Communicating better togetherCommunicating better together

ECHO-Partners seminar, 28 September 2009

ECHO Communication ECHO Communication

teamteam Simon HornerHead of Unit (A6)Thorsten MuenchSenior communication officer(Asia, Pacific)Susana Perez DiazCommunication officer (WestAfrica, Latin America, Caribbean)Raphael BrigandiCommunication officer(East, Central and Southern

Africa)Janice GeorgeComm. officer/Internet editor(Mid. East, N. Africa, Central Asia)Eduardo CorreiaCommunication officerFood aid, Liaison with other DGsJulie LaduronAudiovisual products, design

Linda de PinaFinance and contractsAxel KochWeb manager, designChi Te WongWebmaster, designJose Abad MeirEvents and publicationsHilde WillemsSecretariat, visibility items,

publicationsCeline GiniesSecretariat, visibility items, visitsClaire BarraultRegional Information Officer, DakarDaniela CaviniRegional Information Officer, AmmanDaniel DickinsonRegional Information Officer, NairobiMalini MorzariaRegional Information Officer, New

Delhi

Communication mandateCommunication mandate

Humanitarian Aid regulation (article 4)Community aid… may also be used to finance:

the cost of highlighting the Community nature of the aid.public awareness and information campaigns aimed at increasing understanding of humanitarian issues, especially in Europe and in third countries where the Community is funding major humanitarian operations.

European Consensus on Humanitarian AidPoint 46: Accountability measures… include… communication.Point 97: Concretely, the Community will seek to…communicate the impact and importance of Community humanitarian aid to the European public to ensure continued high levels of support from citizens.

StrategyStrategy

Communicate key humanitarian messages and Europe’s role as widely as possible, notably through the media.Focus on high impact activities with a significant multiplier effect.Engage with young Europeans.Work with key humanitarian organisations to highlight our partnership and the way this contributes to saving lives and relieving suffering.Maintain efforts to mainstream communication and encourage a wider communication reflex (internal).

Priority issuesPriority issues

For basic messages, see sheet 3 of the Toolkit

Humanitarian principles (including IHL and the threat to the humanitarian space)

Climate change (in particular the impact of weather-related natural disasters and the importance of disaster-risk reduction)

Mechanisms for joint Mechanisms for joint communicationcommunication

1. Grants: Visibility line in operational agreements

-----------------------------------------------------------2. Service contracts (ECHO A6 budget)

a. Contracts with companies(i) Communication actions with agencies(ii) Framework contract with APTN(iii) Other contracts (printing, visibilitymaterials, equipment)

b. Contracts with partners3. Grants: Planned communication decision

Planned Communication Decision (1)Planned Communication Decision (1)

FormFinancing decision Grant/contribution agreement subject to usual humanitarian aid procedures (single form, fichop etc.)Anticipating projects in the range €150,000 to €250,000

Caveats1. Decision not yet adopted

2. Project criteria still to be defined…

but likely to be on the following general lines:

Planned Communication Decision (2)Planned Communication Decision (2)

SubstanceRequired. The activity must:

give prominence to the partnership with the Commissionhave a high potential multiplier effect (imaginative projects to attract media coverage)

Preferred. Actions that:target young Europeanshighlight humanitarian principlesfeature humanitarian aspects of climate changeinclude a public event (ideally the culmination of the activity that might be billed as a “humanitarian day”)