Every budget season, someone in local government walks into the CAO’s office and says some version of “We’re drowning.” They’re usually right. They’re also usually told to wait until next year.
My fellow comms pro (and bestie) Jan Enns recently shared some practical advice on building communications into project budgets in her newsletter (you really should subscribe!), and it got me thinking about how we make the broader business case for communications resources.
Being busy isn’t a business case. Every department is busy. Council and senior leaders hear workload concerns from every corner of the organization, and when every request sounds the same, the ones that get funded are the ones that clearly help the organization do what it has already committed to doing.
If you want more staff, a bigger budget, or new tools for your communications team, stop describing how much work you have. Start showing what the organization gains, or risks losing, depending on the decision.
Start with the organization’s goals, not your workload
Pull out your strategic plan, council’s priorities, and your corporate or annual work plan. Read them with one question in mind: which of these goals depend on communications?
The answer is usually most of them. A new transit route needs riders. A water conservation program needs behaviour change. A tax increase needs public understanding. A capital project needs community support to stay on schedule. An emergency program needs residents who know where to find reliable information.
Your business case should connect your request directly to two or three of these goals. When decision-makers see that your ask protects priorities they’ve already approved, you’re no longer asking for something for your team. You’re asking for what it takes to deliver on their commitments.
Define the gap clearly
Next, describe what isn’t happening now, or what’s at risk, because of current capacity. Be specific and factual.
Compare these two statements:
“We’re stretched too thin to do proper engagement.”
“Three capital projects scheduled for 2027 are going to public engagement without a dedicated communications plan. Two of them involve property impacts, which is where we’ve seen the most public concern in the past.”
The first sounds like a complaint. The second describes a risk that any CAO or council member can understand and act on.
Gather your own evidence
Research and industry reports help, but your strongest evidence is your own data. If you don’t track your work, start now. Even three months of numbers will strengthen your case.
Useful measures include the number of projects and departments you support, media inquiries and response times, public inquiries through social media and your website, freedom of information requests related to topics you could have communicated proactively, engagement participation rates, overtime and after-hours work, and projects that were delayed, scaled back, or not supported at all.
Look for trends over time. A 40 per cent increase in media inquiries over three years with no change in staffing tells a clear story without you having to say you’re overwhelmed.
Also note the moments when things went sideways. If a project stalled because residents didn’t understand it, or an issue escalated because there was no one available to respond quickly, document what happened and what it cost in staff time, delays, or public trust. Be careful and fair here. The point is to show a pattern, not to blame colleagues.
Give decision-makers options
People who make budget decisions like choices. A single all-or-nothing request is easy to turn down. Instead, present two or three options, including the status quo. For example:
- Option 1, maintain current resources: Describe honestly what will and won’t get done, and the risks that come with that.
- Option 2, add contract support for major projects: Lower cost and flexible, but with less continuity and institutional knowledge.
- Option 3, add one full-time communications position: Higher ongoing cost, but it builds lasting capacity and supports all departments.
Also think about where the money comes from. Communications support doesn’t always have to come out of your department’s operating budget. As Jan points out in her newsletter, building communications into project budgets from the start can fund the support major projects need, whether that’s contract help or a term position. It also makes communications part of how projects are planned, not something added once problems come up.
Always include the cost of doing nothing. Staying the same isn’t free. It often shows up as delays, reputation repair, staff burnout, and turnover.
Cost it out fully and honestly
Nothing undermines a business case faster than a number that turns out to be wrong. Include salary and benefits, equipment and software, training, and any one-time setup costs. If you’re comparing staff to contractors, compare them fairly over the same period.
Work with your finance department early. They can help you get the numbers right, and a finance team that has already seen your request is more likely to support it.
Show how you’ll measure success
Tell decision-makers how they’ll know the investment worked. Choose a few measures that link back to the goals you identified at the start, such as engagement participation, response times, project timelines, or resident satisfaction survey results. Commit to reporting back.
This does two things. It shows you’re accountable, and it sets you up for your next request, because you’ll have results to point to.
Use their language
Council, CAOs, and finance directors think in terms of risk, service levels, capacity, and value for money. Frame your case the same way.
Instead of “We need more help,” try “This position would allow us to provide communications support to every capital project over $1 million.”
Instead of “Our team is burning out,” try “We’ve had two resignations in 18 months, and each vacancy took four months to fill. Retaining experienced staff protects continuity during our busiest project years.”
Instead of “Nobody reads our stuff,” try “Proactive updates on the three highest-volume topics could reduce repeat inquiries to front-counter and customer service staff.”
Mind your timing and build allies
Know your budget cycle and get your case in early, ideally before departments submit their requests. Talk to the directors and project managers who rely on your team. If the engineering director tells the CAO that projects need more communications support, that carries weight you can’t create on your own.
Follow your organization’s format. If there’s a standard template for budget requests or reports to council, use it. It signals that you understand how decisions get made and makes it easier for others to say yes.
A simple structure for your business case
If you’re starting from a blank page, this outline works for most requests:
- Purpose: What you’re asking for, in one or two sentences.
- Strategic alignment: Which organizational goals this supports.
- Current situation: What your team does now, backed by data.
- Gap and risk: What isn’t happening and what that could cost.
- Options: Two or three choices, including the status quo.
- Costs: Full, accurate costs for each option.
- Recommendation: Your preferred option and why.
- Measures of success: How you’ll track and report results.
Need help making the case for why communications matters?
Check out Jan’s free e-book, Boost Your Business Case for Investing in Communications, that offers research-backed reasons to invest in proactive communications, from reducing risk and saving staff time to building trust and countering misinformation.
Use her guide to help make the case for why communications matters, and the steps above to show what your organization needs.
You’ll find her e-book, along with other practical tools for local government communicators, on her resources page.
Every request deserves a business case
This approach isn’t just for new positions. Use it when you’re asking for a new engagement platform, a training budget, or funding for a campaign. It takes more time up front, but it shows you as a strategic partner who understands the organization’s priorities, not someone who’s simply asking for more.
The goal isn’t to win a budget fight. It’s to help your organization achieve what it has already set out to do. When you frame your request that way, you make it much easier for decision-makers to say yes.
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