Communicating with Policymakers about Development Issues in Kenya: A Guide for the International Development Community

This 54-page report presents the findings of policy-focused qualitative research in Kenya conducted by AudienceScapes, a project of InterMedia. The research was designed to find out how policy actors (government officials and policy influencers outside government) gather, assess, share, and disseminate information critical to development policy work. The goal was to understand how external stakeholders, particularly members of the international development community, can most effectively engage and assist these policy actors. According to the report, although traditional media (radio, television, print) are viewed as a good source for staying abreast of general news and trends, they are not necessarily considered good sources for informing longer-term policy formulation.

Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 15 senior-level members of the policy community, including representatives from parliament, government ministries, business associations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and multilateral donor institutions. The interviews were conducted in July and August 2009 and lasted roughly one hour each. The interviews focused on three broad themes: most important and influential information sources; personal assessment of policy-relevant information sources; and news and information sharing. The interviewees described several measures that development organisations can take to improve the policy information environment. They also mentioned several challenges in communicating with the public about development issues and suggested some creative solutions.

According to the research, newspapers are a particularly important daily news source for policy actors, even though there is frustration with a perceived lack of accuracy and objectivity. Most said they listen to the radio daily for recent news and entertainment, and normally listen during "downtime". To compensate for a perceived lack of objectivity in local media coverage, most policy actors noted that they compare multiple news sources and favour prominent global outlets. The majority have incorporated new technologies such as the internet, email, and mobile phones into their everyday information-gathering habits.

According to the report, policy actors value empirical policy research - in particular, the use of case studies or comparative policy studies analysing the experiences of foreign governments and international development organisations that may be applicable in the Kenyan context. This type of research is considered more helpful to policy design and implementation than policy prescriptions that lack real-world examples and experiences. The report states that a crucial gap in the policy design and implementation process is the lack of knowledge management systems. Policy actors spoke of their ministries' or agencies' inability to properly organise and exchange information, which ends up getting lost.

The report includes key recommendations for development organisations. According to the report, policy actors will pay more attention to a given point of view if it is shown to be the consensus of a large, representative group in Kenya, so it is important to ally with other influential groups before attempting to promote a particular development initiative or approach. In addition, policy actors need to be engaged early and often. Local traditional media should be used as a conduit to inform people about and raise awareness of policy issues, and material should be presented in preferred formats - concisely written briefs in electronic or hard copy that summarise key points, complemented with face-to-face meetings.

In addition, the report includes a number of general suggestions on how to help policymakers in their work. These include: bolstering development data resources by supported targeted and accessible research on Kenya and comparative country studies; assisting in forging stronger communication links between on-the-ground implementers, development stakeholders, and policymakers; supporting efforts to employ newer information and communication technologies (ICTs); improve administrative capacity and information management systems; support training of journalists, particularly community radio stations, to strengthen their ability to judge the importance of, and report on, development issues; and sharing successful strategies for media and communications campaigns so that policy actors may convey their messages more effectively.

Policy actors also identified a number of challenges related to disseminating information to the public, including illiteracy, a general lack of understanding of development policy issues, and a limited capability or willingness of local media to accurately disseminate such information. The report states that when considering the role of the public in the flow of information, development organisations should be aware of how different government agencies and organisations interact with the public. Those which are less engaged may need more assistance in getting the public involved in a development dialogue. Development organisations could also assist citizens in understanding the policy-making process by sponsoring civic education programmes.

According to the report, policy actors stressed the need for more creative strategies to engage hard-to-reach members of the public. Some suggestions include: using more local individuals as field officers; working through traditional community leaders; using vernacular radio to a greater extent as an outreach tool; and conducting more public events that allow people to interact directly with policy actors. The report states that using newer ICTs such as email, blogs, and short messaging service (SMS) as a public dissemination tool is still in the nascent stages; however, as access to these technologies expands, assisting policy actors in how to use them as information dissemination and collection tools will be all the more important.