How CDC Is Promoting a Clear Communication Culture

Background:  Many organizations struggle to communicate clearly with the public, especially when information is technical and unfamiliar. Organizations may not have staff with clear communication skills, or they may face competing demands or conflicting perspectives that derail their best clear communication efforts. By law, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must provide plain language information to the public, yet CDC’s reputation is for public health data and technical information. Moreover, CDC does not have one but many audiences who may be unfamiliar with our information. Although CDC does have professional communicators, these staff work with statisticians, policy, clinical and public health experts who may have a different understanding of audiences and information clarity than communicators do.  When the federal Plain Writing Act went into effect in 2011, the CDC Office of the Associate Director for Communication (OADC) faced the challenge of aligning diverse disciplinary perspectives and designing a clear communication program that reflects not only the Act’s requirements but also communication science and the realities of CDC’s culture and expertise.

Program background:  CDC’s clear communication program is grounded in the law, research, and the realities of organizational behavior and is guided by a written agency action plan with goals and strategies. First, CDC trains staff to follow the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, which creates a “floor,” or minimum level of competency.  A second component is dissemination of the Clear Communication Index, a research-based tool to help staff assess and score their communication products. OADC provides training classes, promotional materials, staff presentations, and technical assistance.  The third element addresses organizational behavior change. We offer a mix of carrots (such as positive recognition) and sticks (staff must use the Index to score certain materials) to get staff who don’t have clear communication skills to develop and practice these skills.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  We provide regular progress reports about clear communication progress. We track the number of staff who should be trained, who are trained, who use the Index, Index scores, number of clear communication products, and internal and external awards for clear communication products. The results are captured annually in a report on CDC’s compliance with the Plain Writing Act and in quarterly report cards internal to CDC. These data will be presented in the session.  

Conclusions:  OADC is positioning clear communication as a “one agency” initiative in which everyone has a stake in its success. We reach beyond communication to include scientific, policy and program staff because all four areas contribute to the final public products. With our program, we are cultivating a widespread, shared understanding of audience-centered communication that applies clear communication techniques. In this way we meet both legal requirements for plain language and our obligation to stay “true to the science.

Implications for research and/or practice:  A structured, intentional approach to clear communication can succeed even in highly technical, scientific organizations. To be successful, the clear communication program should both reflect and change organizational culture. Clear communication can become a shared value and resource that supports and enhances the public health mission.