The North / South Language Body Annual Report & Accounts 2009

Strategic ThemesIn its Corporate Plan 2008-2010, the Agency identified fourstrategic themes for its programme of work, namely:-Serving the CommunityThe Agency recognises the need to protect and grow our cultural capital andis very conscious of the importance of the socio-economic impact of culturalactivities. The Ulster Scots community is at a stage of development thatrequires careful nurture and a coherent strategy to enable that community tofully develop and achieve its potential.The Ulster-Scots Agency continues to support community based initiativeswhere the focus is on facilitation, participation and the building of sustainablestructures with the Ulster-Scots community.Working with OthersIf the Agency is to succeed in encouraging as many people as possible toengage in Ulster-Scots activities, either as participants or audience/spectators,it is essential to establish partnerships with key organisations.The Agency recognises that it alone cannot meet the needs of the Ulster-Scots community and we are therefore committed to building relationshipswith Government Departments as well as statutory and voluntary agencies tohelp support the mainstreaming of Ulster-Scots through a range of culturaland educational activities.MarketingMarketing and promotion is a core function which underpins all of theAgency’s work programmes and publicises the work of the Agency bothwithin the Ulster-Scots community and further afield. The Agency developeda Communications Strategy for the period 2008-2010 which set out its keypromotional activities, target audiences and methods of communication. TheAgency’s main promotional objectives are:To utilise the broadcast media and publications to communicate thekey theses, messages and events;To deliver a programme of promotional events and evaluate thoseevents in terms of the objectives achieved;To promote the Agency website and refresh the content regularly; andTo be pro-active in influencing opinion formers and monitoring andresponding to media coverage as necessary.49