Communications for Good Governance Building local government capacity for effective service delivery

5

Communications for Good Governance Building local government capacity for effective service delivery

March 2008

S.M. Khatib Alam Nadir Ehsan Humaira Khan

City District Government Faisalabad, Pakistan

This document is produced as part of the Strengthening Decentralised Local Government in Faisalabad (SDLGF) Project for the purpose of disseminating lessons learnt from the project. The views are not necessarily those of DFID or the City District Government Faisalabad (c) SDLGF March 2008 Parts of this case study may be reproduced for educational use, provided that such material is not printed and sold.

The authors expect that, any material which is used will be acknowledged accordingly.

Printed by: FaizBakht Printers, The Mall, Jhang (Punjab) Pakistan.

VISION “Pre-empting Poverty, Promoting Prosperity”

MISSION STATEMENT “We will provide high quality services which compare with the best in the country. We will work with everyone who wants a better future for our District. We will establish an efficient, effective and accountable District Local Government, which is committed to respecting and upholding women, men and children’s basic human rights, responsive towards people’s needs, committed to poverty reduction and capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st Century. Our actions will be driven by the concerns of local people”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This case study is the culmination of efforts by a number of individuals from government and the technical assistance team. Firstly it is important to thank all those who have cooperated with the team preparing this case study not only in the last few weeks but over the course of the last four years. They have been critical to the work and demonstrated what is possible to achieve in government when the right set of conditions prevail.

We would also like to thank the communities and elected representatives of the district that assisted the SPU team in implementing this project and its various components.

The authors wish to thank Rana Zahid Tauseef, City District Nazim; Maj (Retd.) Azam Suleman Khan, District Coordination Officer; and Dr. Tariq Sardar, EDO Finance & Planning for their valuable contribution in making this project a huge success.

We are also thankful to: Mr. Ch. Zahid Nazir, ex-District Nazim Faisalabad; Mr. Tahir Hussain, ex-DCO Faisalabad and Mr. Athar Hussain Khan Sial, ex-DCO Faisalabad for their valuable contribution to the success of this project.

We are further thankful to all CDGF employees (past and present) and CDGF partner departments but we would like to specifically mention by name the following: Mr. Syed Mubashar Shah, District Officer Coordination (DOC) and Mr. Asif Ch., Director Arts Council Faisalabad for their efforts in successfully implementing the Communication Strategy.

We are also thankful to Town Nazims and UC Nazims, for their full support, cooperation and facilitation in implementing different communication tools especially the street theatre shows.

A special thanks needs to be mentioned to our partner organisations 'The Hope' and 'Sarsabaz Foundation Faisalabad' for their coordination and valuable support in implementing different communication tools in Faisalabad.

We are thankful to all DFID Project Advisers and Management that have assisted in this project since its start and we would like to specifically thank Mr. Mosharraf Zaidi, Governance Advisor, DFID Pakistan; Mr. Wajahat Anwar, Deputy Program Manager, Accountability and Empowerment team, DFID Pakistan; Ms. Jackie Charlton, DFID; Mr. Alistar Moir, DFID Pakistan and Ms. Nighat-un-Nisa, DFID Pakistan for their continuous support and professional technical guidance since their involvement in 2004.

Our thanks are also to Dr. James Arthur, Dr. Richard Slater, Ms. Janet Gardener, Mr. Kevin Tayler, Mr. Paul Dean and Mr. Shahid Sharif for their valuable inputs throughout the project.

We are thankful to Mehreen Hosain for proof reading the document and all the SPU team members for their dedication, hard work and the many late hours spent designing, implementing and documenting the work of this project. These include: Mahmood Akhtar, Imran Yousafzai, Muhammad Shahid Alvi, Muhammad Tariq, Kashif Abbas, Ajaz Durrani, Farhan Yousaf, Muntazir Mehdi, Gul Hafeez Khokhar, Mirza Muhammad Ramzan, Muhammad Sharif, Sumara Khan, Saima Sharif, Mubarak Ali, all long and short-term international and national consultants.

FOREWORD In the 21st century the world continues to shrink. New technologies are continuously making communication easier between peoples and cultures. Keeping up with all the different means and ways of staying in touch can be difficult sometimes. In our part of the world there is real opportunity to embrace technologies that allow us to engage with each other. However there are still some traditional ways in which we can communicate more effectively between ourselves to solve many of our problems. If we want to build trust, communities, prosperity and a bright future for all then we need to improve the way we communicate.

This case study is the fifth of a series of case studies and presents the challenges we faced in trying to improve communication. We overcame these by investing in a number of different tools to improve the way we listened and talked to our constituencies. We used more traditional methods like going into communities and using the presence of local organisations to spread our messages of change and better local governance. We used new technologies like the internet and our web site to target audiences and provide new services. We made programmes through our local radio and newspaper articles so that we could share our vision for this district. This is a changing district and our efforts will continue to focus on building prosperity. To that end our institutions play an important role.

We must continue with our efforts and momentum. We remain committed to change and the city district government, private sector and civil society all play a pivotal role in creating the environment that will help put Faisalabad on an upward trajectory and stimulate economic growth needed to fight poverty. We must not lose sight of our overall vision “Pre-empting Poverty; Promoting Prosperity”.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank our City District Nazim for his valuable support to the reforms in our district. I would also like to congratulate my city district team members especially all the EDOs for working to achieve the successes outlined in this case study. Finally, I would like to thank our major partners in development, the Department for International Development (DFID) UK and their management consultants GHK International Ltd., for assisting Faisalabad City District through the project “Strengthening Decentralized Local Government in Faisalabad”.

Maj. (Rtd.) Azam Suleman Khan District Co-ordination Officer City District Government Faisalabad March 2008 The Clock Tower, symbol of Faisalabad

PREFACE In this case study we highlight the importance of communications for local government. For many years, communications has remained on the periphery for local governments and for that matter, public sector organisations. The City District Government of Faisalabad has demonstrated why communications needs to be given a greater profile among organisations, particularly for local governments like Faisalabad.

Traditionally our approach has been to deal with communications in a very arbitrary way, viewing it as a ‘soft option’ rather than accepting it as an important function. We could have taken a leaf out of the private sector approach to communications - one where it is as important as finance, human resource management and strategy development. In Faisalabad we have come to realize just how important it is when trying to improve coordination and synergy in a large and complex organisation like ours.

