COMMUNICATION

FOR DEVELOPMENT
DIALOGUE AND INVOLVEMENT
TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE RESULTS
Check the box
if you need…
£ T o develop a strategy that ensures adoption
of new practices

£ To mobilize citizens to become proactive

agents of change

£ To promote healthy behaviours by addressing

socio-cultural norms

£ To strengthen organisational and institutional

capacities as catalyst of social and behavioural
change

£ To inform and influence policies and engage

policy makers to achieve better results

£ T o ensure stakeholders' participation in local

governance mechanisms and other development
initiatives

If you have checked at least one

of the above boxes, Communication
for Development (C4D) can contribute
to your needs.

Source: Communication for Development, Enhancing Programme Results,

Unicef, 2012.

Objective
This manual aims to be both a source of inspiration and a practical guide.
It allows BTC projects to incorporate Communication for Development in
their activities and obtain better results. It provides a brief overview of the
conceptual framework and offers concrete tools to formulate, plan and
implement a communication strategy as part of the intervention's life cycle.
Good practice cases complete the framework.

Targets
This guide is for communication officers and for all project and programme
officers. It also serves as a reference for external communication consultants.

Need help?
Contact the Communication service in Brussels
[email protected]
SUMMARY

COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT (C4D) 5

A BRIEF HISTORY 6
DEFINITION 7
THE KEY PRINCIPLES 7
C4D IN THE PROJECT CYCLE 8
GENDER AND C4D 9

PHASES OF A STRATEGY

COLLECT AND ANALYSE THE DATA 10

BACKGROUND 12
SWOT analysis 13
ACTORS 15
Identification of the actors 15
Actor analysis 16

DEVELOP THE STRATEGY 18

OBJECTIVES 19
S.M.A.R.T 19
TARGET GROUPS 20
Behaviours 21
Sources of information & communication channels 21
MESSAGES 22
COMMUNICATION TOOLS 22

IMPLEMENTATION 24
ACTION PLAN 25
PRETEST 26
CALENDAR 27
BUDGET 27

MONITORING AND EVALUATION 28

INDICATORS 30

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 3

 “ Dialogue is one
of our most powerful

”
weapons
African saying

Communication in development projects is not some-

thing new.

Communication is used to consult stakeholders. Com-

munication is used to raise awareness, to disseminate
new ideas, to hear the voice of citizens. It also allows
rendering accounts by showing results achieved. So,
why talk about Communication for Development as if it
were a new discipline?

C4D is a relatively recent discipline; its focus is on dialogue

and sharing to enhance the impact of interventions.

C4D communication is not about the sender and receiver

anymore. The time of solely disseminating information is
a bygone era. Communication serves to share, ascertain
that all stakeholders of a project are on the same wave-
length, that they are aware of their role and that they are
involved in achieving a better outcome. Including C4D
in a project does not require an exceptional effort. It re-
quires a listening and open attitude, accompanying the
project from the beginning to the end to make the project
live locally, facilitate its progress and enhance its impact.

You can read this guide like you want, from cover to back
or by picking cases, by focusing on the tool boxes or
by following the logic of the approach. Test the C4D
approach and share your experience with us. We will
further share it in a next edition.

Enjoy the read!

The Communication team

January 2016

This publication is published under

Creative Commons Licence “by/nc/nd”

4
COMMUNICATION
FOR DEVELOPMENT (C4D)
A BRIEF HISTORY

“ When a development project starts there is always a time to learn,

for BTC, for partners, for citizens. A genuine relation of trust
must be established; otherwise no change or discussion is possible.
Transparency is required, which means explaining clearly why we act
in such or such a way, thinking together about what can be achieved.

”
In short, communicating with people.
Murielle Hermouet
Local development and decentralisation expert, BTC Burundi

From the 1970s onwards

Criticism on the traditional – very technical and paternalistic – approach of development cooperation.
Populations are no longer seen as passive recipients but are recognised as actors of their own
development. Their involvement in designing and implementing development programmes is
recognised as essential for achieving sustainable change.

1980s
Appearance of the concept of Communication for Development (C4D) as a key participatory tool
fostering dialogue and ownership of change.

Beginning of the 21st century

C4D gains international recognition in the development sector.

2006
First World Congress on Communication for Development in Rome.
Consensus: C4D is essential to achieve development.
Recommendation: Put aside 5 to 6% of the budget of each project for C4D.

2014
The fourth Management Contract explicitly stipulates that C4D must be included in the way of
work of the Agency.
“[BTC] also provides from the formulation of Technical and Financial Files of interventions onwards
for a Communication 4 Development component.”

