Strategic Communications… and all the Ps

Strategic Communications… and all the Ps

Vandana Mehra

Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia

26 February 2009, Bhopal, India

Strategic Communications and all the Ps26 February 2009, Bhopal, India

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Strategic Communications?

But Why?


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A strategic communication program for privatization, PSP and PPP serves

two broad purposes

A powerful tool for reform and support for reforms. Can make the difference between a project's success and failure it helps to avert failure by identifying current and potential

sources of both support and opposition. A systematic approach to communication helps to

achieve a well-tailored PSP program, serving as a two-way check and feedback mechanism at every stage, from planning through execution


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FALSE START

Effective StartClarify

Symptoms

1

2

3

4

5

6

Localdecisionmakers

ImplementSolution(s)

EvaluatePerformance

IdentifyCauses

EvaluateOptions

SelectSolution(s)

Public Participation (e.g. advisory committees, public hearings)

Expert Assistance (e.g. consultants, professional associations)

Federal, state & local rules, regulations, customs


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CASE:The

Delhi Story


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DJB was embarking on a PPP project in two operational zones in 2004-5

80% of the 16 million people living in the National Capital Territory of Delhi has access to piped water and 75% to sewers. Total area 1,485 sq km. Density of population 9,340 per

km DJB serves a total of 1.5 million water connections and

probably 1.3 million sewer connections

Total staff strength: 27,000 (or about 18 staff/1000 connections!)

8 labour unions, now ‘activated’


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So how did – and still do – consumers get

their information and communication?


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The Communication Challenge

External: Outside the organizationKey external stakeholders: Politicians/ NGOs/

Media/ Customers External communication primarily focused on reaching

the customer: near impossible to reach 14m customers with targeted communications.

Indirect communication, which is achieved through policymakers or opinion-builders. Policymakers comprise of politicians at all levels,

across party lines. Opinion-builders comprise of media, resident

associations, NGO’s,


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What we have learnt till now

‘Low-profile’ not to be confused with ‘silence’ or allowing others to manage your debate for you.

POLITICAL consensus fundamental for sustained reform.

MEDIA plays the most important role in opinion building: Crucial link between government and citizen

NGOs: most will be happy to see improvement in services but be prepared for the two-three who will go after your project, rationally or irrationally. Grossly exaggerated voices will be the loudest and heard the most


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So how do staff get their information

and communication?


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“Delhi Jal Board ko videshi company ke haatho bechne ki saazish ko nakam karo!Akhri saas tak sangharsh”


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The Communications ChallengeInternal: Within the organizationKey internal stakeholders

Engineers/ Managers/ Revenue/ Finance/ Administration/ Labour

The Delhi reform process took its roots in early 2000, picked up in Feb 2004: Till January 2005, employees did not have any formal communication on the reform process or even on the vision of the Delhi Jal Board for 24/7 supply


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The Communications Challenge Formal communication pertaining to HR matters,

emanates from the Administration and Personnel wing by issuing circulars only.

The absence of a dedicated communication team: presents an imposing challenge on the organization to present a unified and consistent set of messages.


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Perceived concerns of employees Job security

Disciplinary mattersChange in reporting hierarchy

Ideological issues of private sector

Fear of ‘foreigners’

What's the big deal…we can do it ourselves!!!!


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What we have learnt till now

Engagement should be early, transparent, and ongoing; unions should be at the table from the start.

Understand what workers want: gauging workers’ concerns, preferences, and requests.

Trust is the key to successful consultations.


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Consultations with employees:

never too little,always too late


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DJB - or as most public sector- communicates

Communicating in a non-strategic waymeans:creating and disseminating a flood of

messages that could be unrelated, disconnected, contradictory, unfocused, with no clear purpose or direction

no way to measure their effectiveness and results

spend a lot of time and money this way without ever knowing whether you are getting any return on your investment


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Building Blocks of Communications Program

1Communication needs assessment

1Communication needs assessment

2Planning and capacity-building

2Planning and capacity-building

3Strategy Design

3Strategy Design

4Program Implementation

4Program Implementation

5Measuring impact of the program

5Measuring impact of the program


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Communications Needs Assessment

Evaluates political, social and cultural environment Assesses position of key stakeholders Identifies potential roadblocks for the proposed

reform Assesses Government’s capacity to engage in

credible two way communications and training needs

Identifies partners and local communications professionals

Develops strategic guidelines for future communications plan


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Components of Communication Strategies

This involves: framing the issues, segmenting audiences based on their positions, preparing appropriate messages to mobilize

support and address the right concerns, finding the most effective mix of channels to

reach audiences, creating communication capacity on the ground

to implement the process, and designing mechanisms for supervision and

evaluation.


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Steps in communication strategy- preparation

Identify communication objectivesAssess resources, both human and

physicalConsider overall project implementation

strategyIdentify communication nodes in the

project implementationList specific communication activities for

each nodeMobilize resources


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Steps in communication strategy- audience analysis

Identify audience at different nodes of communication

Segment audiences – Champions, supporters (active and passive), fence-sitters, opponents (active and passive), those who have direct stakes and those who don’t.

Try to understand what they know, what they don’t and what the counter-arguments are.

Try to find out what motivates resistance and how genuine the concerns are.


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Steps in communication strategy- messages

Assess training needs to work on messages for different media

Arrange training if necessary. Develop message packages Field-test messages for their appropriateness vis-

à-vis target audiences and the chosen media Check on message support system Decide on timing and frequency for delivering

messages Deliver messages


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Steps in communication strategy- media selection

Identify the appropriate media to reach different segments of audience

Create a media mix to reach larger audience, reinforce messages and exploit the potential of different channels of communication – print, electronic, folk, internet, etc.

Decide on methods of communication, e.g., articles in newspapers, video, audio cassettes for rural people, TV panel discussion, seminar etc.


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Steps in communication strategy- evaluation

Receive feedback on messages whether they are well-understood.

Receive feedback from targeted audience.Monitor reactions from the opponents.Monitor social mobilizationAssess further communication needsEvaluate the whole communication

programRedesign or adjust the strategy


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What does communication mean for you?Do you think communication helps in

accelerating the reform process?

Does your organization have a communication department? Or a media

management department?

What percentage of your budget is allocated for strategic communication

activities?


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Strategic Communications… and all the Ps

Documents

indiastrategic communications

moststrategic communications

targeted communications

indirect communication

water connections

opinion building

staff1000 connections

ppp project