Topic 2 Principles for effective communications in emergencies

Effective mapping of communications channels will ensure your organization’s messages are disseminated through multiple channels so that audiences receive your organization information, advice and guidance several times from a range of sources.

Communicators understand that channels tend to fall into three main categories.

1.Mass media

2.Organization and community

3.Interpersonal

People seeking advice or sharing information about health risks often turn to family, friends, health care practitioners, co-workers, teachers, counsellors, and faith leaders. These one-on-one discussions are often the most trusted channels for health information.

Factors to consider when prioritizing channels include their reach (number of people that will hear, see, or read a message), and how the channel supports audiences’ ability to recall the message and impact (whether the message results in action).

Exposure to the message and repetition are key to audience recall, increasing the likelihood that audiences will act on the information provided.

For example, government policy-makers may be influenced by multiple news media reports about the need for immunization campaigns, but posters on community boards can be more effective at encouraging residents to get vaccinated and directing them to local health facilities.

Goal

• Identify effective channels
• Make information available online
• Ensuring Accessibility

How to do?

Communicators can start the planning process by considering how key audiences receive health information and with whom they discuss health advicee and guidance. The following questions need to be addressed.

• What channels do audiences have access to?
• What channels do audiences prefer for receiving health information? For seeking information?
• Are there partner channels that may provide support for hard-to-reach audiences?
• What channels encourage two-way engagement with audiences, enabling interaction between decision-makers and your organization?
• Which set of channels best supports the communication objectives identified for the project?

If your organization-branded content is understandable, people are more likely to trust your organization as a good source of information. In order for your organization to influence decisions to improve health, communications tools and supports must be clear and actionable for a wide range of people in diverse circumstances. The component sections of this principle discuss how communicators can ensure messages are understandable by employing tactics such as:

• Using clear and plain language to explain global health issues and guidance;
• Telling stories with a human dimension to make the issues real to those at risk;
• Incorporating visual components that show and enhance your organization content; and
• Communicating in multiple languages, including the six official your organization languages (and more as necessary).

Goal

• Use plain language
• Tell real stories
• Make it visual
• Use familiar languages

How to do?

To help ensure messages are understandable, communicators should consider these questions in the planning phase.

Communicators can increase the sense of relevance to a health issue by referring to the personal experiences of the audience or explaining how the issue can affect family, friends or others they may know in their community.

Communicators can start the planning process and consider how to create relevant messages by following these points.

• Understand the characteristics of the target audience to design effective messages and strategies.
• Create messages and materials that include examples from or references to the target audience’s community, organizations, or other points of identification. Alternatively, examples and references could relate to entities similar to the target audiences.
• Listen to the audience and to stakeholders that work with that audience, in order to identify how to address the audience’s concerns.
• Tailor content and messages to meet the needs of the audience.
• Design messages based on the audience’s readiness to take the appropriate actions

Goal

• Know the audience
• Listen to the audience
• Tailor the message
• Motivate the audience

How to do?

To help ensure your organization communications on public health issues are seen as relevant to the audience, communicators should consider these questions in the planning phase.

Communicating in a timely way means engaging the audiences at the time when the health guidance is needed, and when they are receptive to hear and act on it. During health emergencies, for example, this means communicating rapidly what is known and unknown, and providing frequent and reliable updates. For many non-urgent health topics, timeliness means engaging audiences at the point when individuals and policy-makers need to take action. This “just-in-time” messaging is especially relevant for health issues that are seasonal, such as promoting flu vaccines, or when the health issues are more likely to affect specific age groups. In both cases, your organization will need to determine how to engage audiences when they are most likely to pay attention.

The component sections of this principle discuss how communicators can support timely dissemination of your organization information, advice and guidance by:

• Making sure your organization’s information is available to decision-makers as quickly as possible;
• Timing communications to when decision-makers need to know and take action; and
• Sequencing messages to build the conversation over time.

Goal

• Communicate early
• Communicate at the right time
• Build the conversation

How to do?

Your organization communicators should consider these questions when designing communications actions and products that are timely.

• When health threats are urgent, what are the best methods to engage priority audiences quickly?
• When are the audiences likely to be faced with a health-related decision for themselves or others on the health topic?
• How can messages be delivered so that audiences have enough time to understand and act on the message?
• How can your organization best get messages to the public quickly?
• Are there times when a health message will be crowded out by competing issues and concerns?
• Is there a way to deliver a sequence of messages over time that would increase the effectiveness of information and advice?

The components of this principle focus on strategies to reinforce public trust in your organization by demonstrating:

• Competence: your organization has technical knowledge in the health issue and its information is accurate and consistent with other experts and trusted organizations;
• Openness and honesty: your organization is transparent in its work and the organization is honest about what it knows, and what it does not know;
• Dependability: your organization does what it says it will do; and
• Commitment and caring: your organization is committed to its mission and cares about the health of all people.

Goal

• Technical accuracy
• Be transparent
• Coordinate with partners

How to do?

Communicators should consider these How to do? to help decide how to communicate with the aim of building and maintaining credibility.

• What is your organization’s role in this health issue?
• What does your organization know about the health issue and what questions still need to be answered?
• How aware are at-risk populations and other decision-makers of your organization’s status as a credible resource on the specific health issue?
• What other organizations are perceived by the audiences as trusted on this health issue? How can your organization align with them?
• Are partner organizations’ messages aligned with those of your organization?
• Your organization is the best your organization spokesperson for this issue?
• Are there any reputational risks related to the health issue, such as threat to your organization’s reputation, perceived value or standing in global health? Should these be considered in planning communication activities?

Communication is a necessary component of any effort to achieve positive health outcomes. Your organization must provide accurate health information in a way that encourages audiences to take action and follow advice and guidance to protect safety and health.

This principle comprises several components helping communicators develop messages and campaigns focused on behavior change by understanding the audiences’:

• Level of awareness of the health risks and protection;
• Feelings of personal relevance to the health risk;
• Knowledge of appropriate health behaviours or policies to mitigate risks and promote health;
• Confidence that they can take the recommended actions;
• Sense that the recommended actions are endorsed by their community; and
• Belief that the benefits of implementing actions outweigh the costs.

Goal

• Move audiences to action
• Behaviour change campaigns
• Communicate in emergencies

How to do?

Communicators should consider the questions below to help identify if audiences are ready to take action. This insight can then be used to craft compelling communications products and activities that move decision-makers towards accepting and acting on your organization advice, guidance, and recommendations.

1: Make information  accessible

• Identify effective channels
• Make information available online
• Ensuring Accessibility

2 : Make information understandable

• Use plain language
• Tell real stories
• Make it visual
• Use familiar languages

4: Target the audience

• Know the audience
• Listen to the audience
• Tailor the message
• Motivate the audience

3: Communicate

• Communicate early
• Communicate at the right time
• Build the conversation

4: Be sure

• Technical accuracy
• Be transparent
• Coordinate with partners

5: Get things done

• Move audiences to action
• Behaviour change campaigns
• Communicate in emergencies