6
DEFINITION
The Rome Consensus, adopted at the First World Congress on Communication for Development, defines C4D as:

“ (…) a social process based on dialogue using a broad range of tools

and methods. It is also about seeking change at different levels,
including listening, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills,
building policies, debating and learning for sustained and meaningful

”
change. It is not public relations or corporate communication.

THE KEY PRINCIPLES

Dialogue
In C4D, you communicate with stakeholders, rather than to them. It is permanent two-way com-
munication that aims to share knowledge and perspectives in view of building trust and come to
mutual understanding.

Consensus
A dialogue on an equal footing with the different stakeholders allows you to understand per-
spectives, needs and motivations and to avoid misunderstandings. This clarification exercise
ensures that all actors agree on the objectives and the roll-out of the project and that each phase
of your project is relevant in everybody's eyes.

Involvement
At every phase, ensure that the local actors and partners contribute as much as possible with
their own human, technical and financial resources. The involvement of the stakeholders in
defining the issues and in implementing the solutions is a key condition for success of any devel-
opment project.

Ownership
The active involvement of the different actors fosters their mobilisation, their engagement and
their ownership of the project in the long run. If the actors concerned mobilise for their own
development, they will resist change less.

Sustainable results
The objective of C4D is to optimise progress and the success of your project in the long run.
Without involvement or ownership progress made will mostly not be sustainable and the situa-
tion will tend to quickly return to the former situation. It is essential for local actors to become
empowered and take at heart their own development and feel responsible for maintaining the
change achieved.

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 7

C4D IN THE
PROJECT CYCLE

“ C4D must be included from formulation onwards in order

to be taken seriously. If it is added later, it will only be like icing
on the cake with too few resources allocated for communicating

”
effectively.
Véronique Gérard
Programme officer, BTC Peru

Communication for Development, because of its nature and objectives, is naturally em-
bedded in your project's life cycle. At every phase of the project, you must go through the
corresponding C4D phase. It will make your work easier; you will also be more coherent
and effective.

PHASE OF THE PROJECT CORRESPONDING C4D PHASE

- Context: Collect and analyse data
Start-up - Definition of C4D indicators
---> Incorporate C4D in the baseline of your intervention

- C4D strategy development

Execution
- Implementation of the C4D strategy

Mid-term review (MTR) - Mid-term review of the C4D strategy

-F
 inal evaluation of the C4D strategy, linked to the final evaluation
Closing
of the project

8
GENDER AND C4D

As a staff member working for a project of BTC it is your Example:

duty to pay attention to gender in your work. In 2010, The Local Government Reform and Development Programme
(LGRDP) implemented in Palestine is not specifically focussing
BTC officially committed to mainstreaming gender and
on gender, but it targets to reach 30% women among
promoting gender equality. It is your duty to systemati- participants for all social activities organised in the intervention
cally incorporate the gender dimension in your work, villages.
and to raise awareness among your project's target au-
diences and stakeholders about this challenge:
Further reading (in French):
› Inform your partners about your gender mainstreaming Guide fédéral belge n°25, Intégrer la dimension
de genre dans la communication fédérale.
demands from the early preparation of communication www.fedweb.belgium.be/sites/default/files/
onwards. downloads/COMM25%2Bannexe_07_11_13_fr_
› In case you work with an external service provider, web.pdf
provide specific instructions concerning mainstreaming
of the gender dimension in the service delivery.
› Regardless of the functions, make sure to hire as many
men as women and to form a gender-balanced team.
› If you work with the media, do not hesitate to remind
them of their power to influence mindsets and attitudes
and of their crucial role in handling and propagating
gender stereotypes.

The deconstruction of gender stereotypes constitutes a

genuine challenge that requires permanent attention!

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 9

PHASES OF A STRATEGY

COLLECT
AND ANALYSE
THE DATA
 To develop an effective communication strategy, This situation and actors analysis must be carried out
first, key information must be collected. jointly with the partners and citizens concerned.

Assess the situation in which your communication It is not just the best way to ensure not to miss any
activities will be embedded, identify the key actors important information, but it is also a way to guarantee
for the project, analyse their behaviour vis-à-vis ownership of the project and the relevancy of the
the issue and, finally, identify their communication project for all, by jointly identifying, specifying or
habits. validating the project's communication objectives.

Collect information from existing documents but Do not hesitate to rely on (internal or outside) spe-
also further involve the stakeholders and do further cialists to collect data or carry out the analysis (so-
research in the field. ciologists, universities, study bureaus, etc.). Ensure
that the specialists support the debate and reflec-
tion process without ever monopolising knowledge.

