ECBP Visibility Guidelines

EU-China Biodiversity Programme Visibility and Communication Guidelines For Field Projects March 2008

Table of Content

Table of Content................................................................................................................ 0 Table of Content................................................................................................................ 1 1. Introduction................................................................................................................... 2 2. General principles......................................................................................................... 2 3. Visual identity elements................................................................................................ 3 3.1. ECBP Programme Logo........................................................................................ 3 3.2. EU name and logo .................................................................................................. 3 3.3. UNDP and MEP logos ........................................................................................... 4 3.4. Additional logos...................................................................................................... 4 3.5. Supplies and equipments....................................................................................... 4 3.6. Disclaimer ............................................................................................................. 4 3.7. Example templates ............................................................................................... 5 4. Communication tools .................................................................................................... 5 4.1. Press release............................................................................................................ 5 4.2 Press conference ...................................................................................................... 5 4.3. Leaflets, brochures and newsletters ..................................................................... 5 4.4. Website.................................................................................................................... 5 4.5. Banners ................................................................................................................... 6 4.6. Promotional items .................................................................................................. 6 4.7. Photographs............................................................................................................ 6 4.8. Audio-visual productions ...................................................................................... 6 Annex 1: ............................................................................................................................. 7 Explanatory Note on ECBP Components....................................................................... 7 Annex 2: ............................................................................................................................. 9 Communication channels between field projects and ECBP office in Beijing in relation to visibility and communication issues.............................................................. 9 Annex 3: Guidelines for development of project Communications Strategy....... 10

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1. Introduction “A successful project not only does a good job but must be seen to do a good job.”

These guidelines are designed to ensure that actions funded by the EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP) incorporate information and communication activities designed to increase awareness on biodiversity conservation, raise the visibility of ECBP, and identify the European Union (EU) and UNDP support for the field projects action as well as their impacts. These guidelines are meant to offer tools designed to enable the field project to have a coherent image, deliver a dynamic communication strategy and maintain effective communication with the ECBP programme office in Beijing.

The EU-China Biodiversity Programme is a joint initiative between the European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Chinese government, which aims to enable China to manage its biodiversity sustainably, with the total budget of €51.64 million. The EU contributes €30 million, out of which €21 million is for field projects, which also require a minimum of 50% co-financing from field project partners of national and international organizations. UNDP contributes € 405,000 and the Chinese government contributes € 235,000. The programme includes three components: institutional strengthening and central policy component, visibility and awareness component and field project component.

A detailed explanation on ECBP components and their roles is attached as Annex 1.

Communication channels between field projects and the ECBP programme office in Beijing in relation to visibility and awareness issues is attached as Annex 2.

2. General principles 2.1. The field projects shall develop and establish a coherent image of the EU-China Biodiversity Programme in line with the visibility guidelines.

2.2. It is recognized that visibility activities need to take into account and reflect the partnership nature of each field project.

2.3. The EU, as the biggest single donor of the field projects, needs the projects to be visible to the immediate beneficiaries and also to the general public, in order to continue to ensure the support from contributing EU governments and their tax-paying electorates 1 .

Field projects shall take appropriate measures to publicize the fact that the action has received co-funding from the European Union. All related publicity material, official notices, reports and publications shall acknowledge that the action is carried out "with cofunding by the European Union" 2 and shall display in an appropriate way the ECBP programme logo 3 .

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Articile 3.3 of Annex 3, Project Document.

Article 6 of general conditions governing EC-UNDP Contribution Agreement, 3 Article 13 of general conditions of Financing Agreement.

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2.4. These guidelines conform with the visibility policies of partner organizations of the ECBP and agreements entered into between partners of ECBP. 2.5. Considering that communication activities should be well planned to communicate effectively and maximize project impact, it is highly recommended for each field project to develop its own communication strategy that focuses on the achievements and impact of the project. ECBP overall communication strategy is available at http://ecbptest.org/visibility/44.html for guidance. Guidelines for development of a project communications strategy and how ECBP VAC can help are attached as Annex 3.

