How to create a technical guide and disseminate the activity of an association?
Before talking about how to create a white paper or technical guide, it is essential to know what these publications are. A white paper, or technical guide, is a document that is created with the aim of helping readers to understand a subject, solve a problem or make a decision.
At Rabuso, we manage business associations, and each one of them has created an informative guide or white paper that talks about the industry they work in.
The aim of these publications is to disseminate all the information about a particular concept or general elements related to the trade, and the work carried out by the association as a specialist in the sector. In addition, for all workers and professionals it is a very useful tool to unify elements or concepts related to it.
Each of these guides or books is created by a working group, a group of professionals or people with knowledge of the sector who, through meetings, set up a project. Although it is true that it must be approved by the Assembly and the Board of Directors in order to be carried out. In addition, they have the support of collaborating entities such as public administrations, professional associations, associations and other institutions that contribute professionalism to the publication itself.
In order to organise the work, it is advisable to assign a coordinator to the working group. This person is usually someone specialised within the association in order to be able to resolve any possible doubts that may arise during the development of the project.
The best way to start creating a technical guide is to brainstorm in order to create a table of contents with the most relevant contents and to decide the focus of the publication. Once these first guidelines have been established, they are shared with the members in order to reach an agreement and to be able to continue.
Once the table of contents and contents have been approved, the first draft of the publication is produced. These publications are written by an external editor with knowledge of the subject who collaborates with the association, and will be shared with the members and corrected and modified in the working group meetings. In addition, these meetings serve to resolve possible doubts and to agree on certain contents that may generate controversy.
After several meetings and corrections of the draft, a final meeting is organised where the final text is presented for a last revision.
Throughout this process, photographs and images have been collected and will be added to the layout of the publication. And the marketing campaign is launched to get entities that want to collaborate, so that the guide improves its reputation and achieves a greater diffusion. In exchange for their collaboration, they receive several copies of the publication itself.
Finally, a meeting is held before the publication is sent to the printer to check the complete layout.
To close the project, it is sent to the printer, sent to all the collaborators or entities that have participated and shared on social networks, published on the website and a newsletter is sent to publicise the new guide to all members and subscribers.
Asbestos guide
An example of a white paper or technical guide is the guide on asbestos by AEDED, the Spanish Association of Demolition, Decontamination, Cutting and Drilling.
This guide provides an overview and the decontamination process (asbestos removal), has been developed through a cross-cutting working group, and aims to provide an overview of this hazardous waste and the decontamination process.
The contents of the guide are informative and informative, but without placing excessive emphasis on technical regulations and their corresponding legal references.
It is aimed at the end client, although it encompasses the entire sector, as both contractors and suppliers have participated in its creation, even though it is aimed at the client.
In the case of this guide, after printing, it is disseminated through the usual media, social networks, newsletters, websites, but in addition, an animated video is created where the activity and main topics covered in the publication are briefly summarised. In addition, a comic is created based on the video.
The association itself also offers training courses or webinars on the subject where information is expanded or the technical guide itself is studied.