TOOLBOX Further reading:

There are many qualitative and quantitative How to conduct a situation analysis
The Health Compass
sources from which to collect data; ideally both http://www.thehealthcompass.org/how-to-guides/
are combined. Below are a few leads to start how-conduct-situation-analysis
collecting information from:
- Reports form earlier projects on the topic and
in the area concerned (from BTC but also from
other sources)
- Partner country sector strategies
- Individual meetings with key actors and with
specialists
- Group discussions
- Reflection workshops
- Surveys and polls

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 11

BACKGROUND

“ Often the essential dimension of social determinants and

resistance is forgotten. Decentralisation, for instance, is not
a spontaneous process and is strongly opposed because power
balances are challenged. So, it is important to be aware

”
of the context of the intervention.
François Kieffer
Decentralisation expert, BTC Mali

The situation analysis is conducted in order to identify Speak with other players (other agencies, NGOs, the
and understand your project's specific socio-economic, private sector, faith-based organisations, etc.) operat-
cultural and political challenges, which may affect the ing in your domain. By getting to know their successes
entire communication effort. and failures you will avoid many mistakes. It will also be
useful to understand the attitude of the different actors
Ideally, the situation analysis is a mere update of the vis-à-vis your new intervention.
situation analysis in the Technical and Financial File (TFF)
and not research that has to start from scratch. That way, you can also identify possible partnerships:
Work together as much as possible. You will maximise
Always consider what is socially and legally acceptable. available energies and resources!
In some cultures, for instance, it is not done to publicly
express an opinion that goes against political or tradi-
tional authorities. In that case more individual meetings
should be conducted to collect more truthful opinions. TIP
Certain people may tell you what they believe
Make sure not to exclude anyone. Also make sure to you want to hear rather than what they actually
give the floor to marginalised and disadvantaged groups think. Surround yourself with actors who know the
(mostly women, or young people). terrain and who are trusted by your target groups.

Work with a person who speaks the local language.

This often is a requirement for reaching out to all stake-
holders.

Rely on liaison persons locally. These locals can help

you with identifying and contacting key persons or with
putting in place dialogue facilities.
SWOT analysis
The SWOT matrix is a tool used to identify Strengths and Such an analysis is subjective and qualitative by nature.
Weaknesses of a project as well as its Opportunities and The filled out matrix will never be complete and may
Threats. evolve in the course of the project.

Example:
SWOT analysis carried out by the Support project to civil registry services in Mali:

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
- Creation of the National Public Registry - Poor involvement of mayors in managing
Directorate (DNEC) the civil registry
- Computerisation of the main public registry - Uncertain registry officer's function (no status)
offices of head seat municipalities of circles - Poor involvement of judicial authorities
- Free-of-charge civil registry deeds in controlling civil registry activities
- Strong presence of registry offices - Little interest shown by the State's
- Adaptation of legal framework representation at the local level
- Free granting of civil registry registrations and - Poor basic education level of civil registry agents
print-outs by centres - Few resources allocated by the communes for
- Significant increase of rates of events registered the functioning of civil registry services
in civil registry (45% to 75%) - Poor maintenance of IT equipment over time
- The IT tool is not used everywhere in managing
the civil registry
- Use of resources allocated to the civil registry
services for other ends (vehicles)

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
- Political stability - Poor mobilisation of populations
- Strengthening of system of performance - Poor involvement of political and administrative
of DNEC authorities at the decentralised and
- Existence of a partnership framework for donors deconcentrated level
- Existence of a coordination framework - Bad governance
between ministries - Irregular and insufficient allocation of financial
and human resources by the State for making
the deconcentrated civil registry services
operational

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 13

Example:
SWOT analysis in terms of communication:

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
internal to the project internal to the project

---> Maintain and exploit ---> Address and resolve

- What competences are available within - Are there sufficient human and budgetary
the project? resources for communication?
- Does the whole project team understand the - What expertise are you missing internally?
importance of communication? Is it motivated? - Which technical, linguistic or political constraints
- What communication tools are already existing? may influence communication?
- What are the project's assets? What are you - Is the location of the project sufficiently close
good at? to the project partners' locations?
- Etc. - Etc.

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
external to the project external to the project
---> Seize and develop ---> Counter and avoid
- Are there any events which you can get involved - Do you have the contacts needed to
into? Or on which you can rely? provide yourself with the required expertise
- Who are your possible co-workers? (communication agencies, printing shops, etc.)?
- What participation facilities, dialogue platforms - Are all technical resources that you need
are available to you? accessible (electricity, internet, etc.)?
- Etc. - Do your partners buy into your vision?
- Are there elections pending that might
slow down your activities?
- Etc.