We developed a communications programme to test pilot its relevance and value to the City District Government. We have found over the course of the last four years that it is an invaluable asset in bridging divides across departments and between citizens and society at large. We can ill afford in today’s world to ignore the technologies at our disposal to help us improve the way we engage and communicate with our consumers and partners. Our programme tried to do that across all sections of society. We were successful in demonstrating how important it is to listen and talk to the constituents. We must build relationships and partnerships within our organisation and outside. This is the only way we will improve good governance and service delivery.

This case study shares the experiences of our programme and we hope that it will inspire others to understand how communications has the power to change lives, if embraced. We have a duty of care to provide information about our work and endeavours to our public. We remain committed to our efforts to improve local governance, provide quality services and fighting poverty.

Dr. Tariq Sardar Additional Project Director Strengthening Decentralised Local Government in Faisalabad March 2008

Office of the District Co-ordination Officer, Faisalabad

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD PREFACE ACRONYMS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1

BACKGROUND

2

The Case WHY FAISALABAD DEVELOPED A COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME Pre-requisite for New Local Government Managing Multiple Stakeholders Building and Strengthening Public Accountability A Provincial Communications Role Improving Public Relations KEY FEATURES OF FAISALABAD'S COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME Auditing Communications Defining the Objectives and Target Groups Preparing the Strategy and Action Plan Internal Communication External Communication WAS FAISALABAD'S COMMUNICATION PROGRAMME EFFECTIVE Different Communication Tools Overcoming the Language Barrier Participative Nature of the Communications Planning Process Cost Benefit Assessment CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF GOVERNANCE Improvements in Organisational Performance Building Relationships with Citizens and Society Influencing Attitudes and Behaviour KEY LESSONS Communications at the Heart of Change and Reforms Communications is a Cross-cutting Function Internal and External Communications are Distinct Communication Warrants Independent Status

2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 8 10 10 13 14 14 15 15 15 17 18 18 18 19 19

Table of Contents KEY STEPS FOR REPLICATION

20

CONCLUSIONS

22

BIBLIOGRAPHY

23

FIGURES Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5:

Communications strategic planning process Strategic Policy Unit’s website (www.spu.com.pk) City District Government’s website (www.faisalabad.gov.pk) Extent of audience outreach Key steps in establishing a communications function & programme

5 7 8 10 20

Corporate principles and communication effectiveness Advantages and disadvantages of communication tools used Beneficiaries and impact of communication tools

10 11 13

TABLES Table 1: Table 2: Table 3:

Acronyms

ACRONYMS CCBs CDGF CSOs CSR DCC DCO DFID DOC EDO F&P HRM ICTs NGOs P&D SDLGF SPU

Citizen Community Boards City District Government Faisalabad Civil Society Organisations Corporate Social Responsibility District Coordination Council District Coordination Officer Department for International Development District Officer Coordination Executive District Officer Finance & Planning Human Resource Management Information and Communication Technologies Non-Government Organizations Planning and Development Strengthening Decentralized Local Government in Faisalabad Strategic Policy Unit

Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Local governments play an important role in society, driving change and development. However this has never been easy and today they face pressures to reform in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In Faisalabad, Pakistan the city district government embarked on a series of radical reforms to meet the challenges of poverty, urbanization and globalisation. It has taken huge strides in becoming a more efficient, effective and citizen focused local government, however, hurdles remain. To that end, communication has played its part in facilitating that transformation.

Improving governance was a key aim for Faisalabad. In order to achieve that it needed to explore and invest in mechanisms which improved the way it communicated with the outside world. At the same time it recognized the need to improve communication within the City District Government itself. It devised an innovative programme which would reach out, improving its image and demonstrating that this was a local government that wanted to change and improve the services it delivered. It was keen to embrace the principles of civic government. This was done in a number of ways.

Different tactics and tools were adopted for audiences. A website was developed to make information readily available to anyone who wanted to know what the City District Government was doing. Newsletters and posters were produced on the city's new strategic direction. The poor were accessed through street theatre and radio programmes to raise public awareness. The City District Government held numerous workshops and seminars on its reforms and changing emphasis. The focus of the programme was both internal and external. The programme has been a success, though institutional hurdles remain a challenge.

This case study outlines how an innovative communications programme helped the Faisalabad government augment its reforms. It highlights why communication must be considered a key element if local governments desire change and successful transition to effective service providers. In the digital age, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to change the dynamics of governance. If embraced a professional government communications function brings clear and far reaching benefits.

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Background

BACKGROUND The Strategic Policy Unit (SPU) was set up by the Faisalabad district government in 2002, as a policy think-tank. Its key aim was to act as a conduit in the district from which all development programmes could be initiated. In 2004, the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) agreed to provide technical assistance to the district using the SPU as the platform from which change would be driven.

The SPU over a four year period has acted as a key resource fostering social capital within the City District Government and often being the focal point for local and international technical assistance and programme development. With a cohort of key technical resources and change management agenda it plays a key role in facilitating public sector reforms and is replicable. It has been instrumental in assisting Faisalabad become a modern administration.

In 2004, Faisalabad's city district government embarked on a bold set of reforms that coincided with the national policy of strengthening local governments across Pakistan through decentralisation and devolution. Even more ambitious was the Faisalabad government's desire to see 'communications' underpin its civic engagement policy, operating effectively as a key driver of change. This led to the development of a communications strategy and plan as part of a broader strategic aim of trying to improve governance, followed by better local government services. As a City District Government, Faisalabad was attempting to do what it was designed to do in this new era-get close to its citizens, particularly the poor, understand their problems and needs, design projects and programmes in response and deliver the kind of services they wanted. At the same time, it desired a better more professional city administration, one where there was limited overlap and duplication, its employees motivated and committed to public service. Could communications be the panacea for a large City District Government? Only time would tell.

Faisalabad's experiment with communications proves how local governments today can ill afford to ignore its wide benefits. Local governments in the developing country context, but Pakistan in particular will find that it offers them the opportunity to foster civic engagement, strengthen public accountability and most critically deliver services more effectively. At another level, communications was used to improve the way Faisalabad functioned as a large city administration. Armed with over 34,000 employees it has been a challenge to keep every single employee informed of policy, direction and change. Adopting internal communication practices vastly improved corporate governance, the way the governments employees began to see themselves, their roles and the people they were supposed to be providing services to.

