Communication is a strategic asset for human, social and economic empowerment. At the heart of Communication for Development (ComDev) is participation and ownership by communities and individuals most affected by poverty and other development issues. This presentation by FAO ComDev team provides an introduction to the key principles and functions of communication for rural development, accompanied by concrete examples from field experience.

1. Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Subdirección de Investigación y Extensión
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Communication
for Rural Development
(ComDev)
Office for Communication, Partnerships and
Advocacy – OCP
FAO
Rome, 2013
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2. Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Outline
 What is ComDev?
• Key principles & role
• Methodologies and media
 ComDev in the UN
• UN Roundtables
• World Congress
• ComDev in FAO
 ComDev in action
• Field projects
• Partnerships and platforms
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3. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
What is ComDev?
“Communication for Development (ComDev) is a
social process based on dialogue using a broad range of
tools and methods. ComDev is about seeking change at
different levels including listening, establishing trust,
sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating
and learning for sustained and meaningful change”.
World Congress on Communication for Development, Rome 2006
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4. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Key ComDev Principles
Convergence and
local appropriation
of technologies
Fostering dialogue
and mediation
Strengthening local knowledge
and communication processes
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5. Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
ComDev Role

Facilitate access to knowledge and information

Promote peoples’ participation and collaborative action

Strengthen peoples’ capability to share knowledge and manage
horizontal communication processes

Enhance mutual learning

Improve linkages and strengthen dialogue between policy makers,
institutions and small farmers / local communities

Bridge the gap between global information and local knowledge
co-creation of knowledge
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6. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
ComDev Methodologies
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7. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
THE P - PROCESS
Steps in ComDev Planning
Piotrow, et al. 1997. Health Communication: Lessons from Family Planning and Reproductive Health.
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8. Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
ComDev Media

Community Rural Radio

Audiovisual Pedagogy and
Participatory Video

Local appropriation of ICTs
(Information and Communication
Technologies)

Traditional and Local Media

Face to face meetings
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9. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Communication Pathways

Communication is a strategic asset
for the development and the
empowerment of rural communities

Many institutions and communitybased organizations use ComDev

ComDev experiences
Communication pathways
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10. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
UN Roundtables on ComDev
In 1996, the UN General Assembly Resolution A/Res/50/130 acknowledged
“the pivotal role of communication in the successful implementation of
development programs and the improvement of the interaction among
actors in development, namely the agencies, organizations, funds and
programs of the UN system, Governments and NGOs”.
 UN Roundtables are biannual inter-agency meetings on ComDev reporting to
the UN General Assembly
 A forum for exchanging ideas, experiences and strategies on harnessing
communication to achieve more equitable and sustainable development
 FAO hosted the 3rd (1991) and 9th (2004) and will host the next in 2014
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11. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
World Congress on ComDev
 Organized by FAO, World Bank and Communication Initiative - Rome, 2006
 Large scale event gathering 900 participants from all over the world
 E-conferences, regional studies and consultations leading to the congress
THEMATIC STRANDS
1. Health
2. Governance
3. Sustainable Development
4. Communication Labs
Main Goals
 discuss how to increase the impact of development programs through a
widespread use of communication
 position and promote ComDev in the international cooperation agenda
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12. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
The Rome Consensus/1
Communication is essential to human, social and economic development.
At the heart of ComDev is participation and ownership by communities
and individuals most affected by poverty and other development issues.
Recommendations
1.
Overall national development policies should include specific ComDev
components.
2.
Development organizations should include ComDev as a central element at
the inception of programs.
3.
Strengthen the ComDev capacity within countries and organizations at all
levels. This includes communities, ComDev specialists and other staff, and
the further development of training courses and academic programs.
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13. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
The Rome Consensus/2
4.
Expand the level of financial investment to ensure adequate, coordinated
financing of the core elements of ComDev
5.
Adopt and implement policies and legislation that provide an enabling
environment for ComDev – including free and pluralistic media, the right to
information and to communicate.
6.
Development communication programs should identify and include
appropriate M&E indicators and methodologies throughout the process
7.
Strengthen partnerships and networks at international, national and local
levels to advance ComDev and improve development outcomes
8.
Move towards a rights based approach to communication for
development
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14. Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
ComDev in FAO
1. Natural Resources
Management, Climate
Change Adaptation and
Disaster Risk Reduction
2. Food and Nutrition Security
3. Agricultural Innovation
Mandate
•
•
•
•
•
Policy Advice
Technical Assistance
Capacity Development
Knowledge Sharing
Advocacy
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15. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
ComDev in Action:
Community Rural Radio in Bangladesh
Set-up of Krishi Radio FM 98.8 My Radio, My Voice

Daily programming in local languages on agriculture, livestock, fisheries,
science, women, children, youth, indigenous communities

500 RCS-CRR posters and leaflets, folk song, station call sign, promo
jingle, program signature music, etc.

5 training workshops with CRR staff
and 20 volunteers (300 applicants)

Hundreds of local farmers regularly tune in
and participate in live discussions
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16. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
ComDev in Action:
Local Communication Plans in Bolivia
National ComDev Plan (MDRT-INIAF)
Objectives
 Design, validate and implement
ComDev strategies and services
 Strengthen ComDev capacities
at local and national level
 Info and knowledge management
for agricultural innovation -TECA
Local Level
 Participatory appraisal of communication needs and local knowledge
 PLICs: local communication plans for agricultural innovation
 Audiovisual Pedagogy: 500 producers, 52 organizations, 160 facilitators
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17. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
ComDev in Action: Food Security
Programme in West Africa
Overall objective
Build capacity among farmers organizations to increase sustainable production
and food security, mainly through improving agricultural processes and marketing
7 countries: The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau,
Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone
FSCA/PISA ComDev component

Support knowledge and information sharing
on new practices, technologies, lessons learned

Enable farmers to articulate their needs in the
context of local community development
[rural radio, participatory video, village gatherings]
www.fcsa-pisa.org
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18. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
ComDev in action:
Rural Communication Network in Egypt
Objective
Strengthen communication links among rural actors,
to benefit farmers and agribusinesses at village level
Internet-based, community-oriented agricultural
knowledge system active in Egypt since 2004
Results

50 resource-poor communities, 96 extension centers,
52 research institutes and 5 faculties of agriculture covered

115 facilitators trained to engage local communities in
generating and sharing knowledge through the system

online and offline support provided to facilitators by a
network of mentors and subject matter experts
www.radcon.sci.eg
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19. Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Partnerships and Platforms
 Collaborative Change Communication
Learning and sharing in communication for rural
development
 Onda Rural
Promoting the use of community
rural radio in Latin America
 ComDev Asia
Documenting good ComDev
practices in Asia Pacific
 ComDev Africa
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20. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Links and Contacts
• FAO ComDev www.fao.org/oek/communication-for-development/en
• CCComDev Learning Platform www.cccomdev.org
• CSDI project www.csdinitiative.org
• Onda Rural www.onda-rural.net
• ComDev Asia asia.cccomdev.org
MAIL: comdev@fao.org
Mario Acunzo
FAO Communication for Development Officer
mario.acunzo@fao.org
Marzia Pafumi
FAO Communication for Development Consultant
marzia.pafumi@fao.org
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21. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the
United Nations
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy
Thank you!
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