14
ACTORS
Identification of the actors
Every project interacts with a broad range of actors Be as specific as possible. Do not limit yourself to listing
(stakeholders, beneficiaries); for instance, partner country, broad groups, but be as specific as possible for each
provincial, regional or local authorities, citizens, the media, target. In your communication plan you will rarely target
opinion leaders, donors, partners, etc. a whole ministry, but rather specific persons or services.
You must already have an idea of the number of persons
Based on the project's stakeholders identified in the representing each target.
Technical and Financial File (TFF) draw up a list of all
actors, regardless of whether they are directly or indirectly
involved. Do not hesitate to add actors that are not men-
tioned in the TFF if they seem important to you.

Example:
Identification of stakeholders

TOO VAGUELY IDENTIFIED REALISTIC IDENTIFICATION

(ADD THE NUMBER!)

Ministry of Education The cabinet of the permanent secretary of the

Ministry of Education (5 persons)

The Inspection Directorate The Inspection director-general and his deputy

(2 persons)

The pupils and teachers of targeted schools Break down:

- Girls aged 12 to 16 from urban schools
(800 persons)
- Science teachers from targeted rural schools
(50 persons)

Village inhabitants Break down:

- Men working in agriculture (300)
- Heads of households (150)
- Young people aged 6 – 12 (200)
- Retired people (80)
- …

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 15

Actor analysis
The situation analysis and the actor analysis are crucial The actor analysis is conducted by placing the actors on
to detect any changes since the Technical and Financial the matrix, in function of their interests and influence
File was written. Sometimes important differences may (their power) vis-à-vis the objectives of the project. This
exist between the theory of the document and the reality analysis allows to rank the different actors by priority and
in the field. to determine which communication strategy has to be
put in place for each actor.
For instance, the appointment of a new head of service at
a ministry, evolutions in the education system that have
teachers oppose further education reform, disagreements
between municipalities and the governor of the province
blocking the decision-making process, or farmers that
have not been informed about infrastructure works on
their land claiming compensation…

TOOLBOX
Stakeholder analysis matrix Interests

DIALOGUE PARTNERSHIP
Actors with broad interests but little power must be Actors with much power and interests that are
actively involved in the project. Often, these are the aligned with the objectives of the project are the
‘targeted end beneficiaries’. people or organisations with which the best relations
must be had. They must be ‘on board’.
C4D must be designed in such a way that these
actors can voice their opinion and that they are These are key players for policy changes.
heard in the decision-making process. Generally, the actors with most power are the
‘decision makers’, (national, regional, local…)
If these actors are organised, they may become authorities.
the basis for an interest group or a coalition that can
lobby for change. In that case, they move forward
on the influence axis.

Influence (power)

MONITOR LOBBY
Actors with few interests and little power are no Actors with much power but few interests must
priority targets of communication. be satisfied in terms of information. To boost their
interests lobbying is required. This is where persons
However, an actor who should have an interest of influence, opinion leaders appear.
in the project may not feel concerned. In that case,
the communication strategy must aim to strengthen Try to convince them to promote the proposed
that actor's interest for the project, moving up change.
the actor along the vertical axis.

16
Example:
Stakeholder analysis in a health project in Bolivia.
Each post-it is a target and says how many people must be reached
(an essential bit of information for choosing the communication tool).

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 17

PHASES OF A STRATEGY

DEVELOP
THE STRATEGY
 “ C4D requires you to be like a psychologist; you have to enter
the mind of someone else to understand how to reach him or her.
Then, you must be creative and not limit yourself to what has

”
already been said and done.
Véronique Gérard
Programme officer, BTC Peru.

Use data collected during the research phase to elaborate Develop the strategy in a participatory way and have
your communication strategy. Your situation analysis it validated by all actors concerned. It will not only allow
and actor analysis will provide you with key elements you to ensure that the communication strategy is rele-
to determine which should be your general and specific vant and socially acceptable, but it will also be the occa-
communication objectives, your target groups, your sion to encourage mobilisation of and ownership by the
messages as well as your communication tools and stakeholders.
channels.

