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Decisionmakers and communication

Although excellent results have been achieved in using
communication to promote people's participation and self-reliance,
most development agencies ignore the role of communication in
development, according to a recent survey commissioned by the
Development Communications Roundtable.

The survey was carried out by Agrisystems (Overseas Ltd) and
Worldview. Financed by UNICEF and WHO, the survey interviewed
39 high-level government and donor agency officials.

Interviewees unanimously felt that communication was essential for
successful development programmes. However, many found it a
difficult field and seemed perplexed by the practical details of its
use and the obstacles facing it. One respondent said that in his
agency, the term  "communication" usually implied tele-communications and
information systems, rather than communication as a social process.

All interviewees stressed the importance of people's participation in
development programmes. But some, particularly in the health sector,
mentioned that medical staff, with their technical background, often
overlooked or forgot the principle that communication was the path to
participation.

In most cases, agencies had policies that promoted the notion of
participation. Despite this, however, most respondents stated that
their agencies were still falling well short of achieving people's
participation in creating and implementing development programmes.

They identified a number of constraints to participatory planning.
Among them were: participatory planning is time-consuming and
therefore may not fit into an agency's time-frame or available
resources; it is difficult and requires skills that are in short
supply; it is constrained  by power relationships; and project
budgeting procedures in development and funding agencies are
too inflexible to allow for the inevitable changes of emphasis and
direction that will take place when people assuming responsibility
for a development programme that effects them.

Some respondents also said that participatory development can create
political problems. "We do not live in an ideal world of democratic
societies", one said. Another said: "If I were a politician, I would
feel uneasy about it. People should have a voice, but only upto a
point."

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This is an extract from an article in the latest issue of
"Connections" a new quarterly newsletter published by the Mihikatha
Institute, based  in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Mihikatha (Mother Earth) is an advocacy
organisation on communication and environment.

Put together by a small team of Sri Lankan journalists and
environmentalists, "Connections" aims to individuals and
communities concerned with communication, environment and
sustainable development. The newsletter  hopes to move
communication into the centre of the debate on sustainable
development. It reports on the links between communication,
political, social and environmental issues and present case studies
of  communication campaigns by disadvantaged communities.

The "Connections" team seeks the help  of  devcom netters to make
this Third World-based venture an effective publication. We welcome
brief articles and information on our areas of interest and action.
An annual subscription costs only $10. Limited free sample copies are
available.

For a free sample copy, send an E-mail with your name and address to:
mihikata@sri.lanka.net or dondes@mihikata.demon.co.uk

The Mihikatha Institute, 11 Sri Saranankara Road, Dehiwala, Sri
Lanka. Tel: 00 94 1 725072 Fax: 00 94 1 500544

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Don de Silva
dondes@mihikata.demon.co.uk