Participatory development communication

Participatory development communication is the use of mass media and traditional, inter-personal means of communication that empowers communities to visualise aspirations and discover solutions to their development problems and issues.

Participatory communication is "the theory and practices of communication used to involve people in the decision-making of the development process. It intends to return to the roots of its meaning, which, similarly to the term community, originate from the Latin word 'communis', i.e. common (Mody, 1991). Therefore, the purpose of communication should be to make something common, or to share...meanings, perceptions, worldviews or knowledge. In this context, sharing implies an equitable division of what is being shared, which is why communication should almost be naturally associated with a balanced, two-way flow of information."

  • Strengthen a regional training capacity to improve the development support communication (DSC) skills of intermediate-level professionals so that they could improve the effectiveness of the rural development programmes in which they work.
  • Initiate an example of a sustainable national DSC service to support rural development programmes and projects.
  • Advance towards the creation of a group of DSC professionals in the region, by means of preparing a regional Post-graduate DSC Professional Diploma Course (through collaboration with the University of Zimbabwe in Harare).
  • Advise governments and other development-related organisations about the requirements for effective DSC in Southern Africa, for future action.

Based on a "Results" section which synthesises and recaps the main issues by reviewing how the conception and levels of participation identified in his research have shifted in each phase of the project, Mefalopulos concludes by arguing that participatory communication is an approach capable of facilitating people's involvement in decision-making about issues impacting their lives – a process capable of addressing specific needs and priorities relevant to people and at the same time assisting in their empowerment. In fact, he says, participatory communication is "a necessary component, consistent with a democratic vision of international development, needed to increase projects sustainability and ensure genuine ownership by the so-called 'beneficiaries'."

Six phases of planning

Communication planning for development is a logical process guided by a systematic and rational framework. This framework could be developed through situation-specific data gathered using participatory research techniques.

Preliminary situation assessment

Situation assessment could be done most effectively in a participatory manner through PRCA or participatory rural communication appraisal. Three kinds of analysis are done in PRCA: audience analysis, programme analysis, and situation analysis. Audience analysis Audience analysis is essentially "listening" to what potential users of information need. They are the ones whom the communication program intends to reach. Users of information are also referred to as stakeholders of a communication program. Collecting baseline information about these stakeholders is an essential preliminary step towards developing a communication strategy. Segmentation, or dividing large groups of stakeholders into smaller groups, helps achieve focus in communication strategy development. Segmentation is usually done in two ways:

  • Conventional segmentation according to socio-economic status (income, education, age, sex, etc.), place of residence (urban-rural), and language/ethnic group
  • Innovative segmentation based on behaviour, needs, and values and lifestyles.
  • Situation analysis: In doing situation analysis, planners look at both the possible problem to be addressed by the communication program and the conditions surrounding such problem.

What are the factors which cause a gap between the existing and desired behavior of stakeholders? Is the problem due to the stakeholders' lack of awareness or knowledge of the nature of the problem? Or is it attitudinal in nature? Could the gap be due to their lack of skills to carry out certain practices? Situation analysis likewise includes assessing the communication resources in the area which could be tapped for the communication program. Knowledge of the area's mass and small media, as well as interpersonal means of communication, should contribute substantially to strategy development. Programme analysis When doing program analysis, program planners need to take both an inward and an outward look at the situation that is, looking at the organization's own vision, policies, resources, strengths, and weaknesses relevant to the problem. Are there adequate resources to realize this vision? How well are program managers using available resources? At the same time, it is important to scan the environment for existing programs that could affect, positively or negatively, the communication strategy to be developed.

Communication

Data that have been collected need to be analyzed and interpreted carefully as these will serve as bases of the communication strategy. Communication strategy is the combination of methods, messages, and approaches by which the planner seeks to achieve the communication objectives. The second phase of the process charts the direction of the communication program. It is at this stage where objectives and the corresponding standards and indicators for monitoring and evaluation are formulated. The very word strategy suggests a unique combination of techniques or approaches by which to achieve program goals and objectives. During strategy design formulation, planners also begin thinking of the following:

  • Preliminary action plan;
  • Communication modes/approaches; and
  • Basic messages and discussion themes.