OBJECTIVES
Three levels of objectives must be distinguished: S.M.A.R.T
› The project objectives
› The ensuing general communication objectives Your communication objectives must be as SMART
› The specific communication objectives for each as possible:
target group.
Specific
The communication objectives must always serve the Is the objective simple, clear, specific and understood
interests of the project. Ideally, formulate objectives in by all?
terms of expected results, i.e. quantified and defined in
time. It will consequently help with defining monitoring Measurable
and evaluation indicators. Can the objective be quantified (or qualified)?
What threshold is to be attained?
Example:
“X persons must have adopted behaviour Z by the year Y”.
Achievable
Is the objective relevant for the project objectives?
Here are a few types of communication objectives that
you may end up pursuing: Realistic
› Drawing attention: Attract the attention of the Is the objective not too ambitious?
target group Yet, is it sufficiently ambitious to be stimulating?
› Informing: Make known a measure, project;
inform about a topic Timely
› Promoting understanding: Explain the ‘raison Is the objective set and limited in time?
d’être’ of an intervention, a partnership, a reform
› Raising awareness: Raise awareness, convince
a target audience
› Promoting adherence: Obtain approval, obtain
adherence to the project, to values
› Promoting action: Get to act, to adopt certain
behaviour
› Rectifying: Dealing with rumours, overcome negative
prejudices.

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 19

TARGET GROUPS
Thanks to the research done during the analysis phase, Example:
you should be able to determine which priority actors For instance, instead of identifying ‘the family’ as an
influencing actor, it may be relevant to distinguish the father,
to target in your communication. The more specific and
children, adult women (mother, aunts, sisters, grandmother),
homogeneous your target groups are, the more effective etc.
your communication will be.

TOOLBOX
Audiences' characteristics, adapted from: Food Security Communications Toolkit, FAO, 2012, p20, annexe II.

Name of audience:
CHARACTERISTICS QUESTION
Number How many people (or organisations) are there?
Location Where are they located?
Education What type of education do they have? In what subjects?
Language What languages do they speak?
Background Where do they come from? What are they like?
Organisation Do they belong to an organisation?
Livelihood and employment How do they earn a living? What type of work do they do?
What are their job responsibilities?
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE
Existing knowledge What do they know about the theme of your project?
Existing attitudes What do they think about it?
Current practices What do they do about it?
Stage of behavioural change Based on the three above characteristics, where are they on the
behaviour change scale?
SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Information sources Where do they currently get information? What media do they use?
Communication channels How do they communicate with each other? What media do they use?

TIP
Pay special attention to how you target women. Further reading:
If you must pass through the men to reach How to conduct a situation analysis,
The Health Compass
women, make sure that the women involved are http://www.thehealthcompass.org/how-to-guides/
representative and that they speak freely. how-conduct-situation-analysis

20
Behaviours
To design an appropriate communication strategy you and practices relating to the development issue – in
must understand the behaviour of each of the target order to assess where the target group is in relation to
groups retained. Indeed, behaviours cannot be changed its stage of behaviour change. This will be indicative
instantly. Behaviour change is the fruit of a process; it for the strategy to adopt, to effectively have behaviour
is achieved by stages. Use data from recent surveys follow the linear and logical order of the behaviour
– especially ones that identify knowledge, attitudes change stages.

STAGES OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

Participant Stage
Use adapted
Repeat behaviour over
behaviour – long term
Try new short term
Are motivated behaviour
Are aware, - Testimonial
concerned, to change from satisfied
-R  educe barriers
knowledgeable customers
through problem
- Provide - Reminders:
Are unaware solving
information on when / where /
- Use action -B  uild skills
correct practice how
messages: through practice
- Identify perceived - Encourage
when / where / - Community
barriers and continued
- Raise awareness how support / social
benefits to practice by
/ provide - Use community recognition
behaviour emphasising
information groups / social -A  ssure them
change benefits
- Recommend networks to of their ability
- Promote social
solutions counsel and to sustain new
norms
motivate behaviour
- Recommend
actions

Role of Communication
Source: Writing a communication strategy for development programmes, UNICEF, 2008, p30, figure 8.

Further reading (in French):

Guide fédéral belge n°29,
Communiquer en situation de changement.
www.fedweb.belgium.be/fr/actualites/2015/
comm-collection-29-communiquer-en-situation-
de-changement

Sources of information & communication channels

To pick appropriate communication channels, you must Knowing this is helpful for determining which channels
find out how your different target groups usually get you can use to effectively reach your targets. Based on
informed, how they communicate, and which media are this information you can pick communication channels
locally available. Do they read articles? Do they listen to that your targets already use or think of innovative chan-
the radio? Do they come to meetings? Do they obtain nels.
information from friend or neighbours? Do they have
access to the Internet?

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 21

MESSAGES
Key messages must be designed for each objective and Example:
each target group. -A
 IDS kills
NO: The message is simple but it includes no benefits/
Pick one single message for each communication action
solutions and it does not call for action.
and stick to the KISS principle: “Keep it short and simple”. -P
 rotect your children from malaria.
Sleep under an insecticide-treated net
A few bits of advice to maximise the impact of your YES: The message is clear. It gives an advantage and calls
messages: for action.
› Write clear and forceful messages
› Highlight the benefits for your target
› Call for action
› Adjust your messages to the social and cultural
sensitivity of the audience
› Target the areas of interest of the audience
› Use an appropriate language and tone to reach the
audience
› Use positive and fun messages rather than
moralistic messages
› Repeat your messages regularly
› Test the message to make sure it is understood well.