The Case Today the potential role of internal and external communications in the context of local governments in Pakistan is missing. This is a mistake and Faisalabad proves this despite the absence of a formal communications function. Faisalabad City District Government's communications programme proves that with little money and some innovative thinking it is possible to begin improving the way local governments are perceived by the public, introduce change and begin improving governance where none previously existed. This case study sets out to show why every local government in Pakistan, and South Asia more broadly should be putting communication at the heart of the improving local government delivery agenda. This will be an invaluable tool for local government officials, donors and development practitioners alike.

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Why Faisalabad Developed a Communications Programme

WHY FAISALABAD DEVELOPED A COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME With over 6 million residents, Faisalabad is the third largest city and district in Pakistan - a significant contributor to Pakistan's economy. Though traditionally an agrarian economy, Faisalabad now enjoys a strong manufacturing reputation in the textile sector, labeled the 'Manchester of Pakistan' it is diversifying its industrial and economic base to compete with cities like Lahore and Karachi. The migration of people from rural areas into Faisalabad's urban centre continues unabated-there are nearly 150 katchi abadis in the city area, home to nearly 1 Million people. The lack of water and adequate sanitation, quality elementary and primary education, and provision of public health care aggravate poverty. Local governments are at the forefront in the battle to overcome these problems.

Pre-requisite for New Local Government If national issues like poverty, urbanization and poor governance were to be tackled seriously then a different kind of local government was needed. The local government ordinance of 2001 asked municipal governments of all shapes and sizes to change the way they did business. Government particularly local government needed to re-think its role, how it served the public interest and delivered its services. Districts like Faisalabad were being asked to take on a private sector type mentality namely that the organisation focuses on what the consumer or customer demands and ploughs all its resources into providing quality services and products. Faced with very different complicated challenges local governments were being asked to embrace citizens, consumers, communities and other stakeholders in society.

This would require a different retort from local governments and Faisalabad responded duly.

Significantly, local governments lack the administrative and technical capacity to change willingly and many failed to fully understand what the ordinance was preaching. The ordinance used the language of community participation and bottom-up planning, and legislated for the creation of grass-root civic bodies called Citizen Community Boards (CCBs). Local governments up and down the country were encouraged to demonstrate their participatory credentials by facilitating communities to organize themselves around these new entities and take control of local development. Community development departments in local governments throughout Pakistan were presented with the challenge of fostering their development. Faisalabad responded swiftly.

Managing Multiple Stakeholders There was nothing idiosyncratic about developing a communications programme in Faisalabad. Key city administrators realized very early that while they lacked a formal communications function and department in the same vein as finance and planning or human resource management, they were now faced with the challenge of trying to meet the expectations of multiple stakeholders. Local governments would have to deal with politicians; service based monitoring committees; local councillors representing all communities (minorities, the poor etc); trade unions; parents; and other interest groups. Some of these were direct service users and others beneficiaries of services-this was the external audience.

There was an internal audience too-teachers, doctors, sanitary workers, managers, administrative staff, clerks, peons and District Assembly members were also important stakeholders. Managing these relationships could only be met through an approach that acknowledged the potential role of communications in local government business.

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Why Faisalabad Developed a Communications Programme

Building and Strengthening Public Accountability At the same time the Faisalabad government acknowledged that its commitment to reform alone would be insufficient in sustaining it. Secondly if demand for reform could be generated among those most likely to benefit i.e. the service users and public, then this would place an additional onus on those in government to ensure that they remained committed to change and reform. By making information available to anyone and everyone about Faisalabad's commitment to reform, change and governance - ownership would be dispersed. This would have an additional advantage. It would generate public demand for accountability. If the public was aware that its City District Government was putting in place policies and programmes to improve their services then they would want to know when these initiatives would translate into better roads, schools and health facilities.

A Provincial Communications Role Importantly, the communications agenda rests with provincial government and was not devolved as a function to district governments. In Faisalabad, the provincial government is represented by the Deputy Director Information and Publications charged with managing all communication with the print media. However, though important, this limited function is insufficient to make an impact on the wider range of stakeholders. A diverse range of tools were needed to meet the challenge of communicating effectively to a heterogeneous audience. Nevertheless, the City District Government saw this as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the provincial office of Information and Publications and work together in dealing with the print media.

Improving Public Relations While these reasons were considered important in setting up a communications programme, Faisalabad's City District Government identified another important factor often underestimated in government circles. Attention to building a positive and integrated image of local government becomes easier when tangible results of its work in the community can be seen.

Senior managers in Faisalabad recognized that now local governments were to have pronounced connection with their local residents and the achievement of civic government depended on being accessible and to have a more palpable impact on their lives. This influenced the design of the programme with the introduction of a component dealing with the media. There was a need to strengthen interaction with all sections of society if Faisalabad's public relations were to improve.

“If you are in government, you are in public relations.

You may not know it or you may not like it, but it is a fact, and to ignore that fact is to live at your own peril�

William Gilbert (1975)

Public perceptions of government are largely negative and the City District Government grasped that would not be overcome unless it also informed the public of its efforts to improve organizationally and also provide better services to consciously address the problems they faced on a day to day basis. New and innovative ways were going to be needed to reach far flung communities, the uneducated, impoverished and those on the margins of society. A citizen wide perception survey conducted by the City District Government in 2006 demonstrated the dissatisfaction levels that existed among ordinary citizens about the quality of public services.

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Key Features of Faisalabad's Communications Programme

KEY FEATURES OF FAISALABAD'S COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME Faisalabad's communications programme comprised two key design features - internal and external elements. Separating these two functions allowed the City District Government to understand the audience they wished to target which dictated the programme's design and outreach activities. Both were treated with equal importance by the administration's key decision makers. This influenced the tools that were to be deployed to address each of the communications areas. Eventually this led to development of a communication strategy and plan to be implemented over a four year period as a pilot, lessons from which would be used to make the case for formalizing communications into local governments. Faisalabad's experience clearly shows that it should not be seen as a 'soft managerial skill' but rather a professional management area.

