USAID

Communications Guidelines

(revised working draft July 10, 2013)

Table of Contents Part 1: Telling the USAID Mission Story ...............................................................................................3

Part 2: Communications Tools and Channels ..................................................................................... 10

Annex A. Resources List ................................................................................................................... 16

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Purpose of the Communications Guidelines

These communications guidelines are designed to provide USAID Missions with practical knowledge and tools for communicating about the work you do. Part 1, “Telling Our Story,” provides an introduction to ‘storytelling’ and how it can help you further your communications goals. This chapter looks at how to write success stories, “spotlights” and “issue briefs” that will capture your work, as well as how to use data to illustrate achievements. This chapter also contains guidance on effectively using photos and graphics to visually display the data that support your stories. Part 2, “Communications Tools and Channels,” covers a variety of ways that USAID is currently communicating with its diverse audiences, and contains suggestions about disseminating your communications pieces so you can be sure your key messages are reaching your target audience.

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Part 1: Telling the USAID Mission Story

USAID has a long history of helping people in many countries to improve their lives. For many years, USAID captured this history through its “Telling Our Story” project1. on the USAID website:

Every day, all over the world, USAID brings peace to those who endure violence, health to those who struggle with sickness, and prosperity to those who live in poverty. It is these individuals — these uncounted thousands of lives — that are the true measure of USAID’s successes and the true face of America’s foreign assistance programs. The Telling Our Story project seeks to document these lives… Through these stories, we hope to show how the resources of America are helping better the lives of people all around the world…For USAID, this website is a tool that helps us collect stories about our work and create a record of how USAID brings hope into the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Our staff and partners share stories and photos about their work, which are then featured as a part of the USAID website and other communications materials.

Today, these stories about individual transformation are published on the USAID “transforming lives” page.2 The comprehensive, user-friendly USAID website shares much more information with the public through a “progress and data” section and through its use of social media, which will be covered in Part 2 of these guidelines. USAID Missions have their own stories to tell about the work they do. Part 1 of these guidelines will help you to consider how to convey the work you are doing to a variety of audiences, through the use of three templates/tools: success stories, spotlights and issue briefs.

Success Stories

The USAID storytelling model is a useful model that every Mission can use as part of its communications portfolio. These one-page “success stories” illustrate the favorable or desired result/outcome of a project and how it has benefitted others. A good success story tells the reader why and how a specific USAID intervention was implemented. It shares the measurable results or the impact of a project. It also communicates how the USAID Mission is making a difference to all kinds of stakeholders to ensure their continued support and participation in our work. In many cases, it is Implementing Partners who are working with the USAID Mission who are writing success stories. Here is the information that you need to know and share with your partners relevant to these communication pieces:

1 United States Agency for International Development, Telling Our Story website (no longer available).

2 United States Agency for International Development, Transforming lives. http://www.usaid.gov/results-

data/success-stories

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Success stories are brief, normally under 360 words, and follow a basic, three-part structure that can be described as follows: Challenge—Activity—Result. Each component can be described as follows:

Challenge: The first two paragraphs identify the challenge encountered and the context of the development program.

Activity: From the challenge, the next paragraph or two describes the action that USAID or its partners took to improve the situation.

Result: The conclusion of the story, in one or two paragraphs, describes the end result or benefit. What changed? What was the impact?

Within that basic success story structure, follow the five “W’s” of journalism: Who, What, When, Where and Why. For success story writers, this means answering these questions:

1. Who are the beneficiaries in the story? And who is leading the change process? 2. What is the challenge? The answer to this question might include the context of the

challenge as well as the characteristics of the project or intervention. 3. When did this story take place? 4. Where does the story take place? 5. Why is this important? (This final question might be phrased as a “how” question, as in

“How does this make a difference”)? Along with the basic three-part structure, there are several other key elements to a good success story:

They show a “human face”: USAID success stories are very personal, taking the “big picture” of a challenge and describing its impact on one particular individual.

Contextual quotes: First-hand testimonies from beneficiaries or others involved in the project add context and credibility.

Quantitative data: Statistics or other numerical data help to convey the nature of the challenge and the impact/results of the project.

Strong writing: The writer should be able to write a simple, jargon-free headline that shows impact; use clear language and avoid acronyms or technical vocabulary.

