1. The Role of communication in SAGE implementation & the role of the district team in the communication game plan
Simon E. Omoding Communications Manager, ESP

2. Introduction & Background
The Purpose of the Presentation: (i) To explain the role of communication in SAGE implementation, (ii) share the implementation experience thus far, and (iii) to show the role of the district operations staff in supporting SAGE/ESP communications
Scheme:
The Presentation will;
Briefly show the evolution of the communication function in SAGE
Explain the specific objectives of SAGE communications
Show how SAGE communication works, thus far
Share Experience how SAGE communications has worked: successes/achievements, best practices/challenges
The role of the district team in SAGE communication
Some tips in supporting communication at the district
Q&A

3. Background/Issues/Context of ESP Communication
In June 2010, ESP commissioned a Communications Baseline Survey: 2 main objectives: (i)Establish levels of knowledge/support of SP/Cash transfers in Uganda (ii) Establish main and trusted channels of communication among various categories of stakeholders in Uganda
Some Key findings
Very low levels of knowledge of SP/CTs, therefore low support
Low confidence of government ability to deliver services like SP
Worries about success of the Programme and therefore apprehension in support because of perceived corruption & mis-management of government funds
Perceptions about poverty: laziness as the cause of poverty; poor people are responsible for their lot; no due attention to advantages and disadvantages that various individuals have/are born into
Proliferated media in Uganda

4. ESP communication Objectives
To increase knowledge and understanding & generating support of social protection and cash transfers among the general Ugandan public
Increase the awareness, interest, support and positive reporting of the Uganda media on social protection and cash transfers
To raise the profile and visibility of social protection, cash transfers in Uganda’s development debate and agenda
Elaborate the key issues of social protection and cash transfers in the Ugandan context by sharpening strategic messaging
Working through the SAGE communication strategy to ensure nearly 100% knowledge of “How SAGE works” to improve consumption of the programme and minimize abuse
Document and utilize lessons and evidence from SAGE implementation for policy advocacy

5. Communication Approach
The approach we took right from the beginning, was to separate out Programme communications into two: SAGE communications and National communications
SAGE communications targets downstream- district level downward to actors in district, sub county, parish, villages and beneficiaries
National communications on the other hand targets national level type of audiences: policy makers, politicians, national media, civil society, etc

6. Specific objectives of SAGE communications
Improve accessibility to the Programme by building its awareness among the target population in the 15 districts.
Meet the information needs of SAGE target group who are often illiterate, socially marginalized, elderly and disabled.
Protect SAGE beneficiaries from exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous elements in the communities by ensuring maximum understanding of their rights & roles, plus clarity of available means of addressing grievances.
Minimize local level politicization of the Programme by ensuring maximum understanding of eligibility criteria, geographical targeting decisions among the general public and political actors.
Build support for the Programme amongst the general population by ensuring maximum understanding of the Programme rationale and objectives.
Build the profile of the Programme amongst local Government staff, civil society ensuring all stake holders are aware of their roles and responsibilities in SAGE implementation.

7. How SAGE Communications has worked, thus far
Over the last nearly 5 years, SAGE communication has been cycled in 6-8 monthly phases
In each Phase we identify a key issue to address and all communications focusses on that issue e.g How SAGE works (the 5Ws+H=what, where, when, who, why and How SAGE works preoccupied a good part of the first 2 years

8. How SAGE Communications has worked, thus far
The last/current cycle focussed on rights, responsibilities and duties of the various actors in SAGE: beneficiaries, local leaders, the SAGE team, etc= the SAGE Programme Charter- arising from emerging issues of cheating beneficiaries, etc
The next cycle will be on other issues e.g roll out plan, abolition of Vulnerable Family grants, re-branding of SCG
For each cycle we focus different activities: radio (talk shows, spot messages, DJ mentions), visibility materials, meetings & workshops, publications (leaflets, FAQ, Minister’s letter,
The Communications team at the Secretariat supports the district team in implementation- the Communications manager- strategic level; strategies, plans, concepts, ideas, messages, etc while the SAGE communication officer supports on a day to day implementation operation, working with the district teams

