committees Invitations and upcoming meetings Closed session Adjourn Harnett County Policy for Funding Nonprofits Purpose To establish a policy that ensures an accountable and consistent process for submitting, reviewing, and approving nonprofit agency organization funding requests. This policy is subject to allocation of funds by the Board of Commissioners. Harnett County Government has no statutory requirement to fund nonprofit agencies. However, the Board of Commissioners may consider providing funding to nonprofits that provide a vital service the County does not provide, or if the agencyorganization can deliver the service at a reduced cost or in a more expedient manner or to better the community. In each case, a Nonprofit Funding Committee comprised of citizens, elected officials and staff will carefully review applications for funding. The committee will make a recommendation for funding, which will be considered for approval by the Board of Commissioners. Approved requests will be funded for one year only and the agencyorganization must apply annually for consideration. Priorities Priority areas for funding include five categories -Human Services, Education, Health and Safety, Environment and Animal Welfare, and Arts, Culture and Recreation. Funding requests for Human Services may be reviewed and prioritized with the assistance of the Social Services Director, Health Director or a local mental health entity, or others as needed. Other subject matter experts may be called upon to review requests in the other categories if deemed necessary by the Committee. Eligibility • Startups will be considered for funding, but must submit a budget and a plan of operation. • Only one application will be allowed per agencyorganization per fiscal year. • AgencyOrganization must provide articles of incorporation. • AgencyOrganization must provide mission statement along with goals and objectives, as well as an organizational chart. • Human Services agencies applying for funding must have 501(c)(3) status verification through the IRS and a current solicitation license from the NC Secretary of State (or exemption letter). Procedures 1. Application Process 1/12/16 • A public notice announcing the request for applications will be made on Harnett County's website (www.harnett.org) and in the local newspapers by February 1 of each year to coincide with the annual budget process for the upcoming fiscal year. • The application form will be available digitally on Harnett County's website, and physically in the Harnett County Public Library and in the County Manager's Office. • Applications are due back to the County Manager's Office by the last working day in February. The address is 102 E Front St (physical), PO Box 759, Lillington, NC 27546. Page 1 • Applications received after the deadline will not be considered for inclusion in the annual budget for funding as part of the budget process, but may be considered by the Board of Commissioners at a later time. • Applications that are incomplete will be deemed ineligible for funding and will be returned to the agencyorganization with explanation of rejection. • Annual budget, board roster and a non-discrimination statement must be submitted with application . • • • Annual audit or financial review for prior year must be submitted with application . All other funding sources for the prior year should be included with application . Submission of a complete application is no assurance of funding . 2. Application Criteria • /\gencyOrganization must submit complete application by published deadline of the last working day in February. _•_Application must state community need for organization's services and agef\€';Organization must provide a service that meets the description in the policy statement above . • Application must state how the requested funds would be used. • Awarded funds may only be used for services provided to the public by requesting organization and may not be used for general operating expenses or capital improvements . • Application must state outcome-based goals and outline a plan to meet stated goals. • AgencyOrganization must demonstrate diversity of funding sources. • AgencyOrganization must demonstrate financial stability. 3. Review Process • Eligible applications will be reviewed by a Nonprofit Funding Committee, which will be comprised of five volunteers appointed by the Board of Commissioners, two Commissioners and select county staff. • A recommendation of agencies to fund and funding amounts will be presented to the County Manager by the Nonprofit Funding Committee no later than March ~30. • The County Manager will provide the Nonprofit Funding Committee's recommendations to the Board of Commissioners as part of the annual budget process. • The agencies that are selected for funding consideration must make presentations to the Board of Commissioners at a work session. • The Board of Commissioners will be responsible for determining the funding amount for each nonprofit agencyorganization chosen to receive funding. • Letters will be sent to applicants notifying them of the outcome of their requests no later than June 30. • Agencies that are awarded funding will be sent a memorandum of understanding which must be completed and returned in a timely manner. 4 . Accountability _•_A financial report must be submitted at the end of the funding period, June 30. 1/12/16 Pa ge 2 1/12/16 • A presentation at a County Board of Commissioners' meeting must be given to update the Commissioners about how the Cw unty's funds are being utilized during the County fiscal year in which the funds are used . • An annual program performance report which will include the use of the county's funds and the accomplishments of the program must be submitted at the end of the funding period, June 30. _• _Failure to comply with any of the above requirements may result in suspension of current funding,_ and/or elimination of future funding , and/or the return of awarded funds to the County . • Failure to use the funds in the manner described in the application and awarding Memorandum of Understanding may result in the suspension of current funding, the elimination of future funding, and/or the return of awarded funds to the County . Page 3 Bylaws of The Non profit Funding Committee ARTICLE I Name Section 1. Name -the name of this committee shall be The Nonprofit Funding Committee, herein referred to as "Committee". ARTICLE II Purpose and Powers Section 1. Purpose -the Harnett County Board of Commissioners (herein referred to as "the Board") have created this Committee which shall ensure an accountable and consistent process for applying, reviewing , and approving the financial requests of nonprofit s within the County of Hamett. In addition, the Committee will enable nonprofits within the County of Harnett to further the mission of the County, improving quality oflife for all citizens. Section 2. Powers -This Committee shall have the power to approve or deny requests for funding . This approval/denial of funding will be a result of the nonprofit successfully completing the application process, along with providing all information necessary that is asked on the application. Committee members will review each individual reque st and discuss the amount of funding the County is willing to provide. The Committee will then provide recommendations to the County Manager, and in turn, the County Manager will provide the Committee 's recommendations to the Board. Ultimately, the Board, while considering the Committee's findings , have the final decision about funding. ARTICLE III Members Section 1. Me mbers -Members of this Committee will consist of five (5) volunteers appointed by the Board. In addition to the five Board-appointed members, the Committee will also consist of two (2) County Commissioners, and County staff as selected by the Board. Each Commissioner will select one (1) of the five Board-appointed members. Commissioners will choose a member who live in their respecti ve districts. Section 2. Terms -Each committee member shall serve a one-year term and may not serve more than three (3) consecutive terms of office. Each committee member's term of office shall begin upon the adjournment of the board meeting at which appointed and shall end upon the adjournment of the board meeting during which a successor is appointed. Section 3. Vacancies -The Board may fill vacancies due to the expiration of a member's term in office, resignation, death, or removal of a member. Vacancies shall be filled by the Board for the balance of the term of the member being replaced. Section 4. Officers -The officers of the committee shall be a committee chair, vice-chair, and secretary, all of whom shall be chosen by, and serve at the pleasure of the Board. Each committee officer shall have the authority and shall perform the duties set forth in these Bylaws or by resolution of the Board. One person may not hold more than one board office at any one time. Section 5. Compensation for Service -As stated throughout these Bylaws, the individuals that have accepted the appointment to the Committee are volunteers, and thus, will not be compensated for carrying out their duties as members. ARTICLE VI Officers Section 1. Chair -The committee chair shall be the chief volunteer officer of the corporation. The committee chair shall lead the committee in performing its duties and responsibilities and shall perform all other duties incident to the office or properly required by the Board. Section 2. Vice-Chair -In the absence or disability of the committee Chair, the vice-chair shall perform the duties of the Chair. When so acting, the vice-chair shall have all the powers of and be subject to all restrictions upon the Chair. Section 3. Secretary -The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of members. The minutes of each meeting shall state the time and place that it was held and such other information shall be necessary to determine the actions taken and whether the meeting was held in accordance with these Bylaws. ARTICLE V Meetings Section 1. Application Deadline -Applications for requests of funding open February 1 each year and are accepted until the last working day in February. Applications received after that deadline will not be considered for funding , but may be considered by the Board at a later date. Section 2. Regular Meetings -Since all applications will be submitted and ready for review, at the latest, by March 1, regular meetings can be held between March 1 and March 14. Meetings can be as frequent as needed in order to compile recommendations for the County Manager. The Committee will seek to accommodate all member's schedules, therefore, all members present at the previous meeting will agree to times and dates of future meetings. Absent members will be notified of the meeting date by the Secretary in a timely manner. Recommendations will be presented to the County Manager no later than March 15, unless otherwise directed by the Board or County Manager. Section 3. Special Meetings -Special meetings may be held after the date above to draft and send letters containing notification of the Board 's decision. ARTICLE VI Manner of Acting Section 1. Quorum -A majority of the members on the Committee immediately before a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at that meeting of the board. No business shall be considered at any meeting at which a quorum is not present. Section 2. Majority Vote -The act of the majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Committee. Section 3. Hung Committee Decisions -On the occasion that members of the committee are unable to make a decision based on a tied number of vote, the County Manager shall have the power to swing the vote based on his/her decision. Section 4. Participation -Members may participate in a regular or special meeting through the use of any means of communication by which all members participating may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting, including in person, internet video, or by telephonic conference call. ARTICLE VII Notification of Decisions Section 1. Notification -After the Board has made the decision on what funds to allocate and to what nonprofits, the Committee will be responsible for notifying applicants of the Board 's decision no later than June 30 via direct mail. Nonprofits that do receive approval for funding will be sent a memorandum of understanding that must be completed before funds are allocated. This memorandum will be sent with the letter notifying them of their approval. ARTICLE VIII Miscellaneous Section 1. Conflict of Interest -The Committee shall adopt and periodically review a conflict of interest policy to protect the Committee's interest when it is contemplating any transaction or arrangement , which may benefit any officer, member, or closely associated person of the Committee. Section 2. Nondiscrimination Policy -The officers, members, and persons served by this committee shall be selected entirely on a nondiscriminatory basis with respect to age, sex, race , religion, national origin, and sexual orientation. It is the policy ohhis Committee not to discriminate on the basis ofrace, creed , ancestry, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical disability , veteran 's status, political service or affi liation , color, religion, or national origin. Section 3. Bylaw Amendment -These Bylaws may be amended, altered, repealed , or restated by a vote of the majority of the committee members in office at any meeting. CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY AND AGREEMENT ARTICLE I PURPOSES It is important for the Nonprofit Funding Committee, its officers, and members to be aware that both real and apparent conflicts of interest sometimes occur in the course of conducting the affairs of the committee and that the appearance of the conflict can be troublesome even if there is in fact no conflict whatsoever. Conflicts occur because the many persons associated with the corporation should be expected to have, and do in fact, generally have multiple interests and affiliations and various positions of responsibility within the community. In these situations, a person will sometimes owe identical duties of loyalty to two or more people. The purpose of the conflict of interest policy is to protect the committee's interest of when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of office or member of the committee or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. The conflict of interest policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal law. Conflicts are undesirable because they potentially or eventually place the interests of others ahead of the committee's obligations to its charitable purposes and to the public interest. Conflicts are also undesirable because they often reflect adversely upon the person involved and upon the institutions with which they are affiliated, regardless of the actual facts or motivations of the parties. However, the long-range best interests of the corporation do not require the termination of all association with persons who may have real of apparent conflicts that are harmless to all individuals involved. Each member of the committee has a duty ofloyalty to the committee . The duty ofloyalty generally requires a member to prefer the interest of the committee over member's interest or the interests of others. In addition, members of the committee shall avoid acts of self-dealing which may adversely affect the purpose of reputation of this committee. Committee Member Name Committee Member Signature Secretary Date Contents Introduction ................................................................................ 2 About the Surveys ......................................................................... 3 • Employee Communications Survey • Citizen Communications Survey Survey Limitations ........................................................................ 4 Survey Sections ............................................................................ 5 Employee Communications Survey ................................................... 6 • Background Information • County External Communications • External Online Communications • Internal Communications • Marketing and Branding • Community Engagement Citizens Communications Survey ................................................... 57 • Background Information • County Communications • Online Communications • Community Engagement Analysis of Surveys ..................................................................... 83 Recommendations ...................................................................... 