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Improving Communications. Help for you to OWN your communications . Communications: it’s not just for “the boss”. Reporting is often seen as an expression of hierarchy (“you must give me this information”) instead of sharing information for learning . Communications Serves YOU.
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Improving Communications Help for you to OWN your communications
Communications: it’s not just for “the boss” Reporting is often seen as an expression of hierarchy (“you must give me this information”) instead of sharing information for learning.
Communications Serves YOU • Communications should make you energized and confident about the importance and impact of your work. • Communications should inform AND inspire • Ask yourself: what do you want to happen as a result of your message in a report or a meeting?
You have project objectives? Then you also have COMMUNICATIONS objectives.
Use What You Already Have/Do You can use things you have written to others in your formal reports later: • Save all emails you send • Take notes whenever you are on the phone • Take your own notes in meetings
How to Write a GREAT Report Practical tips to improve your written communications (please see the handout as well)
For What Audiences are We Writing? • Donor community • UNDP • Ministry • Afghan public • YOURSELF Different audiences have different needs!
Formats: • general theme: result-based reporting (what was achieved) • follow the format, divide your inputs into usually activities, achievements, challenges, etc. • Try to fill in all the categories: • Risks (you cannot directly influence) can be: weather conditions, the security situation etc. • Issues (you can change through diff. programming): understaffing, lack of funding etc. , every projects encounters these • explain things as if you were explaining what you are doing to a friend. Processes have to be explained in more detail to donors than they have to be to the Dep. Minister.
Refer to Your Work Plan: • Ask yourself: How does this activity or result tie to my unit’s work plan? • Why was an activity proposed, but not implemented? What were the challenges?
Three KEY questions: • What period are we reporting on? • what report is your input for (monthly? quarterly?...) • Indicate this in the text andfile name • What difference are you as part of NABDP making? • What is working and what is not working? • How were challenges addressed? These can often be turned into good lessons learnt.
Follow-up from report-to-report: • Follow-up on what you wrote in the previous report: if you said that you were going to provide a training, then describe what happened to that idea in the next report • For this purpose, please, also keep a copy of your inputs that you have sent to the Communications unit
Informal Observations • Informal observations are very welcome • The Kuchi man changing his mind • Convincing men to involve their women • Come to tell us, if you think you have a good story to tell • If you are keeping a journal, share relevant parts with us
Meetings & Trainings • If you mention that you attended meetings or that you conducted trainings, please, mention the following: • Why was the meeting/ training important? –reasons & results, who participated • Did it work out the way you had planned it? • What is going to be different now that the meeting took place/ the training was conducted?
Provision for Inputs • The unit should inform Gunda/Fariba about who (1 person per unit) will provide an input for a report, so that Gunda/Fariba knows with whom to follow-up. Also, please inform this designee about his or her responsibilities! • In case if your absence, please, inform Gunda/ Fariba before you leave regarding who will provide the input instead of you. Also, please inform this designee about his or her responsibilities!
Deadlines • Deadlines are real • Many deadlines are regular (so please budget time for them) • Deadlines are set by MRRD, donors and UNDP, not the communications unit
We’re Here to Help • Invite a member of the communications unit to sit in on your unit meetings and de-briefings; we will take notes to use in your monthly reports • Set a time for one of us to interview you about your training, workshop, project, etc.); you can speak and our team member will take notes and produce a written report for you to review • Bring us your rough information and ask how you can improve the information • Use our tools (“How to Write a Report”, “Questions to ask yourself as you write”)
Why Take Photos? • Proof of work being done • To show progress • To show PEOPLE (it’s nice to see instead of just read) • Other reasons?
TAKE PHOTOS!! • Be respectful; ask for permission; notify the group that photos will be taken and how they will be used. • Take LOTS of photos. Take several photos of the same scene, from the same angle and different angles. • Outside shots are best (because of light), but take pictures away from the sun, if possible. • When inside, get close to the subject, and try to aim away (instead of into) light sources. • Get FACES and ACTION when possible. • Get C O L O R when possible. • Show local people talking, teaching, learning, working, etc. • As much as local culture and circumstances allow, get photos of women. • It’s okay to arrange people for a photo (e.g. asking people to stand in a certain place). • Remember that photos will serve many needs (donors, government, internal use, etc.).
For Indoor Photos • Get CLOSE to the main subject(s), and try to aim away (instead of into) light sources. • Get FACES, with EXPRESSION if possible. • Ask signers of an agreement to pose together (stand close together with the agreement, have them shake hands and face the camera, etc.) after signing for a photo.
Share Your Info!! • Share written and verbal info with your unit supervisor and the Communications office (Gunda, Jayne, & Fariba) • If only in Dari, that’s okay – share the input with Fariba! • Invite us to your debriefings! • Come visit our office or invite us to yours! • We’re here to help!
