operationalizing political analysis and communication strategy caby verzosa september 11, 2008

Operationalizing Political Analysis and Communication

Strategy

Caby Verzosa

September 11, 2008

External Affairs Vice Presidency

Five Communication Management Decisions

AUDIENCE

BEHAVIOR

MESSAGES

CHANNELS

EVALUATION


Communication Management Decisions

Management Objective:

AUDIENCE BEHAVIOR MESSAGE CHANNELS EVALUATIONTake-away Message

Supporting Data

Cecilia C. Verzosa


AUDIENCE

Whose support is critical to the success ofthe project/ program/policy reform?


What behaviors, if adopted, will help achieve the defined objectives?

BEHAVIOR


MESSAGES

What messages will influence people to support the project/ program/policy reform?


CHANNELS

What channels of communication will reach these people and would be credible to them?


EVALUATION

How will communication activities be monitored and evaluated ?


Audience• knowledge• attitudes• beliefs

• practices

Policy Framework

Social Norms


Audiences Primary audience: the person whose behavior

programs would like to ultimately influence

Secondary audience: those who influence the primary audience to adopt or reject behaviors promoted by the program

Tertiary audience: those in positions of authority or influence over a large group of people


Targeting Strategies

Unmovable opponents

Opponents Uncommitted and

Uninvolved

Uncommitted and Involved

Allies Hard-core Allies

Copyright © 2001 by Gary Orren

Minimal persuasion

De-activate or

convert

Minimal persuasion

Activate Reinforce Minimal persuasion


Power – Interest Matrix

“Advocates”High Interest, Low Power

“Players” High Interest, High Power

“The Crowd” Low Interest, Low Power

“Context-Setters”Low Interest, High Power

POWER HighLow

Low

INTEREST

High


Behavior

Action one would like the target audience to take to help the program achieve its goal.


Technical Message

vs.

Take-Away Message


Message

Refers to the take-away message for a particular audience. A take-away message consists of the target audience’s response to the message received NOT the information given by the communicator.


The Take-Away Message. . .

Good Take-Away Messages:

Focus on Stakeholders’ Needs

Target Stakeholder Beliefs or Opinions

Are Culturally Sensitive

Answer the Stakeholder’s question: What does this have to do with me?

Are memorable: simple, focused and concise


Supporting Data

Refers to information the communicator uses to persuade audiences that adoption of the behavior benefits them.


Channels of Communication

Various means of relaying messages - via face-to-face meetings, radio, TV, group sessions, individual counseling sessions.


Evaluation

Indicators of success of communication activities in achieving changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices.


Communication Management Decisions

Management Objective:

AUDIENCE BEHAVIOR MESSAGE CHANNELS EVALUATIONTake-away Message

Supporting Data

Cecilia C. Verzosa


Philippine Procurement Reform


Management Objective

To get the procurement law passed.

How to unify the Executive branch? How to mobilize civil society groups? How to link CSOs and reformers in gov’t? How to recruit “champions” in the

legislature?


Mapping Stakeholders/Audiences

PRIMARY AUDIENCE – legislators

SECONDARY AUDIENCE – executive branch

TERTIARY AUDIENCE – Civil society organizations, private sector, media


Targeting Strategies

Unmovable opponents

Congressmen linked to contractors, mostly at the provincial, municipality level

Opponents

Local government

-- LGUs will now be bound to a uniform code

Uncommitted and

Uninvolved

The general public and the poor were all indirectly involved in the reform campaign

Uncommitted and Involved

Church,business community, general media

Budget and procurementgovernment officials

Cabinet members

Legislative staff

Allies

NGOs, esp. in anti-Corruption

College students

Big contractors,Contractors Association

Most donor agencies

Hard-core Allies

Government reform team

ProcurementWatch

PhilippinesAnticorruption Commission

Investigative media


Power – Interest Matrix

“Advocates” Civil Society Organizations Procurement Watch Governor Josie De La Cruz (Officer of the League of Governors)

“Players” Legislative Branch - Lower House - Senate Executive Branch

“The Crowd” General Public

“Context-Setters” Media Private Sector

Low

INTEREST

High

POWER HighLow


Take away message

For legislators:

Supporting passage of this law builds my

political capital with constituencies, with the

ruling political party, and with colleagues in the

legislature.


Supporting data

Influential and respected legislators are supporting the passage of the bill.

My legislative staff have briefed me on the benefits of the bill and they recommend support.

CSOs and media have made it difficult for legislators who are not openly supporting the bill, it will be “politically risky” to be seen by the public as not supporting the bill.


Reaching Out

Radio: The swath & the dagger

Channels of Communication The Media Campaign

Print Media: Amplifying the problem

TV: Raising the ante

Advertising: Creating a ‘brand name’


Evaluation

Was the Procurement Reform bill passed by both the Senate and Congress?


Summary

It took 3 years and 3 presidents to get the bill passed.

Analytical work was critical in identifying the key issues and framing the arguments.

Political economy issues influenced the process of getting the law passed.

Communication was the “glue” that kept the coalition together as it secured political support.


Procurement Reform in the Philippines: Implementing the Law


Public Awareness of the Procurement Law

A surprising statistic ?…

13%

87%

Aware Unaware


Attitudes toward the Law

13%

87%

Aware Unaware

Question 105:

We have a law that provides for the standard rules in public bidding for government projects to guarantee that all contractors are given equal opportunity to join and win a government contract. This is called the Government Procurement Reform Act or RA9184. Have you heard or read something about it?

Despite low public awareness of the law…

… majority believe the law will help reduce corruption.

Question 106:

Do you think this law will help reduce corruption in government contracts?

25%

51%

14%

6%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Will definitely help

Will probably help

Will probably not help

Will definitely not help


78% 76% 74% 73%

16% 19% 18% 18%

6% 4% 5% 6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Public bidding Publish notice of bidding Invite NGOs asobservers

Use w ebsite for w inningbids

Definitely needed Might help Too much trouble

Support for Provisions of the Procurement Law


Attitude towards Corruption

Attitude towards corruption in government contracts

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

Easier access tobidding

information ongovernmentcontracts

Easier to punishirregularities ingovernmentcontracting

More careful useof public funds

Corruption ingovernment

contracts lesscommon

Strongly/somew hat agree

Undecided

Strongly/somew hat disagree


Willingness to take Action

Willingness to take action against corruption

52%46%

32%

19%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Report to media Know govt law s Report to anticorruptionagency

Join anticorruption NGO


Lessons Learned

Develop Multi-stage communication implementation plan

Leverage Government Capacity for Communication

Create “Authority’ structures across institutions and groups

operationalizing political analysis and communication strategy caby verzosa september 11, 2008

Documents

high slide

behavior slide

away message slide

verzosa slide

concise slide

minimal persuasion slide

n secondary audience

program n tertiary audience