3. Visual identity elements 3.1. ECBP Programme Logo The ECBP programme logo is the combined EU flag and China national flag above the title of EU-China Biodiveristy Programme. (can be downloaded at http://ecbptest.org/visibility/44.html).

The ECBP logo should be used for all ECBP components at any possible occasion to represent ECBP with a coherent image. It should be given greater prominence than any additional logos and is the logo to be used in cases where only one logo can be used to represent the programme/project.

3.2. EU name and logo To avoid confusion over terms such as European Community, European Commission, we recommend always using the term European Union or EU. The EU logo is the EU flag – a blue rectangle with a circle of 12 golden stars. The EU logo shall be displayed in an appropriate way when necessary (i.e. EU support provided other than through the ECBP programme or where flags are displayed (see 4.2)).

A document entitled “Visibility Guidelines for EU-China Programmes” is issued by the Delegation of the EU to China and available on CD ROM from the delegation but also downloadable from the ECBP visibility website at http://ecbp-test.org/visibility/44.html together with a series of example template downloads (see section 3 below). Application of these guidelines and templates should be sympathetically adopted by projects bearing in mind the need to include visibility of other stakeholders in such co-funded projects.

The present guidelines are based on this fuller document which need only be referred to if additional clarity or detail is required.

A project may continue to be run by the beneficiary administration after the EU-funded phase of the project has been completed. In this case, six months after the phase funded by the EU has finished, no EU symbol may be included in any communication tools of the project, with the exception of any commemorative plaques. However, the following sentence must be included instead, with the same prominence as was given to the EU logo: “The initial phase <dates> of this project was supported by the European Union”.

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3.3. UNDP and MEP logos As implementing agencies, MEP and UNDP also require to be given appropriate visibility in ECBP activities, products, banners and awareness materials. It is required to add the logos of the two implementing agencies UNDP China (to the left) and MEP (to the right) wherever feasible.

In order to reinforce the field driven nature of UNDP, the name ‘UNDP China’ will be used in ECBP documentation with a UNDP logo at the top and the country name ‘China’ beneath the logo. This UNDP logo can be downloaded from the website http://ecbptest.org/visibility/undplogo.jpg.

Logos of UNDP China and MEP should be added in a position less prominent than that of the ECBP programme logo but clearly visible and of a size large enough to be noticed.

While ECBP programme logo is always on the top, UNDP and MEP logos are usually on the bottom. Example templates are provided on the website http://ecbptest.org/visibility/44.html.

3.4. Additional logos All of the field projects are funded with 50% matching contribution from cooperating agencies and their partners. They must also be able to add their own logos to field project activity materials, banners and products. In doing so, logos of field project partners should be visually equal to logos of UNDP China and MEP, and no one logo should take precedence over the other logos. It is not possible to provide strict templates for doing this. Projects vary greatly in the relative contributions and numbers of local partners. The templates given on the ECBP website are guides only.

3.5. Supplies and equipments All supplies and equipments supported with the EU funding shall clearly identify and must visibly carry the ECBP programme logo and mention "provided with the support of the EU" in English and Chinese. Where feasible a sticker bearing the UNDP logo should also be carried until such time as the equipment is handed over to the final recipient on completion of the project.

3.6. Disclaimer The EU will not be responsible under any circumstances for the content of communications items that it has not vetted. These must therefore include the following standard disclaimer in any publications supported by EU funding.

“This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication is the sole responsibility of <name of contractor/implementing partner> and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.”

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3.7. Example templates Electronic templates for general external affairs have been developed for each type of communication tool and can be downloaded from the following site: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/visibility/index_en.htm VAC have developed specific templates using the approved ECBP project logo for use on letterheads, memos and news releases. These can be downloaded from the following site: http://ecbp-test.org/visibility/44.html. This site also includes digital logos of ECBP, EU, UNDP, CBPF and MEP. The site contains downloads of this document and the Visibility Guidelines for EU-China Programmes developed by the EC Delegation in Beijing.

In most cases the header will display prominently the ECBP logo and the logos of UNDP and MEP will be displayed in a footer with any other contributors.

