How to discuss and create a basic communication strategy at the flip side of a coaster or beer mat? For a 90-minute breakout session of a group of 30 civil servants during a NBSAP mainstreaming workshop, I advised a colleague to use this template. Have people working in groups of 4-5 (make sure each group speaks the same language). Assign in advance audiences for each group to do the planning for: communicating the NBSAP to key actors in their own ministry, in other ministries, in non-governmental sectors of society, and among the general public. Work for 50 minutes on the 8 steps of the template. Metrics refers to how to measures success; timeline refers to when the desired behaviour should be realized. Budget refers to what financial means you have now or you can definitely mobilize within the short term. Only then it is useful to plan communication interventions, tools and messages. Realistically you come in that stage to the conclusion you may need some help of creative thinking of communication experts. The first steps are strategic planning in the day to day domain of civil servants. For the last step - especially when reaching out to groups outside the government - they may need special communication expertise. After the group work, groups can exchange their results and work for 15 minutes to provide feedback on the results of another group. The last 15 minutes can be used to ask participants what the main lessons were they learned from this communication planning exercise. Collect and type up their learning, type up the results of the work on templates (maybe give some extra advice) and disseminate that after the workshop by email to all participants.
