Public Awareness and Communication

Public Awarenessand Communication

Chapter7

Solid WasteTechnical Assistance

Ministry ofState forEnvironmental Affairs

Solid Waste ManagementPrivatization Procedural Manual

Solid Waste Technical Assistance

Soli

d W

aste

Tec

hnic

al A

ssis

tanc

e

INTRODUCTION: Public Awareness and Communications 2

STEP 1: Define General Campaign Objectives 4

STEP 2: Establish A Public Awareness and Communications Team 5

Perform an Analysis of Organizational Needs 6

STEP 3: Conduct a Communications/Education Assessment 7

Review Existing Information 7Predict Problems 7Identify Target Audiences and Develop their Profiles 7

Identify Stakeholders 9

STEP 4: Design a Communications Strategy 9

Refine Campaign Objectives 9Summarize Key Target Audience Findings 9Develop a Campaign Message 9

STEP 5: Design an Implementation Strategy 9

STEP 6: Develop a Communications Budget 10

STEP 7: Develop Printed Materials, Publications, and Media-Based Tools 10

Develop Campaign Materials 10Pre-Test Messages and Materials 10

STEP 8: Kick-Off the Campaign 11

Mobilize Stakeholders 11Mobilize the Media 11

STEP 9: Organize Promotional Events 12

Develop a Concept Plan for Each Event 12Develop a Logistical Plan for Each Event 12

STEP 10: Evaluate the Process 13

Evaluate the Effectiveness of Promotional Events

STEP 11: Evaluate the Impact 13

Qualitative Research 13Quantitative Research 14Complete Impact Evaluation and Prepare Final Report 14

APPENDICESA: Designing Public Awareness Campaigns for Rural AreasB : Guidelines for Implementation StrategiesC : Communications Budget Template

TABLE OFCONTENTS

3

his chapter will explainhow to manage ag e n e r a l p u b l i cawareness campaign toensure that the public

understands the new Solid WasteManagaemeent system. It describesthe steps that must be conductedto implement a successful publicawareness campaign. In addition,it provides guidelines on buildinga Pu b l i c A w a r e n e s s a n dCommunications Team (PACT) thatcan take the respons ib i l i ty o fmanag ing such a campa ign. I texplains in simple terms who willd o wh a t , w h e n , a n d h ow.However, this document should beconsidered dynamic in that it isdesigned to be adapted to specificsituations.

A p u b l i c a w a r e n e s s a n dcommunications campaign is key tothe successful implementation ofany policy decision, particularlywhen it requires the support of thepublic and behavioral change fromconstituencies. Public awarenesscampaigns are designed with themain objectives of : drawing thepublic’s attention to certain publicissues or problem areas and bringingabout behavior and social change.When introducing a new publicconcept, issue, policy or project,it is crucial that the main audiencethat will be affected accepts themessages. Therefore, it is importantto understand the needs and desiresof the target audience as well astheir perceptions of the proposedchanges. This kind of understandingis part of what is refer red to associal marketing.

INTRODUCTION

PUBLICAWARENESS ANDCOMMUNICATIONS

Social marketing seeks to influencesocial behaviors in order to benefitthe target audience and society atl a r g e . Whe n po l i c y m a ke r sintroduce new services they wantcitizens to accept and abide by,they must p lan and implementcommunication programs with theobjective of educating as well asexplaining the benefits of the newservices to the public.

Privatizing solid waste management isthe type of project that requires citizenryto have a complete understanding ofthe changes at hand, the objectives andmechanisms of the new system, what isrequired of them, and how they willbenefit from it.

The public awareness process consistsof eleven steps conducted in four distinctphases:

1. Planning Phase: As soon as thedecision to privatize waste managementservices has been made, the PlanningPhase begins. This phase prepares fora public awareness effort to supportprivatization by organizing resources andidentifying goals. There are threefundamental steps to the Planning Phase:

• Step 1: Define General CampaignObjectives.

• Step 2: Establish a PublicAwareness and CommunicationsTeam.

• Step 3: Conduct a Communicat-ions/Education Assessment.

2. Development Phase: TheDevelopment Phase takes the informationgathered during the Planning Phase and

The more that communicationmessages are designed torespond to the public’s needsand inquires, the greater thepotential that citizens willacquire new sets of values andattitudes and hence behaviors.

uses it to develop a concrete strategyfor the public awareness campaign,complete with campaign messages andstrategies for dissemination. There arethree fundamental steps to theDevelopment Phase:

• Step 4: Design a CommunicationsStrategy.

• Step 5: Design an ImplementationStrategy.

• Step 6: Develop aCommunications Budget.

3. Implementation Phase: TheImplementation Phase encompasses theactual development of publications andmedia tools and their dissemination, thecampaign kick-off with the media andstakeholders, and the planning andcompletion of promotional events. Thereare three fundamental steps to theImplementation Phase:

• Step 7: Develop PrintedMaterials, Publications, andMedia-based Tools.

• Step 8: Kick off the Campaign.• Step 9: Organize Promotional

Events.

