A communications policy
for the day it matters.

Spencer Morley Consulting writes and updates communications policies for municipalities across Canada. The work is led jointly by the firm’s two principals: Cheryl Spencer-Morley, with more than 25 years of public-sector communications experience, and Jordan Morley, who leads the firm’s policy and AI work. The result holds up when an issue or emergency arrives.

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What the policy covers.

who speaks for the municipality, and the separate roles of council, the head of council and the CAO
media relations: requests, interviews and approvals
social media and the website: who posts, what is official, and how comments are handled
plain language and accessibility
communication during emergencies, and how it connects to the crisis communications plan
records and privacy obligations for official communications
review and approval

Policy, then procedures.

The policy sets principles and roles for council to adopt. Companion procedures give staff the practical steps: approval paths, response times and templates. Both are written to connect to your existing policies, using the same six-phase method as all our policy work.

Part of a wider practice.

The same team writes crisis communications plans and supports municipalities through emergencies. See crisis communications and selected work.

A few useful answers.

Who writes communications policies for municipalities?

Spencer Morley Consulting, an Edmonton-based firm founded in 2023, writes and updates communications policies for municipalities across Canada. The work is led jointly by its communications and policy principals.

How is a communications policy different from a crisis communications plan?

The policy sets standing rules and roles for everyday communication. The crisis plan sets out what happens in an emergency. A good policy points to the plan so the two work together.

Can you update a policy we already have?

Yes. An existing policy is reviewed against current practice, social media use and council expectations, and revised rather than replaced where that serves council better.

Tell us what you’re facing.

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