Communication strategy

A strategy refers to some design to use resources (power) to attain give

goals through certain instrumental actions. A communication strategy is a
set of decisions concerning communication directly instrumental to the
attainment of the goals. It answers to the questions that who is to
communicate what, to whom, what for and how. There are some major
steps in formulating communication strategy viz
Communication strategy help us in the following ways :
• Helps to achieve our overall organizational objectives
• Engage effectively with stake holders
• Ensure people to understand what we do
• Change behavior and perception when necessary
• Demonstrate the success of our work
• It show how effective communication can be
 Steps for the application of communication
strategies
1) Analysis of the audience : The first step in formulating
communication strategy is to analyses audience with whom
we want to communicate. In order to design our messages and
select media knowledge about their values, present
understanding and practice regarding the topic are essentials.
Besides reach of the different media and their popularity
should be analyzed. If we could know how do people receive
and accept information usually, it would be easy to decide
appropiate approach. Effective communication uses
recognizable scenes, local term, popular character and easy to
follow format. Audience study helps to catogorise people on
the basis of their distinguishing features.
2) Formulation of the communication goals and
objectives: goals refer to the outcome with
timeframe. Goals are broad in nature. Objectives
indicate directions of work or specific changes
expected. Communication objectives related to
mental process. They imply behavioural changes in
terms of information, motivation, practices adopted
etc. such explicit description of behavioural
outcome help in designing matching strategy and
evaluate them later.
3) Selection of communication methods and media: an
extension worker must be guided by certain criteria to
choose appropiate methods and media in order to
enhance effectiveness of work. Is there some rule? There
is no patent formula as such. It depends on a number of
consideration and of course some common sense. Farmers
often prefer their neighbours and friends as source of new
information. Many time important technologies have been
adopted by farmers without the help or support from
extension or research personnel. Thus there is need to
understand farmers source of communication.
Some of the important factors affecting selection of
communication channel has been elaborated below:
1) Audience characteristics
2) Audience size
3) Purpose
4) Time
5) Cost
6) Size of staff
7) Characteristics of each method or medium
8) Multimedia strategy
4) Message design: after selecting each a set of
method and media one must decide about
matching messages for each media so that
desired objectives are achieved. Message
design refers to decision about amount and
level of information sequence, language pace,
choice of symbols and mode of presentation.
5) Formulation of communication plan: In order
to use communication media various activities
need to be planned in phases like staff
recruitment training of staff, production of
materials, evaluation of materials, distribution
of material and co-ordination of various
activities. Work schedule need to be
formulated to orchestrate various activities.
6) Evaluation: All communication material must be
pre-tested for attractiveness, understanding and
acceptance. Field testing determines whether
these elements are present and how to include
them in final product. Evaluation is needed with
regard to content and manner of presentation.
Representative sample of audience should be
consulted to evaluate communication. Over all
communication strategy should be evaluated.
 Communication strategies for agricultural
development
Public-private-NGO Partnerships

Efforts to transfer agricultural technologies to farmers are more

effective when the state (GO), nongovernmental (NGO), and
private (PO) sectors work in partnership.

The most effective partnerships proved to be

GO+PO
GO+NGO
The participation of the target group is essential if PPPs are to
bring the desired outputs
Nepal Agricultural Research Council(NARC)
Through Communication, Publication and Documentation Division(CPDD),
NARC has following four major functional communication strategies
depending on the information to be disseminated and audiences to be
reached:
1. Technical and Scientific Communication Strategy
2. General Program Communication Strategy
3. Public Communication Strategy
4. Promotional Communication Strategy
Technical and scientific
communication
strategy
Strategy
Target Audience Objectives Messages Methods
Agriculture scientists, • Enable NARC’S scientist to • prepare and • technical
Academicians, select need based agriculture access research papers and
University students research proposal reports
• enable scientists to share • design research • scientific
scientific information for their methodology journal
mutual benefit. • interpretation • workshop
• transfer technologies from and evaluation conference
NARC Ext. workers of results. • email,
farmers internet
• to provide information to • exchange
academicians carrying research visits.
work on agriculture
General program
communication
strategy
strategy
Target Audience objective Message Method
Research • To inform planners about • agricultural • Annual reports
planners, policy NARC programs, research needs •Program
makers, line achievements. • impact of NARCS brochures
organizations • to support the policy technology and • news letter
I/NGO makers findings • summary of
• to keep doners informed • successful research results
of the NARC’S research technologies • seminar
programms. adopted by NARC
Public communication
strategy
strategy
Target Audience Objective Message Method

