The policy framework

OBJECTIVES
2.1

The objectives of FAO's Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy derive directly from the
Organization's functions: as a unique source of information and advice on food, agriculture
(including forestry and fisheries) and rural development - the normative role; and as a provider
of technical assistance to member countries - the operational role. These basic roles are reflected
in four primary communication objectives:

 to increase the priority given in national and international development policies and
initiatives to the agricultural and rural sector and the availability of food for all;
 to sharpen the focus and improve the effectiveness of support for agricultural and rural
development policies and programmes;
 to enhance the status and recognition of the Organization as a multilingual centre of
excellence - a unique and essential repository of information and ideas related to
sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development;
 to present FAO as a dynamic, action-oriented organization that has a real impact on the
alleviation of hunger, rural poverty and the problems of agriculture, forestry and
fisheries, particularly in developing nations and those in transition.

2.2

With reference to particular audiences, the main objectives are:

 to build up support for FAO, particularly among donor countries, as an Organization that
delivers value for money and is a cost-effective partner in the battle against hunger, rural
poverty and environmental degradation;
 to enhance awareness and appreciation of FAO among influential media, both as a source
of authoritative information on topics related to its mandate and as a guide to important
and interesting issues in development;
 to strengthen recognition of FAO as a focal point for information and ideas among
technical experts working in fields related to the Organization's mandate;
 to promote the perception of FAO as an open, multidisciplinary, responsive partner in
dialogue and action.

2.3

With reference to the programme priorities of the Organization, the main objective is:
  to increase understanding, particularly among relevant target audiences, of the conditions
and analyses that shape FAO's priority programmes and of actions taken to implement
them.

2.4

Fulfilling these objectives implies commitment to one other fundamental aim of FAO's
Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy:

 to build on FAO's strength in multilingual publishing and extend it to new media and
technologies.

CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
2.5

FAO's Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy provides the framework for coordination
and cooperation while also encouraging participatory, decentralized planning and
implementation. It hinges on a process of planning and collaboration that draws on all units
within the Organization and encompasses all communication activities.

2.6

In particular, the Policy addresses the profound changes introduced by new communication tools
and technologies. These tools provide the opportunity to decentralize the production and
distribution of information, devolving these functions to the originators of information in other
departments and the decentralized structures. It recognizes that, in the absence of a corporate
approach, this potential for decentralization could also erode both the quality of FAO
information materials and the consistency of their messages.

2.7

The Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy enables each unit, irrespective of its location
in the world:

 to contribute to the formulation of a corporate communication plan, identifying core

messages, audiences and activities;
 to communicate directly with those audiences for whom it is the most effective
counterpart;
 to draw on the full range of communication expertise and technology available within the
Organization for advice and support.

2.8

At the same time, participants in this Organization-wide process are required:

  to operate within the framework of the Corporate Communication Plan, to incorporate its
messages into their own activities where appropriate, and to refrain from engaging in
activities that conflict with or distract from these messages;
 to review plans for all communication activities and products with a multidisciplinary
group of communication professionals in order to evaluate objectives and determine the
most cost-effective strategies for achieving them;
 to adhere to procedures designed to ensure the high quality of materials issued in the
name of the Organization.

2.9

The Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy has three key elements: participatory
planning, corporate focus and decentralized implementation.

Participatory planning

2.10

The planning process is:

 participatory: communication plans developed at the divisional and departmental level

provide inputs to the overall Corporate Communication Plan;
 comprehensive: the full range of communication activities are covered, including
advocacy and technical publications (both print and electronic), public information
materials, meetings, speaking engagements and media initiatives;
 cooperative: it draws on the skills of communication professionals to meet the specific
needs of the various departments and decentralized structures within a framework of
priorities set in the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget.

Corporate focus

2.11

Two basic managerial components help guarantee the corporate focus:

 coordination: major components of communication activities are multidisciplinary and

multimedia campaigns that focus on specific objectives, provide key messages and
concentrate on target audiences;
 review and quality control: procedures avoid fragmentation of the Organization's image,
prevent the dissemination of conflicting messages and enable all participants to function
as effective partners.

Decentralized implementation

2.12
The preparation and distribution of information is more closely under the control of originators
and those responsible for its dissemination:

 communication professionals are responsible for providing guidance and support and for
maintenance of the information infrastructure;
 technical professionals are responsible for activities directed towards their peers and
counterparts.