COMMUNICATION TOOLS

“ It is essential to involve the partner in the choice of the materials,

so they are adapted to the country. There is a tendency to take
too complicated actions that stand no chance of outlasting the

”
project because no-one takes on ownership.
Christophe Aspeel
Expert in the police sector, BTC Burundi

The communication tools used must be context appro- Example:

priate and take into account the cultural sensitivities of Avoid written documents if you address a low-literacy audience;
ensure that people have easy access to the web before
the targeted actors.
developing digital materials; etc.

Rely on professionals to help you produce the materials.

22
 TOOLBOX
Examples of communication materials. The characteristics given are indicative and may vary
in accordance with where and how they are used.

Size and Duration

Size of the Required
Interaction complexity of of life of Cost
target group competencies
information information

Brochure / folder KK     €€

Poster / drawing / caricature KK     €€

Press release KK     €

Contest KK      €€

Television (spot, broadcast, debate) KKK     €€

Radio (spot, broadcast, debate) KKK     €€

Video / film / cartoons / animations KKK     €€€

Billboards / road signs KKK     €€€

Fresco / painting KKK     €€

Newspaper / magazine KKK     €€

Comics KKK     €€€

Meetings K       €

Questionnaire KK      €

Conference / forum KK       €

Training KK       €€

Illustrated book (‘image box’) KK       €€

Participatory theatre KK      €€

Board game KK      €€€

Festival KKK      €€€

Music / Concert KKK      €€

Dance KKK      €€

Exhibition / Salon KKK      €€

Phone calls / texting /

KK      €€
applications

Toll-free line KK      €

Website KKK      €€

Digital newsletter KKK     €

Social networks KKK       €

Blogs KKK      €

Podcasts KKK     €

Key:

K :S mall. approximately the number of people around a table  : One single broadcast. For instance, radio or TV spot
KK : A verage. approximately the number of people fitting in a room  : Varying longevity. Can be repeated and/or reused
KKK : L
 arge. approximately the number of people fitting in a conference room,  : Information accessible for the long term
or more (e.g., magazine – the information is permanently accessible)

 : One-way communication  : Easy to produce yourself

  : Interaction possible but not systematically  : Rely on assistance if possible
   : Interactive communication  : Work with professionals!

 : Limited € : Usually free of charge or cheap

 : Average €€ : Moderately expensive
 : Significant €€€ : Overall expensive considering the need for human resources, design,
production…
 PHASES OF A STRATEGY

IMPLEMENTATION

24
 ACTION PLAN
During implementation you will undertake communica- The Action plan serves as a reference during imple-
tion actions as determined by the strategy. During this mentation. This plan must detail the set objectives, in-
phase you must draw up the action plan, design and tended audiences, messages, materials, as well as the
produce communication materials, test them and train time frame for each activity and financial inputs needed.
relevant staff. This phase is the most resource-intensive Mind, each communication objective may correspond
in both human and financial terms, but not necessarily in with one or more activities.
terms of time. If the work in the previous two phases was
done properly, the implementation is the most straight-
forward phase.

Example:
Action plan adapted from: Development Communication Sourcebook, World Bank, 2008, p129, table 3.6

ACTION PLAN
Tools / Person
C4D objectives Activities Target group Message Calendar
Products responsible

Vaccinate 70% Information Primary: The vaccine is - Radio ads Nicolas, - 6 months
of the children campaigns Mothers free-of-charge - Posters Junior to design the
under 5 in Secondary: and diminishes Assistant campaign
area X Adolescent the risk of your - 6 months for
children and children dying implementation
fathers (June - December)

Field visits Primary: The vaccine is - Image box Dominique, - 6 months

Mothers free-of-charge SPOC to design the
Secondary: and diminishes materials
Adolescent the risk of your - 1 month for
children and children dying training staff for
fathers the field visit
- 8 months
of visits and
meetings

Target the Debating Primary: Fever after - Interactive Marion, - 6 months

parents in area events Mothers and vaccination piece of theatre professional for writing,
X of children fathers is normal and facilitator scenography, and
under five Secondary: temporary. hiring the actors.
to counter Children, Thanks to - 6 months of
rumours adolescents the vaccine performance
claiming that and the elderly the child will
the vaccine is never again
carrying the be touched by
disease. disease X.

