These guidelines are intended as a starting point to draw attention to the key areas in which strategic communication can support IFAD’s country programmes. They are not a step-by-step process for designing communication strategies for COSOPs. There are a number of useful resources listed at the end of this section that provide more detailed guidance on strategic communication in rural development, primarily at the project level. There are also some suggested methodologies for strategic and participatory communication in projects and programmes.

As CPMs integrate communication in their COSOPs, they are invited to draw on the experience of the Communications Division for advice and recommendations on external experts, where appropriate.

Why communication?

Communication is more than disseminating information and knowledge, it also about fostering social awareness and facilitating dialogue. It is about contributing to building a shared understanding that can lead to change.

Communication strategies can strengthen IFAD’s country programmes by supporting participation of all partners, including poor rural people themselves, and by promoting greater awareness and understanding of IFAD’s strategy and activities. By helping ensure that all partners are fully informed and engaged, communication strategies can also reinforce country ownership of IFAD-supported activities. 

Reaching the MDGs depends on country ownership, citizens’ voice and accountability (Bellagio Statement on the Role of Communication in Meeting the MDGs, November 8-11 2004). Most development agencies argue that development strategies are only likely to be successful if there is substantial country ownership, by governments and also by the people they are designed to benefit.

More specifically, communication strategies will improve the effectiveness of IFAD’s country programmes by:

• Supporting participation and empowerment of those people most affected by IFAD’s country programmes
• Providing channels for people to have their perspectives heard, assessed and incorporated into the COSOP
• Informing all stakeholders of IFAD’s country strategy
• Building and strengthening partnerships
• Helping IFAD country teams advocate and influence decision-makers at all levels
• Communicating the COSOP’s strategic objectives to help to maximize their prioritization in Poverty Reduction Strategies and other national development strategies
• Raising the profile of IFAD’s work in the country
• Communicating results and impact
• Ensuring that learning is fully leveraged in country programmes and at the policy level
• Ensuring that lessons and best practices emerging during the life of country programmes are packaged and shared in formats and through channels appropriate to the various target audiences

All of these objectives can be met by well-targeted communication strategies.

Communication and knowledge management

Strategies for communication and knowledge management must be implemented in tandem to be effective. Knowledge management is a fundamental component of communication strategies, programmes and processes. And a sound communication strategy enables better achievement of goals through effective and efficient sharing of information and knowledge. Planned communication will help ensure that the lessons and other information gathered through knowledge management activities are packaged and disseminated or used in ways that are appropriate to the target audiences, and which deliver the highest impact for resources invested.

Building ownership and participation through communication

Country perspectives and stated needs

Given IFAD’s limited resources, substantive investigation or survey of the perspectives, needs and priorities of stakeholders, in particular poor rural people, may be beyond the budgets allocated for preparation of most COSOPs. Therefore it is important to maximize the effectiveness of every opportunity to consult with the main stakeholders.

Strategic, planned communication can support engagement with stakeholders to discuss their roles and responsibilities, get a sense of the various perspectives, needs and priorities and develop a common understanding. For example, a communication plan could be prepared to support the COSOP inception and validation workshops. It would help the CPM to think about and plan for the information and communication needs of the various participants, as well as to plan for how best to share information about the workshops’ outcomes with a wider range of partners in the country.

Support to project-level communication

Communication strategies developed as part of the preparation of the COSOP can also act as an umbrella for planned communication in projects and programmes in the country, by providing information on the country’s communication context, overall strategic guidance, and acting as the primary mechanism for ensuring that lessons and best practices emerging from projects are fed into the country programme as a whole.

For example, it may be useful during the preparation of background studies for a new COSOP, to consider studies that explore the communication needs, demands and opportunities of people living in rural areas. Information could also be gathered on the general communication and information environment in the country, covering areas such as national communication and telecommunications policies and regulations, access to communication technologies, the state of the media, existing capacity in the country for design and implementation of communication strategies. This background information could be useful during the design of communication components in new projects.

As with other background studies conducted during preparation of the COSOP, it may not be possible to carry out primary research or data collection on the communication environment in a country. However, relevant data may be available through other institutions such as the World Bank, UNDP, UNESCO and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), as well as partners in the country.

Building influence through strategic communication: communicating the COSOP

Competing for policy attention in a crowded development market

Most bilateral and multilateral organizations, and indeed most major international NGOs, are decentralizing management, staff, budgets and decision making to the country level and are also working to ensure that their priorities are reflected in PRSs. As a consequence, increasing human and financial resources are being employed by these organizations to communicate and advocate priority issues so that they are given priority within national poverty reduction strategies and other national development strategies. This is not the case for IFAD. However, communication strategies designed to influence decision makers, including members of government, donors and other major partners, can still be an important tool and don’t necessarily require significant resources to develop and implement. Advocacy can be targeted to mobilize resources, ensure buy-in and influence policy and other key strategies, such as PRSPs.

Communicating is an ongoing activity during the life of the COSOP, especially in relation to knowledge management and results and impact. Therefore, any communication and/or knowledge management strategy should be for the duration of the COSOP.

Getting started

Following are some practical steps for developing a communication strategy:

• Establish the communication objectives
• Identify target audiences
• relevant policymakers and officials in government rural development ministries
• relevant policymakers and officials in other government departments, particularly ministries of finance
• civil society and other non-government actors (including private sector where relevant)
• people who will be affected by IFAD-supported initiatives in the country
• Identify key messages
• Identify key partners and stakeholders
• Identify media and other channels for dissemination
• Define indicators to track impact
  

A communication plan can then be developed that takes into account the specific needs of each type of audience. It would elaborate on how to achieve each of the communication objectives identified in the strategy. It would discuss in greater detail how to articulate messages for each audience and the various media and other communication channels to be used, according to the preferences of the audience.

As already mentioned, any communication strategies and plans for IFAD’s country programmes should be developed in tandem with strategies for knowledge management. Information, lessons and best practices captured, analysed and shared systematically during the period of the COSOP will form the building blocks of the “stories” that IFAD can use to raise the profile of rural development issues through strategic communication internationally, regionally and nationally.

Useful resources and further reading

IFAD resources

The communication component of COSOPs. Background paper prepared by James Deane as a contribution to the preparation of the new format for IFAD COSOPs, 2005.

Guidelines, approaches and methodologies

Communication for empowerment: developing media strategies in support of vulnerable groups. A practical guidance note. UNDP, 2006.

Guidelines on communication for rural development. A brief for development planners and project formulators. FAO, 1995.

Involving the community. A guide to participatory communication for development. Guy Bessette. International Development Research Centre, 2004.

Managing strategic communication in bank projects. A handbook for project officers. Inter-American Development Bank and the Academy for Educational Development, 2004.

Strategic communication for Community-Driven Development: A practical guide for project managers and communication practitioners. Masud Mozammel and Galia Schechter. World Bank, 2005.

Studies and reports
With the support of multitudes: Using strategic communication to fight poverty through PRSPs. Masud Mozammel and Sina Odugbemi (eds). Department for International Development, UK and the World Bank, 2005.

Communication for Development. A medium for innovation in natural resource management. Ricardo Ramírez and Wendy Quarry. International Development Research Centre and FAO, 2004.

Examples

Uganda National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) information and communication strategy

Learning our way into communication: The making of the communication and information strategy with the National Agricultural Advisory Services Programme in Uganda. Ricardo Ramírez. In Agricultural Research and Extension Network (AgREN), Overseas Development Institute 2005.

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