4. Evaluation Phase: The EvaluationPhase is one of the most important stepsin conducting a public awareness andcommunications campaign, as it evaluatesthe effectiveness of the campaign. Thetrue test of the campaign’s effectivenessis not in the number of materialsproduced or events implemented, butto what degree these materials andevents supported the transition toprivatized solid waste management, andhad an impact on the target audience’sperceptions and behaviors. There aretwo fundamental steps to the EvaluationPhase:

• Step 10: Evaluate the Process.• Step 11: Evaluate the Impact.

Each of the steps in each phase is crucialto the successful delivery of a publicawareness and communications message.

Appendix A of thischapter contains adescription of a specificapproach and tasksassociated with runninga public awarenesscampaign in rural areas.If conducting a campaignin a rural area, theappendix should be readfirst, and integrated intothe rest of the stepscomprising the chapter.

5

STEP 1:

DEFINE GENERALCAMPAIGNOBJECTIVES

Examples of general objectives include:

• Improve overall awareness of environmental issues.• Increase public awareness of the benefits of privatizing

waste management services.• Minimize potential public opposition to privatizing solid

waste management services.• Maintain a high level of credibility for privatization among

all constituencies.• Mobilize local leadership to actively support and participate

in the campaign.• Create new leaders who can serve as partners in delivering

campaign messages to target audiences in schools,universities, community and religious organizations, andthe media.

• Ensure public compliance with the new, privatized solidwaste management services by disseminating rules,regulations and instructions.

• Achieve significant changes in public attitudes toward litterand waste disposal habits.

• Encourage reductions in the amount of household wastegenerated.

• Improve household handling of waste.• Ensure the sustainability of the privatized solid waste

management services; etc.

a s ed on i d e n t i f y i n g p r o j e c t p r i o r i t i e s , t h e Gove r no r a t eo f f i c i a l s a nd adm i n i s t r a t o r s r e spon s i b l e f o r de ve l opmen tand imp l emen t a t i on o f t he o r gan i z a t i on and i n f r a s t r u c t u r e

fo r mon i to r ing of the so l id waste management se r v ice cont rac t s ,toge t he r w i t h pub l i c awa r ene s s spec i a l i s t s , s hou ld deve lop afu l l l i s t o f genera l ob ject ives fo r the publ i c awareness campa ignand p r io r i t i z e t hem.

Genera l object ives a re a l l o f the pos i t ive act ions and outcomes,both pr imar y and secondar y, that can be ach ieved by the publ icawa rene s s campa ign . By deve lop ing th i s comprehens i ve l i s t o fob j ec t i v e s a t t he beg i nn i ng o f t he P l ann i ng Pha se , t he pub l i caw a r e n e s s r e s e a r c h e r s w i l l b e b e t t e r p r e p a r e d t o i d e n t i f ypr ior i t ies, and develop a communicat ions s t rategy that addressesa b roade r a r r ay o f ob jec t i ve s .

6

STEP 2:

ESTABLISHA PUBLICAWARENESS ANDCOMMUNICATIONSTEAM

his section focuses on the use of an independent Public Awarenessand Communications Team (PACT) in designing and implementinga campaign, and includes information on how to establish a PACT.

While the establishment of a PACT is l ikely the most appropriateapproach to conducting a public awareness and communications campaign,it is not the only way to conduct a campaign. Participants also mayconsider engaging a specialized communications/public relations firm toconduct the phases described in this section.

The PACT should be involved in every step of the public awarenesscampaign. Therefore, establishing an effective and responsive team isa key step in developing a successful public awareness campaign. Figure7.1 lists the main roles and responsibilities of the PACT.

❋ Developing communication work plans and budgets.❋ Communicating with the public to increase awareness.❋ Training local leaders such as professors, teachers, sheikhs, priests, and businessmen

on mechanisms of increasing environmental public awareness.❋ Preparing and delivering presentations to different partners and stakeholders.❋ Designing media plans and strategies.❋ Working with news media to optimize project coverage and publicity.❋ Organizing press conferences for opinion leaders, government officials, and project

administrators to disseminate information about the project.❋ Identifying and creating public relations opportunities.❋ Developing promotional and educational materials to be distributed to the public.❋ Organizing promotional activities and events.❋ Developing different strategies to minimize public opposition.❋ Responding to public inquires.

FIGURE 7.1: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PACT

7

PERFORM AN ANALYSISOF ORGANIZATIONALNEEDS

The first step in establishing thePACT is to re fe r back to thede s i r ed c ampa i g n go a l s a ndobjectives and begin to define thegeneral tasks required to meet theseo b j e c t i v e s . T h e p r o j e c tadministrators must then undertakethe fo l lowing s teps in o rde r :

1. Complete an inventory of keytasks and del iverables to meetcampaign objectives.

2. Estimate the number of positionsneeded to accomplish campaigntasks.

3. Es tab l i sh an organ iza t iona lstructure that will be responsive tocampaign objectives.

4. Define communication channelsand lines of responsibility/authorityfor the PACT (internal ly as aninstitution and externally as it willinteract with the contract monitoringadministration).

