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Promoting Sustainable Development through
Strategic Communication
Operational Communications for Sustainable Development
Development Communications Division –World Bank
Sofia, June 23, 2003
The need for Strategic Communication
The World Bank recognizes strategic communication as an
essential component in project planning and implementation.
A majority of projects showed potential for success because
their preparation and early implementation were highly
participatory.
(NGO’s in WB-supported Projects, 1998)
 Projects that sought beneficiaries’ involvement achieved
68% success, those which didn’t, achieved 10% success.
(Assessing Aid: What works, What Doesn’t and Why, 1999)
Sustainable development as a
communication challenge

Listen to stakeholders concerns

Promote local ownership

Increase public awareness and understanding

Build political and social consensus
Strategic
Communication is…
… a management approach that makes use of two-way
communication processes and media products to
increase civil society participation in environmental
governance, establish coalitions and build consensus.
The goal of our Unit is to introduce strategic
communication as an integral component of policies
and projects and to help ensure efficient use of
adequate human and financial resources.
Strategic Communication
helps ensure:
Sound research  policy
Information and education  behavior change
Environmental legislation  social norm
Conflicting interests  consensus
Sustainability of
environmental projects
Top-down approach  horizontal approach
Focus on stakeholders
Communication facilitates stakeholders’
identification and information and knowledge
sharing
•
• Appropriate
methods and techniques should be
selected to facilitate participation
Messages should be elaborated involving as much as
possible the stakeholders themselves
•
Messages should be comprehensible to the intended
audience
•
Information and knowledge should be transmitted
via suitable and cost effective channels
•
Need for appropriate mix of channels
according to:
•
Content: difficulty, complexity
•
Stakeholders: number, education, accessibility
•
Resources: human/financial and media availability
•Time
set: length of planning period and urgency
Strategic communication as a challenge for
the implementation of the Aarhus Convention

Internet access as variable
 Availability vs. understandability of data
 Interactive flow of communication
 System credibility and legitimacy
 Proactive outreach and dissemination
Promoting Sustainable Development through
Strategic Communication
Thanks for your kind attention
Grazia Atanasio
Operational Communications for Sustainable Development
Development Communications Division - World Bank
Sofia, June 23, 2003