Know what the Regular Primary: Your opinion - Citizen Thomas, - 1 month to
parents think of evaluations Parents of on the quality report cards Monitoring design the cards
the education pupils from of service (= written & Evaluation - 2 weeks to
provided the supported delivery is assessment officer collect the
schools essential to forms) opinions
Secondary: improve the - 2 weeks to
Pupils services compile the
results

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 25

PRETEST
Pretest messages and materials with a relevant sample
of the intended target groups before starting the pro-
duction and large-scale dissemination of communica-
tion materials. Ensure that the content and form of your
materials are adapted to the intended groups, that they
are understandable and that they produce the desired
reactions.

TOOLBOX

EVALUATION OF THE MESSAGES AND MATERIALS DURING PRETEST

Elements to be evaluated Standard questions

Content - How is the content understood?

- Does the shared information meet the needs of the public?
- Is the information sufficiently detailed?
- Are the individuals/instances that disseminate the messages credible?
- Do the messages have the desired effectiveness?

Form, visual - Do the materials trigger interest?

- Are the materials easy to use?

Choice of materials - Is the format/tool chosen a relevant one?

- Are the technical features needed for using the materials available?
- What about longevity, and wear and tear of the materials? Can they be used
for a long time, even after the project?

Comments - Any other comments?

- Suggestions?

If you cannot conduct a large-scale pretest, testing your

Further reading:
message or your materials on a small sample may al-
How to conduct a pretest,
ready tell you much. The Health Compass
http://www.thehealthcompass.org/how-to-guides/
how-conduct-pretest

26
CALENDAR BUDGET
The calendar of the communication plan must match Communication often is an underestimated budgetary
with the calendar of your project. Take into account item. The five principal elements requiring financial input
external factors to your project that may influence are:
the availability and accessibility of your target groups: › Research for the situation analysis
Seasonal habits, traditional or religious celebrations, › Coordination meetings
agricultural calendars, holidays, etc. Also think of check- › Recruiting and training staff
ing the dates of local or topical publications or whether › The production and dissemination of communication
events are scheduled that could influence your calendar. materials and the organisation of events
› Supervision and evaluation.
Plan sufficient time for production (pretesting included)
of your materials to ensure quality.

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 27

 THE PHASES OF A STRATEGY

MONITORING
AND EVALUATION

28
Once the communication is put in place, plan on mon- communication where necessary and to capitalise on
itoring and evaluating communication and define the experiences. In addition, these phases are needed from
indicators that you will use. Monitoring and evaluat- a learning and accountability perspective.
ing of communication will allow you to reorient your

Monitoring consists in regularly assessing your The final evaluation of communication must be
communication on the basis of indicators in order conducted simultaneously with the final evalua-
to verify that it produces the desired results. Your tion of the project and will allow you to measure the
communication strategy must be flexible and adapt impact of your C4D activities.
to realities in the field and risks and issues identified
in order to be more relevant and effective.

To be more coherent link monitoring your commu-

nication with monitoring your project by including
a small chapter on communication in your mid-term
review.

The results of communication activities are rather diffi-

cult to assess since they are often intangible and usually
only visible on the long term. To assess them therefore
requires the use of both qualitative and quantitative
methods.

Do not hesitate to delegate certain monitoring and eval-

uation tasks to an M&E officer, to other members of the
team, to the partner institution or even to external stake-
holders.

Also involve persons that the programmes target in

monitoring and evaluation. By having them observe pro-
gress and analyse the outcome of activities in which they
are associated, motivation and ownership of the partici-
pants will be strongly enhanced and the project will be
more likely to be sustainable.

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 29

INDICATORS
Indicators allow to measure and evaluate the results of
communication. By nature indicators are quantitative or
qualitative.

It is not evident to scientifically measure human and so-

cial dimensions. That is why the key role of C4D is not
always immediately obvious or well understood. As a
consequence you should not hesitate to report results
that are not supported by statistical analyses or quan-
tifiable data.

Preferably work with a limited number of indicators

to facilitate the monitoring thereof. Also check whether
the data of your indicators are easily available. Finally,
always try to formulate indicators following the SMART
principles.

Set indicators on the basis of the objectives of the project

following three categories:

Process or activity
indicators Quality indicators Results indicators
Examples: Examples: Examples:
- A session has been organised to - Participants to the training session - 90% of children in region X
raise awareness on hygiene in every on waste recycling improve their are vaccinated.
primary school in province Y. knowledge. - 60% of nurses in district Z's
- At least 75% of households of - Following the press conference, health centres use 4 of the
commune X are visited by the local journals publish an article that 6 communication competencies
animators. reflects the project's point of view. in which they have been trained.