93 PREPARED BY: Ashley Deans Harnett County Community Relations Coordinator November 22, 2019 1 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Introduction Harnett County is one of the fastest growing counties in North Carolina with approximately 130 ,000 residents . Harnett's tagline of "Strong Roots, New Growth," describes a county in transition , one that values its rural agricultura l heritage while also embracing new growth and industry . As part of this growth , the county acknowledges the need to involve and inform citizens and employees to help foster stronger community relationships . By allowing citizens and employees to provide input and feedback, Harnett County officials can make better decisions that support citizens needs and wants and employees can serve as brand ambassadors. Previous to July 2019 , the County had never conducted a communications survey . Without input from its citizens and emp loyees, Harnett County has had no data to compare the effectiveness of its communications efforts. As Harnett County continues to grow and put emphasis on the need for strong communication effort s, it will need to actively measure those efforts on a regular basi s and adju st efforts ba sed on needs and wants. The result s of the se surveys , along with other communications and commun ity engagement mea surements, will allow Harnett County to better manage the methods used to communicate and engage with citizens and employee s. The County strives to provide information to ci t izen s in a timely , reliable, honest, and transparent manner and offer several opportunities for community engagement. Through these surveys and additional recommendations from the Community Relations Coordinator , Harnett County will understand the current state of its communications and marketing efforts and identify areas of improvement to better se rv e citi zens and keep employee s inform ed. 201 9 Employee & Com munic ati ons Surveys Rep ort 2 3 V, >- LU > c::: :::, V, LU :I: I- I- => 0 cc c::C In July 2019, Harnett County launched two communications surveys: the Employee Communications Survey and the Citizen Communications Survey. Both emp loyees and citizens were targeted to complete a separate survey to help better understand the employees' outlook on the county's marketing and communications efforts and how their results compare with the citizens' outlook on the county's marketing and communications efforts . Research was conducted to develop questions that would best provide the County with effective feedback t hat could be used to develop goals and improve communication and marketing efforts . Questions were developed to focus on the best communicatio n methods and how the county can effectively communicate with em ployees and citizens. Both surveys included some of the same questions so that data could be compared . The surveys were conducted on line for a two mont h period. It is recommended that the Employee Communications Survey and the Citizens Communications Survey be conducted every 3 years to allow both citizens and employees the opportunity to provide feedback on how they wou ld like to receive information from the County . Each survey will be customized with questions that target how the County can improve commun ication and marketing efforts and the best method s to keep citizens and employees info rmed . The Employee Comm unication s Survey cons iste d of six sectio ns: • Back ground Infor mation • County External Communications • External On li ne Communication s • Internal Com mu nications • Marketing and Branding • Comm unity Engagement Citizen Communications Survey The Citizen Communications Survey consisted of four sections: • Backgro und Information • Co unty Communication s • Online Communication s • Community Engagement 201 9 Employ ee & Commun ication s Surveys Repo rt Survey Limitations Both the Employee Communications Survey and the Citizen Community Survey did have limitations. The limitations identified include: Data Collection Process:_Although the survey was created for online responses, efforts were made to make the survey accessible to all since not all citizens and employees may have access to complete the survey online. The survey was promoted on the county's social media platforms, in the local newspapers, on the county website, and sent to community partners. It was communicated that both surveys were available in paper form if individuals preferred this response method . For future surveys, more advertising efforts will be recommended to increase the response rate for both employees and citizens. Data_ (.9Jlection Timefrarn_~: __ A time limit was also set for both surveys. The surveys were open from July 1, 2019 through August 31, 2019. This two month timeframe was set to collect data as quickly as possible while providing a sufficient amount of time to communicate surveys and provide an opportunity for citizens and employees to complete. Sc1mple Size: _ _For the Citizens Communication Survey, 168 responses were received . Although this response rate is only a small portion of our county population (less than 1%), the feedback provided is sufficient to draw conclusions and provide recommendations to improve communications among citizens . For the Employee Communications Survey, 234 responses were received. This response rate was nearly 25% of the employee population, providing enough data to draw conclusions and provide recommendations to improve communications. As more opportunities are consistently provided for citizens and employees to provide feedback, the County does anticipate for future survey responses to increase. Self-Re ortin Data~ As both employees and citizens were asked to self-report their answers, there are a number of biases that could occur. Questions may not have been interpreted as other survey participants interpreted the questions. Participants may not have been completely honest with answers provided, skewing the accuracy of the data. Also, as the survey was promoted publically, there were no controls to prevent a non-county citizen or a non-county employee from completing the survey. There were also no controls in limiting a citizen or employee from filling out the survey more than once. 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report Employee Communications Su rvey Background Information This section provides bac kground information that includes an employee's age, gender, county department they are employed, and if they live in Harnett County. County Ex t ern al Communications Questions included in this section allow employees to provide feedback on the county's current overall external communication efforts with citizens and recommendations for improvement. External Online Communications Questions included in this section allow employees to provide feedback on the county's current online communication efforts with citizens and recommendations for improvement. This section targets the type of information that is be ing provided on li ne , through social media, and the user friendliness of the county we bpage. I nternal Communications Questions included in this section allow employees to provide feedback on the county's current internal communication efforts among departments and its employees. Marketing and Branding Questio ns in this section allow employees to provide feedback on the county's current marketing and brandi ng efforts. This section targets the consistency of messaging among county departments and its employees and how employees view t he Harnett County brand. Community Engagement Questions in this sectio n all ow employees to provide feedback on the county's cu rrent community engagement efforts. Th is sectio n targets the inclu sion of citizens in county activities to kee p them involved and opportunities to provi de inp ut. Background Information This section provides background information that includes a citizen 's age, gender, and area of the county they reside . Citizen names and emails were optiona l so that survey responses could be anonymous. County Communications Questions included in this section allow citizens to provide feedback on the cou nty's current overall communication efforts with citizens and recommendations for improvement. Online Communications Questions included in this section allow citizens to provide feedback on the county's current on line communication efforts and recommendations for improvem ent. This section targets the type of infor mation that is being provided online, through social media, and the user friendliness of t he county webpage. Community Engagement Questions in this section allow citizens to provide feedback on the county's current community engagement efforts . This section targets the inclusion of citizens in county activities to keep them involved and opportunities to provide input. 5 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 7 Background Information What department do you wo rk for? 234 responses e Animal Services e Board of Commissioners e Development Services e Economic Development e Harnett Regional Jetport e Harnett Area Rural Transit System( ... e Harnett Regional Water Board of Elections e Clerk of Court e Emergency Medical Services e Facilities Maintenance e Health Department Finance Office Human Resources e Community Development e Cooperative Extension e County Manager's Office e Department on Aging e Fire Marshal/Emergency Managem .. e Information Technology e Inspections e Libra ry General Services e GtS Parks & Recreation e Planning Services e Register of Deeds Sheriffs Office e Social Services e Soil & Water Conservation District e Solid Waste e Juvenile Crime Prevention e Tax Department Veterans Services e Workforce Development e Youth Services 2019 Emp loyee & Communications Surveys Report - -, . .,. -. -. . -' Answer Choices Responses Animal Services 0% 0 responses Board of Commissioners 0% 0 responses Board of Elections 0.9% 2 responses Clerk of Court 0% 0 responses Community Development 0% 0 responses Cooperative Extension 3% 7 responses County Manager's Office 0.9% 2 responses Department on Aging 2.1% 5 responses Development Services 1.3% 3 responses Economic Development 0.4% 1 response Emergency Medical Services 7.7% 18 responses Facilities Maintenance 1.3% 3 responses Finance Office 2.1% 5 responses Fire Marshal Office/Emergency Management 1.7% 4 responses General Services 1.7% 4 responses GIS 0.9% 2 responses Harnett Regional Jetport 0% 0 responses Harnett Area Rural Transit System (HARTS) 0% 0 responses Harnett Regional Water 2.6% 6 responses Health Department 8.5% 20 responses Human Resources 1.3% 3 responses Information Technology 2.1% 5 responses Inspections 0% 0 responses Juvenile Crime Prevention 0% 0 responses Library 5.1% 12 responses Parks & Recreation 1.3% 3 responses Planning Services 0% 0 responses Register of Deeds 4.3% 10 responses Sheriff's Office 10.3% 24 responses Social Services 31.2% 73 responses Soil & Water Conservation District 1.3% 3 responses Solid Waste 1.7% 4 responses Tax Department 4.7% 11 responses Veterans Services 0.9% 2 responses Workforce Development 0.4% 1 response Youth Services 0.4% 1 response 2019 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Report 8 9 Background Information What is your age? 234 responses Answer Choices Responses Under18 0% 18-24 2.6% 25 -34 16 .7% 35 -44 24.8% 45-54 28.2% 55-64 20.5% 65+ 3% Prefer not to say 4.3% e Under 18 • 18-24 25 -34 • 35-44 • 45-54 • 55-64 65+ e Prefer not to sa y O responses 6 responses 39 re sponses 58 responses 66 res pon ses 48 re sponses 7 responses 10 res ponses 20 19 Emp l oyee & Commu nications Surveys Repo rt Background Information What is your gender? 234responses Female Male Prefer not to say 2019 Employee & Communication s Survey s Report 70.5% 28.2% 1.3% e Female e Ma le Pr efer not to say 165 re sponses 66 responses 3 respon ses 10 11 Background Information Do you live in Harnett County? 234 responses Yes No 74.4% 25 .6% 174 responses 60 res pon ses e Yes • No Total 100% 234 responses 20 19 Employee & Communications Surveys Report County External Communications How would you rate Harnett County government's communication with its citizens? 234 responses 150 100 50 0 2 (0.9%) I Poor 2 Answer Choices Responses 1 0.9% 2 6.4% 3 27.8% 4 48.7% 5 16 .2% 2019 Employee & Commun ications Surveys Report 3 4 2 responses 15 responses 65 responses 114 responses 38 responses 5 Excellent 12 13 County External Communications How do you fee l about the amount of information Harnett County sends to its citizens? 234 responses f!lrL-iw·ril-• Too much Just right Not enough ~ ~"41tJt1 l ... -1 ... - 0.9% 67.9% 31 .2% e Too Much e Just Right Not Enough 2 response s 159 r es ponses 73 re spon ses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report County External Communications How do you think Harnett County should communicate information to citizens? 23t responses Mail Email Social Media Harnett County Webpage Community Meetings Word of Mouth Harnett Happenings (online subscrip tion ... more awareness of avail ble programs bet ... I think that there are sti ll some peopl. .. A n nouncement b illboard in notable local.. Local N ews P aper 0 IJ~, I 1.,1,'l:.I ft• 11 1)(11'':..l. ... Mail Email Social Media 1 (0.4 %) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0 .4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) Harnett County web page Community Meetings Word of Mouth 109 (46.6%) 106 (45.3 %) 93 (39.7%) 36 (15.4%) 69 (29.5 %) 50 100 150 Ur,:J:.i lll]IJ.'1:.J.'1 - 46.6% 45.3% 77.8% 78.2% 39.7% 15.4% Local Media ( newspapers, television) 70.1% Harnett Happenings 29.5% Water bill insert 182 (77 .8%) 183 (78 .2 %) 164 (70.1%) 200 109 responses 106 responses 182 responses 183 responses 93 responses 36 responses 164 responses 69 responses 1 2 more awarene ss of avai labl e program s between depart ments so we as employees know how to di rect the citizen s when as ked 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Community Meeting if subject that will need explanation I think that there are still some people that do not get i nformation. Phone Announ cement billb oard in notable loc ation IE 210/401 inters ectio n by any mean s neces sary to ke e p the community in the kno w Local News Paper We should have the ability and willing to do all 2019 Emp l oy ee & Communi cati ons Survey s Report 14 15 County External Communications What type of information do you think Harnett County government should communicate more? 234 responses Emergency Alerts and Notifications Budget I nformation Upcoming Capital Projects Events and Programs Offered by County d ... 101 (43.2%) 103 (44%) 84 (35.9%) 86 (36.8%) 139 (59.4%) Volunteer Opportunities Employment Opportunities County I nitiatives 124 (53%) 105 (44 .9 %) D efine departmental services (ex. this ... I think some citizens still do not k n ow ... more notifications of recre ational even ... 0 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4 %) 1 (0.4 %) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 94 (40 .2%) 50 100 Answer Choices Responses Emergency Alerts and Notifications 59.4% Boa rd of Commissioners Meetings & Public Hearings 43.2% Budget Information 44% Upcoming Capital Projects 35.9% Updates on Current Capital Project 36.8% Events & Programs offered by County Departments 73.9% Services offered by the County 76.5% Volunteer Opportunities 53% Employment Opportunities 44.9% County Initiatives 40.2% 150 173 (73.9%) 179 (76.5%) 200 139 responses 101 responses 103 responses 84 responses 86 responses 173 responses 179 responses 124 responses 105 responses 94 responses 1 2 3 4 Health Department has a full staffe d pediatrician and provide s full service care Define departmental servi ces (ex . this dept offer s "x" service) 5 6 7 Cost of living ra is e for employees I think some citizens still do not know what servi ces are available or where they can find assi stance. Fun th ing s & activitie s for th e family in the county more notification s of recreational events fo r children All the abo ve 201 9 Employee & Communicatio ns Su rveys Report County External Communications What recommendat ions do you have to help us improve our overall communicat ion efforts ? 42 responses 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 None Newspaper, billboard, etc see above More frequent updates regarding capital projects, services and events going on throughout Harnett County. do not rely solely on social media to get word out to the public. solely utilizing facebook is not an appropriate medium to relay important information to the public in regards to important happenings (such as inclement weather notices, closed roads, board meetings, etc) Community reach outs. Always have the information ready to give out to the community. You can 't ma ke them show up but you can make them aware! none at this time Highlight different departments and services offered to ci tizens through socia l media Consistent comm unication to all Harnett County citizens by means listed above. Keep up the good work Ashley! I think that it would be nice if the county could find ways t o reach out to both new and long term residents to let them know what is availab le in the county and inform the public on how to stay connected. Department head meetings cover a lot of activity in the Coun t y -not all DH share notes from these meetings with staff- as an employee, it is sometimes embarrassing to be asked about something going on in the County by a citizen and be unaware. If you want the public to view us as unified -then make more efforts to keep employees informed. It may help morale. Ju st keeping folks aware of what is goi ng on in a variety of avenues to meet the varying ways people get information now. NA I think that the County does a lot with social media and websites. I think that there may be a breach in communicating to those that do not have access to the i nternet or that live on the western side of the county tha t do not have access to the closer exposure of the main cities on the east side . Maybe more on foot commun ication to those a re a 's, meeting in t hose area's or for the individuals that cannot access internet. No West side of county has very little "public" communication. Typical ly Fayettevile news Keep in mind that not all residents and/or employees in Harnett County maintain or have ac cess to social media ac- counts. Current information should be available t hrough all media pla tforms so that it is accessible to the public as a whole. Leadership to be transparent with department head s, and managers. This wi ll he lp lower level leaders deliver the right message to citizens, and staff. using social media 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 16 County External Communications What re commendat ions do you have to help us improve our overall communicat ion efforts? 