Case Study # 1

Participatory Communication in Indigenous Health Development: A Focus Group Study

This paper examines and compares the perceptions of two indigenous cohorts of people in Nepal and Australia. It is revealed that none of the focus group participants in either in Nepal or central Australia had any full participatory experiences. For this reason group discussion is the most appropriate way to involve them in health development program.

In Nepal, the vitamin A program was implemented in their communities and in Australia Aboriginal communities carried act Nutrition program under the governmental health program.

The points of two communities is given below:

Village of Nepal

1. 10 to 15 people (both male and female, age between 20-50)
2. Two researches assistant were employed to help the author and carry out the discussion.
3. English language creates problems
4. Group discussion took place either in a public meeting area or under the big tree.
5. They implemented Vitamin A program

Aboriginal community of Australia

1. Only males are participated
2. A local Aboriginal nutrition worker facilitated the author.
3. Language was not creating any problems.
4. On the local sandy creek side or in the women’s centre.
5. Nutrition program

Result:

1. The Vitamin A protects in Nepal had had only a partial precipitation because of lack of communication with the villagers. Many people did not get any benefit from the Vitamin A distribution project. This project was handed over to female volunteers and they did not pass it on to the villagers.

On the other hand Aboriginal participants in Australia also reported that they did not get the information of delivery process, diabetics, and heart-related diseases.
In both societies they need information and communication as well as assistance such as tablets, injections and other services.

2. Health service program creates some confusion like- Aboriginal participants was get similar pill of dilutes from local clinic. They also admitted that they didn’t get any help from government for a vegetable garden project. In central Australia a big problem for health is Aboriginal people wants separate clinic for both male and female.

In Nepal, before the project start people thought that the government will provide money to the poor children. At the end of the project instead of giving money health workers just informed them about the date and the Vitamin A. That means they were totally miss informed.

3. The villagers of Nepal preferred two ways interactions in order to induce their participation in a health program. So, Nutritional development and objectives, a project should always have an interaction with the village people. A very similar view was expressed by many of the Aboriginal participations of the group of discussions.

For like an example: One of the Aboriginal participations strongly believed that there should the two ways dialogue.

Above all, both Nepalese and Central Australia Aboriginal participants preferred ‘group discussion’ as the best way of achieving participatory communication which is as Cohen believes can operate as ‘a forum to get people involved to help create awareness of issues and to subsequently find a consensus on solutions’.

It may also gradually build up confidence in people to directly control affairs affecting their lives, for instance, building up confidence among Aboriginal people in controlling the local community stores without help of an outsider.

Steps in StrateGic CommuniCation

Strategic Communication

Definition

Strategic Communication means communicating a concept, a process, or data that satisfies a long term strategic goal of an organization by allowing facilitation of advanced planning or communicating over long distances usually using international telecommunications or dedicated global network assets to coordinate actions and activities of operationally significant commercial, non-commercial and military business or combat and logistic subunits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Communication

This communication is a vision and is based on a clearly defined strategy. It is designed to achieve specific goals established in advance.

Strategic communication management is defined as the systematic planning and realization of information flow, communication, media development and image care in a long-term horizon. It conveys deliberate message through the most suitable media to the designated audience at the appropriate time to contribute to and achieve the desired long-term effect. Communication management is process creation. It has to bring three factors into balance; the message, the media channel and the audience

P-Process

The new steps in Strategic Communication. P-Process is a framework designed to guide communication professionals as they develop strategic communication program. The P-Process is used to develop communication program addressing a wide range of topics like encouraging safer sexual behavior to prevent HIV transmission, promoting child survival, reducing maternal mortality, or increasing contraceptive prevalence etc.
Communication strategically requires a clearly defined strategy with specific goals established in advance. This step-by-step road map leads communication professionals from a loosely defined concept about changing behavior to a strategic and participatory program with a measurable impact on the intended audience.

There are five steps of Strategic Communication.
They are:

Step # 1
ANALYSIS

Analysis is the first step of Strategic communication. It is way of developing effective communication programs. The analytic staffs need to understand the problem of the people, their culture, existing policies and program, active organizations and available communication channels.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

1. Determine severity and causes of problems.
2. Identify factors inhibiting or facilitation desire changes.
3. Develop a problem statement.
4. Carry out formative research.

AUDIENCE / COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS:

1. Conduct a participation analysis.
2. Carry out a social and behavioral analysis
3. Assess communication and training needs.

Step # 2
STRATEGIC DESIGN

This is the second step of development communication in many development organizations. Every communication program or project needs a strategic design with follow this steps. The steps are given below:

1. Establish communication objectives.
2. Develop program approaches & positioning.
3. Determine channels.
4. Draw up an implementation plan
5. Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan

Step # 3
DEVELOPMENT & TESTING

Development and testing is the third step of development communication. Every communication program or project needs a strategic design with follow this steps. The steps are given below:

1. Develop
2. Test and pretest
3. Revise and Retest

Step # 4
IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING

Implementation requires maximum participation, flexibility and training. Monitoring involves tracking outputs to be sure that all activities take place as planned and potential problems are promptly addressed. Every communication program or project needs a strategic design with follow this steps. The steps are given below:

1. Produce and disseminate
2. Train trainers and field workers.
3. Mobilize key participants
4. Manage and monitor program
5. Adjust program based on monitoring

Step # 5
EVALUATION & REPLANNING

This is the last step of development communication in different organization. This is the evaluation and replanning process. Evaluation measures how well a program a program achieves its objectives. It can explain why a program is effective (or not), including the effects of different activities on different audiences. Every communication program or project needs a strategic design with follow this steps. The steps are given below:

1. Measure outcomes and assess impact
2. Disseminate results
3. Determine future needs.
4. Revise or redesign program

Planning for continuity:

News media relations, like communication in general, are a process. Building good working relationships takes time, and getting results takes persistent effort. Individual journalists come and go, programs change, and new needs arise. Throughout, the public demand for news and information persists. A professional approach, high standards, and commitment to the public interest, applied consistently over time, can help an organization meet its communication goals and advance the cause of family planning and good reproductive health.