4. Communication tools 4.1. Press release The press release is the most important form of written information that is sent to journalists. Where the field project launches the press release, it should liaise with ECBP VAC. The press release should include elements such as purpose of the project, the partnership and the results achieved so far, and incorporate the ECBP programme logo.

Press release template can be downloaded at http://ecbp-test.org/visibility/44.html.

4.2 Press conference Press conference should always be organized in cooperation with ECBP VAC. The invitation should bear the ECBP programme logo, UNDP China logo and MEP logo. At the press conference itself, an EU flag should be displayed if other flags or symbols are being displayed.

4.3. Leaflets, brochures and newsletters Publications such as leaflets, brochures and newsletters can be useful in communicating the results of an action to specific audiences. In general, all material produced in paper form should also be made available in electronic forms, so that it can be sent by email and posted on a website. For material in paper form, distribution capacity (mailing list) should be considered. Leaflets, brochures and newsletters should incorporate the ECBP programme logo, and templates can be downloaded at http://ecbptest.org/visibility/44.html.

4.4. Website Websites are increasingly a basic requirement for communication. When setting up a website for field project, the project should inform ECBP VAC and provide the web access. A link to the project site must be subsequently established from the ECBP website. All field project websites must clearly identify EU and UNDP support.

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4.5. Banners Plastic or textile banners similar to the example available at http://ecbptest.org/visibility/44.html should be produced when necessary. They are intended to serve as a backdrop for special events such as inauguration and conferences.

4.6. Promotional items Promotional items produced should be clearly identified with the ECBP programme logo as a minimum requirement.

4.7. Photographs Photographs showing the progress of all actions should be taken where appropriate to document the progress of actions and events related to these (launching, visit by officials, and so on) so that they can be used in communication materials. When possible, duplicates of the photos should be sent to ECBP VAC for archive. The EU, UNDP and the Chinese government will be entitled to use or reproduce photos submitted to the ECBP VAC archive without payment of royalties.

4.8. Audio-visual productions Audio-visual productions may be prepared as appropriate. The beginning or end sequence shall include ECBP programme logo and acknowledge the EU and UNDP support by featuring the EU flag and UNDP China logo.

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Annex 1: Explanatory Note on ECBP Components 4 The EU-China Biodiversity Programme is carried out in accordance with the Financing Agreement (EC Biodiversity Programme ASIE/2004/6069) signed between the European Commission (EC) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on behalf of the Government of China. The Contribution Agreement (ASIE/2005/110-046) is signed between the European Commission (EC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in which UNDP is assigned the task of implementing part of the overall EU-China Biodiversity Programme. The project document is signed between UNDP and the State Environmental Protection Administration (MEP) as national implementing agency.

ECBP is implemented through three major components intended to address key constraints to improved biodiversity conservation in China. These are 1. A central policy and institutional development component located in MEP, to better integrate biodiversity conservation into economic and sectoral policies and strengthen linkages both among national institutions and between national and local level agencies.

This component is primarily implemented by the Programme Management Office (PMO).

2. A visibility and awareness raising component (VAC) to address the poor understanding of biodiversity and its importance among key stakeholders, and hence the low priority attached to its conservation. This component is primarily implemented by a visibility and awareness team.

3. A field project component to develop and test promising and innovative approaches at the local level that can be replicated across key ecosystems, feed into national policy dialogue and strengthen national-local institutional linkages. This component is primarily implanted by UNDP Country Office Support Unit (COSU).

The Programme Management Office (PMO) The PMO is responsible for achieving the results determined in the Logical Framework Matrix. It will therefore determine the strategy and overall direction of the Programme. It assists (biodiversity) units in all relevant sectors to embed positive consideration of biodiversity in all aspects of sector activities and enhance and enlarge the scope of the policy-review think-tank within MEP to cover policy, legislation and their implementation and to cover all sectors. The PMO undertakes overall planning, workplan preparation, budgets, reporting, coordination and activity design, communications and liaison. It is specifically responsible for bringing together all elements of the Programme into one common framework. In particular it is responsible to co-join the work plans, reports and budgets of the COSU, VAC and PMO into a common document for presentation to the Project Steering Committee. It therefore links closely with the COSU and the VAC in order to create a common focus.