4 2 respo nses 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 17 Communications inside departments is non existent. You would think we worked for the CIA or NSA. Topics will be brought up at staff meeting or the will say" we are working on something but can't discuss it" be transparent. We are working on obtaining better ambulances that have more room for patient safety and comfort (for ex). We won't know if they are approved until after the budget is approved. It causes a lot of rumor that is detrimental to the county and em- ployee morale. A lot of the older generations do not have access to social media. More information should be made on the news level. More info provided via social media, newspaper, and newsletters. N/A Not sure -more and better signage perhaps. "Hea ring Pending" signs are too small and do not make clear visib le state- ment of when they are happening. Already doing a good job I think we are getting better with what we communicate and how, it's just finding the most effective platforms for that communication. Look more to residents' opinions, etc. about their preferred methods of communication. County did a good job countering the information that was flying through FB during the Hurricane's which helped stop rumors and reassure folks with facts. Whenever accusations are made in the paper or letters to the editor, these need to be answered w/ t he county's per- spective more quickly . Also, if capital projects are advertised as being funded, then start dates & completion dates should be updated & if there are delays then those delays shou ld be noted as well and explaine d. More social media pushes Not sure how to make it better, put if was on your web page wou ld be easier for everyone to see it communication is vital in all aspects, the more informed the citizens as well as the employees are the bette r the County can function . Even information that some may feel isn't relative, others may view that di ff erent . Brief, informative in- formation always is a best practice. n/a I think agencies within the county need to have quarterly meetings together to discuss each other's programs, events, etc to help the citizens of Harnett County. Planned public discussions annual meetings between departments that work hand in hand ex . clerks office da office sheriffs office probation na Everyone should be aware t hat every citizen is different we should adapt to there needs none There are times of the year when you normally have a lot of the same questions or topics from people in t he community. I think it would be good to have a FAQ section that can highlight the most common questions during those times of the year and share them with county departments so we can help share those FAQs. Cur rently do not have any other ideas 2019 Employee & Communica ti ons Surveys Report County External Communications Wha t re commendat ions do you have to help us imp rove our overall communication efforts? 42 responses ;:,.:+."1111~;1 • - The county needs to be more informative with it's citizens , it does not need to take the stand that this happend with 41 out the citizen's knowing and then the citizen is responsible both monetary and physically correction of problem, while the county states t hey had no idea of what is going on While amping up the social med ia presence is wonderful, many residents in this county still do not maintain a social 42 media presence either due to access issu es or simply by choice. County information should be avai lable through all available media forums at the same time . 2019 Emp loyee & Communications Surveys Report 18 19 External Online Communications How often do you think citizens visit the Harnett County webpage? (www.harnett.org) 234 responses Serveral times per week 18.8% Once per week 11.1 % A few times per month 25.6% A few times per year 44.4% I have nevervisited the webpage 0% e Se veral Time s per Week e Once pe r week A few times per mo nt h e A few times per yea r e I ha ve neve r v isi ted the w ebpage 44 responses 26 respon ses 60 respons es 104 responses O responses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communica t ions Surveys Repo rt External Online Communications Do you think citizens think information is easy to find on the Harnett County webpage? 234 responses Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree 4.7% Agree 74.4% Disagree 18.8% Strongly Disagree 2.1% e Strongly Agree e Agree Disagree e Strongly Dis agree 11 responses 17 4 responses 44 responses 5 responses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 20 21 External Online Communications Why do you think citizens visit the Harnett County webpage? 234 responses Agricultural Services Commiss ioner Meetings and Publ ic H earin .. County News Depa rtment contacts t Job Opportunities Locations of local Parks and Trails Tax parcels/maps of Harnet County areas Vendor application for County paym ent Emergency N ews or Informatio n -1 (0.4%) -1 (0 .4%) 1 (0 .4 %) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) Sh eriff Inmate po pulation Pa y w ater bil 11-1 (0.4 %) 0 28 (12 %) 115(49.1%) 57 (24 .4 %) 35 (15%) 111 (47.4 %) 127 (54.3%) 64 (27.4 %) 180 (76 .9%) 58 (24 .8%) 54 (23.1%) 12 2 (52 .1%) 94 (40 .2%) 73 (31 .2%) 5 0 100 150 200 ' \ • I\ , • • • ,.,r. ~ ; !;; Answer Choices . ·...•. · .. -~~i -· · - · ,-, .·,:-'" •. Responses ." ' , • .,_ 't . ' . ' I '" .;i • '~ • .' Agriculture Services 12% 28 responses Animals available for adoption 49.1% 115 responses Comm issioner Meetings & Publi c Hearing s 24 .4 % 57 response s County Budget 15 % 35 responses County News 47.4 % 111 re sponses Department Contacts 54.3% 12 7 responses Development Permits/applications 27.4% 64 respon ses Job Opportunities 76.9 % 180 responses Landfills & Convenience Centers 24.8% 58 responses Locations of local Parks & Trails 23.1 % 54 responses Services offered by county departments 52 .1% 122 responses Tax parcels/maps of Harnett County areas 40.2 % 94 responses Upcoming events on the community calenda r 31.2 % 73 responses R r Oh . ' .· . · .. ' .. · . esponse # ·•> t er : · ,. ~ , : ~ •. _-.-.~. ; _ · . . . ; . :.·, . . . . . ' .... ,':''('. :,-. .. . . -~ · .... -' .... .,. . . . . . '. . . . . . . . ..... ( ., 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vendor application for county payments Find department contact number s or to complain Emergency new s or information Social Service s Sheriff in mate population Pay water bill 20 19 Emp loyee & Comm uni cation s Surveys Report External Online Communications Which of the county's social media pages do you follow? 234 responses Facebook 212 (90.6%) Twitter 27 (11 .5%) Ins tag ram 37 (15.8%) Nextdoor 27 (11.5%) 0 50 100 150 200 250 Answer Choices Responses Facebook 90 .6% 212 responses Twitter 11.5% 27 responses Instagram 15.8% 37 responses Nextdoor 11.5% 27 responses 2019 Employee & Comm unication s Survey s Report 22 23 External Online Communications Which social media platform do you think is best to communicate information to citizens? 234 responses Facebook 72.6% Instagram 5.6% Twitter 5.6 % Nextdoor 5.6% None 0.9% Other 9.7% e Facebook e lnslagram Twitte r e Nextdoor e none 170 responses 13 responses 13 responses 13 responses 2 responses 23 responses 234resp~ 2019 Employee & Commun i cations Surveys Report External Online Communications 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ,, J -• ' ' ~\ 1:-tt .. ~. · .. :· : , ·.. . ; .. : :: . : -r·.i_ . , ;·:·,. ~ ;.:-. . . . . There are a lot of citizens myself included that do not follow any social media My suggestion would be to use them all All .... ! think each platform covers a particular age bracket and/or gender Most older adults and many clients DSS serves do not follow social media I believe that the county should use a mix of all platforms The above question made me give and answer and choose one even thou I don 't fol- low any of these and am willing to bet anyone over mid 50ish doesn't either All Don 't do SM TV & Newspapers All platforms of social media , website, & print media I do not use social media Paper Newspaper for senior citizens News or newspaper Combina tion of all of these as I think they all do slightly different things. Pure infor - mation would be Facebook and NextDoor. Updates on ongoing projects would be Instagram and Twitter . Emergencies/Bulletins/etc. would be Twitter and Facebook. None In fact , none apply above. Had to an swer to move along. No idea I am not sure All of the above Again we need to be able to communicate wi t h all Harnett county webpage The middle age and older do not look at those listed above , social media is not a le - gal means of information. It for the most part is untrustworthy and that is the main reason it is not unutilized all should be utilized however not all people choose to have social media accounts. a county bulletin board should be added to web site w/ up to the minute posting as well 20 19 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Re port 24 External Online Communications What recommendations do you have to help us improve our online communication efforts? 48 re sponses Response# Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 None More frequent updates think those who are really interested will see out the information. Others will not. Most citizens do not know about Nextdoor so information about that would increase knowledge and use. Not all people utilize social media. Provide the same information across the board on both the county website AND so- cial media platforms . Make it available to the public on all mediums and through public notices through the local press. Also, the question about which social media page I follow, NONE was not an option. I do not utilize social media and I do not subscribe to any of these op tions. Post more often. let the upcoming events/meetings be known several times pri or to date and then reminders on the day of. None at this time I think the county is doing well at getting info out Better access to on line commun ication (availability and services). I th in k the county shoul d ha ve one site as the main gateway for information and make sure that the use of all other platforms drive t raffi c to the main website not sure -soc ial med ia is definitely the current communication -but don 't forget our elderly population that is not comfortable with this t rend. Don 't get so caught up in the newest thing going and forget the old faith ful things that have always worked in the past. Technology can take away the personal touch. Non e Depends on age group. Middle age to older adults use Facebook, younger other forms of social media Develop a Harnett County App that ca n be used to deliver information for citizens Direct emai l contact IDO NOTFOL LOW HARNETT COUNlY 'S SOCIA L MEDIA AT ALL, THER E WAS NOT AN OPTION FOR NONE OF THE ABOV E. social media cannot be so lely relied on to reach the pub li c with important i nformation. I do not have a social media presence and yet "Non e" was not an option for the 4th question . Realize that either du e to age and/or personal cho ice , not everyone advocates use of social media. Feature departments monthly to inform citizens what we actua lly do. Information on county website is bland in certain areas. Keep Emergency announcements or info in the for efront of everything. Advertise t he new app, mak e that info very 'in your face' like a spot on our website homepage that is permanent Using Nextdo or is a valuable platform that gets infor ma tion to groups in various communities thro ughout the co unty. I think the entire county would benefit from Nextdoor . 2019 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Report External Online Communications What recommendations do you have to help us improve ou r online co mmunication efforts? 48 responses II tf~i 111ul.'f:'.lil 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 See previous answer. Information is one of the keys to keeping people happy. Stopping working in secret. We are public servants everyone of us. We aren't the ru lers of the people. The citizens are and they should be entitled to ALL infor- mation you are doing great. Keep up the great work you are doing to keep the citizens informed. Some citizens are not able to access on line information More educational information on county departments and se rvices available. Perhaps highlight one department per month/ week? More information on educational opportunities provided by the county i. e. caregiver support groups, GRASP meetings and services. low income families do not usually have access to web except on their phones . most wou ld not spend time looking at county info this way. Newslette rs to citizens would be good maybe 2 times a year about events & happenings. More user frien dly I think that it is awesome Inform the county residents thru usp s that there are other ways to receive county information. I do not follow any so- cial med ia yet I had to answer t he question above Event pho t os of past events help to promote upcoming events consistency and true engagement-comment on posts, ask for feedback, share opinions, etc. keep website up to date and change it often so folks know that it is being monitored. Special appearances on local TV. Just more of it. Brag more on the county so people fee l better ab out it. More posts Your willingness to improve co mmunicate to the public change the county web page to make it more user friendly. Sometimes it is difficult to navigate if you aren't fam iliar wi t h the headings certain items may fall under The department pages are terri bly outdated; I t hink someone who is wel l versed wi t h social media and the internet needs to step in to each department a nd help take over the websites. Keep moving in the direction you are. n/a continue keeping all information up to date Just keep using Facebook. That is an easy way to share information. I do think that the Harnett County website needs to be updated with more cu rrent info rmation in regards to services, etc each departments has. I think posting information on social media is a great idea and will co ntinue to be however of course we still have a lot of elder ly that do not use internet to depend on county events, etc . 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report 26 External Online Communications What recommendations do you have to help us improve our online communication efforts? 48 responses Response # Other 43 44 45 46 47 48 27 na easier navigation When you have important information to get out, ask county departments to share on their departmental Facebook pages. This will help get more of the public involved. A great example of how this works well was the spraying for mo s- quitoes and working to let local bee keepers to be prepared to protect their hives. The information go out and the com- munity could then follow up with questions from Cooperative Extension on how to prepare or ask other questions relat - ed to the spraying. It's good Harnett County should have an app that sends out all communications that you so chose to sign up for, not an app for each individual department . utilize your website better. do not rely solely on facebook or twitter to reach residents .. implement an alternative for up to date postings on the county website such as a bulletin boa rd . 201 9 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Internal Communications How would you rate Harnett County government's communication with its employees? 234 responses 100 75 50 25 0 2 Poor Answer Choices Responses 1 5.6% 2 6.8% 3 26 .9% 4 42.7% 5 17.9% 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report 3 4 13 responses 16 responses 63 response s 100 responses 42 responses 5 Excellent 28 29 Internal Communications Do you feel that you are kept informed on the most current county initiatives, programs, services, and events? 