BizCLIR

Author (s):

IFC/World Bank Group

Date:

October 2007

Publication (if applicable):

N/A

Abstract (if Available):

Practitioners often assume that once audiences understand the benefits of reform, they will support it. But experience has shown that simply educating audiences and disseminating information does not result in reform acceptance or ensure its adoption. When developed as an integrated part of project design, strategic communications is an investment that can bring considerable returns in both time saved and reform effectiveness. By involving stakeholders, increasing policy ownership, and approaching implementation needs strategically, projects can better assess and reduce the risks to project design and implementation. Although it does require dedicated project resources, over the long term, the return on investment in strategic communications can increase success and sustainability of reform. BEE practitioners have often said that the easier part of reform is determining the technical design. The hard part is everything that follows. This toolkit provides a methodology and approach for addressing the non-technical elements that have weakened, stalled, or derailed any reform efforts. It provides practitioners with guidance and tools for conducting the research, analysis, and preparation necessary to use communications to change behaviors and leverage support for reform where it exists, build support where it does not exist, and effectively manage opposition. br />

URL:

http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/sme.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/beetoolkitcom/$FILE/BEEtoolkitcom.pdf