Communication for Development (C4D)
It is a broad term used to refer to all the different types of communication that need to take place in societies if sustainable democratic development is to occur.
The approach to Communication for Development (C4D) has evolved over the years. Initially developed after World War II as a tool for diffusion of ideas, communication initiatives primarily involved a one-way transmission of information from the sender to the receiver. This includes large scale media campaigns, social marketing, dissemination of printed materials, and ‘education entertainment’. Since then, C4D has broadened to incorporate interpersonal communication: face-to-face communication that can either be one-on-one or in small groups. This came alongside the general push for more participatory approaches to development and greater representation of voices from the South. The belief is that while mass media allows for the learning of new ideas, interpersonal networks encourage the shift from knowledge to continued practice.
Communication for development has thus come to be seen as a way to amplify voice, facilitate meaningful participation, and foster social change. The 2006 World Congress on Communication for Development defined C4D as ‘a social process based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and methods. It is also about seeking change at different levels including listening, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating and learning for sustained and meaningful change’. Such two-way, horizontal approaches to communication include public hearings, debates, deliberations and stakeholder consultations, participatory radio and video, community-based theatre and story-telling, and web forums.
It encompasses access to and exchange of information, dialogue, creation of knowledge and open access to knowledge, development communication, strategic communication, participatory communication, expressive culture, media, information and communications infrastructure and technologies.
C4D recognises that communication processes often reflect power relations and aims to address this by enabling people’s capacities to understand, negotiate and take part in decision-making that affects their lives.
The growing interest in this sector lead to the first World Congress on Communication for Development organized by the FAO ComDev Team, The World Bank and The Communication initiative in Rome, Italy, in October 2006.

Communication for Development is built around four axes:
The four axis of Communication for Development

1. Com4Prom: Communication for Promotion promotes development aid in donor countries to justify how and why development aid resources are spent.
2. Com4Imple: Communication for Implementation facilitates the implementation of development aid on developing countries by explaining development programmes to local populations.
3. Com4Power: Communication for Empowerment gives power to local population to report on the implementation of the development aid they receive from donor countries.
4. Com4Coord: Communication for Coordination allows donor entities to coordinates their activities on a global scale through a series of coordination tools and rules.

Com4Prom: Promoting Development Aid in donor countries.
How to attract audiences to learn about development aid using positive news and success stories
Promotion of cooperation for development in donor countries has for aim to explain why and how aid programmes funds are spent in developing and emerging countries.
The communication targets two audiences: public at large concerned by general aspects of development and field actors concerned by technical aspects.
Communication strategists in charge of promoting general aspects of development aid among donor countries’ citizens consider that Com 4 Prom requires “serious” formats to reach the audience to be produced by journalists and documentaries makers.
Unfortunately, news mainly focus on things that “go wrong”, shaping information as catastrophic.
In the other hand, documentaries, even if very interesting and shot on highest standards, are too frequently tagged as “boring” by broadcasters and consequently pushed in the late hours of week days or early week-end TV grid’s slots.
Therefore, news create a negative image of development aid, made of tensions and disasters meanwhile documentaries are only seen by few already convinced TV viewers who know what the subject is about.
The more people watch information on development aid, the more they feel that nothing changes over the years: the situation is catastrophic, no progress is made… Citizens are driven to despair and turn inactive. This lack of interest and participation facilitates the reduction of development public funding and brings less citizens’ support to NGO’s.
To reduce the missing link between donors and reality in the field, Com4Prom focuses on Positive Communication, showing successes and concrete results and using trendy and participatory formats that turn audiences into participatory citizens and active consumers.
Participatory citizens support cooperation projects in developing countries and volunteer on NGO’s activities. They push governments to implement the 0,7% budget target for development and ask them to support, implement and respect international conventions through multilateral organisations.
Active consumers care of their ethical and ecological print, supporting fair trade. They push corporate companies to implement and extend their Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
UNICEF has a strong track record of amplifying the voices of children and communities by harnessing the power of communication to promote child survival, development, protection and participation. Working in partnership with national governments, civil society organizations and development agencies, UNICEF Communication for Development (C4D) employs a mix of social mobilization, advocacy and behaviour and social change strategies on issues ranging from polio immunization to birth registration, from ebola response to girls’ education, from exclusive breastfeeding to prevention of HIV and AIDS.
C4D practitioners believe that sustainable and long–term behavioural and social change is the result of a participatory, human rights-based process of social transformation. This process helps shift political, social and support systems by giving voice to members of all communities and providing them with the skills they need to advocate effectively for long-lasting changes. C4D ensures that children with disabilities, as well as indigenous children and minority children are included in all processes.