Once the Governorate officials,and members o f the Cont rac tMonitoring Unit have determinedthe key tasks required to meetcampa i gn ob j e c t i v e s and t hedifferent roles and responsibilitiesof the PACT members, they mustthen de te r m ine the pos i t i on sneeded to perform

these tasks wi th in the choseno r g an i z a t i ona l s t r u c t u r e , anddevelop a candidate profi le andjob description for each position.

Example job descriptions for PublicA w a r e n e s s s p e c i a l i s t s a n dcoord ina to r s can be found inAppendix A of Chapter 6. It mighta l so be u se fu l to r ev i ew theorganizational structure charts foundin Step 2 of Chapter 6 to find outwhere the PACT team best fits.

8

STEP 3:

CONDUCT ACOMMUNICATIONS/EDUCATIONASSESSMENT

I f these secondar y sources o finformation are not enough to meetthe goa l s o f t he a s se s smen t ,qualitative and quantitative researchhas to be conducted using focusgroups, s imple observat ion, in-depth inter v iews, and surveys.

PREDICT PROBLEMS

Once a r e v i ew o f e x i s t i n ginformation is complete, an analysisof the information gathered shouldbe performed to predict potentialproblems that may impede thepubl ic awareness campaign. Bypredicting pitfal ls to avoid, thepublic awareness campaign can bedesigned to meet these challengesfrom the very beginning and greatlyenhance its chances of success.Problems to look fo r inc lude:

• Previous public opposition tosimilar initiatives.

• High rates of i l l iteracy thatm i g h t h i n d e r e f f e c t i v ecommunication.

• Established patterns ofbehavior regarding handlingof waste.

• Preconcept ions based onprevious misleading messagesby media.

REVIEW EXISTINGINFORMATION

Public awareness researchers shouldbegin shaping the campaign byconducting a thorough review ofex i s t ing in fo rmat ion to obta inr e l e v an t da t a a nd anecdo t a lev idence. In th i s way, a la rgevo lume of in fo rmat ion can beobtained quickly and inexpensively.Sources include:

• Technical journals and tradepublications.

• Publ ic opin ion pol l s andconsumer surveys.

• Past coverage of issues innewspapers and magazines.

• C e n s u s s t a t i s t i c s a n ddemographic surveys.

• Data and reports prepared byN o n - G o v e r n m e n t a lO r g a n i z a t i o n s (NGOs)schools, universities, religiousinstitutions, etc.

• Government environmentalinstitutions, market researchfirms, etc.

• Inability of some local leadersto deliver campaign messageseffectively.

• Target audiences who do nott h i n k t h e y n e e d n e w o rimproved service, etc.

IDENTIFY TARGETAUDIENCES AND DEVELOPTHEIR PROFILES

The project administrators must nowdetermine what target audience(s)should be reached in order to achievethe campaign objectives. While thetarget audience may be consideredwomen or young people or a certainneighborhood, or even the public atlarge, the PACT must segment thisaudience into manageable groups.

Standard practice for segmenting atarget audience places heavy emphasison demographic or socio-economicfactors. This practice is also true forpublic awareness campaigns regardingwaste and environmental issues, andit is generally preferable to begin bysegmenting the target audience byboth demographic and behavioralfactors. Figure 7.2 shows a table ofexamples of demographic andbehavioral factors.

FIGURE 7.2: DEMOGRAPHICAND BEHAVIORAL FACTORS

• Age group.• Gender and ethnicity or

nationality.• Income and education levels.• Marital status and family

situation.• Culture and location of

permanent residence.• Occupation and work

location.

• Values.• Factors that facilitate or hinder

changes in the attitudes.• Opinion of waste management

and public cleaning.• Current waste generation and

disposal practices.• Aesthetic preferences.

DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS BEHAVIORAL FACTORS

9

IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders a re any group orind iv idua l tha t can a f fec t theoutcome of the public awarenesscampaign and have an impact onthe success of the new system.Such stakeholders may inc ludeNGOs, educational and religiousi n s t i t u t i o n s , i n t e r med i a r y o rrepresentative organizations, privatesector businesses, and technicala n d p r o f e s s i o n a l b o d i e s .Stakeholders can be cr i t ica l inl i nk ing the PACT wi th ta rgetaudiences.

Stakeholders can support the publicawareness campaign in many ways.

The process of ident i f y ing anddefining an audience leads to settingaudience priorities: deciding whois most important, who is importantbut less critical, and who shouldnot be a target for the campaign.

If the target audience is youngpeople, then a potential group mightbe considered a particular school, ora youth sports organization; if thet a r ge t aud i ence i s a ce r t a i nneighborhood or area of a city, thena potential group might be low-income households with childrenres iding in that neighborhood.

They can reduce resistance andopposit ion to publ ic awarenessmes s age s , and can a l so he lpovercome lack of interest on thepart of some local leaders. Theycan support the development andproduction of communication toolsby he lp ing to re f ine campaignmessages to meet target audienceperspectives. Finally, they can allowthe PACT to ach ieve a morecoherent integration among variouscommun i c a t i on s channe l s andexpand the reach of the campaignmessage to a wider network withinthe target audience. Figure 7.3lists some questions to assist inidentifying stakeholders.

