Communicating with communities clearly
How NGO staff can share information with communities in clear language, through several channels, and close the loop on feedback they receive.
Short answer
Communicate with communities by sharing clear, simple information in local languages through more than one channel, and by making it easy to give feedback. Tell people what you will do, who is eligible, when and how, and what you cannot do. Record feedback, respond to it, and report back what changed. Check that people understood.
Key points
- Use clear, simple words in the languages people speak.
- Use more than one channel, because one will not reach everyone.
- Share eligibility, timing, delays and rights, not only good news.
- Record every piece of feedback and respond to it.
- Check that people understood, and adjust.
Why is clear communication part of the work?
If people do not know what a project will do, rumours start. Expectations grow beyond what the project can deliver. Trust falls. The Red Cross Red Crescent guide to community engagement and accountability says that not sharing information about the response can lead to rumours, unrealistic expectations and a breakdown of trust.
Communication is not only an extra task after the programme work. The guide treats it as part of how a response is run. Information is also help in itself: people use it to make choices about safety, health and where to find services.
What information should you share?
The IFRC guide advises sharing information on operational plans, progress and activities, selection criteria, distribution processes, delays and challenges, and people's rights and entitlements. Add to this list:
- Who you are. Your organisation, and how to recognise your staff.
- What you will do and what you will not do. Be honest about limits.
- Who can take part and how people are chosen. Unclear targeting causes conflict. See fair targeting criteria.
- When and where. Dates, places, times.
- How to give feedback or complain, including a safe route for sensitive issues.
- When the project will end, and who people can contact afterwards. The guide notes that ending an operation without warning can harm the relationship with the community.
How do you choose channels and language?
The IFRC guide says to use multiple communication channels, because one channel will not reach everyone, and to make sure information is clear, simple and in local languages. UNICEF's minimum quality standards for community engagement add that communities should be reached in linguistically and culturally appropriate formats.
| Channel | Works well for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Face to face by staff or volunteers | Trust, questions, sensitive topics | Takes time; message may change from person to person |
| Community meetings | Sharing plans with many people | Quieter people may not speak |
| Posters and pictures | Simple, fixed messages | Low literacy; needs to be in the right language |
| Phone, SMS or messaging apps | Fast updates | Connectivity, phone ownership, privacy |
| Radio or loudspeaker | Wide reach | One-way unless you add a call-in |
In Myanmar, language, literacy, phone access and connectivity differ a lot between areas and groups. Ask the community which channels they trust and use. Check women, older people, people with disabilities and minority language speakers separately, because they may use different channels.
How do you write a clear message?
Use the same plain language rules you use for reports: short sentences, familiar words, the main point first. For a community message, also:
- Say the key action first: "Come to the school on 12 March, 9 am, with your ID card."
- Use the local word people use, not a project term.
- Avoid acronyms.
- Have a local speaker read your text aloud before you use it.
- Keep the same message across all channels and all staff. Give volunteers a short question-and-answer sheet, as the IFRC guide suggests, so they can answer accurately.
See also English skills for NGO work for plain writing habits.
How do you handle feedback?
The IFRC guide defines a feedback mechanism as a system for receiving, analysing, responding and acting on community feedback, including complaints, questions, requests, suggestions, rumours and praise. Its minimum requirements include at least two channels for collecting feedback, a way of recording it and tracking unanswered issues, a response to every person, and safe handling of sensitive reports such as sexual exploitation and abuse or corruption.
A simple loop:
- Collect through at least two channels.
- Record each item in one log, with date, topic and channel.
- Respond to the person, even if the answer is no.
- Discuss patterns in team meetings.
- Report back to the community on what changed.
Our guide on complaints and feedback mechanisms goes deeper.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Good news only. Share delays and limits too.
- One channel. You will miss people.
- Collecting feedback and not answering. This is worse than not asking.
- Putting community members at risk. Do not publish names, exact locations or sensitive details.
- Different messages from different staff. Train everyone on one message.
How EMPO can help
EMPO is a trusted training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. We run Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and Effective Communication Skills training in Yangon and across Myanmar, online or in person, in English and Burmese. See our training services or contact us.
Sources
- A Red Cross Red Crescent Guide to Community Engagement and Accountability — IFRC and ICRC, 2022
Questions people ask
What should we tell communities about a project?
Share what the project will do, who can take part and how people are chosen, when and where activities happen, any delays, and how to give feedback. Also tell people when the project will end.
How do we reach people with low literacy or no phone?
Use face-to-face methods, community meetings, posters with pictures, and trusted community members. Ask the community which channels they prefer.
What do we do with a complaint we cannot solve?
Tell the person honestly what you can and cannot do, and refer them to another organisation or authority where that is appropriate and safe.