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Mainly taken from the Project Document, Part 3 management arrangement.

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The PMO shall use results from field projects as an input to conceptual and strategic work and seek feedback from the field projects on the practicality of planned policy measures and action plans. The PMO will bring outputs from the field projects into an overall framework and act as a focal point for developing a common platform for policy dialogue.

The Visibility and Awareness Component (VAC) The VAC has the prime task of ensuring widespread visibility and awareness of both the Programme and biodiversity issues at all levels within Chinese government and society.

It will utilize the results of Field Projects, Programme conferences, forums and workshops and other elements both inside and outside the Programme, in order to develop awareness of biodiversity issues within government sectors and the public as a whole. It therefore serves as a media front and works closely with the COSU in order to obtain information and results of Field Project. Similarly the VACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities will coordinate with those of the PMO with particular regard to stimulation of awareness in policy dialogue.

The UNDP Country Office Support Unit (COSU): The COSU is responsible for the contractual, financial, technical management and monitoring of a series of Field Projects to be funded under a grant programme financed by the EC and managed through the UNDP. The COSU is also responsible for implementing a monitoring framework for the Field Projects. This monitoring process will work in tandem with the monitoring framework established by each Grantee of the Field Projects.

The PMO, VAC and COSU together are the ECBP programme office in Beijing, located in the same office provided by MEP. The Programme is overseen by the EC and MOFCOM.

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Annex 2: Communication channels between field projects and ECBP office in Beijing in relation to visibility and communication issues All matters relating to project progress, management, financial matters, workplans, contracts, and reporting are channeled to COSU. Direct communication between field projects and VAC staff of ECBP is limited to two-way flow of news, photos, video clips, planning of events, publication and display designs or logistics of visits to the field projects by VAC staff, media journalists or documentary film teams. In such cases all communications should also be copied to COSU. To avoid confusion, all communications between projects and VAC should be channeled through a single project officer designated as communications contact of each field project.

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Annex 3: Guidelines for development of project Communications Strategy 1. Need for Communications Field projects are expected to devote some of their own budget towards visibility. Each project should take time to design a strategy that clarifies the communication needs of the project, identifies targets, messages and means of communication to be used, sets milestones, determines budgets and other input requirements and includes an evaluation process by which the communication staff can see whether they are achieving the desired impacts.

1.1 Identification of aims Any project will have several communication objectives. Clarify and prioritize these in your strategy. Consider each of the following items and include the specific requirements of your project.

1.1.1 Visibility Both EU and UNDP require you to deliver visibility of their involvement in your project.

You may also have requirements to deliver visibility for other donors and partners.

However, it is very important to generate visibility about your own specific project to your sponsors, partners, beneficiaries and the community in which you operate.

1.1.2 Awareness You may feel that your project is hampered by lack of awareness among some of your contact groups, or awareness may be one of the specific objectives of your project. In either case list the awareness needs and ensure that actions to address these needs are included in your strategy. In addition the overall ECBP programme expects you to serve as a relay to disseminate its own visibility and awareness massages to local agencies in your project area.

1.1.3 Transfer of skills and knowledge Ensuring that all the players in your project have the necessary capacity to perform effectively. Plan for the delivery of the knowledge and/or skills required.

Capacity improvement may also be an integral objective of your project.

1.1.4 Dialogue Communications is a two-way process. In addition to pushing out messages and knowledge it is important that your project can listen and learn. The strategy must ensure that there is ample opportunity and means for dialogue. Let people know what you are doing, why you are doing it and find out what they feel about that and what advice they can give you.

1.1.5 Networking Your project is not alone. It is one of 18 ECBP projects that together form an experimental family using innovative approaches to deliver biodiversity conservation on

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the ground in a wide range of Chinese conditions. Become part of that family (see section 5.6 below).

Outside of ECBP you are also part of other project networks – EU-China cooperation, UNDP, your other sponsors programmes etc. You will also find that there are nearby projects or agencies doing activities that relate to your own.

Include the necessary networking activities in your strategy so that you can share experiences and develop useful synergies.

