Internet notebook about my work: deep listening to facilitate positive change

.

Monday 29 June 2009

Presentation: target groups and objectives

What does it take to do a good presentation during a conference? As part of my job to evaluate a multi-country project, my client takes me to a two-day Chatham House conference. His project is presented in the very last timeslot. Afterwards he is worried what the donors may think. He asks my opinion. My reaction: the good thing was to have a professional facilitator with a media back ground, short introductions from different countries, a panel discussion that included the donors and voting with a voting machine for the audience (200 participants). Form was OK, but the content can be improved a next time when you brief speakers to only make one point: lessons learned that are of interest to donors and participants in the international discourse. Even for a conference presentation: be clear on target groups and the KAP objectives for each of them.

Communication strategy in a simple drawing

A communication strategy basically focuses on the most effective way to realize the objectives to change, knowledge, attitudes, skills and practices. In Public participation in the conservation of the Sava River floodplains you find a useful educational graph positioning the communication strategy in the project.

Monday 1 June 2009

The new face of Protected Areas

During the joint meeting of two IUCN Commissions (WCPA and CEC) a few weeks ago in Ecuador, we discussed the need to (re)brand protected areas. WCPA experts approached branding from the science perspective. IUCN had commissioned a study on the values of protected areas (PA) and my WCPA colleagues already came up with some slogans for us to comment on or to improve: “Benefits beyond boundaries”; “Parcs for life”; “A convenient solution to an inconvenient truth”. It almost made me also jump to conclusions. “Protected Areas: powering security, health, learning and employment” - crossed my mind. But from the communication perspective more homework needs to be done, before we talk slogans. We have to answer questions such as how do PA contribute to basic human needs; who are the clients; what really is the product or services; how do we position PA in the market; what are the core brand values etc. So I bit my tongue. We agreed that in July some CEC experts will look at the results of the WCPA study and start asking branding questions. I look forward to it.