234 responses Ye s No 74.4% 25.6% e Yes • No 174 r espo nses 60 response s Total 100% 234 responses 20 19 Emp l oyee & Co mmunica t ions Survey s Repo rt Internal Communications Do you read the monthly employee newsletter "Harnett Connect"? 234 responses Answer Choices Responses Yes No 88% 12 % e Yes • No 206 re sponses 28 respon ses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 30 31 Internal Communications What type of information would you like to see included in the employee newsletter? 234 responses Fun Surveys and Polls "We did good" stories New Employee spotl ights Top 10 lists 55 (23 .5%) 83 (35 .5%) 61 (26 .1%) 94 (40.2%) Day in the life of a department or cert .. 44 (18.8%) Contests Social Media chatter EMPLOYEE SUPPORT AND HOW TO HELP OUR WO .. Honest communication . No fluff. Most e .. t all the above Important c ounty wide dates events and .. 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) -1 (0.4 %) -1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4 %) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0 .4%) 1 (0.4%) 0 Ir! , 1.. -1 • ·" :1W II iTi'iTir:I.'1 Fun Surveys and Polls "We did good" stories New employee spotlights Top 10 Lists 32 (13.7%) 50 Highlights of Local businesses, attraction s, and entertai nment Day in the Life of a department or employee Quotes or jokes Contests Section for employees to submit que stion s Social Media Chatter 63 (26 .9%) 100 ~~1"f llf IL.~ - 23.5% 66.2% 35.5% 26.1% 60 .7% 40 .2% 18.8% 26 .9% 56% 13.7% 155 (66.2%) 14 2 (60 .7%) 131 (56 %) 150 200 55 responses 155 respo nse s 83 respon ses 61 responses 142 responses 94 responses 44 responses 63 responses 131 responses 32 responses 2019 Employee & Co mmun ication s Survey s Report Internal Communications Response # Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 update on events/programs in each dept-an FYI area for employees on county busi- ness (highlights from the DH meetings?) EMPLOYEE SUPPORT AND HOW TO HELP OUR WORK ENVIROMENTS BEITER I don't read this Honest communication. Not fluff. Most employees don't care who got hired in anoth- er department. That might be good for communication in that department. But peo- ple want to know what's going on in the county and in their job especially things that would affect them. Pay raises, promotions, etc. in EMS we are told their is an "event" to sign up for but not what the event is. If you ask, then you are told don't worry about what it is just sign up. That's poor communication. All of it, although I know all of these sections couldn't be done every time. So, a ro- tation of these features would be fun. All the above information about recreational events within the county Important county wide dates , events and deadlines All 20 19 Emp l oyee & Comm unications Survey s Report 32 33 Internal Communications How frequently would you like to receive email updates on county initiatives, program, services, and events? 234 responses Daily 8.1% Weekly 40.6% Every 2 weeks 16.2 % Monthly 32.9% Quarterly 2.1% • Da ily e Weekly Every 2 weeks e Monthly e Quarterly 19 re spons es 95 re sponse s 38 responses 77 responses 5 responses 2019 Emp l oyee & Communications Surveys Report Internal Communications Have you visited the Publ i c Information page on Harnett County's webpage to get updates? (http ://www.harnett.org/publicinfo/) 234 responses Answer Choices Responses Ye s No 2019 Emp loyee & Communications Surveys Report 59.8% 40.2 % e Yes • No 140 r es pon ses 94 respon ses 34 Internal Communications What recommendations do you have to help us imp rove our internal communication efforts with employees? 39 response s Response # Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 35 None weekly updates, notify us of new hires and those that leave in a timely manner Share info directly with employees. I would like to have an annual event for county employees and their family maybe in the fall or spring. Information is often conveyed to supervisors and it is at thei r discretion of how, when and IF they disseminate that in- formation to employees. Often times, employees find out by word of mouth from other departments' employees, friends, or family rather than directly from the source. Important information affecting all employees, should be pro- vided directly to all employees. Supervisors should not be re lied on to convey i mportant county information. ESPECIAL- LY during emergency weather situations when shelters are opened. Road closures, open shelters, etc., should be pro- vided either via county email or posted on the website AND social media in real time to allow appropriate response time from employees -most especia lly DSS emp loyees who are requ ired to work these shelters. These employees need to know the safest way to and from a shelte r, downed power lines, shelter closures, etc. no ne at this time To me the breakdown comes within departments. Prime example .... Munis/Tyler. I know we are all busy, but it would be nice to get bi-weekly/month ly emails or from finance regarding Tyler support iss ues even if it is to end-users only or a monthly skull session of end-users ..... problem solving, tips and tricks, short-cuts, etc. Also, it would be nice if dept heads communicated to staff after the department head meetings to fill staff in on what is happe ning within the coun- ty. Or is would just be nice to have staff meetings to be in the loop regarding what is going on i n the departments we work in/for. don't like it when peop le outside of our agency know things that we have not yet been told. The Department head shou ld share non -confidential info rmation faste r instead of hearing it on the street I think it would be a great benefit for HR to make new hires aware of our website and guide them thro ugh it as a part of the first day orientation. I know we inclu de this with our new hire training. Cou ld be helpful for other departments as well who may not have a new hire trai ner. I would love to see the internal commun ication efforts start to involve mo re ways to connect employees within the de- partments through contests ( i.e. weight loss, activity tracking, wa t er drinking, etc) and share d photos (i.e. Halloween costumes, office holiday decorations, donation drives, etc) I think I've already covered this in other responses I think you do a good job of keeping us informed for the most part with co. wide ema il s. NONE WHEN A EMP LOY EE COMP LAINS ABOUT A SUPERIOR TO HE LP COMMUN CATE ON THE ACTIONS FOR THAT SUPERIOR AS WE LL BECAUSE SOME COWORKERS SEEM NOTHIN IS BEING DONE. WHIC H CA USES THEM TO LOSE FAITH IN THE HIGHER UP SUPE- RIORS WHO ARE SUPPOSE TO HE LP WITH THE ISSUES AT HAND. DEPARTMENT NEW LEITER I NSTEAD OF SEVERAL WEE KLY EMA IL S 2019 Employee & Commu nications Surveys Report Internal Communications What recommendations do you have to help us improve our internal communication efforts with employees? 39 responses Response # Other 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 supervisors should not be solely relied upon to convey department specific infor mation . many often do not provide necessary information or fail to provide the information in full. this creates a miscommunication of information & caus- es a chain reaction whic h then trickles out into the community. be more transparent, communicate with department staff. Be courteous, and visit each department to see how they operate, and what their needs are. In my humble opinion, the harnett.org homepage is not for us employees it is for the public and if I want informatio n say during a hurricane then that needs to be front and center. What news is there? What is going o n right now with a bad storm, is there an alert? I do not think people want to navigate to find info that they potentially need. Especially information that we as a county want the citizens to know then we shouldn't make the citizens search it out. we should present it to them ..... again, my humble opinion. sending information and updates directly to employees via email See previous responses. Communicate and then listen to your employees. If your employees want life pack monitors and it's time to replace t he current ones why buy zoll monitors. When patents aren't getting any smaller why does a supervisor ride around on a bariatric truck and then not bring it to a ca ll when you request it? The bariatric truck sho uld be at the transport base. Why buy an ambu lances that we can barely fit our equipment in and where the patients are uncomfortable and hitting their elbows etc n cabinets. Whe re equipment can't be sec ured due to lack of space. Comput- ers sitting on counters, monitors sitting on fl oors. These things all become mi ss iles when wrecks happen. Oxygen cylin- der compartments that are broken and won't latch. Repairs are neve r made to help secure things. Repairs aren't made for climate control systems . I the summer the a/c doesn't work on several units and in winter the heat. Even though patients complain and employees complain you can't get a different truck because we have limited spares. We have pur chase d the low bid for many yea rs and our trucks show it.buy quality that hold s up Department heads to improve their communicati on efforts with staff more person al comm unication from leaders Ju st let co unty employees know where information can be found None already good I th ink it's pretty good already. An y time multiple items/features/etc. could be included in one do cument/email/etc. is great. It was nice to get minutes from the Dept. Head meetings Make sure that nothing comes out in the paper BEFORE the county staff knows about it...Make sure that emails go out to everyone before something larg e is in the paper. communicate with employees before public, many times things are posted on line befo re employees are notified send information directly to employee Reduce the number of emails but increase the amount of information in a single email Don't depend on dept he ads to disseminate information from their meetings. 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report 36 Internal Communications What recommendations do you have to help us improve our internal communication efforts with employees? 39 responses Response # Other 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 37 n/a I think employees need more incentive to rema in Harnett County employees like contests, weight loss programs that give prizes and so on. The 1.33% evaluation raise is great especially since Harnett County hadn't anything like that in an extremely long time but compared to other counties and/or businesses that give more incentives, it's almost not enough to continue to keep people as employees especially for the younger generations. na Get away from the Knowledge is power mind set and remembe r we are a team none In Cooperative Extension, we get a monthly video update from our state di recto r that includes important information for the upcoming months and hig hlights of past events. It is normally short, 4 to 5 minutes, but is fun to watch. I would like to see something like this from the county because the video will help people connect better than just reading the same information i n an email. It's good not known do not rely on management to relay information to subordinates. it does not happen. 2019 Emp loyee & Commu nications Surv eys Report Marketing and Branding Do you think Harnett County has consistent branding efforts among county departments? 234 responses Answer Choices Responses Ye s No 66.2% 3 3.8% e Yes • No 155 respon ses 79 respon ses Total 100% 234 responses 201 9 Emp l oyee & Comm unications Surveys Report 38 39 Marketing and Branding Which logo does your department use on promotional items? 234 responses Option 1 (Tree not in bo x) 27 .8% Option 2 (Tree in box) 40.2% Logo created specifically for your department 11.1 % I'm not sure 20 .9% e Option 1 e Option 2 Logo created specifically for your department e I'm not su re 65 responses 94 responses 26 re sponses 49 responses 2019 Employee & Commun ications Surveys Report Marketing and Branding Do you think your department would benefit from having a marketing and communications resource guide that in ... ates that can be customized by staff? 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 63 .2% 36.8% e Yes • No 148 responses 86 response s 40 41 Marketing and Branding Have you seen the county 's "Come Write Your Story " promotional video? 234 responses No Yes 65.4% 34 .6% e Yes • No 15 3 res ponses 81 res ponses Total 100% 234 responses 20 19 Employee & Communications Surveys Re port Marketing and Branding How would you describe the Harnett County brand ? 225 re sponse s Response # Other Response # Other Response # Other 1 Good 33 Modern 65 Poor 2 Not sure 34 One of a kind 66 Very nice 3 Ok 35 Bo ld and strong 67 Just okay 4 Good 36 unique 68 unique 5 Great 37 None 69 nonexistent 6 Good 38 great 70 I thank its good 7 Na 39 Simple & neat 71 Easy to identify 8 n/a 40 Simple and clean 72 Very good 9 n/a 41 NA 73 Don't know 10 Nice 42 Could be less bland 74 Simply, clean 11 okay 43 Continuance growth 75 Unsure 12 I don't know 44 Positive & descriptive 76 Bland 13 Recognizable 45 No answer 77 I DON'T KNOW 14 plain 46 Clean and simple 78 Great 15 Excellent 47 No opinion 79 Don't know 16 48 Harnett County 80 No 17 Ok 49 Don't know it 81 It works just fine 18 Basic 50 Good 82 Appropriate 19 Information 51 love 83 Forgettable 20 I like it 52 Simp le 84 I have no idea 21 No description 53 Alright 85 Welcoming 22 It's good 54 Clean 86 Awesome 23 Small town, rura l 55 No preference 87 Opening to the public 24 Boring,nondescript 56 What brand??? 88 Okay 25 1 57 It's fine 89 Recognizable 26 Simp le but applicab le 58 We need a better logo 90 Good 27 It is good 59 91 Nice 28 All about Harnett 60 Family 92 excellent 29 Small county 61 Its tine 93 Good 30 I'm not sure 62 Un 94 acceptable 31 effective 63 I like the tree emblem 95 32 IDK 64 Nice but slightly dated 96 Brand? 2019 Emp loye e & Communication s Surveys Report 42 Marketing and Branding How would you describe the Harnett County brand? 225 res ponses Response # Other Response # Other 97 It's okay 129 Good 98 Na 130 Community Strong 99 Good 131 Functional 100 Excellent 132 Simple & friendly 101 Good 133 Fine 102 Basic 134 N/a 103 nice 135 It is eye catching 104 Eye catching 136 I don't know 105 great 137 Not sure 106 Outdated 138 Good 107 Like it 139 Good 108 inviting 140 Null and void 109 It's nice 141 Nice 110 Plain 142 Good ... 111 Evolvi ng 143 Adequate 112 Informational 144 Good 113 It's okay 145 Informational 114 Informative & exciting 146 Boring 115 n/a 147 n/a 116 I like it 148 Pretty solid 117 Okay 149 Okay 118 Nice 150 Fine no need to change 119 Not sure 151 ? 120 Recognizable 152 Hometown living 121 Not at this time 153 Strong 122 Neat 154 none 123 I 'm not sure 155 Not sure 124 Average 156 Somewhat outdated 125 Not sure 157 Ok 126 On point 158 Out dated 127 Good 159 excel lent 128 I UKE IT 160 Do not know 43 2019 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Report Marketing and Branding How would you describe the Ha rnett County brand ? 225 res pon ses Response # Other I think it's a good concept an d the efforts seem to be there to go forth with it however, Harnett Co unty still needs to catch up with other counties. We need a YMCA/aquatic center, mo re recreational opportun ities for children of all ages and social status and more restaurants, not just more ban ks, gas stations and subdivisions put up. We are in the middle 161 of Ft. Bragg and RTP where people are continuously moving here to "live in the country." However, the "rural" area is slowly disappearing but citizens are still driving to other counties to shop, eat, and join other counti es' recreational programs. As a person who has been a Harnett County resident from birth, I have seen so much growth within the coun- ty but it's not all positive growth and it would be nice to be able to see Harnett County be known for more. 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 Easy to read and love the colors It depends on the department you are looking for. Strong Roots, New Growth ... that's what comes to my mind first. I like the Strong Roots New Growth Branding Respectab le & professional It is simple and stra ight to the point Solid Good ole boys politics time to upgrade the logo to reflect where we are head i ng, along wi t h incorporating part of our past No comment the logo looks like a pitiful mushroom. that is suppose d to be a tree right? na I think it is fine Do not know I like it It's okay I have no opinion Good n/a I do not feel tha t Harnett County really has a brand This is a difficult questions due to t here not being much of a push on the HC Brand. The most" bra nd" that has been pushed is Harnett Regional Water. I like it and feel that people recognize it has Harnett County when they see it. Well received by the community I know it's strong roots, new growth, I know about the tree that the logo was founded on, the way you can use the col- ors, etc. 2019 Employee & Commu nications Su rveys Report 44 Marketing and Branding How would you describe the Ha rnett County brand ? 