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Communication as a means of building support for protected areas 14 mobilization stage (Vidal, 2003). The communication messages, means and actions should be pre-tested in an experimental phase designed to identify effective approaches and improve the strategy before largerscale application (Hilbrunner, 2003; Mahajan, 2003). As indicated above, monitoring and evaluation are not left as afterthoughts in strategic communication. With indicators and criteria for evaluation and monitoring defined early on in the process (with the definition of objectives and the design of communication actions), these are ongoing processes facilitating informed and strategic response. The main challenge still faced is systematically mainstreaming communication in conservation and development interventions. To promote the valueadded of this discipline, communicators need to provide empirical evidence on the impact of communication in development initiatives, strengthening the likelihood of communicators being integrated within management (Mefalopulos, 2003). Professionalizing communication Besides these organizational change issues, which are associated with a suite of other organizational skill capacities, communication often has a low position within the organization. This limits both the resources allocated to communication and the influence of communicators in the work of the organization and the protected area. When communication is not seen as a fundamental part of the organization’s relations, reputation and strategy, it is used simply to make publications and brochures attractive. Associated with these management issues is clarity on the responsibilities of the communication department/personnel, internal barriers and resources (Vidal, 2003), and the organization’s capacity for enabling decision making (Molefi, 2003). Professionalizing communication is an internal challenge which must be faced by protected area management before communication can be used strategically to address external challenges effectively. The Parks Canada national communication strategy, Engaging Canadians, went hand-in-hand with a new organizational model. Each Parks Canada field unit was to create a communication unit, headed by a communication manager, providing leadership and coordination of the full range of communications activities, including agency communications, programme/service communications and education communications (Bronson, 2003). Implementation posed some significant challenges, such as building buy-in among managers and staff for the organizational change (managed within existing budgets), overcoming fatigue from successive reorganization, getting the right people in place, recruiting and/or training for the new skill sets of the future, and building the culture among staff that recognises and supports communications as one of the primary tools for achieving the mandate. Nevertheless, these organizations are now getting established with key positions being staffed with qualified professionals. Next steps in the process include the establishment and strengthening of internal and external networks to build synergy and cooperation, filling the skills gap through training and professional development, and ensuring the tools and processes are in place to enable communication professionals to succeed (Bronson, 2003). Communication actions included implementing a consistent and professional identity for the Agency, improving and integrating the delivery of information services on the web, by telephone and in person, facilitating awareness, trip planning and reservations, and presenting Heritage awards of excellence to recognise and reward excellence and innovation in programmes, products and people nationwide. Early results of Engaging Canadians include a stronger, more cohesive and professional national identity; improved relations with key stakeholder groups; better issue management; and recognition of the importance of education. Parks Canada is now seen as a trusted steward of heritage and a trusted source of information on the state of Canadian National Parks. The level of awareness and trust Canadians have for Parks Canada is a good starting point as we move down the continuum from “inform” to “influence” and “involve”, but the trust of Canadians must continue to be earned through actions taken every day by Parks Canada. 189
14 Friends for Life: New partners in support of protected areas Conclusions and recommendations for the next decade The added value of communication to protected areas is to achieve policy and management objectives and reduce conflict, by involving people in the early phases of policy and management planning. Communication plays a role in developing relations in partnerships, developing new constituencies, changing policy, supporting and facilitating participation, and developing local capacity. It contributes to the reputation of the organization and the sustainability of programmes by investing in social change and building social capital. A significant percentage of the population does not know much about protected areas because communicating their values has been given a low priority. Even in government agencies charged with responsibility for biodiversity conservation, biodiversity is regarded as low priority compared to other environmental issues. This is compounded in developing countries with the low awareness among funding agencies about the importance of biodiversity information dissemination. Many of the available funding windows currently in place are for community development, governance and poverty alleviation (Lavides, 2003). Therefore, advocacy for the need for protected areas communication and public awareness raising campaigns should be directed to the governments and donors, academics and other influential organizations such as religious bodies. The resource management efforts of local communities and local government must build support from the general public in urban areas where public opinion has direct impact on policy making. Policies that shape the nation, public opinion, and therefore public pressure are created in the urban centres (see Tryzna, this volume). The plight of the communities near the protected areas and that of the protected areas themselves will not be addressed if these matters are not brought to the attention of policy makers through public opinion, which is heavily influenced by the urban public. Crafting messages to stimulate interest in protected areas requires connecting biodiversity issues to everyday life: for example, to link flooding with deforestation and biodiversity loss to economic losses. Protected area concepts, issues and solutions should be communicated in a language that the public can relate to by adapting messages to the information gleaned from market surveys. Messages that engender pride in protected areas as national symbols, and their economic values, can also be effective. Because of the large task to build support for protected areas in many countries, forming and strengthening partnerships is essential for effective action. Partnerships are in evidence among organizations from government, civil society, the corporate sector, and academia. Also important is increasing membership of environmental organizations to add weight to their voice, provide funds and become a more effective constituency for protected areas. People are influenced by friends and relatives, so building a large cadre of people able to express support for protected areas provides an important conduit of influential information. Actions for the next ten years should include: ● Protected areas should include strategic communication as part of training for PA managers, with a rationale for communication and for involving communication thinking (and professionals) from the beginning of planning. ● Conservation organizations should provide a means to give strong support to the HOW and WHY of communication, so that the value of the instrument might be better appreciated by protected area managers. ● In recognition of the conflicts and problems encountered in many development projects, often due to weak use of communication, communication capacity should be included as part of development programmes affecting protected areas. ● Prepare guidelines on communication which include tools and clarify standards of good communication (<strong>IUCN</strong>’s Commission on Education and Communication), and develop a curriculum on protected areas for journalism colleges. 190
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Chief Scientist’s Office Friends
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Friends for Life New partners in su
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Table of contents Foreword Kenton M
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the management of protected areas,
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Introduction IUCN Photo Library ©
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Building broader support for protec
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A taxonomy of support: how and why
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Page 208 and 209: x Acronyms ADB Asian Development Ba
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Page 213 and 214: x Baillie, Barry. 2002. New Gummut
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