Analysing How Decision Makers Perceive Communication for Social Change

The initial phase of communication planning, according to this article, requires research to determine how the intended audience perceives a topic, and to establish the appropriate communication strategies given this initial starting point. The authors describe the application of these communication planning methods to a recent project advocating for communication for development itself. They provide an overview of their research in preparing the 2004 advocacy paper "Communication for Development: A Medium for Innovation in Natural Resource Management".

To determine audience's attitudes to communication for development, and the best methods for communicating with this audience, the authors interviewed two groups:

• Thirteen policy makers in natural resource management
• "A few" practitioners in the communication for development field.

Results of these interviews were quite consistent, both within and between groups. Drawing on lessons learned from each set of interviews, the authors draw the following conclusions:

• Many decision makers must have a "first experience" with a successful communications programme in order to be convinced of the importance of such programmes. Communications practitioners need to pay attention to this group.
• It is important to avoid the "communication" label, as both decision-makers and communication practitioners expressed skepticism about using this term. Decision makers stress the need to emphasise the organisation's own mission statements and results, while practitioners stated that often the strategies they considered communication went by other names, and that the name itself was not important.
• A more sophisticated approach which provides convincing success stories and relevant case studies is required to reach skeptical decision makers. Both groups felt that examples of success stories were necessary, while decision-makers stressed that practitioners should make clear that there was a real field behind communication, and that its practitioners had knowledge and expertise and were capable of handling and understanding broader aspects of project management and environment.