Republic of the Philippines

PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY

Goa, Camarines Sur

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Name of College

DEVCOM Module
MODULE 9 – METHODOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION INITIAVES

Name of Student: __________________ Date: Week 14-15

Course Code: COM3 Name of Faculty: Leemar C. Serrano
Course Title: Development Communication

I. INTRODUCTION

Development communication initiatives involve the use of communication

strategies and interventions to facilitate social change, promote development goals,
and address various challenges in communities and societies. These initiatives typically
follow a four-phase approach, which includes communication-based assessment,
communication strategy design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Let's
explore each phase briefly.

II. OBJECTIVES

At the completion of this module, the students shall be able to:

a. Familiarize with the basic principles of dev com in various dev com practices; and
b. Describe its applications in various the stages of the dev com practice

III. LESSON

Methodology of Development Communication Initiatives

The methodology of development communication programs can be divided

into four stages, or phases, each of which builds on the previous one but maintains its
own specific scope, methods, and set of tools. The module is subdivided into four
parts, or components, one for each phase: communication-based assessment;
communication strategy design; implementation; and monitoring and evaluation.
They are described in varying degrees of detail, according to their relevance to dev
com’s mission and the scope of work.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

The Process Pyramid

Results

Monitoring and
Evaluation

Activities
Implementation

Communication-based
Assessment

The first, communication-based assessment (CBA), is the research phase, which

illustrates how to select and use appropriate communication research methods and
techniques, as well as how to engage stakeholders in the investigation of the
sociopolitical context before examining specific technical issues. Regardless of the
sector of intervention, dev com’s work facilitates achieving sustainable results through
the preliminary assessment of the situation. Naturally, empirical research is most
effective when performed during the initial phases of the intervention. Nevertheless,
even when it is included halfway through the project cycle, CBAs can play a
significant role in supporting the project’s objectives.

In the second phase of the communication program, communication strategy

design, dev com staff assist in transforming the findings of the communication-based
assessment into valuable inputs for the strategy design. The design of the strategy is
followed by the third phase, which is the implementation of the activities. An action
plan is usually drawn up to organize and monitor their implementation.

Finally, the fourth phase involves monitoring the process and evaluating the
impact of the communication intervention. The pyramid above illustrates the four
phases of development communication and represents not only their sequence but
also their relevance in achieving the expected results. The physical area in the
pyramid also represents the importance, workload, and time needed for each phase
within the overall methodological process. The foundation of the pyramid, or the
research phase, constitutes the broadest and most important part of the whole; it is
from this base that the strategy is rooted and, subsequently, all activities are
implemented and evaluated. The amount of work and resources invested in the
research phase is a significant factor in the achievement of the communication
objectives at the top of the pyramid.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

Although the monitoring and evaluation process is almost at the top of the
pyramid, the term “monitoring and evaluation” in brackets also appears at the base
to emphasize that monitoring and evaluation indicators should be identified and
defined from the beginning of the intervention, even though the specific
measurements are usually carried out at the end. Monitoring is an important
mechanism that should be incorporated throughout the development process to
guarantee the proper implementation of activities. Its incorporation creates a real-
time alert system, which allows prompt intervention and relative corrections whenever
something goes wrong.

Before previewing the four phases of the methodological process, a reminder of

development communication and its two modes of communication approaches or
“grand-modes,” treated extensively in modules 1 and 2, is in order. The first mode is
referred to as the monologic mode, closely associated with diffusion and rooted in
the one-way transmission model whose scope is communicating messages and
information to “sell a product” or to induce needed change. The second mode,
referred to as the dialogic mode, is based on the two-way model, using professional
facilitation of dialog as part of the process to engage key stakeholders in uncovering
perceptions, risks, and opportunities while building a wider consensus leading to
change. Awareness of these two different perspectives leads to a better
understanding and use of the approaches discussed in the next pages.

Development Communication Methodological Framework

Objectives Work Plan ME

Communication-
Indicators
Monitoring and
based Strategy Design Implementation Evaluation
Assessment (Indicators)

Identify/Analyze/ Select and Carry out

Refine: Design Comm Pretesting
Audiences/stake Approaches, Media
holders, Risks, Messages, production
Opportunities, Learning Training
Needs, Solutions, Systems activities
Media/Channels/ Message
ME indicators dissemination
Objectives
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

Phase 1, communication-based assessment, or CBA, offers a comprehensive

investigation of a situation and should be the first step of any development initiative,
regardless of the sector. Given its interdisciplinary and cross-cutting nature,
communication-based assessment is of particular value in exploring and assessing
the overall circumstances, building trust, and minimizing sociopolitical risks. CBA
addresses the what, who, and why of each situation investigated by involving all
relevant stakeholders. It utilizes the principles and tools of the dev com
methodological framework, facilitating dialog, building trust, analyzing political risk,
and assessing conditions to identify entry points for the communication strategy. These
steps minimize possible risks and enhance projects’ chances for success and
sustainability.

CBA is, most of all, a type of field research. It is often preceded by a desk
review, or secondary sources review, which can highlight key issues and provide useful
background to investigate the perceptions and knowledge held by the various
stakeholder groups. Country reports and client surveys are two of the useful sources to
consult when preparing for a communication-based assessment.