So how did the City District Government arrive at its programme, what were its key elements and what tools did it employ to implement the programme. Figure 1 illustrates how the City District Government undertook the process.

Auditing Communications The process of developing a four year strategy for communications first involved carrying out a communications audit. This was a review of where the city's communications stood.

Figure 1:

Communications strategic planning process

1

Carry out an audit of communications

2

Define communications objectives

3

Identify target groups and key messages

4

Conduct planning consultations, set targets

5

Prepare strategy and action plan

A focus group discussion with male and female community members on communications

5

Key Features of Faisalabad's Communications Programme It was an exercise to find out who they communicated with, what information was offered, what channels of communication were used, how happy citizens were with communication and how much money had been spent on communications activities. Addressing both internal and external aspects, those in government were interviewed and asked if they were satisfied with internal communication processes and systems. Similarly communities, civil society groups and the private and business sectors were met through one to one interviews and focus group discussions to talk about how well informed they felt by their district government. The findings were revealing.

Communication had been neglected and there was widespread dissatisfaction with how City District Government communicated with a broad array of audiences. Both internal and external groups to Faisalabad's governments expressed a desire to see the adoption of a more positive stance to making information available on new services and improving its image.

Defining the Objectives and Target Groups The audit established areas where the City District Government needed to make investments in communication. Each department was encouraged to begin the process of brainstorming and consultation internally and with potential target groups. For example, the community development held several meetings with local civil society organisations and CCBs in determining their objectives for improved levels of information dissemination. This enabled the target groups for community development to own the eventual communications plan for this particular department. At the same time both sets of stakeholders developed a consensus on the channels and tools for effective communication.

A focus group discussion with women CCBs on communications

“I feel confident meeting local communities and telling them about our programmes�

District Officer (Social Welfare)

Preparing the Strategy and Action Plan Once city officials had identified their communication objectives and target groups, the next phase was to begin the process of preparing the strategy and plan itself. This involved assessing the current situation, setting goals and desired future outcomes, and identifying the required tools and resources. These were incorporated into the strategy and plan. The main audience was defined, and communication priorities, tools and resources were highlighted that would be required to implement the district government's first communication programme. Departments were provided assistance with their communications needs and preparing individual communication activities. This proved useful allowing many to see the benefits of knowing what others planned to do in such a large organisation and how they planned to share information and meet one of its key dimensions of good governance being citizen focused.

Internal Communication A government's employees are an important asset, but from a communications perspective they constitute its most important audience. Faisalabad was keen to recognize this and in tandem with broad organisational goals of improving human resource management set about improving employee morale. It did this in two ways. Corporate management saw its employees as both audience and communicators. Mechanisms for sharing information were streamlined. This was done in a number of ways. Where previously meetings were conducted in an ad hoc manner they were now becoming a regular feature of management practice in the City District Government. The DCO began holding regular monthly meetings with his

Monthly DCO’s meeting with the EDOs

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Key Features of Faisalabad's Communications Programme

CITY DISTRICT GOVERNMENT FAISALABAD

STRATEGIC POLICY UNIT

Before

After

NEWSLETTER

Letter No.0017 Page 01/02

April 2006

Finance and Planning The SPU has rolled out the developed modules of the FMIS within the Finance & Planning department. In this context the Finance & Budget section of the F&P department organized a presentation for the other sections of the department.

District officer Finance & Budget Mrs. Saima Raza gave presentation to the F&P department and explained the following topics; • • • •

Need for FMIS Development of FMIS Benefits of FMIS Future interventions

Rana Zahid Tauseef City District Nazim Faisalabad

DO F&P giving presentation on FMIS

DO F&B explained that due to FMIS the department can easily access the financial information in a timely manner. FMIS will help the top corporate management at the district level in decision making. It will also track and monitor the expenditure against the budget in a timely manner. The budget 2005-2006 was prepared using FMIS. The system can now generate customized reports and can help the F&P department in planning the district' s scarce resources in an efficient manner.

Regarding the future interventions of the FMIS, Saima Raza explained that the department is aiming for the online budgeting in the coming financial year budget 2006-2007, but that is dependent on the availability of Wide Area Network (WAN) in the departments.

Budget 2005-2006 The budget 2005-2006 was presented to the City District Council during April. The budget session was held from 13th to 15th April. On the first day of budget session, the District Nazim delivered budget speech and presented the budget in the council.

On second day, detailed discussions were held on budget documents in which elected members highlighted different aspects of the budget.

In the Budget 2005-2006 Rs. 3948 is receipts from PFC award, Rs. 85 million as local receipts and Rs. 1799 million as grants from provincial government. on the expenditure side, Rs. 3812 million have been allocated for the non-development salary expenditure and Rs. 511 million for the Non-salary expenditure. Rs. 418 million have been allocated for the ongoing schemes of 2004-2005, Rs 137 million for the conditional grants (ongoing 2004-2005) and Rs.406 million for the new development schemes for the year 2005-2006.

The budget was unanimously approved by the house on 15th April 2006.

Water and Sanitation For further improvement in Contract Documentation, existing procedures of contract implementation have been collected and reviewed with the different officials in Town Municipal administrations “TMAs” and City District Government’s technical staff.

District Coordination Officer Faisalabad

“We will provide high quality services which compare with the best in the country. We will work with everyone who wants a better future for our District. We will establish an efficient, effective and accountable District Local Government, which is committed to respecting and upholding women, men and children’s basic human rights, responsive towards people’s needs, committed to poverty reduction and capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st Century. Our actions will be driven by the concerns of local people”.

CORE VALUES SETTING HIGH STANDARDS We will achieve the above by comparing, competing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on achievement, valuing and developing our workers and involving stakeholders in planning and decisionmaking.

EQUALITY, FAIRNESS AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS We value the contribution of all individuals and groups in the community. We recognise that diversity is an asset. We will ensure that access; opportunities and justice are equally available to everyone irrespective of gender, race, creed and religion and take steps to involve people who have previously been excluded.

A draft Guidance Note has been produced for the Contract Implementation Procedures 'CIP' and circulated for feedback and comments through focus groups with TMAs, EDOs, WASA and FDA. Team also plans to hold a workshop on Contract Implementation Procedures to discuss critical issues before finalizing the document.

