fossil-fuel reform: 5 steps to an effective communication strategy (en)

FOSSIL-FUEL SUBSIDY REFORM: 5 STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY DAMON VIS-DUNBAR GLOBAL SUBSIDIES INITIATIVE, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

September 8-9, 2014

The IISD Global Subsidies Initiative

Step 1: Organise internally

Myth of institutions as a “unitary actor”


Left! Right?

Up!

Down... no,

back...

Don’t care!

Over here!

Bonjour

P ≥ x2


Left! Left!

Left!

Left! Left!

Left!

Left!

Left!


How to organize internally

v Map current organizational structures and methods for inter-agency coordination on energy policy reforms;

v Assess where current structure and organization can be used to ensure high-level cooperation on policy and communication. Where current system is lacking, determine improvements;

v Ensure regular meetings to discuss and coordinate v Establish clear roles and responsibilities within and between

ministries (including assignment of lead agencies); v Assign chief spokesperson to lead media outreach strategy; v Publish talking points and media protocol and ensure these are

shared and agreed with all spokespeople


Example: ONE Pertamina, ONE Voice • Strategy, Vision and Corporate Success • Main achievements, important partnerships, government Announcement • Building relationships CEO

BOD

SVP

Company Secretary

VP Corp. Communications

Manager Media

Media Relations Daerah

•  Corporate actions, partnerships, up-date planning • If the CEO is absent - the announcement of the government / build relationships that shape perceptions or major issues / crisis that threatens vital business continuity

Technical resource persons and background briefings for journalists

•  Crisis / critical issues •  GCG, CSR •  Policies that have already been delivered CEO

•  Official Spokesperson •  Policies that have been submitted CEO •  Daily Issues of National-scale enterprises •  Crisis / issues

• Monitoring issues of large-scale enterprise • Releasing announcements from the company

Daily issues of a technical nature and local operations


Step 2: Understand your audience

“The success of strategic communication does not depend on creative messages or enticing incentives to try new practices. Rather, it demands a clear understanding of the perceptions, motivations, beliefs, and practices of everyone involved in or affected by a reform program.” Source: Cabenero-Verzosa, C., & Garcia, H. (2009). Building commitment to reform through strategic communication.

Washington D.C.: The World Bank.


How to understand your audience

•  Ask:

v Who is interested in the issue in question?

v What do they already know?

v What are their beliefs, preferences and values?

•  Research methods: literature and media reviews;

interviews focus groups, discussion groups and

workshops; polls and survey research; web-based

forums; public enquiries


(sources: World Bank 2014)

v  Close to 70 per cent of Egyptian

households claimed not to

know the scale of subsidy

expenditure;

v  Poor households, in a particular,

had no knowledge of the size of

government subsidies;

v  Richer households were more

likely to claim knowledge, but

usually underestimated the size

of spending.

Example: Household surveys in Egypt


(Source: World Bank 2014)

v  When asked for their

opinion on current energy

prices, 66% of Egyptians

said prices are already too

high

v  Reflects recent real income

losses and cost-of-living

pressures;

v  Only 3% said prices were too

low.

Example: Household surveys in Egypt


Step 3: Choose your messages

Basic principles:

v  Simple but varied messages work best

v  Positive messages more likely to inspire behavior change

v  People are more influenced by the heart than the head

v  Tailor messages to specific audiences where necessary


In December 2010, the Government of Iran undertook reforms to reduce subsidies to energy products and replace them with nationwide cash transfers as compensation for rising energy prices.

Messages: v  Promoting standards of living v  Distributing the national wealth fairly and equally v  Minimizing income disparities v  Increasing efficiency and preventing wasteful consumption v  Reducing fuel smuggling v  Allocating more energy resources to boost production v  Encouraging demand for domestically produced commodities v  Enhancing country’s oil and gas export capacity

The key message was that the reforms were not about eliminating subsidies, but switching subsidies from products to households.

Example: Iran 2010


Step 4: Select channels of communication

v Use multiple channels, taking into account the type of audience it can reach

v Not all messages need to be communicated by government: engage recognized and respected public figures


Channels of communications v  A public forum on fossil-fuel subsidies inviting members of parliament, leading

academics, business leaders and representatives of consumer groups to address the key issues.

v  A public survey asking two simple questions: Malaysia spent RM74 billion on subsidies in 2009 causing a fiscal deficit. 1. Should subsidies be reduced? (Yes/No). 2. If Malaysia reduces its subsidies, should it be done: In one year? Over three years? Over five years?

v  YouTube videos explaining basic information about fuel subsidies v  Twitter account to make announcements and answer questions from the public on

subsidy-related issues. v  Engaging public figures to write about subsidy-related issues in the media.

US$ 7.9 billion was allocated to fuel subsidies in 2013. The decision to increase prices was made in September 2013. The government argued that the subsidy reduction would save at least US$ 1 billion in a full year

Example: Malaysia 2013


Communication channels in Malaysia


Step 5: Monitor and evaluate

v Based on objectives of the media strategy, set our metrics for assessing impacts

v Media monitoring and content analysis are important measuring

success of the media outreach plan and should be in place v Surveys and polls provide insights into existing habits, and follow

up surveys will reveal whether these have changed.

Learn and improve

Thank you Damon Vis-Dunbar [email protected]


fossil-fuel reform: 5 steps to an effective communication strategy (en)

Economy & Finance