F.6: Communications
Communicating FAO's messages Other Information:
The issue: Communication must be regarded as an integral part of FAO's substantive programmes. The effectiveness and credibility
of the Organization as a policy-making forum and a unique, multilingual centre of excellence, knowledge and technical expertise
depend to a considerable degree on its ability to communicate. FAO cannot rely on the influence of a knowledgeable few to
sell the added value of the Organization to others. Its ability to secure the necessary support to fulfil its mandate will
depend on the quality and effectiveness of its communications to maintain a credible, coherent public image, build understanding
and support, counter misperceptions and inform key audiences of the services it offers to the international community. FAO
needs to communicate general messages related to its overall mandate, as well as specific messages directed towards particular
audiences or related to the priorities of the Organization. Delivering these messages effectively involves dialogue and a
genuine exchange of information and views both within the membership and the Secretariat and with FAO's other key interlocutors
such as the media and partners in the UN system, civil society, the private sector and the technical and scientific communities.
Effective communication will require ongoing adequate commitments of human and financial resources throughout the Organization.
Even in times of budgetary stringency, it is necessary to continue investing in the process of sharing information and influencing
public opinion. The strategy: The Organization's Corporate Communication Policy and Strategy, introduced in 1998, provides
the blueprint for managing FAO's diverse communication resources and needs. Its cardinal principles - participatory planning,
corporate focus and decentralized implementation - offer a framework for coordination and cooperation among all units of the
Organization. The strategy involves: a) concentrating on priority issues and opportunities and identifying and targeting strategic
external audiences, utilizing a variety of channels to reach and interact with defined target groups in a planned, coordinated
fashion; b) reaching out directly to civil society and the general public to raise awareness and understanding of the issues
related to FAO's mandate, including strategic use of all branches of the media as channels to communicate key messages on
the theme of food security, and to promote the important role of FAO in helping countries to achieve the goals of the World
Food Summit; c) pursuing World Food Day, related special events, and Food for All Campaigns as means of raising public awareness
and generating additional resources for food security and agricultural and rural development work; d) reviewing, coordinating
and monitoring implementation of the communication policy, strategy and programmes; this will include, in particular, the
publication of information products that are of the highest quality and that project a consistent and appropriate corporate
image of the Organization; e) ensuring a proactive and systematic approach to communication planning and budgeting, to enable
a well-planned and well-funded public information effort that supports and is consistent with the Organization's substantive
programme of work; and f) establishing and sustaining a "communication culture", based on a shared foundation of knowledge
in which FAO staff become informed and convinced partners in its communication efforts.
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