1.2 Baseline survey It is recommended to find out early in the project life, what are the views, understanding, aspirations and attitudes of the project beneficiaries and other groups with whom you will have to deal.

Such a baseline survey can also form the background against which changes in understanding, attitude or practices can be monitored and evaluated.

We recommend that you undertake a specific survey using interviews, questionnaires or open meetings to establish the base levels. Quantitative data (for instance from questionnaire surveys) are easier to use for monitoring and comparative purposes but qualitative information often carries great significance. A single key informant is often able to provide a wealth of local opinion and knowledge about practices.

The information form the baseline survey will prove valuable in then designing which targets, messages and approaches are appropriate to achieve the communications goals of the project. Resources are limited and effective selection is therefore critical.

1.3. Selection of targets There are so many potential targets and you only have limited resources so try to reach a critical mass of communication with the key targets for your project. Identify these in the communications strategy. Typical targets include • Various government officials or offices. This may be more than the units you work with. Important agencies include the Water Resources offices, Depts. of Education, Health and Agriculture. The best cross sectoral body is the Governor’s office.

• Local community leaders in affected areas • Related local business interests or enterprises • Certain sectors of the public • Local partners who may need raised awareness or capacity • Intermediaries such as teachers and media who can spread your messages wider For reasons of sustainability of effort and also because they are the easiest rung of society to introduce new ideas, always consider youth and children in your strategy.

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Selection of targets will be easier if you have undertaken some baseline survey which can pinpoint where needs for greater awareness or further convincing of arguments are (see 1.3 above).

1.4 Selection of messages Your strategy should tailor specific messages to your different targets. What you will say to local children will be different from what you want to say to local business interests.

Do not bombard or confuse your targets with too many different messages. Concentrate on two main messages per target.

Dress the same message up in different ways. Repetition leads to acceptance but also to boredom.

1.5 Selection of tools and approaches There are many techniques employed to deliver communications. Nothing really beats a face to face conversation but you have limited time and large audiences to reach. You will probably need to use a cocktail of different approaches to have maximum impact.

Below are discussed some guidelines about using a variety of different approaches.

1.5.1 Events Everyone in China is very busy. They do not have time to listen to your biodiversity messages all the time. Take advantage of key moments when you can catch people’s attention to focus on biodiversity issues. Hold special awareness events around such dates as world environment day, biodiversity day etc.

Make special messages to go out with season’s greetings at national holidays or religious festivals.

Special events are the few occasions when you can hold the attention of very senior guest officials who you normally cannot reach. These are also moments when you can get full attention from the media.

Everyone else holds events also so try to stand out. Do something a little different, innovative, eye-catching.

Invite rare celebrities.

Host interesting competitions.

Try to stretch your own resources by enrolling volunteers – local NGOs, school children, local bird-watcher club etc. Seek additional resources by approaching local businesses for sponsorship. Many want to give a ‘green image’ and will be willing to support your ‘green’ activities. Be a little wary of who you end up dealing with. Do not accept assistance from companies that are clearly causing serious environmental damage.

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If you deliver promotional items consider them carefully. Make sure they are consistent with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; image you project should be creating. Do not produce wasteful products made on non-degradable materials. Do not serve shark-fin soup even though you may be a bamboo project. Try to distribute items that will be widely seen. Logos and messages on attractive hats or T-shirts will be seen by many people. Messages on a key-ring will not.

1.5.2 Training workshops Where the strategy identifies needs for increased skills or knowledge you will need to consider training courses, workshops or other ways of raising capacity.

Training workshops require careful planning and preparation. Make sure you get the right people to attend and do not try to train too many people at a time. Prepare the training materials in advance. Consult the ECBP website to see if good training materials on the subject already exist and can be downloaded and adapted to your needs.

Use a trained facilitator in any event that requires drawing out participant opinions and reaching any participant consensus.

Ask trainees to complete evaluation questionnaires at the end of the course.

Follow up the trainees about one year later to find out where they are and whether the training they received has been of use to them.

Listen to your trainees and respond to their opinions and suggestions.

