This module provides the guidance and tools you need to assess needs and context and use those findings to shape a strategy to effectively reach your target group, with a specific focus on factors of inclusion, coordination, and strengthening/building on existing local initiatives.
2.1 Coordinate with other actors from the beginningMap key stakeholders to engage with, particularly focusing on established coordination platforms in your context. Engage early and throughout the program cycle to avoid duplication and to identify opportunities for joined efforts and efficiencies, funding, and more. |
2.2 Assess the communication landscape, information needs, barriers, and preferencesAssess the communication ecosystem in your context, barriers, needs, key stakeholders, and risks to ensure you know who in a community you can reach and how to effectively reach them and to avoid doing harm. |
2.2.1 Work with your team to draft a set of learning questions.In the early phases of an emergency, you may be most concerned with identifying top information needs, and existing channels of communication you can use to reach communities. Over time, as assessments become more nuanced, so should the questions associated with communication and community engagement to improve information services. |
2.2.2 Identify existing secondary dataAlways start with a desk review of the information landscape, needs, barriers, and risks and draw on lessons learned from similar emergencies in the past to anticipate how information ecosystems may change. |
2.2.3 Collect the data you needThe timing of and ability to conduct specific assessments will always be context and resource dependent. Considering the existing data you have, and the urgency of the situation, use tools to collect data from the affected population, other frontline responders, and/or media outlets. Only conduct a separate assessment if it is not possible to integrate into planned ones. |
2.2.4 Conduct a stakeholder analysisConduct or update an existing stakeholder analysis to identify the actors and relationships that influence the affected population’s access to the information they need and to inform how to work and who to partner, coordinate or engage with in order to best achieve the outcome, and assessments of risk. |
2.3 Define successResponsive information service programs should be guided by a results framework and monitoring and evaluation plan. Based on evidence and before designing the program, determine the expected outcome(s) of responsive information services. |
2.4 Develop strategies to reach your audienceDraw on available data as well as the judgement, skills and experience of key stakeholders to decide a strategy which is appropriate for the context. |
2.4.1 Define your target audienceDue to the realities of constraints in funding and capacity you may need to prioritize who your information service should target. If you need to prioritize who you will serve, work through a set of questions to guide your thinking. |
2.4.2 Consider how to build on local initiatives and form the right partnershipsReview your stakeholder analysis and consider if you can work any other actors who are already conducting activities that are part of the RISE model (e.g. communicating with communities or information sharing, service mapping, or other forms of content creation, information verification, translation or interpretation) as well as other types of actors who are trusted by, have access to, or have knowledge about the needs of particular groups. Especially if you are not a part of the community you are targeting, consider how you can partner - formally or informally - with organizations or actors who are. |
2.4.3 Determine the channels and formats for communication you will useReviewing the data you have, consider how you will engage with your target audience based on their preferences and habits, the channels and formats they can access and barriers they face, operational realities and feasibility in the emergency context, and potential risks. Consider first what existing channels are already working or could be adapted in the community. |
2.4.4 Conduct a safety and accessibility auditComplete an audit to assess levels of accessibility and identify potential barriers and identify actions you need to take for inclusion. |
2.4.5 Conduct a project risk assessmentWork through an exercise to identify, plan for, and monitor potential risks and unintended harm to your audience, staff, and communities as a result of your activities. |
2.4.6 Determine the human resources you needConsider the core functions – or roles - required to manage a responsive information service and identify if these functions can be covered by your existing team – or if they are covered by other response actors – or if you need to hire or form partnerships for additional support. |
2.4.7 Formalize and fund your strategyBuild a budget, document or update your strategy, and develop proposals to access emergency funds from the government or donors. |