What makes internet communication
effective in informing policy?
Euforic/ODI Meeting,
London, 2nd June 2005
Content
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Networking
Identifying IC strategies
Collaborative ways of sharing information
Informing within the ACP-EU context
Potential of weblogs as IC tools
CTA Brussels weblog
Conclusion
Networks
• Networks can be effective in informing policy
• Thematic and knowledge networks can be
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considered useful tools in development
To be effective, the network must correspond to
an expressed need of network members to
connect, share, discuss and learn
Networks are still demand-driven (relying on
donors projects) or dependent on a very limited
number of leaders within
Networking
• Limiting factors for networking
 Time: networking needs time and long term
commitments
 Willingness to collaborate and sharing
knowledge and experience
 Leadership: strength and threat
 Financial capacity to absorb and spend
funds
 Limitations to be able to participate
effectively in policy debate
Identifying IC strategies
• How can we best use information to inform
and influence policy?
• How to use knowledge not just to exchange
but to translate into practical activities?
• How to improve the interaction between
policy-researchers and policy-makers and
community-based actors?
• How to strengthen capacity of ACP partners
to produce, manage and use information?
Collaboration in sharing
information
The European networks, platforms and
organisations active in development
Beneficiaries/users
 Strengthening existing communities
 Stimulating new ideas and approaches
 Empowering new communities (NSA, youth)
 Summarising and packaging information to
specific users needs
 Identifying common targets for lobbying
activities
Sharing information
Promoting learning process and knowledge
acquisition
 Strengthening continued dialogue and
exchange of information
 Collaborating for knowledge sharing
 Coordinating/repackaging information
 Creating virtual platforms that people can
access and join
Informing : ACP-EU context
Informing about
• Policy environment interesting and
affecting ACP groups- issues related to
agricultural and rural development
• Main ACP-EU policy actors in the
various areas
• Need for feedback from ACP actors is
critical, especially on the relevance of
information
Informing : ACP-EU context
Informing with/through
• Limited resources
• Free and open platforms
• Quick delivery means of information
• Informal and evolving/adaptable format
• Connectivity and digital divide needs to
be addressed: alternative means are
used (such as fax, CD-ROMs, etc.)
Informing : ACP-EU context
Informing
• A wide variety of actors: grassroots
organisations, NGOs, academic institutions,
press, policy-makers, etc.
• CTA colleagues in the various programmes
• Partners in development
CTA Brussels Office
ACP-EU Liaison
• Monitoring developments and activities in the
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relevant ACP and EU fora and related bodies
Arranging periodic briefings to various
audiences on CTA's activities (ambassadors,
parliamentarians, farmers groups)
Securing and summarizing, where relevant,
material on activities in the rural and
agricultural sector of ACP states
Attending the main relevant ACP-EU events
What is a blog?
• A weblog (usually shortened to blog, but
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occasionally spelled web log) is a webpage
consisting of periodic posts, normally in
chronological order. A widely-accepted definition
of a "blog" or "weblog" is "A Web page containing
brief, chronologically arranged items of
information".
The challenge is to have a well-maintained, highquality weblog that provides a valuable and new
service and not just the purpose of providing the
owner with an online public space.
Why a Weblog?
Weblog - http://brussels.cta.int
Objective: to share the information produced by the CTA
Brussels office and other relevant information from ACPEU and other groups with our partners in ACP countries
involved in the ARD sector
Content of the weblog
 a daily updated “News” section
 a monthly updated “Resources” section which gives
information on the EU, the ACP group, joint ACP-EU bodies
 A calendar on main Brussels events
 Information on programmes and activities organised by the
CTA Brussels office
 A weekly news bulletin
CTA Brussels Weblog
What type of information?
Over 150 news items to date.
Various CTA themes (related to agricultural and
rural development and to information and
communication, corresponding to the CTA
mandate). Although it is difficult to clearly limit the
scope of the relevant information, the main areas
covered are: agriculture, IC (impact of EU
decisions on ACP countries)
Over 100 calendar items (only events taking
place in Brussels and related to the described
areas).
CTA Brussels Weblog
• How?
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Standard weblog functions; Multilingual handling (FR
and EN); Email handling (character sets); Calendar
function; Archiving; Search.
Article "contextualize" by listing it among related
articles from different sources.
Articles posted every day/two days at different times.
Archive of old postings and easily retrieval through
search.
Core sources reviewed - EC, Newsletters, Google
news, ACP sources, Press. Collaboration with Euforic,
EADI, ELDIS, ECDPM, Inter-réseaux, ACP Press.
E-mailed to 1200 subscribers each weekend
CTA Brussels Weblog
• Who?
Mainly ACP nationals both in country and
Brussels, emphasis on producers; other
news editors (reposted in other systems);
EC and Donors; NGOs and think tanks
• Visitors: 500 unique visitors/month in EN
and 300 FR.
Future options
• Thematic access
• RSS feed (already available through ELDIS);
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linkages with other sites and services
Interactive/Dialogue (now done by e-mail)
Collaboration with other ACP and EU groups
To promote its use amongst colleagues in ACP
countries.
The reason for the weblog popularity is the ease
of use, low cost and the opportunity to use any
design. The weblog format of an online diary
makes it possible for users without much
experience to create, format, and post entries
with ease. It is ideal for networks and the South.