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RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS CARRIED OUT WITH A PANEL OF SF COMMUNICATION

OFFICERS IN THE 25 MEMBER STATES

SFIT – 12 December 2005

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PART 1

THE MISSION

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1st phase1st phase : Interviews of Interviews of communication officerscommunication officers experiences of working with current regulation 1159/2000 Future

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYOBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

2th phase : Evaluation2th phase : Evaluation 75 Communication Plans 40 Annual Reports

METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY Selection of 30 communication officers among CSF MAs (15) and ROPs MAs (15)

Analysis

Communication PlansAnnual Reports

Evaluation reports

Range of communication products

Interviews

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PART 2

EXPERIENCES OF WORKING WITH CURRENT REGULATION 1159/2000

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Chapter 1 – Communication Plans and evaluation : the two innovations in Regulation

n°1159/2000

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COMMUNICATIONPLAN

Puts the actions in a coherent framework

Highlights the role of communication in management

Clarifies the role of communication in the activity of the institution

Permits monitoring, control and evaluation

Enables anticipation and a non-reactive approach

Facilitates the prioritisation of activities to be carried out

Legitimates financial allocations at the time of new orientations

Allows co-ordination of actions carried out by the different actors involved in SF communication activity

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AUDITAUDIT

COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION PLANPLAN

An essential support to an

effective communication

SHORT AND SHORT AND MIDDLE-TERM MIDDLE-TERM EVALUATIONEVALUATION Geared

towards a general aim, the identification of a situation in its interdisciplinary aspects

Allows adaptation and fine tuning of previous actions

Is per se a communication activity (dynamic process based on listening )

Forms the basis of communication

A preliminary audit is essential to draw up the CP

3 approaches : Quantitative (quest., surveys, barometer) Qualitative (interviews, analyse of groups) Analyse of doc. (press)

To regularly measure the effectiveness and impact of actionsTo ensure that the means correspond to the defined objectives and targetsTo refine the methodology of action

60% of interviewed

people

27% of interviewed people

Flexibility of the CP is a pledge of effectiveness

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Chapter 2 – The most effective actions

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The most effective actions

Degree of

citation

TARGET PUBLIC

Potential beneficiaries

& project promoters

Public opinion

Socio-economic

actors

Web Site   X X X

Information meetings, seminars and workshops

 X   X

Activities towards written press

 X X X

Publications (Flyers/brochures/Newsletters)

 X X X

Networking       X

Guide on structural funds

 X   X

TV broadcast (national or regional)

 X X X

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The most effective actions

Degree of citation

TARGET PUBLIC

Potential beneficiaries &

project promoters

Public opinion

Socio-economic

actors

Radio broadcast (national or regional)

X X X

Creation of visual identity (ex : logo)

X X X

Best practises guideX X

Call Centre X

Participation in public events (fairs, exhibitions…)

X X

Video testimonyX X X

Information Mailings X X

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The internet website : efficacy and pillar of communication actions

Seminars, workshops and information meetings

Example: the « road show » - objective 1 “Södra Skogslänsregionen (Sweden)

Actions addressed to media and journalists

challenge in terms of communication on the structural funds for the next programming period

Strong actions, especially in the NMS, at national level

Media mobilised since the beginning of the programming period

The most recurring actions : TV broadcasts, radio, press conferences and press releases…

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EXAMPLES OF ACTIONS

ADDRESSED TO MEDIA AND

JOURNALISTS

POLAND POLAND Training of journalistsTVP 3 Gdańsk launches a programme « Euro Service » once a monthRadio Gdańsk presents the successful projects

LATVIATV : programme dedicated to the European SF «“Eirobusiņš” (Eurobus) – every 2 weeks Radio : monthly 20 minute broadcast of “Eiropas fondu atslegas” (Keys to European Funds)

BELGIUMBELGIUM HUNGARYHUNGARY 226 television messages broadcast on all main channels with national coverage

174 radio advertisements on stations with national & local coverage

Journalists flying by helicopter over sites rehabilitated under the EU SF Constitution of a database of information and pictures put at disposal of the press

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ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

CSF - Objective 1 2000-2006

Slogan : “L’Europa puo’ farci grandi”Slogan : “L’Europa puo’ farci grandi”

“The child symbolically underlines the potentialities and the will to grow. The language used in the slogan is synthetic and direct »

▪ 30 second and 15 second ads ▪ 2 different stories of 30 seconds on the radio▪ Announcements in national and local magazines and newspapers ▪ Flyers ▪ Billposting ▪ Posters ▪ Banner published on main Italian websites

