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The Informal Network of DAC Development Communicators (DevCom Network), created in 1988, brings together directors of public affairs and communication from development ministries and official agencies of the 23 DAC members, as well as emerging donor countries (South Korea, Thailand, etc.) and multilateral institutions (European Commission, UNDP, World Bank, African Development Bank). It meets the expresssed needs of stakeholders of development cooperation to work together. Moreover, by engaging progressively with regional development banks, DevCom aims to foster regional and global synergies, and to stimulate North-South dialogue in communications.
DevCom is currently the only international forum where donors can discuss strategies for building public awareness and support for development. During annual meetings and specialised workshops members share best practices in communication and education on aid and international development.
What is DevCom?
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DevCom is a Forum where donors discuss issues of development communication and coordinate their strategies to inform and influence public opinion to enhance awareness and public support for development cooperation.
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DevCom provides an innovative platform to exchange experiences, identify good practices, engage in peer learning, and shape global, regional and national thinking on how to raise public awareness effectively.
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DevCom offers an informal setting. Participants speak in their personal, rather than their official, capacity – a specificity of all OECD Development Centre meetings. Informality facilitates discussions on the difficulties participants face and on how to address them pragmatically, develop new tools, and enhance members’ individual and collective effectiveness.
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Spearheading progress in development communication practices, largely financed by members’ voluntary contributions, DevCom work programs are demand driven, members deciding upon its content. Its current work undertaken in close collaboration with the relevant DAC bodies, focuses on improving the practice of communicating for and about result.
The added value of the DevCom Network is its role in facilitating exchange of experiences between DAC member and non-member countries on achieving greater development effectiveness, transparency, accountability, public support and awareness of development through the strategic use of communication for development. This should increasingly lead to a common understanding of donor communication and respective joint communication strategies.
Coordination and Programme of Work
In 2004, DevCom members decided to set up a project for the coordination of this network which is modelled on other DAC networks. Since 2004, the OECD Development Centre has coordinated and hosted the Secretariat of the Network. Nineteen members are financing the DevCom Programme of Work 2009-2010.
The Programme of Work covers following areas:
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Monitoring trends - from public opinion surveys - of public support, attitudes and awareness about aid and development in OECD countries.
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Working together for more and better communication about aid effectiveness.
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Deepening the investigation of communication and public opinion in DAC Peer Reviews.
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Defining a communication strategy on development effectiveness, preparing for the next High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (Seoul 2011).
Two full-time staff work for the Network: a Network Coordinator (Steffen Beitz) and a Project Officer (Joanna Wisniewska). The Secretariat falls under the supervision of the Head of Partnerships/Networks Unit.
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