Building Support for International Development

This report from InterMedia is based on a five-country study looking at engagement with citizens, influentials, and government decision-makers on development policy issues. It covers the four largest bilateral aid donors - France, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) - as well as China. The report draws from survey, focus group, and in-depth interview research in the five countries and builds on previous research on the relationship between public opinion and levels of support for development aid conducted by bilateral and multilateral agencies. It considers the drivers of and impediments to deeper engagement. It is intended as a practical guide to interacting with these groups and spurring them toward policy action.

From the "Summary of Key Findings" - "The Building Support for International Development study focused on the following themes:

• how and under what conditions are priority ...groups for engagement with development policy issues most likely to engage;
• what factors influence and motivate both engagement and policy decision-making by members of these ...groups; and
• through which communication channels can members of these groups be accessed most readily and with the greatest impact."

The report lists general takeaways and targeted findings - which are divided as interested citizens, influentials, and government decision makers. Among the communication-related findings are the following:
General -

• "Development advocates have fertile ground in which to sow deeper engagement among citizens....
• Gaps and inefficiencies in the delivery of development information provide ready avenues for deepening engagement.....
• Strategies for engaging groups should include both short-term and long-term approaches. The research highlighted that, in general, people’s attitudes about development issues tend to be formed through their own upbringing, personal beliefs and life experiences. Engagement needs to feed through these formative elements, and be sustained over long periods.....
• The digital sphere provides a number of convenient conduits for connecting. This report urges the creation of a common, “unbranded” digital space for gathering and sharing information about international development policy issues....
• Despite digital opportunities, members of different groups have differing levels of trust in and enthusiasm for the use of social media for gathering information - social media sources are not necessarily considered the most authoritative for development policy information...."

Interested citizens -

• Where they get information - interested citizens use the internet (specifically, news websites), but don't seek out development information. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are generally not considered a source of development information. Word-of-mouth is the most common source of information in China. The language used in international development is unfamiliar and often misunderstood.
• Donation is the most common form of engagement.
• Politicians are regarded as champions of development.

Influentials -

• Where they get information - Prominent traditional media outlets are valued as sources; and, online, organisations with prominence in certain areas of development are sought out. Personal networks are used to help validate and vet information from both known and new sources. Blogs are less popular for professional dialogue; Twitter is used by a minority; Facebook is generally avoided. Influentials gather information from decision-makers through: informal meetings, conferences, email, and telephone, particularly around the time of major events or campaigns.
• A very small cluster of development champions is seen to create broad appeal. Influentials named a wide range of potential and current champions that appeal to specific groups, including celebrities, high-profile politicians, religious leaders, and development experts.

Government decision makers -

• Where they get information - The most trusted sources of policy-relevant information are: personal networks, as well as specialised sources and development experts who are considered well-informed, objective, and able to provide information targeted to specific interests. There is also suspicion of information supplied by interest groups. Government decision-makers rely on traditional media sources mainly for news and current affairs, not usually for policy-relevant information. They also rely heavily on the internet for information, but not on social media. Blogs sponsored by recognised institutions are popular.
• Public opinion is viewed as an important but not a central element to policy-making on development issues.
• Subject-matter experts top the rankings as favoured champions.

InterMedia is creating an online forum for sharing reactions to the “Building Support” study as well as exchange of ideas with interested parties and stakeholders in the global development policy community. Starting in March 2012, interested parties will be able to join the discussion about effective engagement on global development issues here;  on Twitter at #supportfordev; and on Facebook.