ASSIGNMENT:

“Development Support Communication Campaign”.

Name: Arslan Akhtar Ali

Reg No.627-FSS/BSMC/S14

Course: Development Support Communication

Degree: BS Media & Communication Studies

Semester: 8

Instructor: Sir Junaid Ghauri

Development:

 The term Development is heavily loaded with different conceptions and a richness of
uses and functions shaped by their various theoretical foundations.

 The term development for communication can be defined as  It is a process through
“

which a society is expected to achieve certain socio-economic, political, cultural and

other goals .
”

Emergence of DSC:

 Development is a concept which is as old as the human history itself but in 18th
century industrial revolution in Europe and then World War I and II gave new
dimensions to this concept.

 There emerge a new concept of  development as a total change  as positive change in
“ ”

life conditions, traditional social culture setup attitudes and behaviours.

 After the destruction brought about by the Second World War, the question was raised
for the development in the Western Countries.
 At that time third world countries were suffering from poverty, economic crisis, lack
of scientific knowledge, technology and etc.

 So western countries realized that if they want to develop themselves then it is

necessary that the third world countries should be given facilities to develop so they
no longer suffer from economic crisis.

 For the first time the concept Development Communication (DC) was introduced
and its main purpose was to use communication and media to promote development
in the third world countries.

 Development communication is organized effort to use communications processes

and media to bring social and economic improvements, generally in developing
countries.

 Originally the term Development Communication (DC) was used by the Western
writers like Daniel Lerner, Lucian Pye and Wilbur Schramm.

 During 1950s loans were issued to under developed countries and technology was
transferred to speed up their development process.

 After a decade when analysis was done, it was realized that most of the plans failed.

 Projects were wasted and the problems of the people living in the rural and urban
areas remain unsolved.

 Factors lying behind the failure of these projects were lack of understanding about
social and cultural environmental problems, and lack of interpersonal communication
of project developers.
 They were unable to create a strategy to make successful plans while they were not
able to involve farmers, poor, semi illiterate people to participate in decision making
process for their own benefit.

 Then it was realized that one country s development strategy cannot be applied over
’

another country, it s better to plan projects in the light of the needs of that area,
’

climate, thinking, concepts, culture, tradition, and the aptitude of the local people.

 Thus In this situation in early 1960s the idea of development support communication
(DSC) was conceived by Professional Information Officer (employ of United
Nations Development Program (UNDP)) Erskine Childers.

 Childers proposed a receiver oriented approach to development communication

which would render communication as a  support  rather than a deterrent to
“ ”

development.

 The idea quickly gained prevalence in UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION

(UNO) and other multilateral development agencies.

Development Support Communication (DSC) by Erskine Childers:

 “DSC is specifically designed communication strategies which support a particular

development program”.

 “DSC is a concept of communication activities that undertake exchange of messages

at more participatory level to achieve specific goals of a development program”.

 The concept of DSC leads and motivates human beings towards better living

conditions. 

 It may be termed as a change in people’s physical structure, change in technology,

social organization, normative values, demographic characteristics, agriculture, health
and education etc.
 Participatory Approach:

 The reaction against modernization (and to some extent the realization of global
structural imbalances) gave birth to participatory approach basis on actively involving
people who were the "subjects" of development in happening of the process.

 All involved people have right to play a part in shaping the decisions that affect their
lives.

 It is more difficult to maximize the participation of less powerful.

 From Top-Down mechanistic failed approach to interpersonal communication by

using communication tools and community media was part of them.

 Participation in decision-making: People initiate, discuss, conceptualize (form an

idea) and plan activities they will all do as a community. 

 Participation in benefit: People should take part in enjoying the fruits of a project,
this maybe water from a hand-pump, medical care by a "bare-foot doctor", a truck to
transport produce to market, or village meetings in the new community hall.

 Participation in implementation: People should actively encourage and mobilized to

take part in the actualization (to turn into reality) of projects while assigning them certain
responsibilities and tasks.

 Participation in evaluation: Upon completion of a project, people should invite to

critique the success or failure of it.

Planning DSC campaign:

Planning is supposed to be a prerequisite of any programme and in case of Development

Support Communication (DSC) appropriate planning is the primary step for achieving the
goals.
 DSC campaign is an integrated manner that utilizes different educational and
communication methods, aimed at focusing attention on a particular problem and its
solution over a period of time.

Creating the DSC campaign plan:

There are four stages of any DSC Campaign plan:

o Stage 1:
 Identification of objectives:
 It means to examine campaign goals and aims for getting long term results.

 It involves sound judgement by gathering information.

 Determine key development priorities through field surveys, community consensus,

interviews with field specialists and subject matter specialists.

 Assess media channels available to potential target groups and find out whether
technology transfer inputs are readily available.

o Stage 2:

 Analysis:

 It involves study and investigation of a problem.

 It involves pointing out of most important needs to establish campaign objectives.

 To identify target groups while it also involves measuring of attitudes, practices,

(KAP) survey, conduct focus group sessions, set specific communication campaign
objectives, determine multi-media mix and message design strategies for target
audience.

 Focus on situation & sponsor.

o Stage 3:
 o Formulation of the plan:

 It includes selection of the suitable method, timing the campaign, using slogans and
symbols, pretesting the messages, providing channels for information, seeking and
involving people.

 In easy words it means to draw up action plan.

o Stage 4:
 Evaluation:

 Carry out small scale field evaluations at strategic points during campaign to suggest
where "in-course" changes may be warranted.

 Conduct full scale post-campaign impact evaluation survey and use as feed-forward
for future campaigns.
 Tips For Successful DSC Campaign Plan:
 Concretization: Examination of the problems identified by the groups in the light of
local conditions.

 Selection of priority problems by the groups.

 Formulation of a durable methodology for seeking solutions.

 Identification of the amount of information required and easy ways to access this
information.

 Factors that Affect DSC Campaign:

 Noise

 Distortions
 Filtering

 Selective Perceptions

 Language and Non-Verbal Cues

Example of DSC Campaign in Pakistan:

 End-Polio Pakistan Campaign

 16-19 March National Immunization Days
 New strategies in place to identify and immunize missed children
 March Pre-Campaign Preparedness Review Meeting
 Third-party monitors
 Effectiveness/Implications/Evaluation

Conclusion:

 Development Support Communication is not merely concerned with providing

information on development activities but it involves creating opportunity for the
people to know about the technical nature of new ideas and on how they work and
with what effect.

 Development Support Communication plays the more important role of creating an

atmosphere for understanding how these new ideas fit into the real social situation in
which the people operate.

 Its ultimate goal is to catalyse local development activities, local development

planning and implementation, and local communication to smoothen the path to
development.
 In addition, those in charge of planning Development Support Communication
campaign must be those who understand the social structure (those who have entered
into the socio-cultural contexts of the people) and how change can take place in it, not
merely how development messages can be disseminated.

THE END!!