By Amin Kef Sesay
Going by the lack of communication between the relevant State and Local Government authorities and the people of Makeni that caused the unfortunate loss of lives and damage to properties last Saturday raises the question of, how does communication support good governance?
This commentary argues that communication contributes to good governance primarily in the area of influence. Skillful communication can increase stakeholders’ support for governance reform objectives, influencing opinion, attitude and behaviour change.
Effective use of available communication tools can also enhance citizen engagement in political systems. It is important to understand both communication processes and the framework for national dialogue in which these operate.
Good governance is defined as State capability and responsiveness (the ‘supply’ side of governance) and accountability (the ‘demand’ side of governance). Improving governance requires effective and sustainable communication activities to dispel fear, suspicion and other sinister suggestions among the populace.
What does available evidence tell us about the role of communication initiatives in Government capability, accountability, transparency and responsiveness?
In theory, effective communication can help to promote good governance; which means to create the means of communication; enabling factors must be in place so that voices can be heard and citizens can hold Government to account.
Effective communication helps to promote good governance by promoting participation and communication.
As such, if good governance requires an inclusive public space based on informed dialogue and debate, a positive relationship between communication and governance can clearly be seen.
At the process level, communication can foster support for governance reform by influencing opinion, attitude and behaviour change among: (1) leaders and policymakers (political will); (2) mid-level bureaucrats (organizational will); and (3) citizens (public will).
At the structural level, communication links citizens, civil society, the media and Government forming a framework for national dialogue through which informed public opinion is shaped.
Effective communication processes can address both the supply and demand sides of governance, through targeted and combined approaches. They can:
- Secure political will through formal and informal public interest lobbying and persuasion.
- Build public will through participatory and deliberative approaches
- Secure political will and build public support through framing and agenda setting: Framing involves emphasizing elements of an issue and downplaying others in order to convey a particular perspective
Under certain conditions, framing can increase support for viable solutions to public problems.
In agenda-setting, media coverage can influence public opinion, which in turn can arguably influence the policy agenda.
These links can also work in the other direction: for example, communications from policy elites (and perhaps leaks from either disgruntled or ethically-motivated bureaucrats) can influence media coverage.
At the structural level, there are several entry points for communication strategies in governance reform. These relate to groups of stakeholders (between which strong accountability relationships are needed).
- Formal oversight institutions (judiciary; parliaments): Support parliamentary coalitions, public reporting mechanisms and institutional legitimacy
- Political accountability (political party and business leaders; civil society elites): Support multi-stakeholder coalitions, policy dialogue, and deliberation and debate
- Local participation and community empowerment (local Governments and communities): Support coalition-building, grassroots campaigns and local government communication capacity
- Civil society and the media/private sector interface (CSOs; journalists and editors; private firms): Support the engagement and participation of multiple stakeholders.