225 res pons es I prefer the old logo. The new one (without the proper color blocking) does not resemble a tree and takes a second look to understand what it is. I believe Harnett County needs better branding. And changes to logos or other county wide images should be voted on by employees before implementation -may take a day or two longer to implement changes 186 but would save money in the long run if you' re not having to change up these images after realizing they' re not as effective as originally thought. For example, the new logo on the white county vehicles does NO T show properly, is not aesthetically pleasing, and fails to make the proper impact due to the white background. The eye should be drawn to the logo , it shou ld be easily recognizable. Due to the lack of color, it no longer is and the tree is hard to discern. 187 I like it. It is simple and I like t hat. 188 the general public seems t o have a negative view of this county. 189 Fits with Harnett County being close to Wake, but yet smaller 190 Trust worthy and very de pen dable. 191 On the verge of being progressive but still rural in many aspects an d needs to stay that way. I feel like the brand identity is still being created/communica t ed so it's harder to pin point at this time but I feel that 192 the goal is/shou ld focus on a mix of" hometown strong while growing" message. The "Come Write Your Story" video was a perfect example of this . 193 194 195 196 197 198 I assume you mean brand for internet service, not s ure of what was meant by branding efforts either assumed the same as this. If that is the case good. I get service most every where I go Dated but on the road to improvement. It tends to favor t he east side of the county more t han the western side. Recognizable. I have found that some uses of the tree emblem are reversed . If there's a new one get it ou t to everyone. I think it is appropriate. We have had a lot of new growth . Good. Fo r the fact that it is not overly in your face as with some counties like .... Wa ke. Let's keep hands -off on a lot of 199 things and be a supporte r of a lot of community events but not interfere like others do. We have a hometown feel and a rural feel, let 's keep it 200 201 202 203 45 Lacking. Tel l me why we are worried about branding and marketing when we can't get quality eq uipment? Seems t he county is too worried about appearance and not substance It is a good brand t hat co uld be customized to fit each department I don't have the right verbiage to answer this questions. Services and employees t hat are gea red towards helping the citizens of Harnett County. 2019 Emp loyee & Co mmu nications Surveys Report 1 Marketing and Branding How would you describe the Harnett County brand? 225 responses .~.!....L_· I lllLl~I 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 okay however, not sure on WHY was the logo changed for the Harnett County the decal now is @the point that you can- not see the logo as option 2 especially on white vehicles that the county has for employee's to drive. Welcoming & Friendly; Home away from home. One that is active and growing Not sure what the brand is? That is the problem. Did not know a "brand II existed. Proud past and bright future Harnett County encourages new growth. I like it, however I'm not sure the Harnett citizens are too concerned about it. Balancing new growth with our existing structures. I like it-its simple and widely used bed room community, community minded we are a small community Appropriate for the type of commun ity Charming and reflects nature/agriculture Commendable. I've had people comment positively on the logo. Simple, but ready to grow It is different but with the river being so popular and the center attraction along with Raven Rock it seems distant for the citizens to relate it to us Ilike "strong roots new growth". I think it needs to make more of a statement. Doe s not say enough about our county. It needs to II POP". Use the Cape Fear River as a theme. The river runs through our coun ty seat and flows to the ocean. I like the "Strong Roots, New Growth" slogan. But, generally speaking, a more unified branding campaign would be good. More updated and streamlined forms, applications, etc. we don 't really have one that i am aware of It doesn't know what it wants to be and tries to hard to replicate other counties . By replicating others it becomes indis - tinguishable. I honestly thought it was just for business purposes. I did not know it was a brand. 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report 46 l Marketing and Branding Do you have any suggestions on how we co uld enhance our market in g and brand ing efforts county wide ? 4 7 res pon s es 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 47 No No Na Not at this time None Billboard No, sorry not my area of expertise More billboards especially for the Health Dept. to let our citizens know what programs and services are available to them . Better communication and cooperation between departments would be a good start. Since the departments do not co - mingle often it is viewed as "us against them" rather than a large team. We ' re all here for the same purpose -to pro- vide services for the residents of Harnett County. We need to love our county . We need to love our job . And we need to be able to convey that to the constituents of this county. But there's often little to no interdepartmental communica- tion. Many employees feel excluded or cut off from other departments and so there is no feeling of teamwork or com- radery. I think a resource guide would be beneficial to a ll because each department head and departmental employee needs to know what you can and cannot do with the logo/brand ( colors, which tree to use, etc.). If this is shared with depart- ment heads there is a breakdown when sharing this important i nformation to staff. We need a campaign to promote pride in being from Harnett County. Something to bring people more together maybe a logo or saying about the cou nty. I think a key element to remember is the wide demographics of the area and the various ways to co n nect with those groups using multiple outlets. While some generations may get most of t hei r information from the newspaper and some get their update s on Facebook, there may need to be mo re effort placed on how to reach those that do not use soc ial media or subscribe to the daily record. Also, a campaign may be needed to reach new residents and residents of the areas outside of the major towns. I think the development of new residence and services will answer this question. By wearing our County shirts no Create or modify the tree emb lem in a way to incorporate specific departments so the root emblem (tree) is identified and the department can also be identified Consider more distribution items to the public. We attend public events but nothing really to gove out to promote the county as a whole 2019 Emp loyee & Communications Surveys Re port Marketing and Branding Do you have any suggestions on how we could enhance our marketing and branding efforts county wide? 47 responses 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 for one, the new logo does not have many fans. I 've been asked if it's a mushroom or a stalk of broccoli. two, if you 're wanting to market our county then provide promotional infor mat ion and items to all departments. the library gives out county branded items and yet larger departments dealing with more individuals have nothing ... social services should have access to these items. child support cou ld benefit from doing a monthly drawing for a county cup or pair of sun- glasses or umbrella to non-custodia l parties who PAY their support regularly-like a reward or recognition for a good job so to speak. or a random drawing for a custodial party or child to receive a basket of Harnett county pens, pencils, note pads, etc., the month schoo l starts back. needs a bit of modernizing/updating Involve department staff to improve our brand Maybe a once a year pu rely giving back to the community we serve ( I know we technically serve them everyday). Lik e the trash pick up is good so couple it with something like a community hot dog lunch just free hot dogs to anyone wh o sto ps by .... goody bags with department info, new a pp info , a k9 showcase, 'touch a truck ', sheriff and manager there ..... a good community day. I like what we currently have. Leave it alone don't spend anymore money on it unti l we get quality equipment and get a logistics officer that actually doe s somet hing . When he doesn't order somethi ng his excuse is it's on nation al bac k order even t hough othe r depart- ments can't get the sam e supplies. He do esn't pull s supplies or delive r them. Tru cks need repairs t hat he doesn't take ca re of. So what are we paying for? not sure the legitimate se rvic es the health department provides ne ed to be promoted on a much hig her level. unfortunately, those responsible for mark eting and advertising our services are not clin ical staff and cannot re late to t he true clinical needs of t he citizens of the county. i wo uld love to see a change in how our clinical services, particu lar ly our pediatric clinic , are portrayed within the community. Using more than one" med ia " to get your information out to county resi dents. Website Seeing more actual faces! Not just names or name less posts . Mark et se rvic es available to local schools and colleges; maybe send a representative from the HD personally to deliver pamphlets . no idea New, more contemporary logo. Harnett Co has so much that could be highlighted on various platfor ms, that would interest a vast audience. Al so wit h CampbelljCCCC/Heritage Bible College ..... there is a lot that cou ld appeal to th e younger population . Harnett Co also has a vast audience in broad age groups that other things in the county could help with brand in g. Broaden the Hori- zons 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 48 Marketing and Branding Do you have any suggestions on how we could enhance our marketing and branding efforts county wide ? 4 7 respons e s Response # Other ' 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 49 Change the Logo to something more recognizable. Get Rhett and Link to do some promos. Figure out how to better market the Live/ play aspect (IE the river; park should help with this). NONE ATTHIS TIME promotional items Have more of a public outreach from every department, not just some of them Not now If there are items you want to get out to everyone, create the tools for each department to help get the message out with the branding that you want. For examp le if you have a message Like the recent water billing issue, you could pre- pare social media blasts with the message you want to get out to the public and provide each department templates/ tools to post it on social media. This wilt ensure your message is getting out just the way you want the public to see it no matter which county department people see the story. Just continue to evolve it I do not have any suggestions. NONE alt departments, if the a logo is to be displayed it needs to include the logo of HC not for the specific department, we are all one team Emergency services could benefit from a PR officer and department specific social media accounts. I have worked in other counties that greatly benefited from having social media accounts and a PR officer to speak with reporters when news worthy events take place. Being visible on socia l media is great for recruitment and giving the public a window into what emergency services does on a daily _basis which makes them more familiar and comfortab le with us when we have to respond to their emergencies. take di rection from larger company's in-house branding efforts, request feedback from your workers. offer comp time/a day off/some other incentive for ideas which are utilized in Harnett county 's rebranding efforts . let the employee s know you want their feedback and make it fun. 2019 Employee & Communication s Survey s Report Community Engagement How would you rate your level of engagement between Harnett County government and its citizens? 234 responses 100 75 50 25 4 (1.7%) 0 2 3 4 Poo r Answer Choices Responses 1 1.7% 4 r es pon ses 2 6.4 % 15 re spon ses 3 37 .2% 87 re spon ses 4 34.6% 81 respon ses 5 20 .1% 47 res ponse s Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 5 Ex cellent 50 51 Community Engagement Do you think Harnett County government offers a variety of ways for cit izens to engage in county initiatives, programs, services, and events? 234responses Yes No 76.1 % 23.9% e Ye s .No 178 responses 56 responses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Emp loyee & Communications Surveys Report Community Engagement Did you know that Harnett County has an online email update subscription for citizens (Harnett Happenings)? http://eepurl.com/gkqX2n 234responses No Yes 75 .6% 24.4% e Yes • No 177 responses 5 7 responses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 52 53 Community Engagement Do you think your department would benefit from giving presentations to community groups? 234 responses Answer Choices Responses Yes No 77.4% 22 .6% e Yes • No 181 r espon ses 53 respon ses Total 100% 234 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Community Engagement What re commendations do you have to hel p us improve ou r community engagement efforts? 4 9 re sponses Response # Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 None None n/a I have received a lot of information from Ashley Deans since she came on board. I think as PIO she is doing a great job of helping our department to get information out into the community. I have received a lot of information from Ashley Deans since she came on board. I think as PIO she is d oing a great job of helping our department to get information out into the community. none at this time I think the county is doing wel l with community engagement efforts. I think biannua l casual events with representatives from each department would be beneficial. Like re g ular meet and greets for people to come in and chat. DSS does give presentations to community groups often . More community festivals would provide a way to connect with the community while also provid in g a n opportunity to talk to members of the pub lic. Set ting up a booth or having someone interact with the pu blic at various local festivals for the same reason would also provide an opportunity to engage with the pub lic face to face. Upda t ing the website to create a more interactive and informative format. Keeping folks aware "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" and they can decide what they want and don't want to be a part of. None Community Outreach by EMS and informational/educationa l outreach Collaboration groups and scheduled meetings to accomplish this from all or many of the departments. More of it allow community groups and individuals to request specifically what information they fee l they would most benefit from in regards to county departments and offer presentations, print lite rature, etc., to address t hose questions. also, many counties have a prog ram set up for the child support agency, that specifically walks people t hrough the process and answers their questions and often ti mes can even negotiate an obligation order befo re a case is even set for court. I believe this would be a beneficial program and allow participates of the IV-D program a much better un derstanding of our services. MMM Set up events with folks in the community to do some different things, like team up with the Campbe l l golf team and do 'captains choice' with some employees for a fund raising to urnament or link up with another group of folks and just mesh employees with citizens in doing things they like to do. 2019 Employee & Commu nica tion s Sur veys Report 54 Community Engagement What reco mmendat ions do you have to help us improve our commun ity engagement efforts? 49 re sponse s Response# Other 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 55 Participating in Community Events and through Community Outreach. We need to promote what we do and the services that we provide! Spell check surveys. "Does you think" in the above question? Someone should proofread. That really makes us look professional. I think to engage citizens we need more open and honest communication. Not closed door hidden meet- ings social outings, more volunteer opportunities, reaching people in person rather than on line. More community events. presentations to community groups Community presentations, increase marketing of county programs available in churches, civic groups, senior centers, schools (to recruit volunteers) not sure More events for the pub lic Inform Good More notifications to the public, maybe via mail; not everyone has access to the internet. no idea Ask the different service clubs what they would like to know about the County and the different services provided. Let the community submit questions and pu blish their questions and answer them in the paper or on our website . More promotional items spotlight each department, every department in Harnett Co is vital to t he success of Harnett Co and its citizens. Put the Depts achievements/accomplishments out front on disp lay with the public -not everything is negative! I think this survey is an example of us heading in the right di rection. The questions should be looked at for grammatical errors. Does you think .... NONE ATTHIS TIME By being present and representing. You do a good job at participating in local fairs, open houses, and community events. Just an fyi, the above question needs to be corrected.:) Sorry, It just caught my attention when I was reading it .:) Does you think your department would benefit from giving presentations to community groups?