Forty journalists and communication officers of institutions, civil society organizations, members of the WAEMU Economic Journalists Network, the independent union of workers in the information and culture sector took part from 7 to September 8, 2011, in Ouagadougou, at the workshop organized by ECOWAS and UEMOA to ensure the external partners visibility.
The objective of this workshop funded by the EU is to validate a communication plan for a consensual, smooth and efficient implementation of visibility activities in the region.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor N’Galadjo Lambert Bamba, ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of macroeconomic policy, with Mr Christophe DABIRE, WAEMU Commissioner in charge of the Department of Regional Market, Trade, Competition and Cooperation. Were also present, Mr. Alhassane Ag Mohamed, Director of Communication, Documentation and Archives of the UEMOA, Mr Pierre Y. JEANNE, Coordinator of RIP monitoring Project to the ECOWAS Commission and Mr. Abdel Kader Sanankoua, RIP Communication Expert.
In a speech at the opening session, the Commissioner Lambert N. Bamba stated that “communication is an essential component in the integration process underway in our region. Its function allows us to adopt or change attitudes and behaviors of our people. ”
Work began with a presentation by Mr. Pierre Jeanne on the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP). The open discussion following the presentation focused among others on the balance sheet and the impact of the RIP, the situation of joint borders checkpoints, withdrawal of funds on certain projects, the principle of concentration, consistency between the NIP (National Indicative Programme) and the RIP (Regional Indicative Programme) and finally how to implement the 10th EDF RIP.
After this exchange the participants followed the presentation of Abdel Kader Sanankoua, RIP Communication Expert. This presentation focused on the communication plan for external partners visibility.
The Expert before asking participants to bring added value to the plan provided an update on significant challenges.
The first challenge relates to the transversality of information to be processed. Indeed, the various activities supported by the partners are located in several departments. This feature makes the partners’ interventions affect a range of large and different areas. To manage this situation, he said, the communication will be participative and oriented toward the production of communication materials that will involve all stakeholders, including project managers.
The second challenge raised by the Expert is on the strategy for implementation of the texts. This phase is extremely sensitive to the extent that it is to change ingrained habits sometimes, to involve key stakeholders, to overcome resistance to change and adopt new practices. This exercise requires the part of the communicators, great professionalism and tact in dealing with messages.
The third challenge concerned the support and guidance of this plan of action by the partners and the leaders of both Commissions. In his view, not taking into account these concerns will undoubtedly affect the results.
After the presentation, participants felt that the document is relevant. Thus, the consultant has received praise for the work done. Nevertheless, the participants have made contributions towards the improvement of the final document. Thus the participants were asked to align the activities with the content of tables, identify, capitalize and disseminate best practices of successful actions by the beneficiaries, promote good governance with particular emphasis on the culture of making account the population, to achieve at least two documentary films, to support existing networks of journalists, adding to the forum theater sketches according to the specific country, to a mid-term review of the communication plan, to review the budget plan on the rise, to program outputs press-caravans to visit projects funded by the partners to establish a prize for the best journalistic productions as part of the visibility of partners, to put an emphasis especially on radio stations especially in rural areas, organizing open days decentralized associated with competitions in various representations, distribute the newsletter online and then to make audiovisual firmware. In addition, the workshop strongly recommended the involvement of communications networks and associations operating in the implementation of the communication plan.
Following the discussions, the consultant thanked the participants for the quality and relevance of the contributions. He also reassured of their inclusion in the final document. Discussions were held in an atmosphere of conviviality.