Strategic Communications Training for State MDA - Enhancing Policy Communication

1. Strategic Communications Training of TrainersX State MDA

2. Welcome Note • Opening Remarks • Programme Information

3. Roadmap • Training Objectives • Training Agenda • Strategic Communication for MDAs: Core Principles & Elements • Preparing a Strategy Step by Step • Comms Assessment/Diagnostic & Benchmarking • Breakout Exercise: Preparing a Strategy Diagnostic • Q & A • Wrap Up

4. Participant Introductions • Name • MDA you represent • Job Title • What you hope to gain from the training? –Participant priorities

5. At the centre of it all

6. Training Objectives Improve: • MDA appreciation and understanding of the need for communications plans, dept’s, personnel. • Ministry capacity to develop and design effective communications strategies for policy-making or reforms. Capacitate: • Ministry officials to use strategic communications within their MDAs and supporting Ministries of the state • Participants to use the Toolkit, Guidebook and supporting materials to deliver strategic communications training in State MDAs

7. Strategic Communications for MDAs Core Principles & Elements

8. Survey Results BMO Responses How often Govt. communicates with BMOs? Semi-Annually How involved are BMOs during policy design stage? Majority :not involved How informed are civil servants on policies? Minimally informed Where would you like to see improvements in Govt. communication? 1) relevant policy-makers more accessible 2) forums, channels for ongoing dialogue on business environment policies 3) more effort by Govt. to engage the private sector in policy-making 4) engaging the media on business environment issues Government Responses How often Govt. communicates with BMOs? Monthly How involved are BMOs during policy design stage? Majority:involved How informed are civil servants on policies? Majority: effectively informed Where would you like to see improvements in Govt. communication? • relevant policy-makers more accessible • engaging the media on business environment issues

9. An age-old problem • ” It should be realised that taking the initiative in introducing a new form of government is very difficult and dangerous, and unlikely to succeed. The reason is that the old order will be opposed to the innovator, whereas all those who might benefitfrom the new order are at best tepid supporters of him.” Macciavelli, The Prince

10. Basic Principles of Government Communication • Government work is public activity, information about it must be public too • Openness and transparency must drive all communications • Objectivity • Professionalism • Public communication is more than just disseminating information + media coverage

11. Basic Principles of Government Communication • Make it easy to understand the information’s relevance to the lives of the general public + private sector • Direct exchanges with the public are more effective • Public communication = more than working with media • Communication is a core public service: requires not just informing, but listening and providing feedback • Consistent messages vital to public trust • Government communicators must have close relationships to top government administrators • Backing up positions with facts is crucial • How do we do that?

12. What is strategic communication? • Getting the right messages & information… • to the right people …(and by the right people) • at the right time … • using the right media … • with the right effect! A structured approach that combines information(one-way) and dialogue(two-way) methods to achieve success

13. The Virtuous Circle of effective policy communication

14. The Virtuous CircleBusiness environment reforms

15. Unique Elements of Strategic Communications for Govt • Not reactive, but pro-active • Goal-driven + consultative • Segments key target groups, audiences • Specific messages for specific groups • Uses non-media and media channels • Messengers chosen based on audience trust • Coordination of communication activities with other MDAs • Internal MDA communication to build support for policies • Accounts for MDA comms capacity, funding • Consultation with stakeholders • Demonstrates the impact of policy-making

16. Communications Challenges that Government faces? • Tradition of weak consultation, dialogue & feedback • Lack of priority on comms, stakeholder engagement • Weak public relations and media relations skills, experience • Communication as a profession is underdeveloped • Few capacity-buidling opportunities • Unprofessional media & “brown envelope” syndrome • Uncoordinated policies, lack of structured comms b/w MDAs & agencies • Lack of statistics & research to justify policy positions

17. 3 Communications Stages for Effective Policy-making 1) Consultation-- to develop/formulate the policy 2)Informing &building support-- after policy decided 3)Implementationmonitoring, evaluating & demonstrating impact For each stage, the approach and priorities must be different • Identify the objective-- inform, engage, advocate, etc. • Prioritise the stakeholders • Craft the messages • Decide the tools to use

18. Q & A

19. Coffee Break

20. Preparing a Strategy:Step-by-Step

21. Strategy-making Tools • Strategy Template • Making a Strategy Step–by–Step • Communication Plan • Communication Strategy • Action Plan & Budget

22. The Steps • Assess contextfor policy & communication, media • Define the objectives– not only awareness-raising • Specify the stakeholders, target groups • Decide the message(s) they need to receive • ... and who are the best “messengers” • List the best actions, activities to meet your goals • Specify how performance will be measured, monitoring methods • Assign responsibility for implementation • Calculate the costs, prepare budget • Follow up to ensure success and make adjustments

23. Strategy Template • Time Frame: duration of project, campaign-specific, etc. • Introduction: overall strategy objectives; comms role • Analysis: stakeholder identification, internal & external communication, problems/opportunities • Constraints; • Target Groups: stakeholder map • Communications Goals: • aims and objectives of overall strategy • Messages: overall messages for each target group • Methods: channels, one-way, two-way • Critical Success Factors • Capacity building • Monitoring

24. Communication Plan Just like we plan other job functions, we are most effective when we plan our communications. • Communication Strategy • Specifies the goals, target audiences and messages to be communicated • Can be designed to cover any period that is relevant • Action Plan & Budget • Specifies activities, timeframes, measuring tools, responsibilities and costs • Updated/modified regularly • Together they form a Communication Plan

25. State of PlayAssess • Objectives are the core of the strategy • But, first must understand the context • Each stakeholder group’s support for change andopposition to it– their perceptions and positions, interests. External and Internal stakeholders • “RP” before PR • Learn the awareness, opinions, needs, concerns of MDA “publics” before you “go public” or start communicating • Often most overlooked, neglected step … risky!

26. Q & A

27. Communications Assessment 1st step in stakeholder engagement • Identify and Map stakeholders • Conduct SWOT evaluation • Assess communication capacity, needs– Govt, CSOs companies • Evaluate media environment & stakeholders’ access • Stakeholder research Benchmark internal & external stakeholders’ • Attitudes, awareness & understanding of your policy, MDA • Identify primary concerns, interests & expectations of each • Identify preferred comms channels; Where they go for info • People & sources most trusted to inform & engage in the policy • Assess ’fear factor’ – who is opposed and why?

28. Analyse context for communication Identify Constraints + Positive conditions • Time • Stakeholders’ access to information channels • Human resources • Sources of support & opposition • Outside and inside Government • Financial limitations • Aspects communication cannot address

29. Tools for analysis • Reports, studies • Analysis of media coverage • Interviews • Roundtables, workshops • Opinion polls, focus group studies, questionnaires

30. Comms. Assessment/DiagnosticKey questions to ask • What is the political climate inside and outside your Ministry? • Supportive? Opposing? Neutral? • What communications structures, functions are in place? • Do they work? • What resources are available for strategy implementation? • What levels of awareness are there for the programme/policy and internally and externally? • What does the target audience need to hear? • How can the messages be formulated to simply and clearly convey that information to the people who must be reached? • What is the media situation? • What are the positive pre-conditions? Is there an enabling environment? • What data is readily available?

31. Identifying Constraints • Why is this so important? • Defining our objectives is crucial, but we can’t achieve them without knowing what stands in the way... • ...andfiguring out ways to address them! • What might be some things that keep us from: • reaching key stakeholders? • catalysing public dialogue?

32. Preparing a Strategy Diagnostic Break-Out Group Exercise

33. Q & A, Wrap-up & Next Steps

34. Participant Evaluations

35. Thank you