The 2009 Annual Meeting of the Informal Network of DAC Development Communicators

Hosted by IrishAid, the 2009 Annual Meeting of the DevCom Network took place 8-10 November in Dublin, Ireland. The key theme this year was Communicating Development in an Economic Downturn.

Keynote speakers opening the conference were: Dr. Dambisa Moyo - economist and author of “Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way For Africa”; and Simon Maxwell - senior research associate of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London. The keynote speakers addressed the Africa Progress Panel 2009 Annual Report and shared their ideas on the needs and challenges of communicating development issues to stakeholders in OECD and African countries. 

Wide range of current issues was tackled during this year's DevCom Annual Meeting:

- implications for communication specialists arising from the economic crisis;

- recent research projects on public attitudes towards development;

- monitoring the impact of communicatons;

- various approaches in engaging the public;

- use of new technologies and social media in development communication;

- communicating for and about development results.

• General
  - Programme
  - DevCom/IrishAid survey results “Adapting Communications Strategies in Light of the Economic Crisis”
• Background documents
  - Biographies of the keynote speakers: Dambisa Moyo & Simon Maxwell
  - Giving Support to Foreign Aid: Some challenges to the existing discourse, speech by Roger Ridell
  - Major findings on communication from DAC Peer Reviews in 2008 & 2009
  - Eurobarometer Survey 2009
  - Study on Communicating Development Results by Peter da Costa

Below are the presentations from the 2009 DevCom Annual Meeting (click on titles to download):

Presentations Day 1

• Communicating Development Messages
  • Re-framing development communication, Simon Maxwell, senior research associate of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), UK

• Public Attitudes to Development
  • Eurobarometer Poll Results 2009, Ian Barber, Head  of Information and Communication Unit, DG Development, European Commission
  • Consumer Segmentation in Times of Global Recession, Fiona McLean, Director of Communications, AusAID, Australia
  • In Search of Effective Development Communication and Awareness Raising: The Belgian Research Platform on Public Support for Development Aid, Reinout Van Vaerenbergh, Public Awareness Raising Programmes, MFA Belgium & Ignace Pollet, Belgian Research Platform on Public Support for Development Aid
  • How Can We Justify ODA in an Economic Downturn? Views of the Public in France, Guillaume de Saint Phalle, Manager, Communication Unit, Agence Française de Développement/ AFD, France

• New Technologies and Social Media in Development Communication
  • Social media in campaigning – Gail Power, Director of Online Sales Operations, Facebook, Ireland
  • Harnessing Technology to Connect the World and Mobilize Millions, Patrizia Labella, Policy Adviser, UN Millennium Campaign
  • Social Media – Fashionable or Fruitful? Bringing a Heavy Global Message to a Light Audience, Turid K. Lilleng, Information Adviser, MFA Norway

• Engaging the Public
  • Danida’s climate-campaign, Charlotte Henriksen, Head of the Development Information and Communication Unit, DANIDA, Denmark
  • Development Cooperation on the Road – an Austrian Exhibition, Heidi Liedler-Frank, Head of Information, Austrian Development Agency/ADA, Austria
  • Celebrating Africa Day in Ireland, Daniel Rowan, Field Information Officer, IrishAid
  • Roma Realities – a travelling photo exhibition, Thomas Jenatsch, Spokesman, DEZA, Switzerland

• Adapting Our Communication Strategies and Ways of Working
  • Rebranding in Times of Economic Down Turn – DIFD’s New Communication Strategy, Paul Mylrea, Director of Communications, DIFD, UK
  • A Transition from Poverty Elimination to Sustainable Economic Growth, Catrina Williams, Communication Manager, NZAID, New Zealand
  • Communicating Development Cooperation to an Emerging Donor's Public: the case of the Czech Republic, Milan Konrad, Awarness-raising, NGOs and Evaluation Officer, MFA Czech Republic

Presentations Day 2

• Communicating For and About Development Results
  • Challenges in Communicating Aid Effectiveness From a Partner Country Perspective, Zaam Ssali N. K., Core Management Team Leader for Communication and Membership, African Community of Practice on MfDR (AfCoP-MfDR)
  • What Do We Want to Communicate in Seoul 2011?, Dr Mehtab Currey, International Development Adviser, Aid Effectiveness, European Commission

• Communicating For Development Results: Integrating Communication into the Programme Cycle
  • Integrating Communication in Development Programmes for Better Results, Peter da Costa, Communication and Development Consultant, D.R. Congo
  • Results in IrishAid, Kevin Colgan, Policy, Planning and Aid Effectiveness Unit, IrishAid

• Communicating About Development Results
  • A Template for Gathering Stories on Development Effectiveness – What do we have to say?, Luc Dockendorf, DAC Delegate/ Desk officer for development education and awareness raising, MFA Luxemburg

• Status of DevCom – What Have We Accomplished? Where Are We Headed?
  • Presentation on the forthcoming AFD/DevCom Workshop “Transparent, Reliable, Understable and Interactive: Challenges in Donors’ Domestic Accountability”, 15-16 December 2009, Paris, Jean-Marc Pradelle, Parliament Liaison Officer, Agence Française de Développement/AFD; Martin Vielajus, Deputy Director IRG, France
  • Implementing the DevCom Work Programme 2009-10, Steffen Beitz, DevCom Coordinator, OECD Development Centre