Sergio Jellinek External Affairs Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean, The World Bank Chair of the Board, COMplus Alliance

 At the beginning of the 21 st Century, nearly 2.6 billion people in the world (2 out of every 5) lacked adequate sanitation and 1 billion did not have access to drinking water.  Communications can lead to a more active and committed participation of key players in the supply and sustainability of basic water and sanitation services.

◦ Communication for Development (Comm4Dev) is about social interactions using a broad range of communications tools and methods. ◦ It is also about building trust and consensus, sharing knowledge and skills, learning from experience to develop policies with broad support of the public and beneficiaries. ◦ It goes beyond public relations and/or corporate communication.

TypePurposeMain Functions Corporate communication Communicate the mission and activities of the organization, mostly for external audiences. Use media outputs/products to promote the mission and values of the institution. Internal communication Facilitate the flow of information within an institution/project. Ensure timely and effective sharing of relevant information within the staff. Advocacy communication Influence change at the public or policy level and promote issues relate to development. Raise awareness on hot development issues; use comm. methods and media to influence specific audiences and support the intended change. Comm4DevSupport sustainable change in development operations by engaging key stakeholders. Establish conducive environments for assessing risks and opportunities; disseminate information; induce behavior and social change. Source: Mefalopulos, 2007

 The success of most development initiatives depends on stakeholder participation and commitment.  The inclusion of Comm4Dev in development work often results in: ◦ the reduction of political risks, ◦ the improvement of project design and performance, ◦ increased transparency of activities, and ◦ people’s voices being heard, more participation and commitment.

The four-step approach: 1. Communications audit 2. Strategy design 3. Implementation 4. Participatory M&E

Hand washing initiative in Peru

Guanajuato, Mexico

Karachi, Pakistan

 Eases social conflicts associated with reforms.  Allows for project replication.  Improves governance in infrastructure projects.  Helps preserve cultural and traditional community values.  Takes into account key interests of involved actors generating common and shared goals.

 Integrate Comm4Dev approaches in a systemic way vs. ad-hoc.  Improve capacities and skills in Comm4Dev/communities of practice.  Strengthen M&E efforts and showcase results.  Increase acceptance and support by donors.

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