Principle #5: Private-Public Partnership Communication Communicating to All Stakeholders for Several Months after the Privatization Transfer Date.
Once the privatization has occurred your job in communicating is not over. The success of one privatization initiative helps the next one be a little easier. You must stay informed as to how the private company is proceeding. You don't want to get caught thinking that you understand the situation only to realize that what you don't understand is that the situation just changed. Meet with them periodically. Be on their employee newsletter mailing list. Get past the financial numbers and understand how the employees are doing. Have the private company meet with key government and community officials periodically to provide an update as to the progress. Provide these officials first-hand testimonials of employee transition successes.
We have found that when the government and private company jointly hold public celebrations of the successes, it reinforces the spirit of the win/win relationship of the private/public partnership.
Effective communication takes a commitment of time, effort, practice and strategy. It is at the heart of all successful partnerships and it will be at the heart of all privatization successes.
Peggy.Robertson@dpb.virginia.gov
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