Responsibilities and planning

SHARED CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
3.1

The Department of General Affairs and Information (GI) is custodian of the Corporate
Communication Policy and Strategy and the focal point for preparation of the Corporate
Communication Plan. GI is responsible for developing quantitative indicators to evaluate
progress made in implementing the Policy within an established time frame. It is also responsible
for monitoring the implementation of, and revisions to, the Corporate Communication Plan and
servicing the Corporate Communication Committee (CCC), which replaces the Committee for
Publications. That Committee's role and terms of reference are broadened to include coordinating
the production of all information products, overseeing the communication planning process and
approving Departmental/Regional Communication and Publishing Plans and related budgets.
The Assistant Director-General of GI advises the Director-General, Assistant Directors-General
of other departments and regional, subregional and country FAO Representatives (FAORs) on all
matters relating to GI's mandate and activities.

3.2

The division of responsibility for communication activities within the Organization derives
essentially from the traditional distinction made between technical and public information.
Broadly speaking, technical information represents a distillation of data and analysis that is
generally of interest and value to a specialist audience, including specialist NGOs, whereas
public information is aimed at non-technical audiences such as the media, non-specialist NGOs
and the general public. On this basis, the Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy
identifies the following key actors in the formulation and delivery of its content:

Director-General and Office of the Director-General

 3.3

The Director-General, or an individual designated by the Director-General, is the official

spokesperson of the Organization on all matters of policy. The Director-General holds primary
responsibility for institutional communication with Member Governments and for statements of
policy. Within the context of the participatory planning process, the Director-General sets
priorities for corporate messages and activities.

Department of General Affairs and Information

3.4

The Department of General Affairs and Information is responsible for the Organization's public
information, promotional and public relations activities as well as for the management of the
World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT). The Department also provides a wide
range of information support services as well as conference services.

3.5

The Information Division provides advice and, as resources permit, support for the
communication activities of all other FAO units. It prepares and produces information materials
designed for a general audience, including advocacy publications, videos, CD-ROMs, material
for presentations, displays and exhibits. It also provides guidance and support in the preparation
and production of information materials of a technical nature. The Information Division ensures
that FAO publications and periodicals meet professional and commercial standards and reflect a
consistent, identifiable corporate image. It also maintains a distribution list and is responsible for
the promotion of sales and the Organization's effectiveness as a major academic/technical
publisher.

3.6

The Library and Documentation Systems Division is responsible for the management and
development of WAICENT at the corporate level in cooperation with the technical divisions that
are responsible for the generation and validity of the data. As part of this managerial and
operational role, it has overall responsibility for definitions, codes and classifications adopted in
all working systems that generate information of corporate value. It is also responsible for
ensuring quality and consistency in the presentation of information disseminated through
electronic networks.

3.7

The Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division is responsible for the management of all
meeting rooms and provides a complete conference service that covers protocol, documentation,
translation and interpretation, messenger and related services and multimedia and related
facilities. It advises and assists technical divisions as well as decentralized offices and units in
the preparation and operation of conferences and meetings.
 3.8

A multidisciplinary team of staff from GI provides expertise in planning communication

campaigns encompassing all media and information channels, including printed and electronic
publications, television and radio, the press, WAICENT and the Internet, presentations, displays
and exhibits. The team helps evaluate communication needs and identify the most effective
combination of activities and products to meet them. It can also assist in preparing a plan and
budget for implementation and advise on internal or external specialists to perform the work.

Regional, Subregional and Country Offices

3.9

The mandate of FAO's decentralized structures encompasses all communication activities within
their geographical areas of responsibility. They maintain regular communication with national
governments, local technical counterparts, NGOs and the media, and are responsible for
presenting the key messages of FAO's corporate communication campaign as well as for
distributing information materials supplied by headquarters to the intended audiences. They may
also produce locally targeted information materials or repackage information provided by
headquarters in order to address local needs and audiences. They maintain libraries that serve as
sources of FAO information. FAORs' plans for communication activities, prepared in
consultation with the Regional Information Officer (the Information Division's focal point in the
region), serve as an important input to the regional and departmental communication plans.
FAORs also provide input to regional and corporate distribution lists to assist in targeting
information effectively.

Technical Departments

3.10

Technical departments hold the primary responsibility for communication with their counterparts
in government, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, technical and academic
institutions, and commerce. This responsibility extends to the content of technical publications,
contributions to journals (print or electronic), information distributed over the Internet and other
computer networks, and participation in technical meetings. Guidelines exist for the presentation
of such material and assistance is available from the Organization's editorial and design
specialists.

3.11

In the area of development support communication, primary responsibility rests with the
specialists in the Research, Extension and Training Division of the Sustainable Development
Department.