K e y c o n s i d e r a t i o n s f o rident i f y ing ta r get audiencesinclude:

• Which target audience willbene f i t mos t f r om theinitiative?

• Which target audience canb e m o s t p o s i t i v e l yi n f l u e n c e d b y t h ecampaign?

• Which target audience ismost ready to adopt newattitudes and practices?

• Is the target audience largee n o u g h t o h a v e asubstantial positive impacton the outcome?

• Can the target audience bereadily reached throughefficient utilization of fundsand resources?

• Will the target audiencepay attention to campaignmes s age s , o r w i l l t h ecampaign have to competefor attention with othercampaigns and messages?

FIGURE 7.3: QUESTIONS TO IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS

• Who are the representatives of each priority group within thetarget audience?

• Who is responsible for actions related to the privatization ofsolid waste management services?

• Who is likely to mobilize for, or against, privatization?• Who can make the campaign more or less effective by their

participation, non-participation or outright opposition?• Who can contribute financial and technical resources to the

campaign?

10

STEP 4:

DESIGN ACOMMUNICATIONSSTRATEGY

is to reduce generated householdgarbage, then a refined campaignobject ive might be educat inghousewives about new methods ofhandling waste, and so on.

SUMMARIZE KEY TARGETAUDIENCE FINDINGS

Summarizing the f indings of theinformation gathered on the keytarget audiences is actually a wayof defining the root causes of theunderlying environmental problemthat a re re la ted to the ta rgetaud iences. For ins tance, whatlessons can be learned from pastpublic awareness initiatives withthe target audiences or similar ones?What are the beliefs and cur rentpractices of the target audiencest h a t a r e con t r i bu t i n g to t heproblem? What are their needs andexpec t a t i o n s? Wha t i s t h e i rperception of the cur rent sol idwaste system and what wil l thenew system offer them?

tep 4 is the beginning of thedevelopment phase, wheninformation gathered during the

planning phase will be developedinto strategies.

REFINE CAMPAIGNOBJECTIVES

Refined campaign objectives aresimply subcategories of the generalcampaign objectives. For example, ifa campaign objective is to encouragebehavior change in children, then arefined objective might be to instillthe value of cleanliness in children’slifestyle. If a campaign objective

DEVELOP A CAMPAIGNMESSAGE

A campaign message should beclear and concise. This means itshould not be more than two ideasor pieces of information. It mayalso be helpful to think of relevantcultural icons or proverbs that canbe associated with the message togive added impact and resonance.

The be s t way to deve lop acampaign message is by answeringque s t ion s l i ke t he fo l l ow ing :

• What main points should thetarget audience internalize fromthe message?

• What unique idea or themecan best describe the new,p r i v a t i z e d s o l i d w a s t emanagement service?

• What actions should the targetgroup take as a result of thecommunication?

FIGURE 7.4: TYPES OF COMMUNICATION TOOLS

NGOs

Educationalinstitutions

Religiousinstitutions

InstitutionalSupport

STEP 5:

DESIGN ANIMPLEMENTATIONSTRATEGY

hen selecting a specific communication tool to address a specificaudience, the PACT needs to assess such tools to determinewhich will be most effective in reaching the level of awareness

and knowledge required. Will it also help people to change theirattitudes? What type of image will the audience have of the projectas a result of using that tool? Figure 7.4 lists types of communicationtools. In addition, an example of an implementation matrix can be foundin Appendix B of this chapter.

DirectContact

Publications Media

Formal orinformal meetings

Presentations

Field visits

Posters

Brochuresand flyers

Guidebooks

Trainingmaterials andvideosTargeteddirect mailings

Newspaperand magazineadvertisements

Television andradio

Press releases

Relevant TV andradio programs

10

STEP 6:

DEVELOP ACOMMUNICATIONSBUDGET

he budget should include line items for each chosen communicationtool, including any brochures, publications, videos, and posters,as well as all costs associated with organizing planned events.

A portion of the budget will l ikely be devoted to advertising, andshould include production expenses and airtime or insertion costs. Thebudget must also include any overhead expenses, such as stationaryand o f f i c e s upp l i e s , t r a n spo r t a t i on f e e s , ma i l i n g expen se s ,telecommunications costs, etc. An example of a communications budgettemplate is included in Appendix C of this chapter.

STEP 7:

DEVELOP PRINTEDMATERIALS,PUBLICATIONS,AND MEDIA-BASEDTOOLS

A brief lists all of the informationtha t w i l l be i nc l uded i n t hepublication, including: objectivesof the publication; messages to beconveyed; key words about theproject; target audience; proposedcontent; graphics and photography;distribution channels; and language,when fo re i gn med ia u se i s aconsideration.