A few things to avoid in your stories:

Data without context. Using statistics that present percentages with no sense of context or scale is ineffective. Telling your readers that contraceptive use has risen by 15%, for example, does not give any sense of the size of the population in the project being implemented. Be clear about how many people are benefitting from the intervention by using whole numbers first.

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Avoid jargon. Stories must be understandable to the average reader, not just to USAID health or development specialists. Avoid acronyms and technical language as much as possible.

Avoid using money spent as an indicator of effective programming. Effective programming is indicated by programmatic outputs and outcomes: the number of people receiving health services or the legislation of a new health policy into law are both stronger examples of effective programming than how many dollars were spent.

You can visit the USAID Webpage for more information on USAID’s storytelling model: http://transition.usaid.gov/stories/guidelines.html

Spotlights and Issue Briefs

With these guidelines, USAID is introducing “Spotlights” and “Issue Briefs,” two new templates/ tools that Missions may choose to use as part of their communications efforts. The two-page spotlights look at one specific element of USAID’s contributions to the health sector, while the four-page issue briefs help Missions to provide a detailed overview of USAID’s larger contributions to the health sector within a country, or the overall policy environment. Spotlights: The two-page spotlights are normally under 550 words, although this will depend upon the number of photos/graphics used. While the content focuses on one specific element, it may look at all the facets within that element. Spotlights differ from success stories in that they are not trying to put a “human face” on the work of USAID, but are, instead, explaining how a USAID Mission is improving one specific health situation through a variety of programs or interventions. Four examples of spotlight topics related to HIV and AIDS are:

Gender in HIV and AIDS

Using mHealth Services in the Response to HIV and AIDS

Addressing the Challenges of People Living with HIV

Responding to the Needs of Key Populations For another example, three spotlights for a USAID Mission that is heavily invested in addressing malaria might include these:

Assessing Malaria Risks in [name of country]

Protecting Pregnant Women Against Malaria (focusing on intermittent preventive treatment)

Behavior Change Communication and Malaria (focusing on use of long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets)

The structure for a spotlight communications piece is a bit more flexible than the structure for a success story. Ideally it, too, consists of three components: Introduction to the topic—Activities—Results. These can be summarized as follows:

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Introduction: The first paragraph, or even the first few paragraphs, broadly identify the particular problem as well as how USAID is responding to the problem.

Activities: From this broad opening, the next few paragraphs narrow the focus to how USAID and its partners are working to improve the situation. Missions have a great deal of flexibility on how to structure this section. One idea is to highlight, in brief paragraphs, the variety of USAID funded projects in this area, focusing on each one’s unique contributions.

Results: To truly show impact, spotlight pieces must highlight results.

Along with the basic three-part structure, there are several other key elements to a good spotlight:

Use sub-headings: Rather than having a two-page narrative with no breaks, use sub-headings to divide up your content.

Quantitative data: Results may take the form of statistics or other numerical data that best convey how the project is having an impact.

Strong writing: As with all communications pieces for a wide audience, spotlights should be written in simple language and avoid acronyms or technical language as much as possible. If used, acronyms or technical terms must be clearly explained.

Issue briefs: The four-page issue briefs can run anywhere from 1,100 words to 1,400 words (again depending upon the number of photos/graphics used). Issue brief content reviews a larger theme or a USAID Mission’s contribution to the health sector within a country or the country’s policy environment. Issue briefs, like spotlights, do not aim to put a “human face” on an issue but instead examine that issue at the highest level. Four examples of topics for issue briefs might include:

Building Local Capacity within the Health Sector

Strengthening the Health System

Improving Maternal Health

Reducing Under-Five Child Mortality The structure for an issue brief is similar to that for a spotlight—with the same flexibility. Missions will find that the bonus of this four-page template/tool is that there is more space to describe in greater depth USAID’s approach and its contributions in addressing the specific issue. Strong issue briefs will have many of the same elements that spotlights do—in particular, use of sub-headings and quantitative data. All three different communications vehicles—success stories, spotlights and issue briefs—should be supported by strong photos, as described below.