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The project promoters: ambassadors of the European Union

The guide of best practises : the example of Burgenland (Austria)

The Regulation n°1159/2000 also included obligations to be respected by the project promoters

The project promoters can provide tangible evidence that the structural policy, the instrument of European solidarity, not only exists but also produces results

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CD Rom and database of best practises on the Internet : the example of the city of Berlin (Germany)

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Videos on best practises: the example of the Government Office of London (United Kingdom)

Testimony of project promoters in written press: the example of Malta

A photo competition : the example of Estonia

15 minute videos have been made on some final beneficiaries « showing how the SF affected positively the life of ordinary people »

a national competition, addressed to project promoters, aimed at informing the general public on the realisations financed under the EU SF

Project promoters take pictures of projects co-funded under the SF

“The project promoters are walking advertisements for the Structural Funds. As many of the Maltese were not pro-European it is seen as crucial that beneficiaries of the Structural Funds publicise their experiences in the media, which reaches more people than any other information source”

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A successful advertising campaign: the example of the Province of Flevoland ( The Netherlands )

Through ads, posters, publicity in newspapers and on the Province website, some project promoters explain that their project has been carried out thanks to the SF

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The guidelines on information and publicity obligations: the example of the MA of the objective 1 North Portugal region

In order to ensure the visibility of measures part-financed by one of the Structural Funds, the appropriate managing authority shall be responsible for the respect of the information and publicity measures. Also each project promoter, benefiting from SF, has to inform the public

Promote the visibility of actions co-funded under one of the SF

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The section of the internet website dedicated to information and publicity obligations : the example of the Andalusia region (Spain)

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/economiayhacienda/fondos/poia_interreg/POIA/poia.htm

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Chapter 3 – Some examples of original actions

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The MA of the objective 1 region Hainaut (Belgium) : « figures that count »

Example of advertising on buses

Examples of flyers

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The region Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Fr.) :

European solidarity

Message : « Europe is a lever for the development of your regional territory »

This concept has been used in press communication, posters (bus stop format) and on the back cover of the newsletter « Brèves d’Europe »

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NDP/CSF Information Office in Ireland : web quiz for students

www.graduate.ie

Idea : to test the knowledge of students and graduates on a wide range of subjects and also to provide information and guidance on where to find information on these subjects

The participation of the Structural Funds office has added a stronger EU dimension to the website, both in terms of questions and information, and also in terms of prizes

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Chapter 4 – Problems and lessons learned

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Reach the general public Need for long and intensive campaigns involving high financial means for communication on SF

Coordinate the communication actions between the different partners involved in the SF

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

Make the project promotersrespect the I&P obligations

Budget : Communication is often considered as «an afterthought »

Use the information from the field (examples of best practices)

Mobilise media

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The phase of the programming period determines the content, intensity and form of communication

Beginning of the program 

Rapidly deliver information

Foresee an important budget allocation

Communicate using simple and short messages

During the programming periodStrengthen information and rely on best practises’ examples

Mobilise media

Drawing up of the communication plan

SOME LESSONS LEARNED

Work on the drawing up of the communication plan prior to the SPD Call upon communication professionals in order to draw up the CP

Start up communication actions as soon as possible

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Communication training for all people involved in the management of the SFs

▪ Involve them in elaboration of communication plan

Without the setting up and the coordination of information relays, messages have no chance of reaching the right targets

▪ Encourage a team work in order to share means, and achieve message coherence and gain effectiveness

Institutional partners working on Structural Funds

Internet has to be used as an integrated process allowing management, sharing and publication of information

Evaluation is an essential activity

For the drawing up of the CP On-going evaluation to adapt actions to targets

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PART 3

COMMUNICATION IN THE NEXT PROGRAMMING

PERIOD

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Chapter 1 – Expectations of the EC role

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Networking and Networking and exchange of exchange of experiencesexperiences

Exchange and concrete work on technical documents, tools and methods

Support the setting up of national networks and the transmission of information to the SFIT

On-line platform (CIRCA) with :database of communication best practices examples of slogansMethodo. guidelinesAction plansdiscussion forums

Regular organization Regular organization of workshops of workshops focused on focused on

communication on communication on SFSF

See Seminar held on November 2003

Ex. of proposed topics : Evaluation of communication actions How to mobilise the press ?Internet website: what architecture, what content in the framework of the future programming period?...

