The Field Information Officer:

Roles and Desired Qualities

Presented by:
Director ROBERT MENDOZA BALDAGO
 ROLES

 As a community assembly organizer and information

officer, we are called upon to play diverse roles and
perform varied functions. Lets take a look at some of
the more important roles that we play.
 ROLES

 Information Agent
 Disseminates information on government policies,
programs, projects and activities as well as any information
that would be helpful to the community we serve.
 Serves as conveyor of information about the government,
transmitting this as objectively as possible during
community assemblies and audio-visual showings.
 Integrates relevant information coming from different
government agencies in the context of development plans.
 ROLES

 Linker
 Establishes communication lines between the
organization and the target audience.

 Serves as intermediary between intended beneficiaries

of government programs and sources of information.
 ROLES

 Translator
 Packages complex technical data into understandable
and usable information. Endeavors to make messages
appropriate to the audience.
 ROLES

 Facilitator
 Creates a sharing environment during community
assemblies and audio-visual showings. Maximizes
sharing of ideas that can lead to group consensus or
convergence of ideas.
 Helps develop critical consciousness of local and
national issues by eliciting and integrating people’s
views.
 ROLES

 Catalyst
 Assess local situations to determine how to help hasten
the achievement of communication objectives.

 Encourages participation in development programs and

helps people see opportunities for improving their
community and their lives through information sharing
and dialogue
 ROLES

 Educator/Trainer
 Imparts innovations (e.g. new ideas, techniques, ways of
life) that the people may adopt.

 Helps develop people’s capabilities to deal with their

problems more effectively through discussions and
imparting of step-by-step methodologies. Help enhance
their understanding of development issues and concerns
as well as their relation with their environment.
 ROLES

 Mobilizer
 Helps people see how indigenous capabilities and
resources can be used to achieve community goals and
objectives consistent with their vision.

 Assists/enhance people’s capability to access

government resources. Encourages participation in
communication activities that affect well-being.
 ROLES

 Coordinator
 Coordinates and sustains exchange of information
between and among government and non-government
organizations so that communication activities are
synchronized.
 ROLES

 Gatherer of Public Opinion

 Gathers feedback about information needs of the
community and public opinion on government programs
and projects.

 Feels the public pulse and transmits information

gathered to government managers as inputs to policy
decisions.
 ROLES

 Manager
 Plans, organizers, provides direction, coordinates and
harmonizes the communication activities in the area.
 ROLES

 Evaluator
 Ensures that communication activities are carried out
according to plan by monitoring and evaluating these.
Uses results of evaluation to improve communication
strategies, techniques and tools.
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Let us now look at qualities expressed by field

practitioners as desirable in a community assembly
organizer or audio-visual mobile field community
officer.
 Knowledgeable on Issues
 From time to time, we are called upon to answer queries
and clarify certain issues. Hence, we must be equipped
with knowledge of national and local issues and can
discuss these when necessary.
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Skilled Communicator
 A good communicator must be able to communicate
well. We must have a good command of the language
and be able to express our thoughts in clear, concise
and convincing manner easily understood by the
audience.
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Resourceful
 Resources are usually far from adequate when we
conduct community assemblies or audio-visual
showings. In order to mount a good job, we have to be
resourceful.
 Resourcefulness entails being able to network and tap
organizations, individuals and other interest groups to
provide much-needed resources as well as spot and
make use of existing or potential opportunities
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Decisive
 As manager and planner of the activity, we should be
decisive and should exhibit good judgement at all times.
We should be able to make decisions based on
empirical evidence. We should be able to pick out facts
and arrive at sound decisions.
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Creative
 We need to have a talent for conceiving new ideas and
techniques; anticipating problems; providing practical
solutions; using the imagination to work out new
methods/new techniques in disseminating information
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Flexible and Adaptable

 Flexibility and adaptability are two important qualities
of an effective communicator. Very often, there are
external variables which are difficult to control and
predict. In such cases, we should be able to adapt easily
to changes in the environment and replan
communication strategies to suit these changes.
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Professional
 We should be able to deal with the public and co-workers in a
professional manner – not biased and not letting personal
interests interfere with or affect professional decisions
 Charismatic
 Since we will be working with people, some personal
charisma in needed. Likewise, we must practice good
public and human relations
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Humble
 We should be able to adopt a low-key approach and
profile in the community; recognize the innate wisdom
of rural folk; shed off know-it-all tendencies

 Sensitive
 We should be aware and understanding of the needs
and emotions of others and lend a hand when necessary
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Sharing
 We should be able to understand and experience
feelings or emotions of our audiences; emphathize with
them; share their hopes, aspirations and hardships if we
are to build trust and confidence
 Non-confrontational
 We should be able to gear communication strategies
toward dialogue and consensus-building in a non-
adversarial way.
 DESIRED QUALITIES

 Broad knowledge of Local Protocol

 We should be able to recognize the authority figures
and observe local protocol in the area.

 Attuned to Cultural Diversities

 We should be able to recognize and respect community
values, traditions and aspirations and help bridge the
gap between modern and traditional values.