CONCEPT NOTE
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON MOBILE-BASED COMMUNICATIONS FOR RURAL POLICY OUTREACH
COURSE BACKGROUND
Effective governance and sustainable development hinge on policies reaching everyone, especially those in remote and rural areas. However, traditional policy outreach methods often struggle to connect with rural communities due to geographical barriers, limited infrastructure, low literacy rates, and a lack of trusted information channels. This gap means vital policies related to health, agriculture, education, and social services often remain unknown or misunderstood by the very people they are designed to help, hindering their effectiveness and equitable access.
ECAS Institute, committed to enhancing public service delivery and bridging information divides, recognizes the transformative potential of mobile technology in reaching underserved populations. With mobile phone penetration steadily increasing even in rural areas, these devices offer an unparalleled opportunity to deliver policy information directly and effectively. By offering this specialized course, ECAS aims to equip professionals with the strategic knowledge and practical skills to harness mobile communication for inclusive policy outreach. This aligns with ECAS’s broader mission to foster equitable access to information and strengthen democratic participation.
This course is specifically designed to empower policymakers, development practitioners, and communicators to leverage mobile technologies for impactful rural policy outreach. It will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of mobile communication platforms, best practices for crafting mobile-first messages, and strategies for engaging rural communities through their most accessible device. By mastering these essential skills, ECAS aims to help participants ensure that policies move “from paper to people,” directly empowering rural communities with the information they need to thrive.
COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the landscape of mobile communication tools and their applicability for rural policy outreach.
- Identify and analyze the unique communication needs and challenges of diverse rural audiences.
- Design effective, culturally appropriate, and accessible mobile-first messages for policy dissemination.
- Develop strategies for two-way mobile communication and feedback mechanisms to ensure community engagement and policy responsiveness.
- Plan for the implementation and evaluation of mobile-based policy outreach campaigns in rural contexts.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
This course will provide participants with specialized knowledge and practical skills in leveraging mobile technology to communicate policies effectively in rural settings. You will learn:
- The various types of mobile communication tools (SMS, WhatsApp, USSD, voice messages, basic apps) and when to use each for policy outreach.
- How to understand the specific needs, literacy levels, and cultural contexts of different rural communities to tailor your communication.
- Techniques for creating clear, concise, actionable, and culturally sensitive messages specifically designed for mobile devices.
- How to set up systems for two-way communication, allowing rural citizens to ask questions, provide feedback, and report issues using their mobile phones.
- Best practices for planning, launching, monitoring, and evaluating mobile-based policy outreach campaigns to measure their reach and impact.
- Considerations for data privacy, security, and ethical communication when using mobile technology for sensitive policy information.
DURATION AND PROGRAM
This is a structured training course. The program is designed to be highly practical and hands-on, combining expert instruction with case studies from successful rural mobile campaigns, interactive workshops, and potentially the development of a mock mobile communication plan. The detailed program schedule, including specific session timings and practical exercises, will be communicated prior to the training commencement.
TARGET PARTICIPANTS
This course is ideal for professionals involved in public administration, development, communication, and community engagement, particularly those working with or in rural areas. The target audience includes:
- Government Officials: Especially those in ministries of agriculture, health, education, local government, and social services.
- Development Practitioners: Working for NGOs, international organizations, and community-based organizations in rural settings.
- Communication and Public Relations Professionals: Involved in public awareness campaigns for rural populations.
- Extension Workers and Field Agents: Who serve as frontline communicators in rural areas.
- Rural Planners and Researchers: Interested in innovative approaches to information dissemination and citizen engagement.
- ICT for Development (ICT4D) Specialists: Focusing on digital solutions for rural challenges.
- Anyone: Seeking to improve the reach and impact of policy information in underserved rural communities.
TRAINING MODULES
The course is structured into comprehensive modules, guiding participants through the strategic and practical aspects of mobile-based communication for rural policy outreach:
| No | Module | Details | |
| 1. | Understanding the Rural Communication Landscape and Mobile Potential |
This module explores the unique challenges of communicating with rural populations and positions mobile phones as a transformative solution for policy outreach.
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| 2. | Audience Analysis and Message Design for Mobile |
This module focuses on understanding rural audiences and crafting policy messages that are clear, concise, and compelling for mobile delivery, considering local contexts.
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| 3. | Implementing Mobile-Based Policy Outreach Campaigns |
This module provides practical guidance on setting up, launching, and managing mobile communication initiatives for policy dissemination.
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| 4. | Two-Way Communication, Feedback, and Ethical Considerations |
This module explores how to establish mechanisms for rural citizens to interact with policy information and provides guidance on ethical practice and data management.
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5.
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and Sustaining Mobile Outreach |
This module focuses on measuring the effectiveness of mobile-based policy outreach and ensuring the sustainability of these communication efforts.
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TRAINING STYLE
The modules will be taught through PowerPoint presentations, and lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions, case studies and other interactive discussion components.
The course will also include a few guest speakers, both in person and via Zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.
The conference faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around climate change, engineering and international development. Throughout the course, theoretical presentation of concepts will be moderated and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. PowerPoint presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons, to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.
GENERAL NOTES
- Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
- Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.
- We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs. Contact us to find out more: info@ecasiafrica.org.
- Payment should be sent to our bank account before the start of training and proof of payment sent to: info@ecasiafrica.org.
ABOUT ECAS INSTITUTE
The ECAS Institute designs and delivers independent and targeted training, research, and consulting services. Our work focusses on climate change and resilience building, carbon markets, renewable energy, nature-based solution, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and food systems, We are located in Nairobi Kenya and work across the African region. We have implemented training and research assignments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa. Globally, we have supported our partners from the UK, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and USA.