When the information is ready, thePACT should work closely with aqua l i f ied copywr i te r to ensurecomplete understanding of theobjectives and the desired impacton the target audience. Both thePACT and the copywriter shouldwork closely with the designer toensure that the merging of text,photos and l ayout e f fec t i ve lyillustrate the ideas.

The best and most accurate way to estimate costs foreach line item in the budget is to obtain quotes fromsevera l d i f fe ren t po ten t i a l se r v i ce p rov ider s .

his step marks the beginningof the implementation phase,which is comprised of threesteps.

DEVELOP CAMPAIGNMATERIALS

The product ion process of anyprinted material or publication mustgo through the following process,in the order listed:

• Brief Development.• Concept Development.• Copywriting.• Photography.• Illustration of Ideas.• Fine-tuning and Editing.• Printing.• Pre-testing.

PRE-TEST MESSAGES ANDMATERIALS

The PACT should pre-test themessage and materials developedwith a sample of the intendedaudience to review, comment andprovide feedback on the publicationsand materials. Pre-testing shouldoccur during the development ofthese materials, so that feedback andchanges can be incorporated into thefinal version.

Pre-testing allows public awarenessplanners to make sure that the contentpresents the messages in a clear andcomprehensible manner, and that thedesign is appealing to the targetaudience. The most common way ofcarrying out pre-testing is by usingfocus groups or questionnaires. Figure7.5 has samples of questions forfocus groups.

FIGURE 7.5: PRE-TESTING QUESTIONS

•What do you think the main message of this publication is?•To whom is this message directed?•Could it be you? Why or why not?•What do you think of this message and information?•What type of behavior do you think is emphasized through

this publication?•What do you think of the language used?•Do you like the design? Why or why not?

11

STEP 8:

KICK-OFFTHE CAMPAIGN

nce the materials have been developed and are ready to bedistributed, it is time to start the campaign.

MOBILIZE THE MEDIA

Positive media relations can start bycontacting several media professionalswith different media affiliations andestablishing a working relationship withthem. Start by introducing the project,but also learn about the way they work.For instance, ask about their usualdeadlines, audience demographics,format, and audience preferences. Learnabout what aspects of a story makes itnewsworthy, and when sharinginformation about the project, speak inthose terms. Remember, the media needsstories to fill their column inches andairtime. The PACT is a valuable sourceof these stories. Providing media contactswith promotional materials, such as pressreleases, fact sheets, and fliers will helpreporters quickly understand the issue.The more pieces of information that thePACT is able to provide, the morelikely a story will be covered. Forexample, if the PACT is seeking televisioncoverage of a story, it should providethe media contact with backgroundvisual material, such as videotapesshowing efforts on the project.

Stakeholder: “Any group or individual that can affectthe outcome of the public awareness campaign and havean impact on the success of the privatization initiative.”

MOBILIZE STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are cr i t ica l to thesuccess of the campaign, and mustbe mob i l i z ed to de l i v e r t h ecampaign messages and materials,and part ic ipate in promot ionalevents.The PACT should start thecampaign with outreach activities aimedat all stakeholders. This involves largeand small group meetings, a publiccampaign kick-off activity withstakeholders, or direct calling or mailings.These types of activities work to facilitateregular communication and feedbackwith the stakeholders to help ensurecontinued commitment and followthrough, as well as increasing networkopportunities.

Mobilizing stakeholders takes carefulplanning. The PACT’s overal lmanagement plan should incorporate apreliminary timeline of activities to beconducted with various stakeholdergroups. Meetings, seminars, conferencesand public events should be scheduledin consideration of the best timing forimpact and audience participation. Forexample, the summer season may workbest for community-based activities withstakeholders who might not be availableduring the school year.

The term media refers to manydifferent entities—radio, television,newspapers, magazines and more—that vary extensively. Each of thesemedia channels provides differentopportunities to reach particularaudiences with a specific type ofm e s s a g e . T h e PACT med i aspecialists must determine how thepriority target audience can bestbe accessed, and what medium ismost appropriate for delivering theme s s age . Fo r ex amp l e , whente lev i s ion i s se lec ted, ca re fu lresearch must be done to determinethe peak viewing hours. The samer u l e app l i e s t o t h e p r e s s—magazines and newspapers with thehighest readership rates by thet a r ge t ed aud i ence shou ld becarefully targeted for press releaseand news article inclusion. Checkthe readership, listener, or viewerprofiles with each publication orstation.

While many consider the media a fearsome adversary,it can act as a powerful ally. The PACT must takeadvantage of the media, in its many forms, and its abilityto reach a large audience across a broad spectrum.

12

DEVELOP A CONCEPT PLANFOR EACH EVENT

Just like a brief must be written for eachplanned publication, so too must a briefbe prepared to establish the conceptand parameters of each plannedpromotional event. Figure 7.6. lists thecontents of a brief.

DEVELOP A LOGISTICALPLAN FOR EACH EVENT

Organ i za t ion i s the key to asuccessful event, and a logisticalp lan shou ld be comple ted toprovide a timeline for preparationand assign duties associated withevent management.