Training workshops can also serve as events. Make a bit of a show for the opening ceremony or graduation ceremony. Invite a local VIP and the media to attend. Display prominent banners and backdrops.

One tip is to invest in a series of quality backdrops and roll-up displays that are specific to the project and not to the event. These can be used on different occasions with only the major title banner made specifically for each event.

1.5.3 Newsletter A newsletter is a useful way to keep your various audiences aware of your progress, news, achievements, problems and successes. The newsletter can be a tool to achieve both visibility and awareness as well as strengthen your own network.

In many rural parts of the country a paper newsletter is required. In more urban regions you may consider an electronic newsletter linked to a website. You may require both and you may require to work in two or even more languages.

1.5.4 Website

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A website is a powerful communication tool and networking tool if your audiences are IT proficient and have access to internet.

Advantages of a website is that they are cheap, flexible and you can easily link to the vast resources of news and information that is out there in cyberspace.

It is easy to launch a crude, simplistic site but consider how this reflects on the professionalism of your project and sponsors. If you want a website to look state of the art, you do need to invest a lot of effort in professional design followed by regular and adequate maintenance.

1.5.5 Working with media Working with media is a good way to get your communications out to a wider audience.

Television and newspapers reach vastly more people than your own web, newsletter or special events can ever do. Get the media to do your work for you.

At local level, you probably do not have many journalists or broadcasters with much interest or knowledge about biodiversity issues. Try to cultivate a small group of trusted media contacts. Take time to explain what the objectives of the project are, explaining your messages to staff who may not have the technical background to fully appreciate or correctly relay what you want to say. Let them feel they have the inside track on this story. Feed them news regularly. Invite them to events. Treat them nicely. Much of the perceptions of your project among the agencies and communities with which you deal will depend on the way that local media treat your project.

Media are only interested in putting out hot items or popular interesting stories. They are not interested in reporting the mundane. Try to make your stories interesting by putting a new angle on things. Make the stories personal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; describe real people and quote their statements. Try to show that your project is improving the lives of real people.

Make sure your communications are clear and simple for the general public. Equally do not under-estimate the intelligence and knowledge of the public. Country folk may not have fancy education and may not know the technical biodiversity terms or jargon but they do know a great deal about living resources, their requirements and the principles of sustained harvesting. Some have traditions and respect for sacred sites or natural processes way in advance of urban populations in China.

Make your stories easy for media to pick up. Have worded text, photographs, names and contact details of informants ready packaged so the media job is smoother.

1.5.6 Reports Among your other reporting requirements, you are expected to keep ECBP regularly updated on newsworthy developments and project findings.

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Findings and lessons learned by the field projects are expected to feed into the efforts of PMO to mainstream biodiversity into the planning of China, but often the lessons need to be repackaged and recombined with other information for use by a variety of different target audiences.

Please also make sure that reports contain key dates or events planned for the forthcoming reporting period. This gives the programme time to set up visits, mobilize reporters, camera crews or whatever is appropriate.

1.5.7 Three-dimensional models Use of 3-D models of project sites and project areas is widespread in China. However, such models are usually very crude and give only a general impression of the spatial layout of the area.

In recent years the art of 3-D modeling has been greatly advanced and by using accurate topographical maps or GIS mapping capacity, very accurate models can be quite cheaply created.

Involving local communities in the creation, painting and adding data layers to the models has been found to be a very powerful way of getting local involvement in conservation projects, a good way to collect ground-truth data to augment data established from remote sensing or topographical maps, can prove extremely useful in engaging opinion about zones, boundaries, local rights, siting of project facilities. It has proved useful in areas of conflict resolution.

VAC would be willing to offer training in this technique, but a detailed manual for constructing such models is available on-line at http://iapad.org/publications/ppgis/p3dm_arcbc_lr.pdf .

1.6 Programme family network As mentioned in section 5.1.5 above, make sure you have strong links with the other projects in the programme especially those that are geographically nearby or cover similar topical areas. VAC and COSU will help in securing this network and will also channel your news and findings to other elements of the programme.

Establish a programme section on any website developed providing links to other field projects and to the main ECBP website.

