Communication
How to do participatory communication - Quest
Information and communication resources are not produced in a vacuum! The development of any communication, should involve thinking about who it needs to reach, why it's message is important, how it will work, and its social and cultural impact.
Our communication training package - Quest - supports organisations to produce well thought out communication and information resources. The training includes a workshop with Healthlink Worldwide staff, follow up activities and a series of printed materials. It has been developed in recognition of the need for our partners to have practical guidelines to support them with their communication activities.
More than resources
As well as being used to produce individual resources Quest can also
be helpful for developing an organisation's communication strategy. It
helps organisations to focus on the processes that create good communication
(interaction, networking, participation and so on). Organisations who
wish to develop programmes and resources that are grounded in local contexts
or involve dialogue between diverse stakeholders will benefit from Quest.
Change agents
By facilitating a process of dialogue and debate among stakeholders,
including traditionally silenced and marginalised groups, Quest assists
people, organisations and communities to generate and distribute information
and resources for their own particular context. The participatory approach
of Quest consciously builds on existing strength and experiences and supports
organisations to move towards sustainable, longer-term and collective
social change. At its core are the principles of;
- Participation - people to be active agents of their own change
- Empowerment - informed choices through dialogue and sharing knowledge and experience
- Equity and social justice - getting traditionally unheard voices onto the agenda
- Local ownership.
Get the best from Quest
Whether used to produce specific resources or for wider communication
purposes, Quest training takes users through the process of resource
development and production in a participatory way. Rather than follow
instructions, participants actively engage with the issues and questions
key to each stage. The training develops capacity by facilitating the
sharing and analysis of experience, enhancing knowledge, developing necessary
skills, and fostering reflective practice and learning.
The package offered by Healthlink Worldwide includes an initial workshop (ideally 5 days) with support and follow-up activities by highly experienced, Healthlink Worldwide staff, trained in participatory communication methods. The workshop forms one stage in the process; the approach works best through practice and implementation in the field, over time.
We work with organisations as part of our larger programmes and projects, for example within the Communicating for Advocacy project, and the Inclusive communication for development programme, as well as individual workshops for those wishing to look at specific aspects of their organisation's communications.
Supporting material
The training workshops are based on two main materials:
- The manual – A guide to the resource development process. It is divided into stages which include; assessing needs, planning, research, format, developing content, testing, production, dissemination and evaluation.
- How to... guides – short, practical skill guides on how to develop resources.
Download the sample Quest manual (5 pages, 50 KB)
Download the sample How to...quide (2 pages, 38 KB)
The value of participatory communication training
Throughout
the process, attention is drawn to how organisational cultures influence
work practice and impact. In this way, participants are stimulated to consider
the issues in relation to their own work environment.
Different organisations can take the Quest approach forward in different ways. Healthlink Worldwide seeks to provide overall support in order to facilitate learning, exchange and follow-up guidance.
Interested?
If you or your organisation would like to know more about Quest then
please contact David Curtis, Head of Programme and Capacity Development
at Healthlink Worldwide. curtis.d@healthlink.org.uk