I work with UNICEF’s India Country Office as Water Specialist in the Child’s Environment Programme. We are assisting the government to develop a communications strategy for behaviour change regarding household drinking water. Most institutions seem to produce products to address what are the perceived issues, and do not research in-depth the real reasons for the problem. The end result is that funds are utilised on products and promotion, but there is no rigorous method of analysing effectiveness.

I am interested to know if any agency has taken the broader approach of developing a communications strategy for water, which the above studies form a part. A communications strategy would begin with development of a baseline in the field, definition of communication objectives, selection of mode(s) of communication, development of creative messages, testing of media, develop materials, implementation and then review, monitor and evaluate.

I would like the Water Community members to share the following information:

a.       What other agencies have developed communications strategies for drinking water, what has been the process they followed and the results?

b.       Can members share the strategies and material already developed?

c.       Please provide inputs on the process proposed above and ways to make it more effective.

Kindly provide your responses specifically to the three questions posed. They will help us in streamlining a communications strategy for the drinking water sector.

Dara Johnston,

UNICEF, New Delhi