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
communication@btcctb.org
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,
first, key information must be collected.
Assess the situation in which your communication
activities will be embedded, identify the key actors
for the project, analyse their behaviour vis-à-vis
the issue and, finally, identify their communication
habits.
Collect information from existing documents but
also further involve the stakeholders and do further
research in the field.
TOOLBOX
There are many qualitative and quantitative
sources from which to collect data; ideally both
are combined. Below are a few leads to start
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
This situation and actors analysis must be carried out
jointly with the partners and citizens concerned.
It is not just the best way to ensure not to miss any
important information, but it is also a way to guarantee
ownership of the project and the relevancy of the
project for all, by jointly identifying, specifying or
validating the project's communication objectives.
Do not hesitate to rely on (internal or outside) spe-
cialists to collect data or carry out the analysis (so-
ciologists, universities, study bureaus, etc.). Ensure
that the specialists support the debate and reflec-
tion process without ever monopolising knowledge.
Further reading:
How to conduct a situation analysis
The Health Compass
http://www.thehealthcompass.org/how-to-guides/
how-conduct-situation-analysis
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
and understand your project's specific socio-economic,
cultural and political challenges, which may affect the
entire communication effort.
Ideally, the situation analysis is a mere update of the
situation analysis in the Technical and Financial File (TFF)
and not research that has to start from scratch.
Always consider what is socially and legally acceptable.
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.
Make sure not to exclude anyone. Also make sure to
give the floor to marginalised and disadvantaged groups
(mostly women, or young people).
Speak with other players (other agencies, NGOs, the
private sector, faith-based organisations, etc.) operat-
ing in your domain. By getting to know their successes
and failures you will avoid many mistakes. It will also be
useful to understand the attitude of the different actors
vis-à-vis your new intervention.
That way, you can also identify possible partnerships:
Work together as much as possible. You will maximise
available energies and resources!
TIP
Certain people may tell you what they believe
you want to hear rather than what they actually
think. Surround yourself with actors who know the
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
- Creation of the National Public Registry
Directorate (DNEC)
- Computerisation of the main public registry
offices of head seat municipalities of circles
- Free-of-charge civil registry deeds
- Strong presence of registry offices
- Adaptation of legal framework
- Free granting of civil registry registrations and
print-outs by centres
- Significant increase of rates of events registered
in civil registry (45% to 75%)
WEAKNESSES
- Poor involvement of mayors in managing
the civil registry
- Uncertain registry officer's function (no status)
- Poor involvement of judicial authorities
in controlling civil registry activities
- Little interest shown by the State's
representation at the local level
- Poor basic education level of civil registry agents
- Few resources allocated by the communes for
the functioning of civil registry services
- 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
the project?
- Does the whole project team understand the
importance of communication? Is it motivated?
- What communication tools are already existing?
- What are the project's assets? What are you
good at?
- Etc.
- Are there sufficient human and budgetary
resources for communication?
- What expertise are you missing internally?
- Which technical, linguistic or political constraints
may influence communication?
- Is the location of the project sufficiently close
to the project partners' locations?
- 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
to detect any changes since the Technical and Financial
File was written. Sometimes important differences may
exist between the theory of the document and the reality
in the field.
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
DIALOGUE
Actors with broad interests but little power must be
actively involved in the project. Often, these are the
‘targeted end beneficiaries’.
C4D must be designed in such a way that these
actors can voice their opinion and that they are
heard in the decision-making process.
If these actors are organised, they may become
the basis for an interest group or a coalition that can
lobby for change. In that case, they move forward
on the influence axis.
MONITOR
Actors with few interests and little power are no
priority targets of communication.
However, an actor who should have an interest
in the project may not feel concerned. In that case,
the communication strategy must aim to strengthen
that actor's interest for the project, moving up
the actor along the vertical axis.
16
The actor analysis is conducted by placing the actors on
the matrix, in function of their interests and influence
(their power) vis-à-vis the objectives of the project. This
analysis allows to rank the different actors by priority and
to determine which communication strategy has to be
put in place for each actor.
Interests
PARTNERSHIP
Actors with much power and interests that are
aligned with the objectives of the project are the
people or organisations with which the best relations
must be had. They must be ‘on board’.
These are key players for policy changes.
Generally, the actors with most power are the
‘decision makers’, (national, regional, local…)
authorities.
Influence (power)
LOBBY
Actors with much power but few interests must
be satisfied in terms of information. To boost their
interests lobbying is required. This is where persons
of influence, opinion leaders appear.
Try to convince them to promote the proposed
change.
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
your communication strategy. Your situation analysis
and actor analysis will provide you with key elements
to determine which should be your general and specific
communication objectives, your target groups, your
messages as well as your communication tools and
channels.
Develop the strategy in a participatory way and have
it validated by all actors concerned. It will not only allow
you to ensure that the communication strategy is rele-
vant and socially acceptable, but it will also be the occa-
sion to encourage mobilisation of and ownership by the
stakeholders.