Drawing up of guidesDrawing up of guides

Methodological guidelinesEx : how to evaluate communication actions, how to implement the new Regulation …

Communication best practices guideline

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Chapter 2 - Article 68Strengths - Weaknesses

Proposals

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Points of the Regulation project

Degree of mention

Comments and quotes

Networking and exchange of experiences

« Networking and exchange of experiences are a strength of the Regulation because we shouldn’t have to always reinvent everything. We need to exchange each other’s experiences »

Communication Plan and evaluation

« A clear plan with a budget allows a more professional implementation of actions. Therefore it is important that the new regulation affirms its importance» « The evaluation is an essential element to elaborate the CP and the monitoring/adaptation of its actions »

Responsibility of beneficiariesThe beneficiary shall erect a billboard or a plaque on the site of all projects, irrespective of the project amount

Points to discuss :« financial and human resources must be foreseen in order to verify the observance» « regulation doesn’t foresee any penalty in case of non implementation»

STRENGHTS OF THE PROJECT OF REGULATION

Most mentioned

Less mentioned

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Points of the Regulation

project

Degree of mentions

Comments and quotes

Flying the European flag for a week on 9 May

It leads to a controversial historic past« It’s a very sensitive issue in in our country as the country has post-Soviet background and it can have rather bad impact and be taken as propaganda here» « Raising the flag on the 9th May has unpleasant historical connotations for our citizens. This is the day that our country was annexed after the Second World War»

Difficulty in ensuring control of implementation « The MA cannot guarantee nor control that every project site part-financed with the SF installs the EU flag for a week »

Risk of committing too many financial resources« Only projects co-funded to a certain extent should be obliged to install the European flag »

WEAKNESSES OF THE PROJECT OF REGULATION

Mostmentioned

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Points of the Regulation

project

Degree of

mentionsComments and quotes

Global content of

the regulation

project

Not enough detailed regulation = risk of interpretation “this approach could make the requirements open to interpretation and member states could be unsure how to implement them”

Too detailed regulation : it decreases the flexibility in the implementation of communication actions« Too detailed obligations entail too many questions concerning concrete implementation and control »“Certain rules could be stipulated as recommendations instead of main obligations»

Absence of penalties in case of non compliance with rules:«There is no notion of control and sanction relative to the respect of the information and publicity rules, control cannot be efficient without a penalty»

Messages

Non appropriate messages in regard to the knowledge of the majority of the European citizens of the SF.« People don’t see the difference between the SFs :it brings complexity to the message»

It doesn’t take into account the national co-funding:« The new slogans ignore the national contribution to the project and the co-financing principle »

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Points of the Regulation

project

Degree of mentions

Comments and quotes

Audiovisual broadcast

Cost and existence of other media, both cheaper and with a higher cost/ efficiency ratio  :« The managing authorities must be free to decide if an audiovisual program can be an efficient media, keeping in mind the fact that television programs are very expensive and that available budgets are often limited  »

Needs clarifying  :« Is it a documentary, an advertisement, a specific media campaign … ? »

Billboards and plaques

Expenses of billboards, in particular for small amount projects  :“I don’t agree with the idea of flags, billboards, etc.., especially for smaller projects…in Poland and it would create the wrong impression (wastage, overly concerned with PR, etc..)”

Too high percentage of occupation of the different elements« Not feasible in terms of communication nor where projects are financed by several organisations »

Less mentions

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General contents of the regulation proposalBalance between need for simplification and need for detailsDistinction between compulsory measures and recommendationsIntroduce notion of control and penalties in case of breaching of I&P requirements

Drawing up of the CPDraw up the new CP on the basis of the evaluation of the previous onesSubmit the CP at the same time as the operational programa dynamic tool that can be reviewed at least annually.

1 - Recommendations for the future

Implementation and monitoring of the CPReinforce the role of the Monitoring Committee (approval + feedback on the chapters dedicated to the communication actions)

Audio-visual broadcastRecommendation not an obligationNeeds clarifying

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The European flag on the 9th of MayReplace the flag with a range of actions like presentations on TV, radio, newspapers, conferencesHoliday with organization of festivals…Recommendation rather than obligation

Communication budgeta percentage of the programme budget (or the TA budget) for communication.include a budget for marketing of the project in the application process of a project

Billboards & plaquesA common and recognizable pattern in all the EU countries for the same type of financed works (roads… etc) Reduce to 10% the required surface for the EU co-funding textNot applicable to small projects

Slogans Eliminate the distinction ERDF, ESF…and just include « EU »

2 - Recommendations for the future