30
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Agence Suisse de la Coopération pour le Développement Agriculture

(COSUDE). (2014). Comunicación para el desarrollo. Una guía FAO. (2014). Communication for rural development.
práctica. (Available on https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/ Guidelines for planning and project formulation.
dam/deza/es/documents/Publikationen/Diverses/234322- (Available on http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4222e.pdf)
comunicacion-desarrollo_ES.pdf)
FAO. (2012). Manuel de communication pour la
BBC World Service Trust. (2010). How to use communication sécurité alimentaire. (Available on http://www.fao.org/3/
to make aid effective. Strategies and principles for programme- contents/7a17ac6c-de50-5747-aa0d-c1db76b86639/i2195f.
based approaches. (Available on http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/ pdf)
worldservice/trust/pdf/research_and_policy/communication_
to_make_aid_effective.pdf) Water
Programme d’Appui à la gestion intégrée des ressources
Bessette, G. (2004). Guide pratique de la communication en eau (AGIRE). (2013). Manuel de communication pour la
participative pour le développement. Les Presses de gestion intégrée des ressources en eau au Maroc. (Available
l’Université Laval. on http://www.agire-maroc.org/fileadmin/user_files/manuel-
communication/Manuel-communication-final.pdf)
Mcloughlin, C. (2011). Helpdesk Research Report: Impact of
Communication for Development (C4D). GSDRC. (Available on Education
http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/HD758.pdf) Association pour le développement de l’éducation en Afrique
(ADEA). (2001). La communication au service de l’éducation et
Office fédéral du développement territorial (ARE) & Direction du développement : accroître la participation et l’engagement
du développement et de la coopération (DDC). (2007). des parties prenantes. (Available on http://www.adeanet.org/
Communiquer le développement durable, Guide pratique. portalv2/adea/biennial/papers/fr_arusha_opubor.pdf)
(Available on http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/
message/attachments/8579.pdf)
The Environment
United Nations Organisation. (2010). Communication BBC Media Action. (2013). Communicating Climate Change:
for Development. Strengthening the effectiveness of the What you can do. (Available on http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/
United Nations. (Available on http://www.undp.org/content/ rmhttp/mediaaction/pdf/climateasia/commsguide/resources/
dam/undp/library/Democratic%20Governance/OGC/c4d- ClimateAsia_CommGuide.pdf)
effectiveness%20of%20UN-EN.pdf)
Bessette, G. (2007). Eau, terre et vie. Communication
Federal Public Service Personnel and Organisation (Belgium). participative pour le développement et gestion des ressources
Élaborer un plan de communication stratégique pour une naturelles. Les Presses de l’Université Laval.
organisation publique. Guide pour les communicateurs
fédéraux. COMM Collection, n°19. (Available on http://www. Governance
fedweb.belgium.be/fr/binaries/broch_commcollection19_plan_ Governance and social development resource center. (2011).
com_strategique_fr_tcm119-106099.pdf) Topic guide on communication and governance. (Available on
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTGOVACC/Resources/
Federal Public Service Personnel and Organisation (Belgium). CommunicationGovernanceTGedition2.pdf)
(2005). Établir le plan de communication d’un projet. Guide
pour les communicateurs fédéraux. COMM Collection, n°12. World Bank. (2007). Setting Standards for Communication
(Available on http://www.fedweb.belgium.be/fr/binaries/broch_ and Governance The Example of Infrastructure
commcollection12_communicatieplan_fr_tcm119-3356.pdf) Projects. (Available on http://www-wds.worldbank.
org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2
The Communication Initiative, FAO, The World Bank. (2007). 007/08/10/000011823_20070810125218/Rendered/
World Congress on communication for development: Lessons, PDF/405620Setting018082137169501PUBLIC1.pdf)
Challenges, and the Way Forward. (Available on http://www.
fao.org/3/a-ai143e.pdf)
Health
UNICEF. (2008). Writing a communication strategy for Health Communication Capacity Collaborative.
developments programmes. (Available on http://www.unicef. http://healthcommcapacity.org/
org/cbsc/files/Writing_a_Comm_Strategy_for_Dev_Progs.pdf)
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2003).
World Bank. (2008). Development communication A Field guide to designing health communication strategy.
sourcebook. (Available on http://siteresources. (Available on http://www.thehealthcompass.org/sites/default/
worldbank.org/EXTDEVCOMMENG/Resources/ files/strengthening_tools/Field-Guide-to-Designing-Health-
DevelopmentCommSourcebook.pdf) Comm-Strategy.pdf)

01.2016 COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 31

BTC
BELGIAN
DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

RUE HAUTE 147

1000 BRUSSELS
T +32 (0)2 505 37 00
[email protected]
WWW.BTCCTB.ORG