Farmers development To communicate NARC’S • major findings • Technical

workers (JT, JTA) Private research and generated of NARC magazine in
entrepreneur local NGO technologies to the general • NARC national language
public and help technology recommended • books
transfer. on crop and • Radio, TV
livestock • Calendar
• Environment • Website
friendly publishing
farming
practices
Promotional
communication strategy

strategy
Target Audience Objective Message Method

All related institutions • To help NARC linkage • NARC • Diaries

and individuals whom and good relation with outstanding • calendar publishing
NARC has to keep other organizations activities • video tape on NARC
linkage • To maintain councils • NARC good image program
good image • Website publishing
• To impress donner
agencies
 Types of communication agents in
agriculture
1. Mass media : Farm papers, Booklets, Leaflets, Newsletter,
Magazine, Telivision, Radio etc.
Major Function: 1) providing information of wide spread
interest by broadcasting agriculture program 2) selling
advertisement.
Structural and Operational Features : impersonal contacts,
frequent contact easily asscesable, contact of general
interest, one way communication.
major expected role with respect to change : fast
knowledge
2) Agricultural Agencies : agriculture instructor, college and
university of agriculture, soil conservation and livestock
service.
Major function : 1) Disseminating information on specific
practices 2) Principal of farming 3) Providing special and
technical services.
Structural and Operational Feature: personal and
impersonal contact, contact limited primarily to those
seeking information, contact to general and of specific and
local interest two way communication.
Major expected role with response to change: Instruction
change into putting change into effect
Help in decision making.
3) Commercial Sources : Business sources, agro vet, private
agencies
Major Functions : Buying and selling materials and
equipment in their major function, proffesional services
Structural and Operational Feature : personal and
impersonal contact, contact incidental to buying selling
and special services, content oriented to economic and
to special interest.
Major expected role with response to change:
instruction in putting change into effect
4) Other farmers : neighbors, local leaders, relatives,
friends etc.
Major function social status, mutual aid, response,
reactions
Structural and Operational Feature : personal contact,
frequently contact, frequently contact, contact oriented
to local and personal experience, two way
communication.
Major expected role with response to change: help in
decision making, instruction in putting change into effect.
COMMUNICATION POLICIES LINKED WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
AGENCIES

To put forth the strategies into action and to develop the communication process,
various polices are developed which are listed below:
• For study, research, interaction and exchange of visits between native and foreign
journalists should be arranged.
• Modern information network between central and local bodies of government and
the department of information and information centers will be established. it.
• Access to information and communication will be extended to the general public,
the community information Centre will be established with the local participation
and development and operation community information centers will be encouraged.
• Means of information will be developed as a natural capital investment industry. .
• A knowledge-based society by developing fibraries and reading rooms in the
department of information and information centres so that the general people may
read newspaper, books and booklets will be developed.
• Based on implementation of laws relating to working journalists, provision to classify
communication media and to distribute public service and other governmental
advertisement as well as facility and concession shall be made.
• Editorial Policy will be encouraged to be made public thereby carrying out public
self-assessment and self-evaluation in writing.
• Productions based on the countries all geographical contents and production
based on maximum local contents in local news agencies shall be promoted.
• Unhealthy practice of investing in communication media without business plan
and with vested interest shall be discouraged.
• National public service broad caster shall be established as an autonomous body
that will have nationwide access for strengthening, national unity, maintaining
harmonious and cordial dialogue between culture, caste based, geographic and
linguistic diversities and continuing information flow even at the time of crisis.
• National mass communication training academy shall be established in order to
enhance and update skills and competence of media persons through study,
research and training to mass communication and to encourage higher level of
professional practice "National Communication Museum and Study Academy
shall be established
• "Trend of periodic evaluation of community broad cuter acc. to prescribed
standards shall be encouraged on process.