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

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
must understand the behaviour of each of the target
groups retained. Indeed, behaviours cannot be changed
instantly. Behaviour change is the fruit of a process; it
is achieved by stages. Use data from recent surveys
– especially ones that identify knowledge, attitudes
and practices relating to the development issue – in
order to assess where the target group is in relation to
its stage of behaviour change. This will be indicative
for the strategy to adopt, to effectively have behaviour
follow the linear and logical order of the behaviour
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
find out how your different target groups usually get
informed, how they communicate, and which media are
locally available. Do they read articles? Do they listen to
the radio? Do they come to meetings? Do they obtain
information from friend or neighbours? Do they have
access to the Internet?
Knowing this is helpful for determining which channels
you can use to effectively reach your targets. Based on
this information you can pick communication channels
that your targets already use or think of innovative chan-
nels.

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
KK : A verage. approximately the number of people fitting in a room
KKK : L
 arge. approximately the number of people fitting in a conference room,
or more
 : One single broadcast. For instance, radio or TV spot
 : Varying longevity. Can be repeated and/or reused
 : Information accessible for the long term
(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

During implementation you will undertake communica-
tion actions as determined by the strategy. During this
phase you must draw up the action plan, design and
produce communication materials, test them and train
relevant staff. This phase is the most resource-intensive
in both human and financial terms, but not necessarily in
terms of time. If the work in the previous two phases was
done properly, the implementation is the most straight-
forward phase.
ACTION PLAN
The Action plan serves as a reference during imple-
mentation. This plan must detail the set objectives, in-
tended audiences, messages, materials, as well as the
time frame for each activity and financial inputs needed.
Mind, each communication objective may correspond
with one or more activities.

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
The calendar of the communication plan must match
with the calendar of your project. Take into account
external factors to your project that may influence
the availability and accessibility of your target groups:
Seasonal habits, traditional or religious celebrations,
agricultural calendars, holidays, etc. Also think of check-
ing the dates of local or topical publications or whether
events are scheduled that could influence your calendar.
Plan sufficient time for production (pretesting included)
of your materials to ensure quality.
01.2016
BUDGET
Communication often is an underestimated budgetary
item. The five principal elements requiring financial input
are:
› Research for the situation analysis
› Coordination meetings
› Recruiting and training staff
› The production and dissemination of communication
materials and the organisation of events
› Supervision and evaluation.
COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 27
 THE PHASES OF A STRATEGY

MONITORING
AND EVALUATION

28
Once the communication is put in place, plan on mon-
itoring and evaluating communication and define the
indicators that you will use. Monitoring and evaluat-
ing of communication will allow you to reorient your
Monitoring consists in regularly assessing your
communication on the basis of indicators in order
to verify that it produces the desired results. Your
communication strategy must be flexible and adapt
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.
01.2016
communication where necessary and to capitalise on
experiences. In addition, these phases are needed from
a learning and accountability perspective.
The final evaluation of communication must be
conducted simultaneously with the final evalua-
tion of the project and will allow you to measure the
impact of your C4D activities.
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.
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
Examples:
- A session has been organised to
raise awareness on hygiene in every
primary school in province Y.
- At least 75% of households of
commune X are visited by the
animators.
Quality indicators
Examples:
- Participants to the training session
on waste recycling improve their
knowledge.
- Following the press conference,
local journals publish an article that
reflects the project's point of view.
Results indicators
Examples:
- 90% of children in region X
are vaccinated.
- 60% of nurses in district Z's
health centres use 4 of the
6 communication competencies
in which they have been trained.

30
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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comunicacion-desarrollo_ES.pdf)
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Bessette, G. (2004). Guide pratique de la communication
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01.2016
Agriculture
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Water
Programme d’Appui à la gestion intégrée des ressources
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COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT / 31
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