Major (Retd). Azam Suleman Khan DISTRICT MISSION STATEMENT

Discussion with the focus group on the Guidance note

Communication strategy

managers i.e. Executive District Officers (EDOs). In return EDOs were encouraged to hold monthly meetings with their departmental staff so that front line staff or street level bureaucrats were able to represent their departments in an informed way. Not only did this contribute to employees feeling recognized, appreciated and part of the City District Government it also made them more effective and confident in dealing with members of the public. As a local teacher from the education department commented “we now have better access to information about what is going on in our departments and with so much happening in our district, when I see and talk to parents about education I can speak with confidence about the different initiatives that are currently underway in Faisalabad-and there are many”.

The City District Government launched a newsletter in both Urdu and English for its employees and notice boards were placed outside offices to help keep officials informed of key policies. More importantly the government invested in printing large numbers of posters outlining the government's commitment to change and reform with its vision, mission, core values and organisational objectives. They covered the dimensions and principles of governance against which the City District Government wished to judge its progress and performance. Billboards with the City District Government's commitment to its citizens can be found adorning government offices and local councils across Faisalabad in both English and Urdu.

HONESTY, OPENNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY We are committed to honest, open and accountable local district government and we will try to ensure that these qualities are apparent in all our actions at all times.

As part of the City District Government Faisalabad (CDGF) "Communications Strategy", being implemented through its Strategic Policy Unit (SPU), the CDGF is constantly looking at ways of improving communication with the Citizens of Faisalabad. In this context, we have recently started using radio programmes and newspaper articles to raise the awareness of citizens but also to share information. To date three programmes have been aired on Radio Pakistan Faisalabad with the focus on CCBs. Staff from District Government participated in the programmes to talk about what CCBs work, how they could register with the local government, how they can develop projects and secure funding from government resources.

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS We will work with local communities, the voluntary sector, the business community and other agencies to deliver the best for Faisalabad District, and secure a prosperous future for the District.

The 2nd phase of the street theater programmes would start from the next month. ed on Radio Pakistan Faisalabad with the focus on CCBs. Staff from District Government participated in the programmes to talk about what CCBs work, how they could register with the local government, how they can develop projects and secure funding from government resources.

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT We will consider the implications of our actions for future generations. We will develop our strategies in consultation with local communities.

Monthly English Newsletter

These serve as constant reminders to employees and local officials of the administration's commitment to civic government. A website was developed in the first instance to provide information on government services (Figure 2).

The internet has been used to good affect by city officials providing access to staff located in remote areas of the district. HR and finance systems are now web based within the City District Government and if an officer sitting in a town that is some two hours away from headquarters wishes to access finance data on his department he can now do so. All officers have been given special log-in passwords allowing them access to protected data thus speeding up local decision making. This has enabled city officials to see the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Furthermore, it serves to make information accessible that would not have been possible in the past.

Figure 2:

“As a communicator I am better placed to share information with parent s and communities” Assistant Executive Of ficer (Education)

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Strategic Policy Unit’s Website (www.spu.com.pk)

Key Features of Faisalabad's Communications Programme

External Communication This represents one and two way communication between government, its citizens and society. In this instance information flows from government to those external of the service provider. Those targeted for information can vary and will have different roles depending on their status in society. Each stakeholder has different information requirements and expectations from services. Local governments need to be aware of this reality. In Faisalabad the communications approach was to use different channels for different audiences in raising awareness of the government's efforts.

A number of potential tools were explored and developed depending on the target audience.

The urban and rural poor were highlighted as an important group to mobilize and target with messages. Recognizing that literacy levels were lower in these areas 'street theatre and skits' were used as a vehicle for raising public awareness. In three years approximately 30 programmes or performances were held throughout the district. Each performance conveyed an important message about reforms, improving interaction between local government and the public, and understanding the role of citizens in holding local governments accountable for the services they provide.

This has been an effective way of reaching inaccessible communities, developing their awareness and trying to influence them to hold local government accountable for poor service delivery. Radio and the vernacular press were the other channels used to communicate messages to external stakeholders. Numerous radio programmes were held in which political representatives, community members and representatives held panel discussions to talk about the state of local government reforms, issues faced by CCBs and service delivery in Faisalabad. Radio remains one of the most popular mediums through which information is disseminated in Pakistan, and is particularly effective in many rural parts of districts like Faisalabad where not every village household will have access to TV. Technology has played its part too. The internet has been embraced openly and paved the way for establishing two way communication channels. Significant investment was made in developing an official website (www.faisalabad.gov.pk) offering vast amounts of information on the city, its key institutions and the work of the Strategic Policy Unit (SPU) in facilitating change throughout City District Government (Figure 3).

Figure 3:

Monthly Urdu Newsletter

“The Urdu news letter keeps us informed about the reforms�

Local Teacher

City District Government’s website (www.faisalabad.gov.pk)

8

Key Features of Faisalabad's Communications Programme

Faisalabad Reforms Seminar (June 2007) attended by provincial government and DFID

Importantly, the website contains all reports, research studies and surveys on the website and these are accessible in both Urdu and English. Sharing information with other district governments and in particular with provincial headquarters has been a distinctive feature of this strategy. Sharing the lessons of its reforms, how various initiatives were implemented and the challenges faced, allowed provincial policy makers to understand the dynamics of reform in the local government context.

Over a four year period several workshops and seminars were held where donors, NGOs, government representatives and businesses came to see how the reforms were progressing and what tangible lessons could be drawn from Faisalabad. This gave other local governments the opportunity to see how the model was working and how it could be replicated in their particular contexts.

Faisalabad Reforms Seminar (June 2007) attended by other district governments

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Was Faisalabad's Communication Programme Effective

WAS FAISALABAD'S COMMUNICATION PROGRAMME EFFECTIVE Faisalabad's communication objectives and the selection of tools were linked to the City District Government's corporate goals. The corporate plan developed in 2004 set out a number of guiding principles by which it wished to measure progress and performance. The programme's choice of tools needed to reflect these guiding principles and demonstrate effectiveness (Table 1).