9. Successes
There have been a number of successes: awareness levels about the Programme have gone up; from nearly zero to over 90% in SAGE districts (Ipsos SPEC),
Our phased approach has been successful in helping us to design the messages, structure our communications around cycles
Our use and approach to the radio has been successful; talk shows, spot messages, DJ mentions, announcements have proved very successful
Our key messaging approach has worked; if you go to the district you hear people using our key messages- a sign that they internalised them and they prove useful

10. Best practices
The way our communication is integrated to the local government; getting LCV chairperson, CAOs, CDOs, SCDOs is a good practices in both getting buy in of the Programme by LG leaders and using LGs to communicate
Development of key messages has helped to shape and simplify our communication, especially given the various actors in the district: SAGE staff, LG staff, etc

11. Challenges
District Information Officers: We have not involved the District information officer that much , up to this point; in this we missed an opportunity and their network
Involvement of SAGE staff in collusion in fraud is a challenge because the people we expect to be custodians and communicators of the Programme principles are the ones breaking them
The many languages around districts continues to be a challenge as we don't have enough resources to translate publications into all language

12. How we strategically & constructively engage the media
Know the media we are dealing with; Profile the media; National/district, commercial or community? vernacular/English? One story might be better for one media house and not good for another; New Vision or Monitor? Sometimes we go to radio stations without a slightest idea what we are going to discuss
Know the opportunities available in the media: News avenues, features avenues, commentary avenues, talk shows, comment/view point,
Have a strategic plan to engage the media: e.g around international/national/district days, etc
Simplify things for the media: The media has no time to digest technical things; break down the big issues to easy and simple language, avoid
Give the media a new story every time: Media want news, not old stories; angling the story, bending the story
Give the media the story you want them to carry: Give a bend, angle, you want them to take; don’t depend on them to come and get their story from; good journalists will of course choose their own story, but not journalists will not
However, the role of passing information to the media is for the Head of secretariat and the Communications manager

13. Key messages in our engagement
Key messages are critical for engagement; they articulate what we stand for, how different we are from others, how we want to be seen/understood; without key messages, our position/stand/location is unclear
Key messages are top of the mind, analytical conclusion statements; they are take a ways from elaborate, rigorous analysis e.g “social protection is affordable for Uganda” or “social protection is today recognised as a good strategy to ensure inclusive development” etc
A key/guide to arriving at key messages is, “If you met your elusive target audience e.g the President in a lift and you have 3 minutes to tell him what you have been advocating for, what are the top 3 things you would say to him”? Those are the key messages. If however you have not thought about them clearly, you jumble them up
Key messages communicate nuances and give the target audience the bend/perspective of things we would like them to see from e.g the senior citizens grants help older persons to restart income generating activities hence further enhancing their income security. Nuance: we don’t want SCGs to be seen just as for consumption by older persons, but production
That is why we are very serious about our key messages; every communication activity has key messages that must be carried and strictly used

14. Role of the district SAGE team in Communication
 (The STO is the communications FP on SAGE at district, while The CAO is responsible for public communication): First contact and reference on all SAGE District communication
Plans, arranges and participates in radio talk shows under the overall leadership of the DCDO
Participates in the evaluation of radio performance on sage communication-produces a report on talkshows, radio announcements etc. and recommends for payments
Receives communications materials (T/shirts, Newsletters, leaflets and and ensures distribution done according to the distribution lists and guide dance from the communications manager
Disseminates all communications messages to the targeted audiences with support of the LG structures eg at pay points
Ensures that pre-payment addresses are made at pay points before payments are done.   

15. Role of District SAGE Team in communication
The different teams help the communications manager to identify stories from the field that can sell the Programme
The team packages case studies, best practices, identifies beneficiary profiles that can be passed onto the media (through the communications manager) for coverage
Prepare and host media at the district
Keep an eye to events, activities, etc in the districts and inform the communications manager, that could be used to market the Programme
Collects stories for publications ; contributes to the periodic/quarterly ESP news letters
Any other communication assignment from the Ops managers, communication manager, DLOs

16. Some tips: Dealing with the media
Note some critical points in ESP/SAGE communications
The chief external relations officer of the Programme is the Head of Secretariat. He is the only one authorised to give out information about the Programme to external audiences
However, he delegates to different officers- the Communications Manager (in dealing with the media), other different officers (in different workshops, presentations)
No officer is authorised to give out any information to the media without the authorisation of the HoS through the Communications manager

17. Comments, questions, welcome
THANK YOU
Comments, questions, welcome