USAID/Kenya Strategic Communication Plan 2012-2013

SITUATION ANALYSIS

USAID/Kenya is playing a lead role implementing President Obama’s vision for global development, which sees development assistance as a pillar of foreign policy and crucial to America’s national security and economic interests. A stable and prosperous Kenya is central to American foreign policy. Kenya is one of eight countries selected as a strategic partner for the United States Global Health Initiative Plus. Kenya is also a partner in the Global Climate Change Initiative and one of nineteen focus countries in the U.S.
Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, more commonly known as Feed the Future.  These broad foreign policy objectives are based on the development premise that by sustainably eliminating hunger and disease, U.S. development efforts can defuse the anger and injustice that fuel conflict. 

Given Kenya’s recent history of post-election violence in 2008, the passage of the Kenya Constitution 2010 with its myriad progressive reforms requiring legislative action, and the upcoming national elections, anticipated in March 2013, USAID/Kenya should not focus solely on fighting hunger and disease in order to defuse conflict. In addition to managing more than half a billion dollars of American investments in health, food security and climate change mitigation, USAID/Kenya must achieve unique intermediate results related to supporting the rapid implementation of the new Constitution and engaging previously disenfranchised populations, especially youth, in laying the groundwork for a peaceful election and transition of power.

USAID/Kenya is also a focus Mission for the USAID Forward reform efforts and in the vanguard of rebuilding the Agency’s reputation as the thought leader in international development. The Mission must demonstrate that it is supporting innovative research and technology that can change the way that development is done, channel funds through sustainable Kenyan organizations and country systems, while delivering faster and more lasting results. As the U.S. Congress looks for ways to reduce the national budget, USAID/Kenya must continually disseminate evidence that investments in development are well managed, cost-effective and delivering the intended results.

Under Section 641 of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, USAID/Kenya has a responsibility to inform the Kenyan public of the assistance provided by U.S. taxpayers. This section of the FAA provides the Mission’s authorization for conducting public information campaigns in Kenya. This statutory requirement underpins the Mission’s overarching, outcome level communications objective: to increase comprehension among targeted Kenyan audiences that the U.S. provides foreign assistance in Kenya through USAID.

USAID/Kenya has a further responsibility to provide information to support USAID’s Bureau for Africa, Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA), Bureau of Food Security (responsible for Feed the Future) and the Global Health Initiative (GHI) Operations Committee in the U.S. State Department in their efforts to inform the U.S. Congress and the American people about the impact of U.S. investments in Kenya. This responsibility underpins the two output-level communications objectives: to document USAID’s results and to document reform efforts.

To meet these communications objectives, USAID/Kenya has put significant resources into its Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) effort. An in-house team consists of a Senior Development and Outreach Communications Specialist (SDOCS), an Associate Communications Specialist (ACS), a Web Manager, a Foreign Service National Development Outreach and Communications Specialist (DOCS), and rotating University journalism interns. This staff is supported by specialized contract labor for photography, graphic design and editing and by a contractor that provides the Mission with a full-time information and communications specialist and additional communication services as needed to effectively reach out to key stakeholders.

USAID/Kenya’s DOC team works through Mission activity managers to harness the communications potential of more than 100 non-governmental and private sector partner organizations and 15,000 or more local community groups that are involved in implementing USAID programs. The DOC team shares responsibility with Mission activity managers to ensure that these organizations are properly displaying the USAID brand and are effectively communicating that the American people are providing funding for their activities. The DOC team must provide training and easy-to-use systems to enable implementing partners to continually submit the elements of compelling human stories that illustrate the impact of USAID’s work. 

USAID/Kenya’s DOC team works hand-in-hand with the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the Embassy to coordinate communications activities with other USG agencies, to plan public events for the Ambassador and other U.S. representatives in Kenya, and to keep the Kenyan mass media informed about the investments the American people are making in Kenya’s development. The Embassy has five strategic communications priorities for 2012, two of which are substantially supported by information collected by USAID. These two priorities are to focus public and Government of Kenya attention on the life-saving support provided to Kenyans through U.S. health programs and on the U.S. initiatives to improve agricultural planning and policies to avoid perennial food shortages. In consultation with the PAS and the USAID/Kenya technical and management teams, the DOC team engages targeted spokespersons within the Government of Kenya, including local government officials, and coordinates communications activities with international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank. 

The success of the DOC team will be measured quantitatively by the increase in the number of Kenyans that can correctly identify USAID as the provider of U.S. foreign assistance in the country. Its success will be measured qualitatively by its ability to collect timely and relevant information from this vast network of partners and to package and disseminate the information in ways that enable these partners to serve as “message multipliers” in helping USAID/Kenya showcase its impact and achievements.

Read full document in PDF  here : USAID Kenya plan