Table 1:

Corporate principles and communication effectiveness

Tools

Strategic

Accountability

Inclusive

P P P P P P P P P

P P P P P P O P P

P P P P P P O O O

Website Street Theatre Radio Programmes Newsletter Posters Seminars Video’s Newspapers Video Documentary

Responsive Transparent Participative

P P O P P P O P O

P P O P P P P P P

O P P O O P O O P

Efficient

Effective

P O O O P O O O O

P P P P P P P P P

It appears that the programme achieved value added for a couple of important reasons.

There was diversity in the tools for communication and secondly the language of communication itself was both Urdu and English. During the course of the last four years the City District Government's communication programme has in one shape or form reached an audience of approximately 100,000 people. Figure 4 gives a breakdown of the various tools used and their target audience over a four year period. The estimated figures for those listening to panel interviews on air were provided by Radio Pakistan in Faisalabad.

Figure 4:

Extent of audience outreach Newspaper articles, 6,000

Newsletters, 7,000 Radio Programmes 25,000

Street Theatre 35,000

Website downloads, 38,000 Radio programme

Different Communication Tools The city district government was keen to reach out to as many people as possible. It invested in different tools to convey its messages and share information. For its own internal purposes a monthly newsletter proved to be an effective mechanism. This was considered both novel and informative by employees in government. The newsletter is available online and distributed to all departments and local governments in Faisalabad in a hard form (Figure 4).

Similarly the programme's main outreach component was the innovative use of local street theatre, a popular cultural form of entertainment in the Punjab, with which to try and influence

10

Was Faisalabad's Communication Programme Effective Table 2:

A community gathering for street theatre

11

Advantages and disadvantages of communication tools used

Was Faisalabad's Communication Programme Effective

A community gathering for street theatre

12

Was Faisalabad's Communication Programme Effective

“Our Urdu Material make us more accessible” A CDGF Clerk

behaviour (Table 2). Over 35,000 people in the district of all backgrounds have seen the performances and many feel that it has been a powerful force in changing peoples' perceptions and attitudes towards important social issues and relationships with local government representatives. Others stressed the importance of continuing with the programme.

The Nazim in Union Council 17, in Jaranwala Town said that the street theatre programme had not only been an awakening for local communities but was also a source of information for local councillors on aspects of district government. This was an important initiative and should at every cost be continued. Newspaper articles were also published in local daily's and several programmes held on air with Radio Pakistan in Faisalabad about the role of local government and how it was addressing a number of important issues facing the city.

The digital divide limits access to information through the use of the internet and websites.

Conversely the City District Government's decision to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as its website for both internal consumers and external stakeholders was invaluable. The number of downloads (Figure 4) would indicate that it has been one of the most effective forms of communication with over 38,000 downloads. Several local politicians when interviewed said that they had used the website to download information though some also highlighted its limitations.

Overcoming the Language Barrier Making information available in local languages like Punjabi and Urdu has made a significant difference to the City District Government's communications strategy. It brings local government closer to its people. All of the street theatre performances were done in the local Punjabi language to retain their lingual and cultural relevance. This made conveying messages easier and also helped to bridge the divide that sometimes exist between public officials and local communities. Most of CDGF documents are also available in Urdu to

MANUAL 502

2007

Table 3:

Beneficiaries and impact of communications tools

“The street theatre programme has helped to change the lives of our communities. We now understand how to inform our City District Government of the problem we face with services in our areas” Town Nazim

*Includes cost of web development, hardware, software, broadband internet connection charges (four years) and training cost etc.

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Was Faisalabad's Communication Programme Effective ensure that information is made accessible as widely as possible. Though English is the official language of local government business, a number of officials feel that few outside of government will bother reading material if it is not in Urdu. Similarly several newspaper articles were written and published in a local Urdu daily newspapers in Faisalabad for that very reason.

Participative Nature of the Communications Planning Process By consulting widely during the process of setting up a communications programme and system the Faisalabad government encouraged strategic planning by consensus. The impact was that it was able to identify and address the communication needs of a diverse range of stakeholders; some service users, community members, parents, politicians and wider beneficiaries. Separate tools and channels were then designed to cater for their respective needs and expectations. This ensured that messages reached their intended audience.

A focus group discussion with local NGOs on communications

Cost Benefit Assessment The benefits of Faisalabad's communications programme have far outstripped its cost value.

Some 100,000 beneficiaries have been reached through the various tools used to send important messages and raise awareness. Each tool has focused on ensuring that no target group is excluded by the programme. The website and internet were the most expensive costs, while local newspapers agreed to provide free space to publish newspaper articles.

This demonstrates that large sums of money are not needed for what is an important organisational function. Critically, political desire, corporate commitment and some innovative thinking can offset costs and provide significant gains for local governments in addressing their communications need (Table 3). The costs contained in Table 3 are activity based and do not cover human resources.

14

Changing the Dynamics of Governance

CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF GOVERNANCE Was there impact from the communications programme? It would seem so. Evaluative assessments carried out over the course of one year through focus group discussions and one to one interviews with communities, city officials and local political representatives suggest positives change. It appears that a coherent communication strategy made a significant contribution in Faisalabad becoming more effective, efficient and transparent.

The communications programme contributed to changing the dynamics of corporate governance. This is an ongoing process and the City District Government must continue to invest in the programme and ensure its longevity by exploring how it can be institutionalized on a more permanent basis within the administration's organisational hierarchy.

Improvements in Organisational Performance City District Nazim expressing his views on TV programme

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have improved internal processes and functions for the Faisalabad government. ICTs helped to cut service costs and make efficiency gains. Costs of basic functions were reduced by introducing computerized information systems to take over a number of manual functions. These helped improve information flows across departments. In the finance and planning department the budgeting process was circumvented through computerisation. Field officers no longer make lengthy journeys to headquarters to submit financial statements. They can now log onto the system remotely. This saves time and money. Similarly managing process performance became easier with information systems. The deployment of an automated human resource management information system (HRMIS) was the backbone to workforce information and planning. The objective was to move away from an organisation in which resource requirements and resource availability was mismatched. Automation allowed the district administration to not only know what its resource requirements and resource availability were, but gave them the ability to project future availability.

Critically, by embedding computerized information systems as communication tools strategic connections in government were established. Systems for finance and HR compelled departments within district government and even those outside such as the District Accounts Office to begin coordinating and communicating more effectively. In the finance and planning department the budgeting process was streamlined to be more efficient and effective. Ebudgeting resulted in greater outputs at a lower cost with a better quality budget while demonstrating innovation.