* Does to Do na 2019 Employee & Communications Su rveys Report Community Engagement What recomme ndations do you have to help us improve our community engagement efforts? 49 responses Response# Other 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 nothing now Do not know more educational law enforcement interactions One thing I have seen over the years is that when families find out about what we offer, they say we are like the best kept sec ret. They join our program, volunteer and help us market it especially via social media. If you plan to engage the community, you need to have a clear message of what you want from the community. Do you want their input on issues, need them to volunteer for community projects and/or just be aware of county issues. Engagement is a two way street that should have benefit for everyone involved. Make e-mail update subscriptions for citizens more publicized. I don't have any See previous page Better support from the commissioners and the comments they make about the works in the media do not truly reflect what the emp loyees of said department provide to the citizens. Some workers are the citizens of the county and they As a child support agent, our goa l is to enforce orders & bring in incentive money to the county. I believe that working more closely with other departments and organizations would benefits our agency immense ly. I believe if we offered a class in conjunction with NC Works to try to assist non-custodial parents with obtaining employment, this would raise our collection rates. I also believe that we should have more communication with t he Wo rk First program to assist sin- gle mothers in obtaining employment and job skil ls, as well as other departments at DSS such as the daycare assis- tance, housing assistance, etc. We have no communication with the agency we technically work under and there is no true cross communication and/or assistance between these units. I believe a class provided to the parties as cases are opened (similar to how mediation works in civi l cases through the courts) would help to familiarize parties with our process and possibly get both parties into our agency and agreeing to an obligation amount without having to initiate court action, saving quite a bit of money because of the cost of filing an action, service of process, etc. I believe it would truly be cost effective in the long run . This would streamline our process, increase turnaroun d time, and provide a more face to face experience with the public. 2019 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Report 56 Background Information What is your age? 168 responses e Under 18 • 18-24 25-34 • 35-44 • 45-54 • 55-64 • 65+ e Prefer not to say Answer Choices Responses Under18 0% O respon ses 18-24 0.6% 1 response 25-34 10.7% 18 responses 35-44 23.2% 39 responses 45-54 31% 52 responses 55-6 4 21 .4% 36 responses 65+ 11.9 % 20 responses Prefe r not to say 1.2% 2 respon ses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 58 59 Background Information What is your gender? 168 responses Answer Choices Responses Female Male Prefer not to say 76 .8% 22% 1.2% e Female e Male Prefer not to say 129 responses 37 responses 2 responses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Background Information What zip code do you live in? 168 respo nses 40 33 (19.6 %) 32 (19 %) 30 27 (16.1%) 20 (11 .9%) 20 I 10 1 (0.6 ~1)(0 .6 %) 1 (0 .6 °,1)(0 .6 ",1)(0 .6%) 2 (1.2%) 0 2 7332 27504 27 540 27 332 -6644 2 7521 Answer Choices Responses 27332 11 .9% 27332-1572 0.6% 27332-6644 0.6% 27501 16.1% 27504 0.6% 27505 0.6% 27521 0.6% 27526 19.6% 27540 1.2% 27546 19 .% 28323 4.2% 28326 4 .8% 28326-0.6% 28334 5.4% 28334-1882 0.6% 28339 2.4% 28390 10.7% 275269 0 .6% 20 19 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Re port 18 (1 0 .7%) 7 (4.2',~)(4 .S%) 9(5 .4%) 4 (2.4%) 1 (0.6%) 1 (0.6%) 283 26 28323 28334-1882 20 responses 1 response 1 response 27 responses 1 response 1 response 1 response 33 responses 2 responses 32 responses 7 respons es 8 responses 1 response 9 response s 1 response 4 re sponse s 28 responses 1 r es pon se 1 (0.6 % I 28390 60 61 County Communications How would you rate Harnett County government's communication with its citizens? 168 responses 80 60 40 20 0 2 Poor Answer Choices Responses 1 11.3% 2 14.9% 3 44% 4 26.8% 5 3% 3 4 19 responses 25 responses 7 4 responses 45 response s 5 responses 5 (3%) 5 Excellent Total 100% 168 responses 20 19 Employee & Communications Surveys Report County Communications How do you feel about the amount of information you receive from Harnett County government? 168 responses Answer Choices Responses Too much Ju st right Not enough 0% 28.6% 71.4% e Too Much e Just Righ t Not E nough O respons es 48 re spon se s 120 responses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Com munica ti ons Su rveys Report 62 63 County Communications How do you currently receive information from Harnett County government? 1 68 responses l 23 (13.7%) , 25 (14.9%) I 118 (70.2%) 58 (34.5%) C]---9(5.4%) 70 (41.7%) Mail Email Social Media Harnett County Webpage Community Meetings Word of Mouth Local Media (newspapers, television) i 44 (26.2%) t:J-7 (4.2%) 0 25 50 75 100 125 Answer Ch~.ices · : · Re~ponses Mail 13.7 % 23 responses Email 14.9% 25 responses Social Media 70.2% 118 responses Harnett County webpage 34.5% 58 responses Community Meetings 5.4% 9 responses Word of Mouth 41.7% 70 responses Local Media (newspapers, television) 26 .2% 44 responses Harnett Happenings 4.2% 7 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report County Communications How do you prefer to receive information from Harnett County government? 168 responses Ma il ------------51 (30.4 %) Email ,_ ___________________ ___. 103 (6 1.3 %) Social M edia 1---------------------99 (58.9 %) H a rn e tt County Web page 1---~----------'------' 74 (44%) Community Meetings 1---------29 (17 .3%) Word of Mouth ----Local Medi a (newspapers , ir-,-,.,.,.....=_,,_.,.'7:-"=-:-,,r,= ..... ~"""' television ) 53 (31 .5%) i,,-------. ............ ..-..... 0 25 50 75 100 125 Answer Choices Responses Mail 30.4% 51 response s Email 61.3 % 103 responses Social Media 58 .9% 99 respons es Harnett County web page 44% 7 4 re spon ses Communi t y Meeti ngs 17.3% 29 responses Word of Mouth 15.4% 36 respon ses Local Media (n ewspap ers , television) 7.1% 12 re spon se s Harnett Happenings 25% 42 response s 20 19 Employee & Co mmunications Su r vey s Report 64 65 County Communications What type of information do you think Harnett County government should communicate more? 168 responses Emergency A lerts and Notifications Budget Information Upcoming Capita l Projects Events and Programs Offered by County d ... Volunt eer Opportunities Employment Opportunities County Initiatives Crime. Animal services Stuff for kids ma iled , .. ... 1 (0.6%) 1 (0.6%) 1 (0.6%) 1-1 (0.6%) ~1 (0.6%) Budget information 0 1 (0.6%) ····· - "' .. ,.. 50 . . " 97 (57 .7%) 79 (47 %) , . ~99 (58.9%) ..-93 (55.4 %) o-97 (57 .7%) . ~9 1 (54 .2%) ~98 (58 .3%) 100 13 3 (79.2%) 132 143 (85.1%) (78 .6%) 150 Answer Choices Responses Em ergency Alerts and Notifications 79.2% 133 responses Board of Commissioners Meetings & Public Hearings 57.7% 97 responses Budget Information 47% 79 responses Upcoming Capital Projects 58.9% 99 re spon ses Updates on Current Capital Project 55.4% 93 responses Event s & Programs offered by County Departments 85.1% 143 res pon ses Services offered by the County 78.6% 132 res ponses Volunteer Opportunities 57.7% 97 responses Employment Opportunities 54.2% 91 responses County Initiatives 58 .3% 98 responses 1 2 3 4 5 I haven 't really been here lo ng enough to accurately recommend improvement s. Crime 6 Animal Services Stuff for kids mailed Planning for residents on the oute r fringe s of the county I. e. Sa t ellite library , enter- tainment venues, ect. Budget Information 2019 Emp loyee & Comm unication s Su rveys Re port County Communications Have you seen the county's "Come Write Your Story" promotional video? (https://vimeo.com/280223115) 168 responses Yes No 12.5% 87.5% e Yes • No 21 re spon ses 147 res pon ses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 66 County Communications What recommendat ions do you have to help us improve our ove rall communi cation efforts ? 4 7 response s Response # Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 67 None Not sure More information on what is going on. New businesses opening? We really never get notification when there will be a planned interruption of water service. It would be great to get more. Have more meetings and just get the information out. Email, phone, etc. Since you have arrived ... .! do not KNOW how you are keeping up with you rself. Awesome job. Hope to meet you some day! Free. As tax payers we should be able to have access( easy) to all info . Combine efforts with the HCSD Reach out more even some mailers would be nice Social media communication . Fuquay Police do it right. Follow them. They are very quick to give out crime, traffic and general information and they also actually answer questions from the commu nity. During voting, you had a list of candidates but did not link every candidates website and socia l media accounts . Some candidates had no info rmation about themselves listed. There is zero excuse in this day and age to no t have solid web- sites with easy to find information. Especially when we are voting on county positions. Increase your communications staff and make communications a priority. Connect with the people. Face to face. I am happy you are asking. I did not know we had a commun ication network. Text more often It is a fine line between relevant info and too much info, especially for different people . Maybe try a series of e-mails where we can pick (sign up for) our topics that interest us, and instead of having to read everything, it links back to an information part of the parent web-page. I think week ly is better than daily or monthly ... Community Policing. Interacting with the Community. Better publicize methods of getting info. Didn't know about Harnett Happenings Just making us aware where we can find info on internet would be helpful. Listen to your citizens Doesn't seem to be much effort. I found it helpful when the Harnett County Schools superintendent would go on Facebook live. I'm not sure if you do that, but I find it easy for those of us who have limited time but want to gathe r information and have social media as a way to interact. thank you for your efforts Make an effort 2019 Employee & Communicatio ns Surveys Report County Communications What recommendations do you have to help us improve our overall communication efforts? 47 re sponses 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Weekly/ Monthly Blogs Nothings I think you do a very good job. Between your facebook page and Nextdoor.com I feel like I get the information I need. I really appreciate Ashley Dean on posting county items on Nextdoor! Message boards might prove useful located in various portions of the county along roadways assuming they did not get distracting Just making sur e everyone is connect and see the importance of the i nformation . Because I do try to con nect for info r- mation I believ e that a lot is being shar ed currently. More up to date website with mo re information and more web presence (socia l media etc) Harnett county is very diverse, and working in the schoo ls I get more info than most. I think there needs to be more community invo lvement, and to do that you have to communicate. I have lived here for 1 0 yea rs an d never hea rd of Harnett happenings. Why do you not ask the schoo ls to also promote that on thei r socia l med ia? Schools, community and governmen t are so inte rconnected! More socia l med ia post Web page The more info rmation shared the more pub lic awareness . In turn, the more active/ invo lve d citizens are in our commu- nity. Our county is a great place to live . Continue to promote the assets in this coun t y, and keep ci t izens involved. NA If all residents were aware instead of a small minority t here would be better responses, better community involvement and/or participation, a better belie f of govern ment in general as well as all being and feeling more invo lved or "part of" the process. Also negative feedback would be minimal if all are informed. Miscommunication would be minimal if everyone has the same information . Resi dents in rural areas need more informatio n and to feel more connected to Li llington the county seat of govern- ment. na Update your constituents on what you' re actually doing vs. patting yourselves on the back or pandering. The best is by mail. Alot of people don't have social media. News, radio. Good old fashioned mail I still like to receive None A weekly column that includes everything in one place in the paper for the week. Communicate better. It seems as if the Western Harnett area is often left out. Community outreach pane l and committee n/a 2019 Emp loyee & Commu nications Surveys Report 68 69 Online Communications How often do you visit the Harnett County webpage? (www.harnett.org) 168 responses Answer Choices Responses Several times per week 7.1% Once per week 10 .7% A few time s per month 30.4 % A few time s per year 41.1% I have never visited the webpage 10.7% e Several Times per Week e Once per week A few times pe r mon th e A few ti mes per year e I have never visited the webpage 12 responses 18 re sponses 51 respon ses 69 responses 18 responses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Online Communications I find that it is easy to find the information I am looking for on the Harnett County webpage . 168 responses Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree 2.4% Agree 60.7% Disagree 29.8% Strongly Disagre e 7.1% e Strongly Agree e Agree Disag ree e Strongly Dis ag ree 4 responses 102 responses 50 responses 12 responses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 70 71 Online Communications I typically visit the webpage to find information on : 168 responses Agricultural Services Commissioner Meetings and Public Hearin ... County News D epartmen t con tacts ~ 5 (3%) ~ 16 (9 .5%) L...' ~, 33 (19.6%) 29 (17.3%) .. ~· . 78 (46.4%) • 57 (33 .9%) 23 (13.7%) Job O pportunit ies Locations of local Parks and Trails Ta x parcels/maps o f Harnett County areas I don't I did not know it existed. never visited the website as w e did not. .. pay w ater property tax record s None County phone number s Just browsing ..... ,,. lil-2 (1 .2%) l-1 (0.6%) I 1 (0 .6%) I 1 (0.6%) I 1 (0.6%) 1-1 (0.6%) l-1 (0 .6%) IJ 1 (0.6%) l 1 (0.6%) • 1 (0.6%) 0 - ... 20 --45 (26.8%) .._35 (20.8%) ,. -so (29.8%) ·., 66 (39.3% , .t-53 (31 .5%) 58 (34.5%) 40 60 80 Answer Choices Responses Agricultural Services 3% 5 responses Animals available for adoption 19.6% 33 res ponses Commissioner Meetings & Public Hearing s 17.3% 29 responses County Budget 9.5% 16 responses County News 46.4% 78 responses Department Contacts 33 .9% 57 responses Development Permits/applications 13.7% 23 responses Job Opportunities 26.8% 45 responses Landfills and Convenience Centers 20.8% 35 responses Locations of local Parks and trails 29.8% 50 re s ponses Service s Offe red by the county departments 39.3% 66 responses Tax parcels/maps of Harnett County area s 31.5% 53 responses Upcoming events on the community calendar 34.5% 58 responses 2019 Em ploy ee & Communications Surveys Report Online Communications I typically visit the webpage to find information on : other responses 1 I don't 2 I did not know it existed 3 I never visit the county webpage 4 never visited the website as we did not know that there was a county website 5 Don't visit 6 Pay wate r 7 Property tax records 8 none 9 County phone numbers 10 Just browsing 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 72 73 Online Communications Do you follow Harnett County government on social media? 168 responses Facebook Twitter Nextdoor I don't follow H arnett County on social. .. 0 6 (3 .6%) 6(3.6%) 25 -48 (28.6%) 40 (23.8%) 50 75 107 (63.7 %) 100 125 Answer Choices Responses Facebook 63.7% 107 responses Twitter 3.6% 6 responses Instagram 3.6% 6 responses Nextdoor 28.6% 48 responses I don't follow Harnett County on social media 23.8% 40 responses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Online Communications Which social media platform is best for you to receive information from the county? 