3.12
When public information activities touch on topics within technical departments' field of
technical competence, the departments are responsible for briefing communication professionals,
providing the most authoritative FAO data and analysis available, along with information about
relevant policies, programmes and projects. They also review public information products and
clear their content for technical accuracy prior to publication and distribution.

PREPARATION OF COMMUNICATION PLANS

3.13

The planning and review procedures that are built into the Corporate Communication Policy and
Strategy are designed to focus communication activities and strengthen cooperation in their
implementation. Key elements in these procedures include:

Incorporation of communication activities in the Medium-term Plan and the

biennial Programme of Work and Budget

3.14

The Organization's main policy and programme priorities are defined in its Medium-term Plan,
while implementation is detailed and costed in its Programme of Work and Budget. Corporate
communication priorities and the outcome of planning exercises should be reflected in the
process, as they are essential to the dialogue through which the governing bodies chart the course
of FAO.

3.15

Major communication objectives of an enduring nature need to be presented in the Medium-term

Plan. More specific communication campaigns and priorities are described and budgeted in the
Programme of Work and Budget. The annual planning exercise, outlined in the following
section, is designed to assist in the preparation of these elements by providing justifications and
costings for the communication activities to be carried out by the departments and decentralized
structures.

Preparation of annual plans

3.16

Budgeted communication plans are required at the corporate, departmental, divisional, regional
and national levels. Their preparation, as foreseen in the Corporate Communication Policy and
Strategy, offers an opportunity for units to put forward their needs in consultation with
communication specialists as follows:

 Technical units and decentralized structures identify items in the programmes that merit
or require communication activities. They also identify potential audiences who could be
 particularly interested in them or are important to their success. These are drawn together
in departmental proposals.
 Each departmental proposal is reviewed by a team of communication specialists who, in
consultation with the appropriate technical officers, evaluate the opportunities and needs
and help develop strategies and budgets to address them.
 A parallel process takes place in the regional and subregional offices under the guidance
of the Regional Information Officers, assisted by communication specialists at
headquarters.
 The final step is for a costed plan to be drawn up for each department and region to serve
as the basic document for the detailed implementation of their own specific
communication activities.

3.17

The departmental and regional plans provide the primary inputs for the overall Corporate
Communication Plan, which will be prepared by communication specialists in the light of
priorities established by senior management. The planning process provides an opportunity for
the Organization to think ahead and take the initiative, rather than respond to events on an ad hoc
basis, i.e. to be proactive rather than reactive. It also makes the consultation and support services
of the communication professionals available to all units and decentralized structures on the
basis of corporate and departmental priorities.

3.18

The planning process depends on, and contributes to, an improved exchange of information
within the Organization. This improved internal communication and dialogue, in turn, provides
staff in technical departments and decentralized structures with the shared knowledge that they
need to make a meaningful contribution to the definition and implementation of corporate
priorities.

Interim planning

3.19

An annual communication plan cannot anticipate all the events, opportunities and needs that may
arise during the course of a year. Flexibility must be retained for the opportunistic "riding" of
external events. The Corporate Communication Committee, which is serviced by GI, periodically
reviews implementation of the Corporate Communication Plan and makes amendments or
additions to it. At the request of technical departments or decentralized structures, a team of
communication specialists can be convened to help plan and implement an effective and
comprehensive communication response to unexpected events.

EVALUATION OF COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES

3.20
Periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of communication activities in projecting defined
messages to target audiences is an essential input to the planning process, but quantifying the
impact that specific information activities have on a broad audience can be difficult, expensive
and ultimately unrewarding. However, the strategy of targeted communication activities
envisioned in FAO's Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy, whereby key individuals or
institutions may be identified by name, leads to useful evaluations of the impact achieved by an
information campaign.

3.21

In some cases, the target audiences can be counted in the hundreds or thousands of individuals,
and occasional qualitative surveys of such compact, well-defined groups are both affordable and
highly desirable. Surveys should be aimed at key audiences such as government policy- and
decision-makers, influential journalists and news media executives, and NGO representatives.
They should focus on the "background" level of understanding and support for the Organization's
priority activities and concerns as well as on the effectiveness of corporate communication
campaigns in heightening awareness.

3.22

Less formal evaluation is also possible by FAO staff in the course of their day-to-day work. They
can maintain regular contact with a representative sample of the Organization's key target
audiences, providing feedback on the impact of particular communication activities. As part of
the participatory planning process, FAO staff in technical departments, decentralized structures
and communication units should gather responses to FAO's communication activities and
information materials among those target audiences with whom they are in regular contact.
Although far from statistically valid, a synthesis of these reactions can contribute to a qualitative
evaluation that will prove useful in planning future activities directed towards specific audiences.