Photographs

A good photograph is an essential element of a success story. Good photos show faces clearly; are colorful and capture the readers’ attention; show beneficiaries engaged in a relevant

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activity; and help bring the story to life. Group shots of more than two people are far less interesting than a photo showing one or two people engaged in an activity. Ask people’s permission before taking photographs of partners or beneficiaries. Use discretion. Typically, one shouldn’t show the face of a patient receiving health care. (Consider that people might not want to be photographed getting an HIV test, for example.) Digital photos should be shot with at least a 3-megapixel resolution. JPEG files are preferred. If you don’t have good photos of your own, Photoshare (http://www.photoshare.org/) is an excellent source for international health and development photos that are free for nonprofit and educational use. It also has a section related to development and photography ethics, where you can find a sample “informed consent” release form if you prefer to obtain written consent from the partners and beneficiaries you are photographing (http://www.photoshare.org/resources/development-photography-ethics).

Using Graphics Effectively

Graphics are often underutilized. Use graphics to divide up the text for the reader, summarize complex information, and greatly improve your final document.

Don’t try to fit too much information into a graph. A graph highlights the important information but cannot and should not provide explanation for every nuance of the material. Use your narrative for that.

Don’t use graphics and illustrations that contain too little information (for example, two data points)—or too much information.

Label chart axis and sections of graphs clearly and concisely.

Consider how the graph will look when printed. Is it too small to read? How will your multi-colored chart look when printed? How will your graphics look if your report is in black and white?

Vary the types of graphics that you use, and be sure to choose the right type of graph for the information you are presenting. See the Guide to Illustrations and Tables for advice about this point, below.

Don’t rely on graphs alone to convey information. Be sure there is accompanying explanatory text.

Use photos (in black and white if color is not affordable).

Use tables to synthesize information, such as all the types of training the project carried out and the numbers of people trained, or to compare before situations to after situations.

Remember to include information (such as the total population) that puts data into context.

Use text boxes and sidebars to highlight items, such as quotations, that are important and will make the document interesting to read.

Here is a quick guide to the best types of charts and graphs to use, depending on the information you want to convey.

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Guide to Illustrations and Tables

Type of information to present Best graphic Why?

Trend over time (e.g., number of women trained in community-based distribution during FY 11)

Line graph Simple, shows trend of (and relationship among) data without unnecessary extras

Parts of a whole; when proportions/ percentages are relevant (e.g., contraceptive method mix)

Pie chart Easy to absorb information; not good for more complicated assessments, just show how much goes where

Summary data for analyzing data over a specific period of time (e.g., number of clients served by community health workers, stationary clinic, mobile clinic)

Bar graphs Side-by-side presentation of different information (info items not dependent on each other)

To emphasize that you’re comparing two distinct bits of information (e.g., actual and target)

Combination chart

Distinguishes the two types of information while still allowing the reader to compare

The USAID Graphics Standards Manual is also a good source for ensuring you meet USAID branding and marking guidelines and follow USAID graphics guidelines consistently: http://transition.usaid.gov/branding/USAID_Graphic_Standards_Manual.pdf

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Part 2: Communications Channels Identifying the most appropriate channels for communicating about the work that you do enhances the visibility of communications pieces and ensures your key messages are reaching your target audience. USAID Missions work with many target audiences. Below are some suggested communication methods (at right) for various stakeholders you might be working with (in left column):

Suggested Communication Methods for Each Stakeholder Group3

Government officials

• dissemination workshops • face-to-face meetings • policy forums • issue briefs • public websites

Program managers

• monthly or quarterly reports • summary reports • success stories, spotlights and issue briefs • audiovisual presentations

Civil society, NGOs and professional associations

• fact sheets • success stories, spotlights and issue briefs • audiovisual presentations

Private-sector

• success stories, spotlights and issue briefs • audiovisual presentations

General public

• press releases • radio • television • Web-based media

Other donors/funders

• spotlights and issue briefs • full research report • face-to-face meetings

Academic researchers and international agencies/organizations

• peer-reviewed article • research databases • oral and poster presentations • CD-ROM • Websites

3 Adapted from Making Research Findings Actionable: A quick reference to communicating health

information for decision-making, USAID/MEASURE Evaluation. 2009

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There are many different communications channels. In these pages, we look at new media in general and some of USAID’s communication platforms that are available to USAID Missions. When we talk about ‘new media,’ we mean in general:

Websites: Most implementing partners have their own websites, highlighting who they are, what they do, and how others might become involved in their work. Implementing partners’ websites should also showcase the support they receive from USAID to implement their programs.