168 responses Answer Choices Responses Facebook 68.5 % In sta gram 2.4% Twitter 2.4% Nextdoor 24.4% Youtube 0.6% · None 0.6 % A lot of people need to be notified by mail 0.6 % Do no t hav e social media account s 0.6% 2019 Em ployee & Comm unications Surveys Re port e Facebook e lnstag ram Twitter e Nextdoor e Youtube e none e Alot of people need to be notified by mai l. e Do not ha ve socia l media accounts 115 responses 4 responses 4 respon ses 41 responses 1 res ponse 1 response 1 response 1 re s pon se 74 Online Communications W hat reco mme ndations do you have to help us improve our on li ne communicat ion efforts? 3 1 responses Response # Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 75 None More information. Posted newsletters None You are making the efforts . Keep up the great work! Make it easily available for all. I just never knew a site existed!! With a fuquay address but Harnett County taxes I feel left out often. I am not a technologically inclined person, ifI have to research something I do not know about , estab- lish passwords, enter a bunch of info to get info, I probably will be less likely to do. None. You guys are doing an amazing j ob! Actually communicate daily with information that effects the people in your community. Crime, roadwork, programs, what resources do we have for people in need? How can we he lp each other? Make your website more accessible and have a Facebook page with updates Sign up for text messages. Social media is tricky, because we have to interact with your content to keep seeing your posts. Do you look at metrics to see which topics are trending upward in reach? I would be a pain-in-the-butt to have several "pages" but with all of the varied info, it may be the best approach to reaching an audience that wants to hear about specific things. Audience chooses what topics to follow , and interactions would increase. Flyers are a good way. That communication is mailed, emai led to the peop le in our county. I've lived here for ove r 17 years and have never received anything. We deserve with what we pay in taxes a written notice and something electronically with everything. Emails Everybody don't have a computer or internet Email newsletters I feel like I get good communication t hrough twitter. I honestly don't follow you on FB. I will check it out! More public meetings in western harnett Facebook Push more mirrored info out on both F8 and ND Between facebook and Nextdoor I think you' re doing fine. Everything More updated info. Drove al l the way out to a conven ience center that was supposed to be open on weekends only to see a sign that they're no longer open on weekends. Website should be up to date and as re liable as it can be. I want to know whatjwho is coming to Harnett county and what goes on with some of these growth projects and find it very diffi- cult to get information 2019 Employee & Communica t ion s Survey s Report Online Communications W hat recommendations do you have to help us imp rove our on li ne communication efforts? 31 response s Response # Other 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Push it! Start a conversation instead of just pushing out info that no one cares about. What do people care about? Parks, schools and roads? Jobs?? You have to have someone handling the SM that knows how to gain followers-and the next way to gain followers is to get attention. Make Harnett county a place People want to live -encourage them to clean up yards, help a neighbor and not write off military families! Do not forget that many do not have internet or even access to the internet in this county. Also the older generation does not use the internet and Facebook and/or other social media as much as the younger generations and they are just as important to reach out to, even if only by mail, as anyone else is. Share more important news but be sure to share lots of good news and events happening in the county with resi dents. na Monthly briefings in straight forward pdfs. Bullet point summations. Add jobs, up coming events and 4 h Communica te meeting and other information about the county in mu ltiple ways: social media l, email, mail. Emergency texts about storms, easier to ge t information n/a 20 19 Employee & Comm unications Surveys Repo rt 76 77 Community Engagement How would you rate your level of engagement with Harnett County government? 168 responses 80 60 40 20 0 2 Poor Answer Choices Responses 1 18.5% 2 22.6% 3 42.3% 4 11.9% 5 4.8% 3 4 33 responses 38 responses 71 re sponse s 20 responses 8 responses 5 Ex ce llent Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report Community Engagement Do you think Harnett County government offers a variety of ways for you to engage in county initiatives, programs, services, and events? 168 responses e Yes • No Answer Choices Responses No Yes 2019 Employee & Communication s Surveys Report 53% 47% 89 responses 79 re spon ses 100% ... ., _ 168 responses 78 79 Community Engagement How would you like to give feedback and express concerns? 168 responses Coun ty Commissioner Meeting Emai I 22 (13.1%) Community Meetings Feedba ck Form on the Webpage ~-43 (25.6%) Telephone Social Medi a Letter 0 .. 26 (15.5%) 26 (15.5%) 25 50 Answer Choices Responses County Commissioner Meeting 13.1% Email 67.9% Community Meetings 25.6% Feedback Form on the Webpage 50% Telephone 15.5% Social Media 47.6% Letter 15 .5% 84 (50 %) l 80 (47.6%) 75 100 22 response s 114 responses 43 responses 84 responses 26 responses 80 responses 26 responses 114 (67.9%) 125 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Community Engagement Do you subscribe to Harnett Happenings? (the county's online subscription update bulletin) http://eepurl.com/gkqX2n 168 responses No Yes 86.9% 13.1% e Ye s • No 146 responses 22 responses Total 100% 168 responses 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 80 Online Communications What recommendations do you have to help us imp rove our community engagement efforts? 30 responses Response # Other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 81 None More information on new businesses opening none At this point, no suggestions ... except...Oo not burn yourself out! Maybe through emails and such subdivisions HOA cou ld be contacted to help answer questions for new and old resi- dents? Notify homeowner 's to these community efforts. Have someone that communicate in real time. Don't just post what you want on social media and then let it sit. Re- spond to people's comments and listen to what they are trying to communica t e to YOU . Face to face meetings and better social community. I was not aware of this subscription . I will check it out and the website . Commissioner meeting reminders and suggested agenda Hire outgoing people and get volunteers that love Harnett county and have an infectious enthusiasm around them, and give them the tools to reach out... Information is only so palatable -how can you make it memorable and fun? I had no idea there was a bulletin. Your first problem is that it is assumed everyone has time to subscribe to things . This is easily fixed by each address Apparently I'm subscribed to Harnett Happenings but have never received anything. It's a Large, diverse county and Continue reaching out through various media platfo rms. I just su bscribe to Harnett Happenings getting this information out is import. Havi ng more involvement in Western I'm pretty pleased with the way you ' re doing business right now. Everything Again-start a conversation. More people that com ment then the mo re people that will be engaged. Get them talking None County meetings other than agenda meetings. More participation in Local events that are not large events, being visi - ble in Al l communities not just some. More diversity in the se lection of what, when an d where county functions/ participation/sponsorship is and that if officia ls go to events they should be recognizable as in wearing an official name tag/badge or clothing with Logo and name tag or at least some kind of signage to the Let citizens know who and what they are representing. 2019 Emp loyee & Comm unicati ons Surveys Report Online Communications What recommendat ions do you have to help us improve our commun ity engagemen t efforts? 30 respo nses Response # Other 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 It would be good to know more about opportunities to volunteer and serve and feel more connected to Harnett County. na Live streaming community meetings for those of us with multiple jobs who could watch or listen to a meeting , but not physically attend meetings. Get the info out by mail. I didn't even know about Harnett Happenings. Never heard of Harnett happenings Engage with people when they respond to a post or ask a question via the website. Never heard of Harnett Happenings n/a 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 82 Survey Analysis As the first Citizen Communications Survey and the first Employee Communications Survey conducted by Harnett County, participation in the survey was expected to be minimal. For the Citizens Communications Survey, 168 citizens responded, which is less than 1% of the estimated county population. The Employee Communications Survey had a greater response rate. 234 employees completed the survey, which is nearly 25% of the Harnett County government workforce. The results from the Employee Communications Survey and Citizen Communications Survey provide insight to County Administration on the perceived communication and marketing efforts and steps that can be taken to improve both citizen and employee satisfaction. Results from both surveys have been analyzed to discover common trends on communication methods and areas of improvement. The analysis of the results has been broken down into the following sections: • BACl<GROUN DIN FORMATION • COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS • ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS • COUNTY INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS (EMPLOYEES ONLY) • MARKETING AND BRANDING (EMPLOYEES ONLY) • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 83 2019 Employ ee & Communication s Surveys Report Background Information Analysis Employee Communications Survey Over 25% of county employees, total of 234 individuals, completed the survey. Employees from 22 of the county's 24 departments provided feedback. Having nearly all departments complete the survey help to provide insight from employees with various roles and various Levels within the County organization. The age range for employees completing the survey ranged from 18-65+. Over 75% of employees were in the 35-64 age range. Most individuals, total of 66, fell in the 45-54 age range, followed by 58 employees in the 35-44 age range, and 48 in the 55-54 age range . Of the 234 survey responses, 165 were female, 66 were male, and 3 preferred not to List their gender. Nearly 75% of employees live in Harnett County; whereas, a quarter of our employees lived outside the county Lines. Based on the survey results, the demographics for the most engaged employees are females between the age of 45-54 that live within Harnett County. Citizen Communications Survey Citizens were asked to provide demographic information to help determine the background information about citizens engaging with the County. This information allows the County to set a baseline for the County's target market and types of citizens that are most likely to engage with the County. The age range for citizens completing the survey ranged from 18-65+. Over 75% of individuals completing the survey fell in the 35-64 age range, showing that most of the engagement takes place among adults. Of the 168 survey responses, 129 were female, 37 were male, and 2 preferred not to list their gender. Citizens were also asked to provide the zip code to give a perspective of areas in the county that engage with Harnett County. Citizens in 13 zip codes completed the survey, with the majority of citizens being in the Western and Northwestern part of the County and Lillington area . This shows that citizens in the county's high growth unincorporated areas in the County were the main group of citizens to complete the survey. Based on survey results, the demographics for the most engaged dtizens are females between the age of 45-54 that live in the western or northwestern areas of the county. 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 84 County Communications Analysis Employee Communications Survey Employees were asked to provide feedback on the county communication efforts which included external communication and how employees communicate with citizens and the internal communications and how the county communicates with employees . For the overall communication efforts with citizens, the average score provided by employees was a 3.73, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Nearly 93% of employees ranked the overall communication efforts as a 3 or higher. Employees also felt that the amount of information sent out to citizens was just right, which received 67. 9% of the vote. Nearly a third of employees felt that the county did not send enough information to citizens. In addition to the effectiveness of communication efforts, employees provided input on what they felt were the citizens' preferences on the methods information communicated. Three communication methods, social media, Harnett County webpage, and Harnett Happenings email subscription, received at least 70% of the votes from employees. Employees were also asked to select type of information they think citizens would like to see communicated more . Four of the ten information categories were selected by at least 50% of employees. The top three categories included: services offered by the County (76.5%); events and programs offered by the county (73.9%). emergency alerts and notifications (59.4%). Lastly, employees were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's overall communication efforts. 42 employees provided feedback. Some common themes that were addressed include: • Expanding comm uni cation efforts in addition to online communications • Providing information to citizens county-wide • Increasing the amount of information provided to citizens Based on survey results, employees viewed the overall communication efforts by Harnett County positive but with room for improvement. The County should improve these efforts by expanding communication efforts to use more than just online methods, increasing the frequency of information provided online through. sodal media, the webpage, and email, and utilizing different communication methods so that dtizens county-wide can receive communication. 85 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report County Communications Analysis Citizen Communications Survey Citizens were provided an opportunity to give feedback on the county's current communication efforts. The average score from citizens for Harnett County's overall communication efforts was a 2.95 out of 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Nearly 70% of citizens felt that current communication efforts ranked a 3 or below. Citizens also provided input that showed that the county is not sending enough information, with nearly 71% of citizens saying they did not receive enough information. 147 citizens, which was 87 .5% of the individuals completing the survey, listed they had not seen the County's "Come Write Your Story" promotional video. In addition to the effectiveness of communication efforts, citizens provided input on preferences on how they would Like information communicated. Currently, citizens are mostly receiving information from the County by social media, the Harnett County webpage, and word of mouth. Citizens expressed that the top three methods they'd like to receive information is by email, social media, and the Harnett County webpage. Citizens were also asked to select type of information they'd Like to see communicated more. Nearly every information category was se lected by at least 50% of citizens. The top three categories included : Events and programs offered by the County {85.1%); Emergency alerts and notifications {79.2%); services offered by the county {78.6%). Lastly, citizens were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's overall communication efforts . 47 citizens provided feedback. Some common themes that were addressed include: • Increasing the amount of information and frequency information is provided to citizens • Providing information to citizens county-wide • Expanding the communication methods used to notify citizens. Based on survey results, the overall communication efforts by Harnett County should be improved by increasing the amount of information that is provided to dtizens county-wide, the frequency in which information is provided, and focusing on certain information categories in order to engage the most dtizens. 