1.7 Brand image Use of the templates prepared for the project by VAC helps to link the family of projects with a common brand image. All will use the same ECBP logo.

However this brand image can be strengthened by all using the same background colour (blue) for documents; all using Arial font for titles etc. branding should extend to publications, DVDs, brochures, web page banners, project powerpoints etc. Additional

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templates for such productions will be developed and placed on the ECBP visibility web pages as agreed.

VAC have called together with IUCN an alliance of agencies that share goals of biodiversity awareness. The alliance is bound under the slogan ‘Biodiversity Matters’.

Another alliance is established under the IUCN Countdown 2010 which is supported by ECBP and to which most of the field project partners are signed up. This image can be added to show the wider affiliations of the field projects. The entire ECBP forms a part of the wider China Biodiversity Partnership Framework (CBPF), whose logo may also be added.

1.8 Documentation News requires good documentation. It is recommended that each project should aquire one good quality digital camera with flash, zoom and picture size of minimum 4MB. Pictures need to be well stored with dates, labels and back ups.

Document key events, key persons involved or visiting the project. Use photographs to document change on the ground, construction of offices, buildings, classrooms etc., planting of trees, bamboo or elements of the local biodiversity.

Video documentation is becoming increasingly used on projects. Video is also a good way to capture qualitative expression of views and ideas of local communities, their representatives and passing experts. Comparison of views expressed by the same persons at beginning and on completion of the project is a powerful way of showing what level of impact has been delivered.

Maintaining video footage of key events and activities will also be extremely helpful if VAC are able to get a TV channel to visit projects to make documentary files. A film crew can only film what they can see over a few days visit, but a much bigger storey can be told if footage of key events in the life of the project or rare sightings of important biodiversity etc. are already of available of TV quality.

An adequate semi-professional video camera such as Sony costs about $3,000 and would be a well worthwhile investment for most of the ECBP field projects.

1.9 Monitoring and Evaluation The strategy should consider from the start how you will know if your communications are having the desired effect. What is your impact ? Are you convincing your audiences, are you spreading your views? Are you changing people’s attitudes or knowledge? Are you affecting people’s behaviour ? Or is your strategy failing? Are you not reaching the right people ? Do they not understand or not accept what you want to say ? Are you boring them with your messages ? Are you wasting time telling them things they already know very well ?

To answer these questions you will need some sort of monitoring and evaluation programme. This may be as simple as a good feedback of opinion in dialogue but will need some sort of documentation so that project evaluators can notice your impacts.

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The monitoring and evaluation of the communications aspects of your project can be built into the overall monitoring and evaluation process of your project.

1.10 Sustainability A great event of cheering and flag waving may be satisfactory on the day but is quickly forgotten.

Consider what will remain five or 10 years after your project. Plan to leave a sustainable legacy in place – a document of what happened, what worked, what was achieved. Leave behind products and tools that can be used for many years – good plans, good guidelines, good teaching materials.

2. How can VAC help?

2.1 The role of VAC The Visibility and Awareness Component (VAC) of ECBP is entrusted with the following roles: • • • • •

Development and establishment of a coherent image for all components of the programme in line with the European Commission visibility guidelines.

Development of a joint communication strategy regarding visibility, information dissemination and public relations for the entire biodiversity programme.

Implementation of the joint communication strategy together with the programme partners through selected media channels Environmental awareness activities for the general public and government officials on a national level.

Environmental awareness activities for the general public and government officials on a regional and local level in provinces of programme activity. These activities will be undertaken through activities both within the visibility and awareness component and in the field projects.