Blogs: Blogs are found on the Internet and can best be described as an “online” discussion or information site. Many implementing partners now include blogs as a part of their web content – it is a way for an organization to share their ideas in short, informal written stories that often reflect opinions or are based around current events. Some organizations with limited resources may choose to develop a simple blog rather than a full-fledged website. Some tips on blog writing are provided below.

Social media: Among the most frequently used social media sites are Facebook, YouTube, SlideShare and Twitter.

o Facebook: Facebook is a free social website founded in 2004, open to individuals and organizations. By creating a “page,” users have an open forum in which to write messages, post photos and share videos. Learn more at www.facebook.com

o YouTube: YouTube, launched in 2005, is a web-based platform for posting, sharing and viewing videos. Learn more at www.youtube.com

o SlideShare: This site (which bills itself as “the world’s largest community for sharing presentations”) offers users the opportunity to upload presentations and documents, download them, and reuse or customize them for their own use. Learn more at http://www.slideshare.net/

o Twitter: Twitter was launched in 2006 as a “real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news about what you find interesting.” Learn more at www.twitter.com. There is also an excellent Webinar by the Global Health Knowledge Collaborative about using Twitter here: http://www.globalhealthknowledge.org/resources/webinar-basics-twitter

Social media differs from traditional media in that it is much more a “two-way street” – that is, it is a platform for exchange between many individuals. Social media sites are concerned about developing community – moving beyond delivering messages to actually engaging their users in having conversations, sharing, and exchange. While in traditional media the “storytellers” are trained journalists or broadcasters, in social media, anyone can contribute. This has led to social media being used as a true vehicle for influencing change – witness the use of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in the Middle East during the Arab Spring. Social media is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.

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For further guidance on developing and implementing a social media strategy, access the Global Health Knowledge Collaborative “Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit” at http://www.globalhealthknowledge.org/resources/health-communicator%E2%80%99s-social-media-toolkit.

USAID’s web-based communications channels

In the USAID Customer Service Plan, dated 10/26/11, the Agency highlights how it is increasing public information through Web-based and social media engagement. The Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs is in the process of creating formal guidelines for Agency use of social media. Please contact the LPA for further details. USAID’s Impact Blog (http://blog.usaid.gov/ is an excellent forum for sharing stories about USAID’s work in your country. It uses an informal writing style, compared to the formal writing found in reports or technical documents. Blog entries are usually quite short, perhaps just a few paragraphs long (fewer than 400 words). A few tips about writing for the Impact Blog:

1. Choose a catchy title for your blog post The title of your post is basically a headline. It is meant to lure readers in and entice them to read more.

2. Choose an appropriate tone for your blog post

Every blog has a target audience it's written for. Before you start writing blog posts, determine who your primary and secondary audiences will be. Who will want to read your blog and why? Identify not only your goals for your blog but also your audience's expectations for it. Then, decide what tone would be most appropriate.

3. Be honest

Blogs that are written in an honest voice and truly show who the writer is are often the most popular. Represent yourself and your content honestly and openly and reader loyalty will undoubtedly grow.

4. Write in short paragraphs

The visual appeal of your blog's content can be just as important as the content itself. Write your blog posts in short paragraphs (no more than 2-3 sentences is a safe rule) to provide visual relief from a text heavy webpage. Text heavy webpages and blog posts can be overwhelming to readers while pages with a lot of white space are easier to skim and more likely to keep readers on the page.

5. Use images in your blog posts Images provide more than just color and visual relief from text heavy webpages on a blog. Images of people who have benefited from your work, or graphics illustrating the impact of the work, help bring your story to life.

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6. Respond to readers’ comments about your blog post Comments are where your readers have an opportunity to join the conversation. Check your blog posts occasionally to see if people have left comments, and respond to the comments to continue the conversation about your work.