An event preparation time planmaps out all the activities associatedwith planning an event from thetime the brief is developed, untilthe successful completion of theevent. It should establish realisticand feasible deadlines for everystage of preparation, and meetingthese established deadlines will becrucial to the successful managementof the event.

While an event preparation timeplan shows a rough schedule of allmajor actions to be completed, theevent checkl i s t inc ludes a ver ydetailed line-item list of logisticsand preparations, who is assignedto each item and its deadline. Thechecklist helps event organizers toremain in control of all managementdetails associated with an event.Figure 7.7 shows an example ofan event checklist.

STEP 9:

ORGANIZEPROMOTIONALEVENTS

FIGURE 7.6: SAMPLE CONTENTS OF EVENT BRIEF

• Event Title.• Date and time of the event.• Event location.• Objectives of the event.• Profile of the intended audience.• Primary issues to be discussed or highlighted during the event .• Speakers or other participants.• Target number of expected attendees.• Language to be used during the event.• Suggested agenda for the event.• Documents and materials to be distributed during the event.• Budget items; etc.

FIGURE 7.7: SAMPLE EVENT CHECKLIST

Equipment rental

Menus/Coffee breaks selection

Venue setup

Name tags for participants

Contacting photographer

Preparing handouts

Buying stationary

ACTIONS PERSONIN CHARGE DUE DATE

All materials to be presented at anevent must be carefully prepared,including presentations by outsidespeakers. Event organizers must beinvolved in preparing and reviewinga l l mate r i a l s . Documents andpublications to be distributed at theevent must be as professionally doneas the budget allows. If several itemsare to be distributed, then it is moreeffective if the materials are visuallysimilar. For instance, if multiple flyersare being prepared, they should allbe printed on the same quality ofpape r, w i t h s im i l a r ma rg i n s ,complimentary fonts, etc. Make surethe number of expected attendees isaccurately estimated in advance toensure enough copies of materials.

13

STEP 10:

EVALUATE THEPROCESS

his step is the first part of the evaluation phase. Process evaluationdetermines whether the intended target audience is being reached,and should be conducted periodically during each part of thecampaign. Process evaluation includes media monitoring and analysis,

as well as an evaluation of campaign activities.

The process evaluation will allow the PACT to determine early in thecampaign—in time to make modifications—if there are segments of thetarget audience that are not becoming more aware of campaign messages.For example, if an evaluation indicates low levels of awareness amongwomen, then the PACT must investigate whether the communicationchannels and tools being used are appropriate for a female audience.

EVALUATE THEEFFECTIVENESS OFPROMOTIONAL EVENTS

At the conclusion of each promotionalpublic awareness event, a processevaluation to determine the outcome ofthe event should be completed. Theevent evaluation provides valuableguidance to the PACT on whatadditional events should or should notbe organized to further emphasize thepublic awareness messages.

The event evaluation sheet should askfor the participants’ overall opinion ofthe event, including opinion of materialsdistributed, event timing, event venueand refreshments, etc. The evaluation

sheet should also allow participants toexpress their opinion regarding speakers,presentations, whether or not they feltthe event was useful, and any suggestionsto improve future events.

Reporting is the last step and shouldcomment both on the way the eventwas organized and whether or not itachieved its objectives. An eventreport might include the followinginformation: background on the event;event objectives (refer back to eventbrief and concept planning); targetaudience; event strategy; key issuesand interventions expressed duringthe event; challenges faced whileorganizing the event; evaluationsummary of the event; etc.

STEP 11:

EVALUATETHE IMPACT

he PACT should perform primary research in order to objectivelyexamine campaign results and assign measurable statements ofperformance to the campaign. Both qualitative and quantitativeresearch is necessary, and the research process should be well-

designed at the outset i f i t is to yield the desired information.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research is an unstructuredexploratory method of research—basedon small samples—designed to provideinsight into target audience behaviorsand attitudes. There are several methodsfor conducting qualitative research,including focus groups, mini groups,one-on-one in-depth interviews, pairedinterviews, and in-home visits.

14

While qualitative research provides anoverall view of the target audience’sbehavior and attitudes, as well as changesin behavior and attitude observed sincethe start of the planning stage of thecampaign, it cannot express this changein figures or percentages.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative research involves collectingdata and analyzing it to yield statisticsand frequency counts. The researchusually takes the form of a questionnairefor the purposes of evaluating publicawareness campaigns. The PACT mustconstruct a questionnaire that relates tothe purpose and objectives of the study,identify sample audiences, and accuratelymanage data collection.

Questions must be relevant to thepurpose and objectives of the study,be brief, objective and not lead therespondent to any particular answer. Itis important to ask non-ambiguousquestions and avoid unfamiliar wordsor meanings or questions that ask forknowledge and information that therespondent does not have. Whilequestions can be both open-ended orclose-ended, they should always focuson efficiently obtaining the desiredinformation.

The sample group is the group of peoplethat will be interviewed or asked tocomplete the questionnaire. Quality ismore important than size when sampling,and the goal is to obtain responsesrepresentative of the entire populationof interest, meaning representatives fromeach target audience group, such aswomen, children, businessmen, laborers,etc. The disparity among the samplegroup might even lead to the formationof more than one questionnaire version(i.e., one appropriate to children, etc.).

