CorpComms Magazine

1 Change your mind

Being open and transparent is not a set of processes; it is a state of mind. You have to really believe it is the only way forward for the organisation if you are to convince others - because they will be looking to you for assurances and guidance. If you can show your own commitment to transparency and openness, it adds to the case. Even when the agency's latest research could be construed as negative for either ourselves or our stakeholders, we would not bury it. Instead, my team would produce a press release and place it at the top of the news section of our website.

2 Go the distance

There can be no half-measures: you are either open or you are not. Being open helps engender trust in the minds of consumers but any backsliding can easily destroy that. Don't announce plans to become open and transparent until the whole organisation is committed and prepared. It will mean a sea change for everybody involved; it cannot start half-heartedly with one department and then another. Everybody has to be agreed that this is the way forward.

3 Answer the question

Talking to people is the best form of communication, so it is important we all understand this, join in and answer the question. This agency does not duck invitations to participate in debates on Newsnight or the Today programme. We take time training our experts to answer questions in the most straightforward way. We don't train them to give weasel answers or ignore the question, but saying 'I don't know' is a perfectly valid response if it is the truth.

4 Take it online

Websites provide a great way to publish information. Use them. Make them easily navigable with simple search mechanisms, and update them frequently. Include accessibility features to make the site open to all users, including those with visual impairments.

5 Publish or be damned

Be prepared to publish the full results of all research and surveys. Note that I said 'all' and not 'all research and surveys with non-controversial conclusions'. There can be no cherry picking here; everything must be published, irrespective of the conclusions and their impact on external stakeholders. Last year, for example, the agency published six food surveys, intended to identify particular risks to food safety. Their findings must be published to ensure the public retains confidence in the agency and the food they are eating. It is also important to publish both the methodology and raw data to avoid any suggestion the results have been manipulated.

6 Name names

It is just as important to be as open about who we meet as it is about what they say. Report all external meetings involving senior staff on your website. We are always being accused of meeting one side more than another in various debates; publishing details of all meetings allows us to refute that charge. It also helps the agency keeps tabs on these meetings to ensure no one side is favoured. This information is all available under the Freedom of Information Act, but if it is already published there is no need for anybody to use that facility.

7 Be prepared for criticism

There are downsides to born-again openness, so accept that occasionally someone will make mischief because of your generous transparency. Using information we had made available, a Guardian blog once highlighted an occasion when the author believed we had had too many meetings with one side in a debate. We examined its findings.

8 Indulge your peers

When you work in partnership with other organisations, they may not feel as comfortable as you do about openness. For example, we publish all correspondence with local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, not all of which is positive. Be patient and explain to your partners how your trust figures have improved as a result of your transparent approach. For example, over the past two years, surveys have shown a steady increase in public trust in our work.

9 Remember your friends

Remember journalists are the way to the public's stomach! The Food Standards Agency deals with the whole population and the only way to gain access is through the media. There is also research showing that the majority of people's views on food are shaped by the media. Dealing with journalists should not be a battleground. There should be a free and open exchange of information. We have invited journalists to help us shape the agency's messages on key initiatives or findings. Clearly, some journalists have a different agenda but we believe our way is much better than an adversarial approach.

10 Stay on top of things

Not telling you, it's a secret. Don't tell everyone your top 10 tips for openness: if they follow them they will improve their organisation's reputation and you will lose your hard-earned leadership in this area

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