The Communication Initiative Network - convening the communication and media development, social and behaviour change community

THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE – Strategic Positioning and Added Value

Mission:

Convene the communication and media development, social and behavioural change community for more effective local, national, and international development action.

Rationale – Relevance and Added Value

1. In the search for improved impact of international development action, online, social networks and democratically shared knowledge will assume an even higher priority.

2. The capacities of social networks and shared knowledge processes match some key principles for effective development action that will become even stronger imperatives over the next 5 years; for example:

- south-south cooperation for action, networks and learning - stronger voice/analysis from country and community experience - inclusive planning and monitoring/evaluation processes - "democratised" knowledge - integrated action across development issues to avoid issue "silos" - consultative policy development

3. Social networks and democratically shared knowledge processes provide:

- new ways of organising and working for development agencies … - … and potentially challenge some of the major strategic lines of international development action - for example the way in which "technical assistance" is organized, provided and funded.

4. These online, network and democratic knowledge processes also provide considerable efficiencies as international development action faces budget pressures around factors such as travel, meeting, office and other costs.

5. The ability to quickly reach and communicate with large numbers of key people in Development (as a large community or filtered to particular interests or contexts) is important and influential in the context of the rapid spread of digital technologies.

6. These strategic principles and capacities apply at local, national, regional and global levels. For example, the 1,500 people in the network from Kenya provide an immediate network for the Kenya work of an organisation.

7. Being the convening and owning agent for processes such as these will be even more important in the future international development tapestry.

link to website: https://www.comminit.com/global/category/sites/global