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 86 Online Communications Analysis Employee Communications Survey As technology continues to provide online resources that make communicating faster and easier, the county asked employees how they think citizens view the on line communication efforts by the County and recommendations for improving online communication . Employees were also asked about their social media preferences and how they connect with Harnett County on line. Employees felt that most citizens did not utilize the webpage on a regular basis . Nearly 45% of employees thought that citizens visited the webpage a few times per year and nearly 26% thought that citizens visited the webpage a few time per month. Less than 30% of employees thought citizens visit the webpage on a regular basis, with nearly 19% of employees selecting several times per week, and 11.1% of employees selecting once per week. Employees also felt that citizens thought information was easy to find on the webpage with nearly 80% of employees selecting agree or strongly agree. Feedback was also provided by employees on the type of information they thought citizens look for on the web page. The top three reasons that citizens visited the county webpage that were selected by employees include : job opportunities, department contacts, and services offered by county departments. Questions were also asked to employee s on how they connect with Harnett County government through social media. Most employees, nearly 91%, only followed Harnett County government on Facebook, followed by Instagram at 15.8%. Of the employees who utilized social media , 72 .6%, felt that Facebook was the best way to communicate , followed by Twitter, Instagram, and Nextdoor, which each received 5.6% of the votes. Lastly, employees were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's online communication efforts. 48 employees provided feedback. Some common themes that were addressed include: • Updating the county webpage and keeping content current and easy to find • Increasing the amount of information posted on variou s social media platforms • Increasing the frequency of updates provided to employees prior to being relea sed to the media • Not providing all of the communication online and sending information through the mail Based on survey results, the online communication efforts by Harnett County should be improved by increasing the amount of information that is posted on various soda[ media platforms, providing more frequent updates to employees prior to information being released to the media, posting information to the Harnett County webpage that is organized and easy to find, and expanding communication efforts outside of online methods to reach those dtizens and employees who do not utilize sodal media. 87 2019 Employee & Communication s Survey s Report Online Communications Analysis Citizen Communications Survey As communication on line continues to increase with the use of mobile devices and social media, the county asked citizens about how they receive communication on line and recommendations for improving on line communications. Citizens do utilize the Harnett County webpage to get information; however, the frequency in which they visit the webpage was not very high. Nearly 11% of citizens have never visited the webpage, with 7 .1 % visiting several times per week. Most of the citizens visited the webpage either of few times a year ( 41.1%), a few times per month (30 .4%), or once per week (10. 7%). Over 70% of citizens visit on a monthly or yearly basis. Citizens also felt that information was easy to find on the web page with over 60% of citizens agreeing or strongly agreeing. Feedback was provided on the type of information citizens look for on the webpage. The top three reasons citizens visited the webpage include : reading county news, learning about services offered by the county , and contacts for department staff. Question s were also asked to determine the best way to communicate with citizens on social media . Mo st citizens only followed Harnett County government on Facebook, followed by Nextdoor. Nearly 25% of the citizens did list they did not follow Harnett County on social media. Most citizens who utilized social media, nearly 68.5%, felt that Facebook social network was the best way to communicate, followed by Nextdoor, which received 24.4% of the votes. La stly, citizens were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's online communication efforts. 31 citizens provided feedback. Some common theme s that were addressed include: • Engaging more with citizen s on social media and not just pushing out information • Increasing the amount of information posted on social media • Sending emails with information to citizens • Not providing all of the communication on line and sending information through the mail Based on survey results, the online communication efforts by Harnett County should be improved by increasing the amount of information that is posted on soda{ media, providing more engagement opportunities for dtizens online, posting information to the Harnett County webpage that is organized and easy to find, and expanding communication efforts outside of online methods. 2019 Employee & Comm unicatio ns Surveys Report 88 County Internal Communication Analysis Employee Communications Survey As it is the county's goal for Harnett County employees to serve as brand ambassadors for Harnett County government, employees were asked questions specifically targeted towards the county's internal efforts to keep employees informed of county initiatives, programs, and projects. For the internal communications among employees, the average score provided by employees was a 3.60, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Nearly 88% of employees ranked the internal communication efforts as a 3 or higher. Employees also felt that they are kept informed on the most current county initiatives , programs, services, and events, which received 74.4% of the vote. A quarter of employees completing the survey did not feel that the county kept them informed. Employees were also asked to provide feedback on the county's monthly employee newsletter, Harnett Connect. Of the 234 employees who completed the survey, 88% read the monthly newsletter with 12% not reading the newsletter. Several suggestions were made for the type of content to be included in the newsletter, with the top three suggestions including: "we did good" stories of employees, highlights of lo cal businesses/attractions in the county, and a section for employees to submit questions they have about the county. Feedback was also provided for the frequency of information communicated to employees. Nearly 41% of employees voted for weekly updates. 32.9% of employees voted for monthly updates. 16 .2% of employees voted for updates every 2 weeks, followed by 8.1 percent who wanted daily update s, and 2.1% who wanted quarterly updates . In addition to information being sent to employees , they were asked did they visit the public information page on the Harnett County website to receive update s. Nearly 60% of employees said they did visit this webpage for updates. Lastly, employees were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's internal communication efforts. 39 employees provided feedback. Some common themes that were addressed include: • Communicating with employees prior to information being sent to the media and citizens • Providing information to employees and not relying on supervisors to pass information along • Increasing the feedback opportunities for employees Based on survey results, employees viewed the internal communication efforts as positive but with room for improvement. The County should improve their efforts by providing information to employees prior to it being communicated to dtizens and the media, communicating information to all employees in addition to their supervisors, and allowing employees more feedback opportunities. 89 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Marketing & Branding Analysis Employee Communications Survey For information to be recognizable and consistent, Harnett County must focus on branding efforts. Employees were asked to provide feedback on the county's marketing and branding efforts and how we can improve the consistency among departments and allow citizens to recognize our brand. Employees were asked if the county currently has consistent branding efforts among the county departments. Over 66% of employees felt that there was consistent branding and 33% felt that efforts were not consistent. Employees were also polled on identifying the logo their department uses for promotional materials. 40.2% of employees stated that their department was currently using the county's old logo, while only 27.8% were using the county's new logo . In addition, nearly 21% of employees were not sure of what logo they used. Some departments also have created their own logos, which made up 11.1 % of the vote. To learn more about employees' pe rce ption of the Harnett County brand, employees were asked to describe the county brand . There were several responses that stated the brand was "good" or "okay" and several that stated they "did not know the county had a brand" or "did not understand what a brand was". Feedback was also provided on resources made available to employees to assist with the creation of promotional items. 63 .2% of employees felt that their department wou ld benefit from having a marketing and communications resource guide; whereas, 36.8% felt that it would not be beneficial to their department. With the launch of the county's first promotional video in Augu st 2018, employees were asked if they had viewed this video. 65.4% employees stated they had never seen the video with only a third of employees saying they had seen the video. Lastly, employees were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's marketing and branding efforts . 44 employees provided feedback. Some common themes that were addressed include: • Increasing mass marketing efforts to reach citizens in all areas of the county • Providing tools and resources for staff to create branded promotional materials • Increasing the types of advertising tools used to reach different citizen groups Based on survey results, the marketing and branding efforts should be a focus area for the county. The county should improve these efforts by utilizing more advertising tools, increasing the marketing efforts to reach dtizens throughout the county, training staff on the county's branding efforts, and providing resources for staff to created branded promotional materials. 2019 Employee & Communicatio ns Surveys Report 90 Community Engagement Analysis Employee Communications Survey As the county strives to provide opportunities for engagement among citizens, employees were asked questions to provide feedback on the county's community engagement efforts. The average score given by employees on the level of engagement Harnett County government has with its citizens was a 3.64out of 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Nearly 92% of employees felt that current engagement from Harnett County ranked a 3 or higher. In addition, 76.1 % of employees did feel that the county offered a variety of ways to engage in county initiatives, programs, services and events. With the launch of the county's online email subscription, Harnett Happenings, in Spring 2019, employees were asked if they were aware of this new form of communication. Nearly 75.6% of employees said they did not know about the county's on line email subscription. Employees were also asked if they felt thei r department would benefit from giving presentations to community groups. 77 .4% of employees felt their would be a benefit; whereas, 22.6% did not think community pre sentations would be beneficial. La stly, employees were provided an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county's community engagement efforts. 49 employees provided feedback. Some com- mon themes that were addressed include: • Participating in county festivals and events to provide citizens' information • Creating opportunities for departments to give presentations to community organizations • Success of the County's current community engagement efforts Based on survey results, the community engagement efforts by Harnett County should be improved by focusing efforts on notifying dtizens of the online email subscription, providing more opportunities for dtizen and employee feedback, partidpating in more county events and festivals to promote county services, and creating opportunities for departments to give presentations to the community. 9 1 20 19 Employee & Communications Surveys Report Community Engagement Analysis Citizen Communications Survey Encouraging citizen s to take an active role in their local government is a priority for Harnett County . As part of the survey, citizen s were as ked five questions to determine how the County can engage more with citizens. The average score given by citizens on their level of engagement with Harnett County government wa s a 2.6 out of 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Nearly 84% of citizens felt that current engagement from Harnett County ranked a 3 or below. In addition, 53% of citizens did not feel that they had a variety of ways to engage in county initiatives, programs , services and events . Citizens did agree with having the opportunity to provide feedback and listed that having the ability to provide feedback by email, on the webpage, and on social media were the top three methods to use . The County also launched an on line email subscription , Harnett Happenings, in summer of 2019 and asked if citi zens were aware of this new communication method. Nearly 87 % of citizens said they had not subscribed to the on line sub scription. La stly, citizen s were provided an option to provide comments and recommendations to improve the county 's community engagement efforts . 30 citizens provided feedback . Some common theme s that were addre ssed include: • Increa sing the promotion s for Harnett Happenings on line email sub scription • Being more active with engaging with citizens on line • Using various communication methods to communicate with citizens Based on survey results, the community engagement efforts by Harnett County should be improved by focusing efforts on communicating opportunities across several different communication platforms, actively engaging with dtizens online and providing timely responses, and creating more awareness about Harnett Happenings online email subscription . 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report 92 Recommendations Based on the results from these surveys, the following action items are recommended for consideration: Develop a Strate_gic Commu_nications and Citizen Engagement Plan The Employee Communications Survey and the Citizen Communications Survey provided several areas of improvement for the county's communication and marketing efforts. To organize how the county plans to improve these efforts, it is recommended that a communications and citizen engagement strategic plan be created to identify goals and objectives that can be completed in the next 3 years. By creating this strategic plan, the county will be able to address citizens' and employees' concerns, and create action items and performance measures to track the success of goals outlined in the plan. The plan should be developed by the Community Relations Coordinator, with input from county departments, county manager's office, and the community relations committee. The creation of a Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Plan will provide County Administration with a framework for maintaining consistent, branded communication efforts, and the ability to update the plan every couple of years to make sure communication and marketing efforts are consistent with citizen needs and wants and support the county's mission, vision, and values. Standardize r,iarkcting_and Branding Efforts To provide consistent messaging to the public, the county should implement standard marketing and branding guidelines. Setting standards will allow county employees to communicate information in a consistent format and allow for the public to easily recognize promotional materials created by the county. In order to achieve standard marketing and branding, it is recommended that the county develop the following: • Harnett County Brand Guide • Marketing and Communications Trainings for Harnett County personnel • Marketing Resources and Tools for Employees to Standardize Branding By developing a Brand Guide, the county will be able to establish standards in writing and provide a resource guide so employees will know expectations for the creation of promotional materials for county departments . The Brand Guide would include items such as: proper use of Harnett County approved logos, color palettes, typography, and examples of promotional material templates. In addition to the Brand Guide, an online dashboard is recommended to provide tools and resources easily accessible for all Harnett County employees, which would increase efficiency for the creation of branded promotiona l materials. Trainings for Harnett County staff are recommended so that staff understand the importance of standardized branding and the resources and tools available to them . 93 2019 Employee & Communications Surveys Report