Those familiar with the current development communication applications

understand that the greatest value-added of a communication-based assessment
resides in its use at the very beginning of a development initiative, to ensure the
appropriateness and relevance of the project design in the eyes of all stakeholders.
Unfortunately, too frequently, development managers and decision-makers limit
themselves and their projects to the traditional concept of using communication as
a tool only after projects begin—to inform or to persuade specific audiences or to
help defuse a crisis. Of course, communication can still assist in these circumstances,
but this scenario limits its power as a strategic methodology.

To design an effective communication strategy, a CBA is always necessary.

Even if the project is already halfway through its implementation, the communication
research phase cannot be skipped unless all relevant information about the problem,
its causes, and the stakeholders’ perceptions are already available—a situation
rarely encountered. A CBA identifies, refines, or validates the causes and differences
in the positions and perceptions of the groups relevant to the development initiative.
This crucial information can address and prevent possible problems and diffuse
potential crises through appropriate channels, messages, or methods, contributing to
successful outcomes.

A CBA is a flexible instrument that can be used in various ways, according to the
situation on the ground. The goal is to identify, refine, or validate both project and
communication objectives. The definition of specific objectives is usually the main
output of this phase, and it becomes the main input for the next phase. In some cases,
two or three weeks are sufficient to conduct a communication-based assessment and
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

to identify the needed objectives in order to define the communication strategy. Most
cases however, because of their complexity, require additional weeks of in-depth
empirical research. Dev com’s staff carry out the shortest version of the CBA,
but they take more of an advisory role when an in-depth, extended research
component is required; this is a task usually performed by local consultants or firms.

Phase 2, strategy design, refers to the problem-solving or strategic thinking that

designs the best way to achieve the objectives identified in phase 1. This phase
defines the type of change needed and helps to select the most appropriate
communication approach for each initiative, such as social marketing, advocacy,
diffusion of information, or capacity building. These approaches are not mutually
exclusive and can stand alone or in combination with each other. The planning done
in this phase emphasizes the strategic selection and application of methods,
techniques, and media resulting from research-based findings and objectives.

For example, when the objective is to inform policy makers about the findings
of an opinion poll or an environmental assessment, the communication approach
could focus on disseminating this information. Questions like the following would
be asked: “Should this be considered enough to achieve the goal?” or “Should we
adopt a more ‘aggressive’ advocacy approach to win policy-makers’ support for the
reform?” Answers to questions like these determine whether the communication
design should be different and more strategically focused. How different will
depend on the objectives and the audiences or stakeholders involved. The work
done during the communication research phase is crucial. It is important not only
to know what change to achieve but also to know the perceptions, knowledge, and
attitudes of primary audiences and other relevant background information on the
issue of interest.

Phase 3, implementation, concerns the implementation of the communication

approaches and activities selected in the strategy and defined in the action plan. This
phase also includes the activities needed to produce or to ensure the results of the
strategic design, such as writing a script for a radio program or strengthening the
capacities of the extensionists before a rural sector reform. Other common activities
carried out at this stage include the design and production of communication
materials (print, radio, video), their pretesting, and the training of the relevant staff.

In Phase 4, monitoring and evaluation are crucial for the success of any project.
Monitoring the process of the intervention is known as “formative evaluation,”
while evaluation of the final impact of the intervention is referred to as “summative
evaluation.” The first is necessary to ensure that the communication activities are
being carried out as planned and are achieving the intended results effectively. By
monitoring the intervention closely, staff can perform any adjustment as needed to
support the overall success of the initiative. Summative evaluation, on the other
hand, is necessary for considering the impact of the intervention and assessing if
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

and how its objectives were achieved.

To be most effective, development communication specialists should be

involved at the onset of a development initiative, when they can identify and define
indicators for monitoring and evaluation, among other things. Indicators serve for
measurements at the end of the intervention, but they should always be established
at the beginning. This crucial aspect is neglected in many instances, making it
impossible to assess the communication impact.

Another problem related to this is that since managers and other decision
makers often do not see the need for communication at the initial stage, there are no
specific budget lines dedicated to communication, and, more specifically, dedicated
to communication-based research needed to identify indicators.

As illustrated in the following pages, communication’s greatest asset resides in its

analytical and assessment power. Hence, the systematic incorporation and effective
application of CBA as a critical tool in the initial as well as in the implementing phases
of World Bank projects and programs greatly depend on the establishment of a
dedicated budget line.

IV. ACTIVITIES
✔ Construct a communication-needs assessment for your locality (see
sample here, and revise according to the problem you need to address:
[Link]
assessment)
✔ Suggest a strategic communication plan to address the problem. Explain
how it will be implemented, and the budgetary requirement (if needed)

V. ASSESSMENT

 To be posted at the G-Classroom

RUBRIC
CONTENT 30
ORGANIZATION 10
GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION 10
Total 50
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

VI. REFERENCES

Mefalopulos, P. (2008). Development Communication Sourcebook. Washington DC: World

Bank
Oxford Languages. Retrieved at: [Link]
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