In addition, improved internal communication can have profound power implications for an organisation's employees - it creates empowerment. In particular, information that was historically accessible only to senior managers is now available to decision-makers further down the chain of command. Funds are now released to middle management finance officers, bypassing department heads and making money available for service delivery more effectively.

Building Relationships with Citizens and Society The communications programme allowed the City District Government to begin addressing the gaps in its relationship between government and citizens, where citizens could be consumers and stakeholders in service provision. It featured the administration developing relationships with other public agencies and institutions.

15

Changing the Dynamics of Governance Faisalabad began talking to its citizens through mechanisms such as street theatre programmes, its website, information pamphlets and newsletters and radio programmes. It provides information to its citizens enabling better decisions and scrutiny. The establishment of a CCB 'one window' operation is an example of this as is the management information system that allows officers to provide accurate and timely information to the general public.

Processing times for CCB applications from communities have been reduced from several months to 45 days. These initiatives indicate a desire on the part of city officials to engage with its citizens. Subsequently, communities feel empowered.

The various outreach tools enable the City District Government to listen to its citizens. They have opportunities to give feedback to city officials and they do so through the City District Government's complaints call centre on a daily basis. This facility allows the residents to call Faisalabad government and let them know if a particular service is not working i.e. water, education or health. The complaint is then registered with the relevant department which then is time bound to respond and offer an explanation and possible solution to the problem.

Engagement with civic society is now a regular feature of the Faisalabad government.

Numerous initiatives have led to greater communication and coordination between city departments and many local NGOs and CSOs. The government's District Coordination Council (DCC) reactivated to serve as a platform for collaboration enables a partnership working environment and facilitates better coordination. It has been used to good affect facilitating consultation exercises and monthly meetings.

CDGF’s Call Centre

Similarly the Community Development Department's decision to place CCB registration forms on its official website helps circumvent delays and bureaucracy. Such services encourage citizens to engage with their government more effectively. This is indicative of the kind of two way communicative processes that were envisaged sometime ago by city planners.

Radio programme

16

Changing the Dynamics of Governance

Public awareness through street theatre programme

Influencing Attitudes and Behaviour Communication has brought the Faisalabad government closer to its stakeholders. There is now a greater appreciation of the distinction between consumers, customers and wider beneficiaries as a result of the communications programme. Possibly the greatest impact, though somewhat intangible, has been felt amongst communities.

There is evidence that changing attitudes are beginning to emerge among those targeted by the communications programme. This is an important facet of the reforms. Their sustainability hinges on domestic demand being created for better service delivery. The views expressed by community and political representatives are a positive indication that the gaps that have existed in the past between service provider and service user are slowly becoming smaller.

Public awareness through street theatre programme

17

Key Lessons

KEY LESSONS Faisalabad's pilot with a communications programme highlights a number of important lessons for local governments in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Communications at the Heart of Change and Reforms Communications should be considered important to the way local governments do business.

It has been underestimated for far too long and seen as a 'soft managerial skill' rather than a professional management area. It is also true that very few in local government have any idea of how complex, managerially demanding, professional and varied a government communications function can be.

Communication must be viewed as one of the key drivers of change in the public sector reform context. The Faisalabad government experience demonstrates the value of taking communications seriously and the gains that can be made as a result.

Communications is a Cross-cutting Function Communications should be integrated into wider organisational processes and systems. It needs to be integral to strategic planning, building and maintaining a positive image of the organisation and helping to develop a customer service, citizen focused approach to local governance. Any organisation preparing to undertake a strategic planning and management exercise needs to have communication firmly at the heart of the process. This should be reflected at the corporate, departmental and individual activity level.

Similarly it is the duty of corporate management and each department to ensure that they foster a positive and corporate image of the city and its local government. In Faisalabad, the City District Government's corporate policy statement included communications and subsequently it prepared a communications strategy which was translated into the communications programme.

Briefing on reforms initiatives to Chairman P&D and head of DFID Pakistan

18

Key Lessons

Internal and External Communications are Distinct Local governments wishing to develop a communications strategy and programmes should make the distinction between its internal and external aspects. Both are important but essentially target different audiences. Internal communication views its employees as both audience and communicator - with an important role in promoting a positive image of the organisation. Conversely, external communication is about building one and two way communication between government and external stakeholders. Information flows from government to communities and citizens give feedback to service providers. Each must have its own strategic thrust, objectives, tools and target audience if communication is to be effective.

Communication Warrants Independent Status Given its importance in helping to modernise local governments like Faisalabad it is time that it was recognized by policy makers as an integral part of government business. Ideally it should have an independent department, with appropriate human and financial resources. Its role would be clearly defined, offering professional services to local governments. However, while such an institutional structure within local government hierarchy maybe sometime away, it is worth pondering if this role could be performed by a function commonly found among district administrations up and down the country namely the District Officer Coordination (DOC).

In Faisalabad, the City District Government used corporate management to drive and implement the programme with technical assistance from its SPU. In the long term this may prove more challenging to sustain. In Faisalabad there is now a strong body of opinion that slowly there is need to begin changing attitudes in government about areas such as communication and ICTs. These need to be seen as an essential part of government if local services are to get better and governance improved.

An international education conference held in Faisalabad (March-2008)

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Key Steps for Replication

KEY STEPS FOR REPLICATION So briefly, what might be the initial steps towards a new or better communications function, strategy, plan or process? An example of a possible process and plan of action (Figure 5) could be:

Step 1 In the absence of a formal communications department a professional communications specialist can be hired from the market. Alternatively this can be outsourced to a competent local non-governmental organisation with a track record in communications programme development. However, they may only be able to assist with external aspects of improving communication and not internal. There may still be a requirement for additional resources to deal with internal organisational communication.

Communicating the reforms initiatives with other donors: team of Asian Development Banks visiting the project

Step 2 The team responsible for developing the plan and programmes are given both human and financial resources to implement the strategy. They are given the same importance and authority as other departmental managers. This will secure important cooperation in the implementation of the plan and programme. If this authority is not provided it will be difficult to implement the programme and send out the wrong message within the organisation about commitment to communication.

