DRP Overview October UNDP/GEF DANUBE REGIONAL PROJECT Paul Csagoly UNDP-GEF DRP Communiocation Expert IW Learn Workshop Vienna, January 19, 2006 Aha’s and Common Threads Between Projects

DRP Overview October WHAT IS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS? ‘Communications’ is a confusing term for Project Managers, seen as ‘sexy’ now Need to differentiate between ‘communications’ and ‘public participation’, and how they link Project should have people who know how to communicate, backgrounds It is one tool to help project achieve its overall objectives, and get results faster Should be done from start of project

DRP Overview October DESIRED OUTCOMES Dissemination, raise awareness, persuade, train, change behaviour, get public participation, encourage other actions Education/training is seen as very important, possibly should be seen as a separate effort? Show project’s added value and what it achieves! –maximize use of project results in terms that relate to people (environmental, economic, social) –stakeholders don’t know what project does, sometimes very complicated Train and encourage sub-project managers to communicate strategically

DRP Overview October TARGET AUDIENCES Define, research, understand them, how they think (e.g. stakeholder analysis) (e.g. Cooke: targets unaware of how their activities cause problems) (especially for behaviour change) 3 levels: regional, national, local Government planners and decision- makers, industry, local residents, landowners, tourists, international institutional clients, NGOs…

DRP Overview October MAIN MESSAGES Personal benefits – what’s in it for me? Calls to action – make fun and simple Money talks

DRP Overview October DELIVERY VEHICLES Too much jargon, technical info Promote stakeholder excellence (awards e.g. greenbag competition) Champions and ambassadors Creative products and activities (e.g. banana circles, Shell Palace) Teacher-children education and comms good idea (many projects) Public awareness grants and matchingUse tangible demonstrations – show how it works! Drama works great some places All sorts of other products and activities…

DRP Overview October MONITORING Focus on measurable change at community and national levels through indicators –E.g. environmental, behaviour, institution, awareness/attitude, process indicators like # radio ads Generally needs more work

DRP Overview October EVALUATION Hard to show communication impacts for success and environmental change Technical component evaluation easier Done throughout project, fed in to continuously improve things

DRP Overview October WINS Project better understood Coached national coordinators to communicate SP: Household waste drop 60%, reduced organic waste to landfill, more greenbag, gov. savings (Parliamentarians loved this) More cross-country dialogue (e.g. Caspian, Danube) International comms and public participation network (with national focal points) How to transfer wins to other projects?

DRP Overview October WEAKNESSES/BARRIERS/ NEEDS? Comms not planned in early enough, poorly budgeted Lack of people with comms experience Takes time to train how to communicate strategically Behaviour change takes time, so needs long project Hard to get data (e.g. oil companies Caspian) IT not used much in some developing areas (Caspian, BS)

DRP Overview October WEAKNESSES/BARRIERS/ NEEDS? Need GEF comms/pub. part. strategy template (in process) Hard to communicate in a ‘formalistic culture’ Languages (translations! Too much English) Hard to spark interest in some issues (e.g. nutrient pollution) Hard to evaluate effectiveness of comms How to make things sustainable after project