Information Experts

BearingPoint

Department of Defense (Comptroller)

Services

• Management Consulting Services
• Communications Planning/Consulting
• Content Development
• Change Management

Project Description

Information Experts provides comprehensive communications support to the Department of Defense (Comptroller), Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) Directorate, on behalf of BearingPoint. With a reported $1.3 trillion in assets and $1.9 trillion in liabilities (FY 2005), the Defense Department faces an enormous task of transforming its financial management systems and meeting the mandate that their Balance Sheets be audited annually. Already in place was a web-based infrastructure that allows the Department to track progress across its components and manage their multi-year plans. How to capture and communicate that information to stakeholders, oversight agencies, and the financial community at-large presented a big challenge. Making arcane accounting procedures readable by anyone was even more challenging.

Information Experts was brought in to write the first FIAR Plan to Congress, OMB and GAO in December 2005. This plan introduced the historical problems facing the Department, the approach to solving them and the plans for moving forward.

Information Experts then crafted a communications plan that took into account key audiences, established core messages and recommended outreach strategies. This new approach to telling the Department's financial improvement story has resulted in a much improved FIAR Plan. It now captures best practices and more clearly highlights outcomes and accomplishments. But room for improvement remained. The March 2007 FIAR Plan will for the first time reflect a new communications approach proposed by Information Experts that moves away from reporting assets and liabilities and instead humanizes the Department's efforts through anecdotes and accomplishments of the Services and Other Defense Organizations.

Information Experts has prepared 3 submissions of the FIAR Plan to date assumes responsibility for writing this semiannual publication. Writing and editing services continue to be provided to the Comptroller's office and include drafting testimony, preparing presentations, and writing newsletters and other content related to the FIAR Plan.

Callout

Information Experts crafted a communications plan that took into account key audiences, established core messages and recommended outreach strategies.

Result

A highly readable and communicative story of financial management improvement strategies ready to be used as a basis for change and soon to be transmitted throughout the organization.