Figure 5:

Key steps in establishing a communications function and programme

1

3

2

5

4

Assign responsibilities and authority

Conduct organisational review

Hire communications professional (s)

Allocate government counterparts

Carry out communications audit

Define goals and objectives

Launch and implement programme

Could outsource expertise to private sector/NGO

Provide budgets and technical freedom to design & implement

Who are the target groups & what messages are conveyed?

Define target group and key messages

Deliver communications

Define roles and Responsibilities

Corporate level commitment secured

What information do you want to offer?

Consult with stakeholders & develop consensus

Evaluate progress obtain feedback from audience

What tools are used currently?

Define indicators to measure progress

Adjust programme as required, review objectives

Are citizens satisfied and how much money is spent on communication?

Finalise work-plan and programme activities

Document and implement lessons learned

Establish Initial programme team

Strategize & action plan

Implement & review programme

20

Key Steps for Replication

Step 3 Once the communications team has been established and equipped with a budget then a review of the status of the city or organisation's communications should be conducted. The audit informs the strategy development process. This is an essential part of the process and should not at any cost be hurried. This is the how, what, when and why aspect of the process where a diverse range of stakeholders are interviewed and their feedback incorporated into the next step of the process.

Step 4 Here local governments decide what they want to achieve from a communications function.

For example, better information to the community, reciprocal communication with the community, educating citizens about local government and decentralisation, involvement of citizens in some decision-making, promoting new city services, or improving the city or district government's public image.

Step 5 This involves setting out a strategy and action plan, identifying what tools are needed to achieve the goals that are identified in step 4 and establishing a budget (how much will it cost what is affordable) for the plan. Target groups are identified at this stage and plenty of consultation takes place within the local government and with key stakeholders outside of government. This may include local NGOs, community representatives, politicians, service users and other voluntary organisations.

Meeting of the district’s administration

21

Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS The City district government of Faisalabad is changing. In four years it has illustrated how it is possible for district local governments in Pakistan to begin delivering on their mandate.

Communication has been a key feature and driver of the kind of changes that Faisalabad displays today. At the start of its commitment to embarking on a change management programme, Faisalabad's city leaders demonstrated the kind of innovative thinking needed to bring about radical change. Communication so often neglected and treated as the poor cousin of finance and human resource management, was afforded significance by corporate management. Despite the absence of a formal communications department, officials designed, prepared and implemented a communications strategy and plan on an experimental basis to assess its value to Faisalabad. It has been a major success with wide ranging lessons for others.

Faisalabad's communication programme facilitated change and reform. A strategy that identified from the outset the need to address both internal and external constituents was an important factor in its success. This enabled city officials to deploy a variety of channels and tools for communicating change and influencing behavioural shifts among different audiences. The use of information and communication technologies has been significant for Faisalabad. Information systems, the internet and monthly newsletters have all helped to transform internal processes, strengthening administrative reform.

The introduction of computerized managerial tools for financial and human resource management brought about efficiency and effectiveness gains not seen before. ICTs facilitated 'joined up' government and empowered employees in the process. Corporate governance was improving. Communities and local civil society too, were engaged through an innovative range of channels i.e. street theatre, radio programmes. This enabled the government to build bridges and develop new relationships with citizens and other public institutions. Faisalabad was now listening and talking to its external constituency. Public accountability would be strengthened as a result. The dynamics of governance were changing.

There are important lessons to be drawn for Faisalabad's communication programme. This initiative illustrates that communications should be at heart of local government business affairs. Whether local governments like it or not they are in the business of public relations.

Communications should be seen as cross-cutting and part of the broader strategic management process, not in isolation of corporate goals. Furthermore, internal and external communication are distinctive and should be treated as such at the strategic level, failure to do so, will almost certainly result in the failure to achieve wider organisational objectives. The sustainability of a communications function hinges on it being part of an organisational hierarchy. In essence, local governments should have a dedicated and professionally resourced department for communication ideally!

Faisalabad demonstrates how it is possible to implement a communications programme. It requires commitment and ownership at all levels of local government, innovative thinking and a desire to embrace change and new public management. In doing so it is possible to achieve transparent, accountable and citizen focused civic government. Others may choose to follow its lead!

22

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY Reports Faisalabad City District Government (2006) District Wide Employee Motivation Survey: Strategic Policy Unit Faisalabad City District Government (2007) November Performance Report: Strategic Policy Unit Faisalabad City District Government (2004) Corporate Plan: Strategic Policy Unit Books Dienerova. K and Vavrova. L (2004), Public Relations for Local Governments: Bratislava: Faber Gilbert W (1975), Public Relations in Local Government, Washington DC: International City County Management Association Heeks R (2006) Implementing and Managing E-government: An International Text, Sage Publications London.

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City District Government Faisalabad, Pakistan

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City District Government Faisalabad, Pakistan

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Dr. Umar Saif Muntazir Mehdi Gul Hafeez Khokhar

City District Government Faisalabad, Pakistan

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS S.M. Khatib Alam - Project Manager and Overall Team Leader Khatib Alam is an international management consultant with considerable experience of leading large and diverse teams on multi-disciplinary, complex and challenging projects around the world. He has a particular expertise in strategic management, organisational change management, institutional strengthening, urban development and corporate social investment. Since 2004, he has been the Overall International Team Leader on the innovative DFID funded SDLGF project.

Nadir Ehsan - Public and Private Sector Management Specialist Nadir Ehsan has a multi-disciplinary background having worked and consulted for the public, private and international NGO sectors extensively. Over the last decade he has worked in international public policy analysis, local government reform, social development and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He was the Deputy Team Leader of DFID's Strengthening Decentralized Local Government in Faisalabad Project for three years and is now based in Manila with the multi-donor Cities Development Initiatives for Asia Programme.

Humaira Khan - Communication Professional Humaira Khan has more than 6 years experience in the development sector and during the last 3 years, she has been working as a communications professional on the Strengthening Decentralized Local Government in Faisalabad project. Humaira has been involved in designing and implementing both internal & external communication strategy .

City District Government Faisalabad DCO Office, Near Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad, Pakistan Tel: +92 (0) 41 9200205 Fax: +92 (0) 41 9200206 E-mail: email@faisalabad.gov.pk Internet: http://www.faisalabad.gov.pk

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