Participatory design of messages and discussion themes

The main activities under the message design phase are selection of message appeals and approaches and selection of communication channels and media. The big challenge at this stage is the development of the big idea or the creative concept around which the whole communication program would revolve. Professional communication outfits are often tapped to develop messages and communication materials for the above-mentioned processes. The disadvantage of this approach, aside from the huge expense involved, is the lack of participation from the stakeholders themselves. Involving the stakeholders in message and materials development increases the likelihood that the communication program would help achieve the bigger development goals.

Communication methods and materials development

Actual development of communication methods and materials are undertaken once the communication strategy is in place. A useful reminder to planners concerns the importance of pretesting not only the materials themselves, but also the creative idea and the messages. Pretesting allows for adjustments in the communication activities before substantial time, efforts, and resources are spent on their actual production. Pretesting measures potential effectiveness of communication messages, methods, and materials in terms of their being able to attract attention, to be understood, to be accepted, and to generate the feeling of self-involvement among the stakeholders.

Management and implementation

Management of the organization carrying out the communication program and networking are two of the most important activities in this phase. A manager's internal task entails preparing or training people for their respective tasks in the organization within a positive organizational climate. The external task calls for forging linkages with key organizations engaged in the same area of development work. After all the preparatory stages, launching and carrying out the communication campaign or program now takes priority. Together with this come monitoring the process of dissemination, transmission, and reception of programme inputs. The management aspect also covers the management improvement process and the concept of leadership as they affect implementation of communication programmes.

Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring enables the planners and implementors to answer the question: Are things going all right? Evaluation, on the other hand, provides answers to the question: So, did it work? Together, monitoring and evaluation help planners and implementors:

  • Achieve better understanding of how the communication programme is working;
  • Make informal decisions regarding operations and adjust to changing conditions;
  • Ensure most effective and efficient use of resources;
  • Look at the extent to which the program/project is having or has had the desired impact; and
  • Fine-tune future programme impact.

To help gauge programme impact on stakeholders, it is important to set up clear standards and indicators based on the objectives set. How much have the activities contributed to achieving objectives of key organizations? This can be gauged by comparing evaluation with baseline data, specifically those gathered during the PRCA. More importantly, monitoring and evaluation data contribute to planning for program sustainability and self-sufficiency.

Types of participation

Participation can be used as a goal or as a tool for specific projects.[1] The four categories below refer to different levels of participation and communication:

Passive participation

The stakeholders of a project essentially act as "empty vessels" and receive information. Feedback is minimal if at all and participation is assessed through methods such as head counts.

Participation by consultation

Researchers or "experts" pose questions to the stakeholders. Input can be provided at different points in time but the final analysis and decision-making power lies in the hands of the external professionals whom may or may not take the stakeholders' decisions into consideration.

Participation by collaboration

Groups of primary stakeholders are formed in order to participate in discussion and analysis. Objectives are predetermined. This method incorporates components of horizontal communication and capacity building among all stakeholders.

Empowerment participation

Primary stakeholders are capable and willing to become involved in the process and take part in decision-making. Outsiders are equal partners, but the stakeholders make the final decisions as ownership and control of the process rests in their hands. Knowledge exchange leads to solutions.

Minga Peru case study

Minga Peru is a non-profit organization formed to address issues of "social justice, gender equality, reproductive health, and human rights". Minga has targeted the northern Loreto region for its development of "communicative spaces" which hope to spark debate and participation from the community. In order to achieve these goals they have produced a radio program, started a community empowerment and leadership program and supported income generating activities.

These activities are community-based approaches as evidenced by editorial letters being sent to the radio program, use of youth correspondents which provides the community with access to and voice within the broadcast, and emphasis on social networking which has resulted in stronger social cohesion. The most prominent outcomes in the empowerment of women through self-confidence. Women are better able to develop professional and social networks and have improved capacity to handle health challenges.[1]

See also

References
  1. Tufte, Mefalopulos, Thomas, Paolo. "Participatory Communication" (PDF). The World Bank.
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