Here are a few examples of places you can see sample blog posts: Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Regional Exchange (SHARE) Blog: http://www.hivsharespace.net/blogs Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project Blog: http://www.k4health.org/blog In addition to the Impact Blog, USAID has several other web-based tools that it uses frequently. One of these, the e-newsletter, is a biweekly agency communications tool that highlights top USAID stories from Washington DC and around the world: http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/newsletter Another is the web-based issue of FrontLines magazine, the news publication of USAID that was originally published in print (and still is). Today, it reaches a wider audience through its presence on the USAID website: http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/feed-future/about-frontlines

Videos In the past, videos were often an expensive proposition that would involve hiring a professional video crew, filming hours and hours’ worth of footage, editing the footage down into a more concise video, and then making multiple copies on cassettes or DVDs for distribution. The advent of new technology combined with the birth of social media has greatly changed the way videos are made these days. Most digital cameras now offer video capability, and websites like Facebook and YouTube make video dissemination quite easy. It is important, however, to understand that just because everyone can shoot a video, it doesn’t mean that every organization should. The creation of videos should be considered as a strategic tactic only if it helps meet your Mission’s communications goals and if you can ensure a quality product. Remember that when shooting video, you must get the expressed consent of your subjects and clearly explain the purpose of the footage. Each person in the videos must know if their interview or footage will be put on the Internet, and give their consent. Videos and photography draw our audiences in, giving a clearer and more engaging context of the importance of knowledge management and its contribution to global health. These guidelines describe tips to shooting video and conducting video interviews.

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Video clips should be no longer than 10 minutes. Please keep this mind when shooting footage. (The Flip camera is an example of an affordable video camera that can shoot up to 120 minutes of footage: http://support.theflip.com/en-us/home/.)

Each video clip should come with an accompany write-up with includes a description indicating who is in the video and the date the video was shot.

Make sure to get the full name, correct spelling, and title of each person you interview.

Tip: Bring extra AA batteries in case the rechargeable battery dies before you have a chance to recharge it.

When shooting footage on staff trips to the field or conferences, please shoot some extra “scenery”, or other relevant background imagery.

Camera microphones pick up ambient noise easily if you are far away from your subject. To minimize noise, stand close to the person you are interviewing.

When shooting footage, make sure to look at the camera screen the entire time to frame the shot nicely – you don’t want to cut off people’s faces!

Try to avoid a straight-on shot; shoot the person you’re interviewing from a slight angle to the left or right. It may help to have someone else hold the camera next to you while you interview your subject.

Ask the person you're interviewing to look at you, not at the camera.

Ask the person you’re interviewing to say his/her name, her organization or affiliation, and spell their name to begin the interview. This can be edited out later and will help us to identify interviews and write captions.

Use the zoom function as little as possible. The more you zoom in, the more sensitive the camera is to shaking and the lower the picture quality.

USAID’s Impact Blog has a feature called “video of the week” which shares short, informative videos on development relating to USAID’s mandate. Two examples can be found here at these links: http://blog.usaid.gov/category/video-of-the-week/page/2/ http://blog.usaid.gov/2013/06/video-of-the-week-the-powerful-women-of-kenya-fortified/ Two other examples, both about family planning, come from the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation Project and USAID’s Knowledge for Health (K4Health) project: http://www.urbanreproductivehealth.org/project-videos http://www.k4health.org/blog/post/power-film-spreading-family-planning-messages-malawi

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Dissemination Guidance: Distribution of communications products Below are a few recommendations for distributing communications products.

PDFs of communications pieces such as success stories, spotlights and issue briefs should be made available for download on your Mission’s webpage.

Distribution of communications materials should also include the State Department’s Public Affairs Offices.

Email distribution to USAID technical/program offices.

Send printed materials with technical and management staff so they can distribute them when they attend public events and travel to field sites to work with implementing partners.

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Annex A. Resources List

Making Research Findings Actionable: A quick reference to communicating health information

for decision-making, USAID/MEASURE Evaluation. 2009

http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/ms-09-39

Global Health Knowledge Collaborative resources:

http://www.globalhealthknowledge.org/resources

Global Health Knowledge Collaborative Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit:

http://www.globalhealthknowledge.org/resources/health-communicator%E2%80%99s-social-

media-toolkit

USAID storytelling model: http://transition.usaid.gov/stories/guidelines.html

USAID Graphics Standards Manual:

http://transition.usaid.gov/branding/USAID_Graphic_Standards_Manual.pdfUSAID Impact

Blog: http://blog.usaid.gov/

Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Regional Exchange (SHARE) Blog:

http://www.hivsharespace.net/blogs

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) Global Health Impact Blog: http://blog.msh.org/

Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project Blog: http://www.k4health.org/blog

Photoshare: http://www.photoshare.org/