My Brother's Keeper Alliance

Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate early, often and in all directions

MBK Framework - Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate early, often and in all directions

Transparent communication with all stakeholders, including the community and media builds trust, involvement and commitment. We end where we started which is to engage the stakeholders most affected by the changes you seek through strong communication channels. Continued and consistent messaging is a necessity to keep the community, funders and stakeholders informed, ensure that strategies are built from community feedback, and provide visibility into the intentions and impact of any moves.

Community Messengers

Partners know of and engage community members who are best connected to those most affected by our changes as messengers within working groups and local convenings.

Continuous Communication, Marketing and Awareness Campaigns

Partners execute a plan that communicates vision and agenda to the wider community and markets to key stakeholders, increasing access and involvement in MBK initiatives through publically available data, press releases, coordinated talking points and marketing campaigns.

Public Announcements and Commitments to Improving Outcomes for boys and young men of color

Local leaders and partners publicly announce the Local Action Plan and commitment to boys and young men of color through a media statement, press release or proclamation. System and community partners announce and publish the Local Action Plan and progress on accountability goals on their websites and through internal communication channels. System and community partners establish feedback loops where community members can provide comments and input on the Local Action Plan and program progress.

MBK New York State Education Department (NYSED) is one of the few early adopters with a statewide approach and investments to implement MBK initiatives.

Since 2016, New York State Education Department (NYSED) has overseen a $20M annual budget allocated by the state legislature. In the fall of 2019, New York State’s My Brother’s Keeper announced it had grown to 25 member communities. The MBK Communities, school districts and higher education partners use grants awarded by NYSED to implement programs and strategies to help boys and young men of color succeed. NYSED makes transparent communication with stakeholders a priority with monthly newsletters titled “Changing the Narrative” detailing resources and highlights from across the state; a robust RFP process to award millions in grants to school districts; profiles online of grantee and youth success stories; and youth induction ceremonies and annual convenings to bring stakeholders together to celebrate and share stories of their local impact.

Steps to Improvement

  • Identify and engage community members with credibility and influence with those most affected by change.

  • Empower community messengers with resources, key talking points and communication materials, including social media content, briefs, FAQs and pertinent information for all audiences.

  • Integrate community messengers into the Local Action Plan and share accountability for convening messages and establishing feedback loops with the community.

  • Confirm local elected officials and partners share a public declaration (municipal disparity data, finalized vision and Local Action Plan) about commitments to improving outcomes for BYMOC.

  • Confirm local elected officials and partners establish regular communication channels to share progress, receive community feedback and make amendments based on feedback.

  • Convene partners to develop a local MBK brand name and select talking points and key messages.

  • Establish and invest in a strategy with partners for sustenance of the local MBK campaign over time.

  • Launch and promote a multi-year MBK community awareness campaign with partners.

  • Secure agreement from partners to make a public announcement, via press release/press conference of their commitment to improving outcomes for BYMOC, sharing disparity data and the Local Action Plan.

  • Select communication channel, timing and location to announce commitment, disparity data and the Local Action Plan.

  • Local elected officials and partners share a public declaration about their commitment to the agreed upon program for BYMOC.

  • Ensure partners provide opportunities for public feedback.

  • Confirm local government publishes the municipal disparity data report and the Local Action Plan and continually makes amendments based on community feedback.

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