Supervising data collectors is a veryimportant step in the research process.Supervisors should make sure thatinterviewers adhere to sample design,as interviewers may wrongly think it’smore convenient to include individualswho do not meet the sample design,or may not be sure who they shouldcontact. Supervisors must also be on-hand to monitor problems that mayoccur during the interview, and makesure that interviewers are prepared toask questions in a way that does notelicit biased, incorrect, or incompleteresponses.

COMPLETE IMPACTEVALUATION AND PREPAREFINAL REPORT

PACT researchers must assemble allcollected data, process and analyze it,and prepare a final report. The first stepin data analysis is to record the answersto each question from each respondent.Often this is done by coding theinformation into a computer databaseand tabulating the frequency of variousresponses. By determining the mostfrequent or average response to eachquestion, the PACT should obtainprel iminar y ins ight into whichcommunications strategies have the mostimpact.

The final report should summarize theresults of evaluation research, includingall steps taken during the evaluation anda complete summary of findings. Mostimportantly the report should identifythe strategic implications of the findings.For example, which target audiences areexpected to accept the new, privatizedsolid waste management services? Whichcommunications channels are mosteffective? Which stakeholders are mostpowerful in community mobilization?How can the budget be reallocated tobe more effective?

APPENDICES

A1

APPENDIX A: DESIGNING PUBLIC AWARENESSCAMPAIGNS FOR RURAL AREAS

Although the steps and procedures of designing a public awareness campaign in urban areasare the same in rural areas, a number of factors have to be taken into consideration.

There are three main topics that have to be carefully addressed while developing a publicawareness campaign in rural areas:

• Profile of Target Audience.• Public Awareness Messages.• Communications Tools and Channels.

PROFILE OF TARGET AUDIENCE

Variations in demographic, socio-economic, and cultural characteristics of rural and urban target audienceswill affect the public awareness messages addressed to rural people as well as the communication mediathrough which these messages are conveyed.

Public awareness researchers should carefully study the characteristics of rural target audiences whileconducting the Communication/Education Assessment.

For many inhabitants of rural areas in Egypt, poverty is the most prevalent condition. A primary characteristicof rural life is dependence on land for subsistence. Land, livestock, and water are often the source of arural person’s wealth, security, food, and employment. Although land ownership by farmers has becomemore widespread, often the amount of land owned is too small to provide food for self-sufficiency. Anothercharacteristic of rural areas is larger family size than usually found in urban areas, and an extended familylifestyle.

One of the most significant aspects of rural life is the central place of the family and community in allsocial activities. In rural societies, the community provides the basis for mutual aid, social interaction, andactivities of children. This interaction has much to do with the shaping of public opinion. Entry to mosthomes should be through family elders, religious leaders, government authorities or school teachers.Leadership in rural communities is concentrated in the hands of the village head (Omda), religious leaders,and sometimes landowners, midwives, village merchants, or moneylenders.

Another common trait of rural people is their resistance to change. Its negative influence stems from acore belief of many rural people that they have no real ability to change the events that affect their lives.New methods or practices generally require some risk of economic loss in the short run, and are thereforelikely to cause resistance to innovation and a preference for familiar, traditional ways. Furthermore,superstitions affect receptivity to change. Accordingly, changing rural behavior requires communicationsstrategies that can overcome these obstacles.

Because rates of illiteracy are higher in rural areas than urban ones, information that flows through the massmedia, such as television and radio, will be more effective. Village communication systems are usuallyinformal, and are a good supplement to mass media as villagers interact in small informal groups that meetirregularly but frequently in proscribed places in the village. These informal groups may be composed offarmers, women, and youth of the village. Each representative acts as a disseminator of information onissues relating to the needs and interests of his or her group.

A2

DESIGNING PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNSFOR RURAL AREAS (CONT.)

PUBLIC AWARENESS MESSAGES

Devoting consideration to developing specific public awareness and communication messages that suit theprofile of rural audiences is crucial.

Wording the message in the local rural dialect or language, forming messages in terms of rural people’sneeds, interests, activities, and experiences, and using messages that are reinforcing to rural people’s needsto improve their own condition and that of their community are important factors in the success of anypublic awareness campaign aimed at rural people.

There are traditional forms for conveying messages that have been used for centuries in rural areas suchas rural songs, stories, and puppet shows. Public awareness message designers are advised to take advantageof the opportunities such communications forms offer, and adapt such forms to include public messages.

COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND CHANNELS

The PACT must identify the most appropriate and effective communication channels for use in rural areas.

Indigenous media may be more effective because the audience is more familiar with them. Using informalmeans of communication such as community gatherings could be very useful in transmitting messages fromone group to another. It may also be strategic to involve familiar, popular, and credible local leaders tofacilitate acceptance of certain messages. Person-to-person communication is more effective than masscommunication in changing attitudes and behaviors, especially when the message is complex or culturallysensitive. Combinations of media, however, are usually more effective than using a single one.