C4D employs these common principles across all approaches:
Evidence-based – UNICEF uses social and behavioural data and evidence to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate communication initiatives that help increase knowledge, understand and shift attitudes, and facilitate positive behaviour and social change around issues that affect children’s and women’s overall well-being. C4D draws upon the key human-rights principles of participation, equality, non-discrimination, indivisibility and interdependence.
Participatory – The participation of all stakeholders throughout the C4D strategic process allows for local and cultural specificities and perspectives to be included in the design, testing and implementation of communication strategies. Among the many strategic planning models used for behaviour and social change, UNICEF has adopted an approach that integrates the best elements from several models, while also ensuring that key principles of human rights, gender equality and results-based management standards are addressed.
Rights-based – Create awareness of people’s own rights by empowering participation on social and political issues and rights, so that they can successfully advocate for changes and policies that would improve their well-being and living conditions.
Oslo Governance Centre also addresses the issues of inclusion and participation through its focus on Communication for Development (C4D). C4D in very simple terms is two-way communication that enables people, particularly the most disadvantaged in society, to participate in shaping decisions that affect their lives. It is broader than traditional ‘communication’ associated with public relations. UNDP’s approach to Communication for Development is embedded in its poverty reduction mandate which centres on the achievement of MDGs and broader development, governance and human rights objectives.
UNDP, led by OGC, has been a key proponent of C4D principles and approaches in the international development arena. UNDP has actively participated in all the bi-annual UN Inter-agency Roundtables on C4D. The Roundtables which began in 1988 provide an opportunity for UN agencies to exchange ideas and experiences to advance their thinking on C4D issues and promote cooperation among UN agencies to develop common strategies to harness C4D approaches in support of the achievement of MDGs.
In March 2009, OGC co-hosted with the World Bank the XIth UN Inter-agency Roundtable on Communication for Development entitled, ‘Moving C4D up the International Agenda: Demonstrating impact and positioning institutionally’, in Washington DC. The Roundtable brought together 15 UN agencies and key non-UN partners to discuss how to move the C4D agenda and practice in the UN system forward under two main themes: Assessing and Demonstrating the Impact of Communication for Development and Institutionalizing C4D in Development Agencies and Organizations.
The UN Inter-Agency publication on Communication for Development illustrates the diverse C4D approaches adopted by seven UN Agencies (FAO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, ILO, WHO and UNDP) to enhance citizen’s participation and dialogue around policy processes. The publication development process was coordinated by the Oslo Governance Centre, on behalf of UNDP.
FAO’s role in 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, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating, and learning for sustained and meaningful change.  It is not public relations or corporate communications.”
World Congress on Communication for Development, Rome, 2006
FAO ComDev activities aim at supporting development policy processes, enabling rural people’s access to relevant information and fostering social dialogue through the design and implementation of appropriate ComDev strategies. Priority is given to regional initiatives, country program frameworks and projects, and development of local capacities in ComDev.

FAO ComDev priority areas of action include: 

• Development and promotion of ComDev corporate approaches, tools and methodologies
• Support the FAO Strategic objectives, regional initiatives and country framework programmes in the design and implementation of ComDev strategies and plans
• Strengthen ComDev capacities of  FAO programmes, decentralized offices, rural institutions and grass-roots organizations, promoting partnerships, networking  and  cooperation in ComDev
• Promote multi-stakeholder dialogue, informed decision making  and awareness raising on  key FAO corporate priorities and the need for ComDev policies and services

To enhance experience sharing, advocacy and collaboration among practitioners and projects engaged in communication for rural development, three regional web based platforms have been created in Africa (YenKasa), Asia (ComDevAsia) and Latin America (Onda Rural).  In line with its focus on promoting capacity building in ComDev, FAO has joint efforts with the College of Development Communication- University of Philippines in Los Baños, to spearhead the Collaborative Change Communication initiative.  This has entailed the creation of a web-based platform titled CCComdev which facilitates the exchange around research activities, methodologies and learning resources in ComDev.
FAO ComDev Team is also engaged in a long standing collaboration with the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) to facilitate access to information on development issues to the rural population. As a result of this collaboration, FAO and AMARC are working together on the “Communication and community media to advance Family Farming and Food Security “ campaign to celebrate the International Year of Family Farming 2014.

References:

1. http://www.unicef.org/cbsc/
2. http://www.thusong.gov.za/documents/artic_pres/dev_comm.htm