The activities will include studies, surveys, training programmes, training materials, internships, conferences, workshops and seminars. This will also include information dissemination through a selection of media channels, such as internet, radio and TV. 2.2 Types of support VAC can offer VAC can both provide much assistance to the field projects but also expects the field projects to serve as loudspeakers to help broadcast VAC awareness materials at local levels. The VAC Communications Strategy contains the following section relating to the field projects; Several activities to support COSU and the Field Project Partners could include: •

ECBP Annual Magazine displaying all Field Projects- bilingual double spread 2 pages each. The magazine should illustrate some practical on the ground work of ECBP and attract a wide national and international group (if this can double as annual report it may be used to impress and engage donor agencies in China) 17

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Database of case stories from Field Projects and related photo library to support message development, for use in quarterly newsletter and annual magazine, for interested media

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Support awareness and visibility efforts of Field Projects through regular contact and tailor-made training for communication staff of Field Projects

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Co-organize local mass media events/ campaigns with selected pro-active and strategically located Field Projects. It would be important to choose a project site which has most interesting stories to tell and sufficient budget allocated for awareness raising within their own project budget. Local screenings of VNRs produced through the TV Service could be one effective tool to reach audiences.

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Publicize results of case studies based on Field Projects of successful and unsuccessful biodiversity conservation initiatives and their implications and disseminate to key decision-makers and funding agencies. Provisional tool to be defined after research with target audience

2.3 ECBP website VAC are in the process of developing the ECBP website. This will only have impact if it can attract large numbers of hits. To do this it must do more than merely relay project news (including news emanating from the field projects). It must be useful and interesting to a wide audience. It must be well advertised and prominently found by web browsers.It is therefore planned to raise the quality of the existing web into a prominent biodiversity hub for Chinese biodiversity.

VAC has already reached agreement with a wide range of other projects, programmes, departments and NGOs to create a network of awareness raisers. The ECBP web will be a key link in this web network and have links to news and information shred with other partners. The website will require slick search routines to help users to reach the news or information they require. Speed will be a key to achieving user satisfaction. The website will provide easy download routines so that users can quickly download news, documents, ppt presentations, training resources, pictures and other materials.

Components to be included in the website: • News and partnership links • Links to the field projects • Free photo download library • Media news desk for easy linkage to news items and contacts • Children’s section – quiz and other features • Database – search on conventions, laws, protected areas, wetlands, species, topics • Metadatabase on data holders, agencies, projects and experts • Searchable bibliography on Chinese biodiversity • Feedback from web users A key feature of the database is that ECBP will not manage much data. They will establish links to data that already exists and remains managed and updated on other

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internet sites. Web page displays will be style and frame structures into which appropriate content is read from remote data-files, rather than nested stacks of fixed pages.

The download facilities including photo downloads will work the same way. ECBP will not hold copies of all the photos. They will be able to display photos by maintaining database of photo titles, size, photographer and filename and web location of the photos.

For an example of how this will appear visit http://ecbp-test.org/phototest.htm.

One section of the web will provide latest news and information about the field projects.

Datasheets and useful links have already been developed for all the signed projects on http://ecbp-test.org/cuso/default.mht. With your help these sheets can grow into a valuable and interesting section of the website and allow you to make useful contacts and get feedback.

It is important that the field projects maintain close links with the VAC and supply fresh news, findings and photographs.

2.4 ECBP documentaries VAC will undertake to commission the creation of at least one 30 min documentary on the ECBP programme. This will feature many of the field projects. If possible VAC will try to interest a Chinese TV station to make a series of documentaries on each of the field projects.

It will be much easier and more interesting to assemble good coverage of field projects if each project is able itself to capture and document on semi-professional video format key activities or events in their project life (see section 1.7 above).

VAC can provide advice on equipment needs as well as basic training in use of video equipment so that TV quality footage can be secured and key moments documented.

2.5 Training in Communications VAC will organize or participate in a series of training events focused on the field projects and can deliver special training in communication approaches and techniques.

2.6 Training in web design Many of the individual projects are already or would like to launch and manage their own websites. VAC welcomes this and can provide advice and training in design and approaches.

All field project websites should also have reciprocal links to the ECBP website and to the EU delegation website in China http://www.delchn.cec.eu.int.

2.7 Contacts with media VAC will establish a media desk and a wide range of media contacts. We can help the field projects get their stories out to the right contacts and can help projects contact specific channels, magazines, individuals as required.

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2.8 Release of news VAC will place your news on their own website and provide links to your news on their digital media desk. VAC can assist in rewriting or editing your news stories to give greater effect and also have available a wide range of photos that may enhance your story.

Remember news is only news when it is hot. Send stories promptly.

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