Individual visits to rural households and communities by PACT members who are well informed of thesocial norms and traditions of rural communities are very important communication tools. If PACT membersare chosen from such rural communities, this will ensure a high level of credibility for the messages theyconvey. PACT members must be introduced to the community by one of the local popular leaders in thevillage such as the Omda, the religious leader, or the landowner. Furthermore, community leaders shouldbe the source of information and messages to the public at large.

Mass media such as radio and television are more appropriate for use in rural areas than printed media,due to the high rate of illiteracy. Airtime must be chosen carefully. Many public awareness television spotsaddressed to rural areas failed because they were aired when farmers were in the fields. Formal educationand schooling is becoming one of the effective communication channels to reach children who go to school.School teachers are local community leaders who can be used to convey public awareness messages.Children act as a source of information for the rest of the family members. In addition, non-formal educationthrough literacy programs can be used to address adults.

Village informal meetings, gatherings and celebrations are another medium that the PACT can make useof. They provide opportunities to exchange views, assess opinions and level of awareness about the projectas well as disseminate information.

B1

MEDIUM

TARGET AUDIENCE

GeneralPublic

ReligiousInstitutions

EducationalInstitutions

NGO’sMedia andJournalists

APPENDIX B: GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

DirectCommunication:• Meetings• Seminars• Lectures• Home visits• Field visits

Publications:• Posters• Flyers• Guidebooks• Educational

Material

Advertisingthrough:• Newspapers• Television• Radio• Billboards• Advertising stickers on buses and trains

PersonalMeetings.

Posters andflyers aboutsolid wastemanagementand importanceof cleanliness.

Ads aboutSWMin Egypt,environmentalprotection andprojectmechanisms.

Personalmeetings inworship places.

Posters to behung in worshipplaces.

Flyers to behanded toworshippers.

Ads aboutSWM inEgypt,environmentalprotection andprojectmechanisms.

Lectures incolleges aboutsolid wastemanagement,environmentalprotection andthe new projectmechanisms.

Posters andflyers to bedistributed toschools andcolleges.

Educationalmaterialcontaininginformationabout SWMand benefits ofthe new projectChildren’s storybooks.


Introductorygroup meetingsto explain theprojectmechanisms.

Posters to bedistributed byNGOs.


Posters, flyersand guidebooksto bedistributed tomedia peopleto write articlesand pressreleases on theproject benefitsand progress.


B2

MEDIUM

TARGET AUDIENCE

GeneralPublic

ReligiousInstitutions

EducationalInstitutions

NGO’sMedia andJournalists

GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES (CONT.)

PressReleasesand NewsArticles

TelevisionPrograms

PromotionalActivities

Films

Articles aboutthe importanceof the projectand its progress,only for literatepeople.

Opinion leadersand publicofficials to talkabout theproject/timing ofprograms has tobe selectedcarefully.

• Clean-upcampaigns

• Arts andsportscontests

• Games andcompetitions.

Articles aboutthe importanceof the projectand its progress.

Opinionleaders andpublic officials to talk aboutthe project.

Opinionleaders andpublic officialsto talk aboutthe project/notvery attractivefor students.

Contest,games, andcompetitions tobe organized inschools andcolleges tostimulateneighborhoodpride.

Films, aboutSWM,environmentalprotectivepractices, to bedistributed toschools andcolleges.

Articles aboutthe importanceof the projectand itsprogress.

Opinionleaders andpublic officialsto talk aboutthe project.

NGOs toparticipate inorganizingneighborhoodcleanupcampaigns.

NGOs showingand distributingfilms to thepublic.

Articles aboutthe importanceof the projectand itsprogress.

Opinionleaders andpublic officialsto talk aboutthe project.

Journalists towrite aboutpromotionalactivitiesorganized inthe city.

Televisionannouncersinsert portionsof the films intelevisionprograms.

Clean-upcampaigns indistricts andneighborhoods.

C1

Item Units / Quantity Target Audiences Cost

Publications:BrochuresFlyersPostersFact SheetsEducational BooksVideo TapesCD-ROMSSubtotal

Events: (ex. seminar)Venue rentalCoffee breaksLunchData showOverhead projectorSet microphone on podiumWireless microphone(s)Name tagsLabelsTransparenciesPhotocopying of materialsPhotographyGiveaways (ex. pens)Subtotal

Advertising Campaign:Television ads productionAiring frequencyPress ads productionPress ads insertionsBill Boards productionRental of Bill BoardsSubtotal

Overhead Expenses:Transportation Fees for PACTStationaryMailingsPhotocopyingTelephone communicationsSubtotal

Total

APPENDIX C: COMMUNICATIONS BUDGETTEMPLATE

20,000 Headmasters of Schools

Public Awarenessand Communication

Chapter7

Ministry ofState forEnvironmental Affairs

Solid Waste ManagementPrivatization Procedural Manual

Solid Waste Technical Assistance

Soli

d W

aste

Tec

hnic

al A

ssis

tanc

e