DevelopMent CommuniCation

Definition of Communication

Communication is two way process. One is sender/ encoding and another is receiver/ decoding. Communication is process that there is an exchange and progression of thoughts, feelings or ideas towards a mutually accepted goal or direction. It is a transactional process. It can be interpersonal or mass communication.

Communication is a process where by information is encoded and imparted by a sender to a receiver via a channel/medium. The receiver then decodes the message and gives the sender a feedback. Communication requires that all parties have an area of communicative commonality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication

People wants to communicate because of developed there self is called developed communication. It is positive part of life and social benefit. Developed Communication is a process of develops something for the society.

Different Types of Communication in Development Organizations

Knowledge and information are essential for people to successfully respond to the opportunities and challenges of social, economic and technological changes. But to be useful, knowledge and information must be effectively communicated to people. There are four types of communications in Development Organizations. They are:

1. Corporate Communication
2. Internal Communication
3. Advocacy Communication
4. Development Communication

Description of these types are given below:

1. Corporate Communication:

Corporate communications is the communication/ communications issued by a corporate/ organization/ institute to its entire people. People can be both internal like employees, stakeholders, etc and external like agencies, channel partners, media, government, industry bodies and institutes, educational institutes and general public. Corporate communications serves as the liaison between an organization and its entire people.
Organizations can strategically communicate to their people through public relations and advertising. This may involve an employee newsletter or video, crisis management with the news media, special events planning, building product value and communicating with stockholders, clients or donors.
Communicate the mission and activities of the organization, mostly for external audiences.
Corporate communication use media outputs and products to promote the mission and values of the institutions and also information collect from the people who are relevant with the people.

2. Internal Communication:

Internal communication refers all communication within an organization. This kind of communication may be oral or written, face-to-face or virtual, one-on-one or in groups, or it can be interpersonal communication. It is very much effective one communication. Effective internal communication is a vital means of addressing organizational concerns. Clear and concise internal communication helps to establish formal roles and responsibilities for employees and maintain organization and clarity within an establishment.
This kind of communication sometimes works for creating awareness and also it facilitate the flow of information within an institution or project. Sometimes this area can be included in corporate communication.
This is fully interpersonal communication. It ensures timely and effective sharing of the relevant staffs and institution units. It improves synergies and avoids repetition.

3. Advocacy Communication:

Advocacy is essentially an act of communication and we need to understand some of the principles of communication to be effective. This kind of communication influences change at the public or policy level and promotes issues related to the development of the society.
It also raises awareness for the society on hot development issues. Like an example HIV campaign, Drug addiction campaign etc. For development communication the advocate are using communication methods and media to influence specific audiences and support the intended change.

4. Development Communication:

This theory is following in development communication, which is continuing to evolve now a day, with different approaches and perspectives unique to the varied development contexts the field has grown in. This communication supports sustainable change in development operations by engaging key stakeholders. It establishes environments for assessing risks and opportunities and also disseminates information through many campaigns and convinces behavior as well as social change.

A Brief History of Development Communication

Awareness of the different purposes and functions of various types of communication is the first step toward a better understanding of the field of development communication and an effective way to enhance necessary quality standards.

There are three paradigms and they are:

The Dominate Paradigm: Modernization
The Opposing Paradigm: Dependency
The Emerging Paradigm: Participatory

What is Paradigm?

Paradigm means model, pattern, example etc. A paradigm is a typical pattern or an example of something. It also cannot the idea of the mental picture and patterns of thoughts. It is also set of assumptions, concepts, values and practices constituting a view of reality.

These paradigm descriptions are given below

Modernization Paradigm

This word comes from western. This model is kind of one way communication like; Sender-Message-Channel-Receive (SMCR). This theory used to summarize modern transformations of social life. It is one kind of evolutionary theory that assumes hat with help traditional countries can develop in the same ways modern countries did. This pattern is following in World War II. The relation between media structure and content is ignored. According to these theory internal factors in the countries such as illiteracy, traditional agrarian, the traditional attitude of the population, the low division of labors, the lack of communication and infrastructure etc are responsible for underdevelopment.

Dependency Paradigm

Dependency Paradigm is neglected the relevance of local social, political and cultural context. This kind of model expected development to occur along a consistent well-denied linear sequence. Communication in dependency perspectives was seen as a tool educates the people and forges alliances among developing countries. This approach tended to ignore the dynamics within developing countries. Media under the control of the state did not guarantee a more horizontal and people based flow of every kinds of information.

Participatory Paradigm

This is one kind of modern communication. This is a new perspectives based on peoples participation. Importance of actively involving and accounting four people’s perceptions, opinions, beliefs and trust in the decision making process. Two way of communication aiming to analyze and solving key issues. Development agencies and international organizations are convinced of this approach. People based approach of participation with a systematic communication focus.