The Impact of COVID-19 on Communication, Community Engagement and Accountability: Perspectives from Stakeholders, Communicators and Audiences

"The COVID-19 pandemic put communication and community engagement at the forefront of humanitarian action, perhaps at a scale like never before....With social restrictions accelerating the use by some of technology and digitalisation, humanitarian organisations were confronted by the need to consider new ways to engage with communities..."

The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on the importance of effective dialogue and communication, on the need for accurate information, and on the value of engagement in developing communication that ensures access by all affected. Indeed, communication, community engagement, and accountability (CCEA) has been recognised as the cornerstone of maximising the impact of humanitarian action. This study identifies changes, if any, to the CCEA landscape as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining five key trends and offering recommendations for forward planning. It was commissioned by CDAC Network as part of the project Operationalising Localisation and the Participation Revolution: Communications Preparedness and Accountability for Disaster Response in Fiji and Vanuatu, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The research for this study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches combining: early community consultations with disaster-affected communities; a literature review; 44 key informant interviews (KIIs) with media development practitioners, humanitarians, media workers, and journalists; a survey distributed globally to 180 respondents; and 29 community-based focus group discussions (FGDs) with 150 participants in four countries: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Fiji, and Zimbabwe. Community groups in these four countries guided questions for data collection, and a study reference group comprised of humanitarian experts supported the overall study design and review process.

Overall, the study points to nuanced differences in trends that were observed across countries but found little to suggest substantial and sustainable change to the CCEA landscape as a whole. There was a gap between the perceived change in the landscape amongst global and community-based study respondents, but it appeared that changes at the local level tended to be an increased use of existing channels rather than the introduction and use of new approaches and technologies for CCE. People with different vulnerabilities, ages, and gender experienced different information needs, and the challenge of inclusion in CCEA was accentuated during the pandemic.

As explained here, ideally, CCEA is implemented using a participatory framework to encourage ownership and strengthen learning and change outcomes. It is based on evidence that, when communities are engaged in the creation, development, and dissemination of communication tools that address their needs, the impact, learning, and potential for change are greater. It is accepted as good practice that, at a minimum, communication in humanitarian and developmental contexts should be in the language of the receiver, directly address the needs and concerns of the target audience or affected population, be inclusive, and reach everyone, especially the vulnerable.

However, even prior to COVID-19, advancing CCEA has been challenged by a range of factors, such as insufficient investment in and inclusion of local preferences, action, and leadership. The scale and rapid spread of COVID-19 meant communication material was designed and produced quickly, with little or no audience testing or active engagement. One key informant in Zimbabwe said the approach was "top-down, fear-based and heavy-handed". In many cases, information was not contextualised or communicated in the appropriate language, people were often excluded, and the message was less effective as a result. Furthermore, physical distancing and lockdowns "raised new challenges for community organising, particularly in low-income communities where social interactions are often face-to-face and collective, and where digital access may be more limited".

Communication strategies on COVID-19 consistently emphasised the importance of community-level involvement, but both community and key-informant perspectives showed this to be rarely achieved, with some exceptions. In most places, the study found a disparity between national communication strategies and practical application. In some instances, more agency and power were reported before COVID-19, as local leaders or influencers would determine themselves what to say through, for example, their loud-speakers. During the pandemic in many cases, they were broadcasting prerecorded bulletins.

Recommendations for tackling longstanding CCEA blockages and ensuring audience-centred design of CCEA approaches to strengthen communication outcomes:

• Ensure coordination is context appropriate, inclusive, and well communicated.
• Focus on long-term investment in systems, relationships, and structures through better cooperation and linkages with audiences and communicators, people, and communities engaged in CCEA outside of the humanitarian context.
• Understand that meaningful dialogue occurs when it is timely, in the correct language and format, and is trusted and relatable. This necessitates engagement with and between people and communities before action occurs.
• Map community structures and trusted leaders in communities at the outset of a programme to ensure that any internationally developed and curated information can be adapted, contextualised, and disseminated via appropriate channels.
• Prioritise two-way communication and contextualised information disseminated by trusted community actors.
• Be cautious of the difference between information and messaging. Global information sharing may have been necessary during the pandemic, but messaging developed locally often meant that it was more appropriate and impactful.

In addition to this trend of COVID-19 dominating information flows throughout 2020-2021 and community engagement being weakened, four other key trends include:

• Travel disruption and widespread lockdowns saw an increase in the use of digital technologies, but this shift was not as significant as global actors believe and was often an inadequate substitute for face-to-face or more "traditional" interactive methods. Women were particularly vulnerable to exclusion from communication as channels transitioned online. Recommendations:
  • Ensure that digital and technology approaches take into account the diverse capacity and demands of its stakeholders. Design should take an audience-centred approach and be complemented by alternative, non-digital methods to ensure inclusion.
  • Invest in ways to better integrate legacy and community media. Given the importance of radio and other methods of communication, a focus on partnership and capacity will ensure such actors are not overlooked.
  • Understand data risks associated with increased reliance on digital technology and how these risks can affect personnel, organisations, and beneficiaries, and undertake work to mitigate these risks.
• The proliferation of information, the entrance of "new" information providers, and increased engagement in social media led to an increase in mis- and disinformation, which has shifted patterns of trust. Recommendations:
  • Implement a holistic and multi-faceted approach to mis- and disinformation that uses technology, capacity-building, and media literacy efforts.
  • Embed efforts to counter rumours and harmful myths in development work to address underlying drivers and ensure sustained, in-depth, and multi-direction communication.
  • Invest in understanding community trusted sources, as trust is a critical determinant of effective CCEA.
• Local actors, including communities, played a critical role and were heavily relied upon for the delivery of information. But this role does not appear to have translated into increased decision-making power or funding transfer. In some cases, the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened existing inequalities between agencies and has further centralised decision-making. Recommendations:
  • Consider incentives and access requirements in order make partnership more meaningful.
  • Invest more heavily in community structures for engagement.
• Communication and engagement were well recognised as central to the global response to COVID-19 and as such is better understood overall. In many cases, linkages between key actors have improved and offer an opportunity for leveraging increased impact. Recommendations:
  • Ensure that actors come together to put communities first and avoid fragmenting a central issue to response.
  • Develop a common funding ask for donors, focused on people-centred and community led CCEA.
  • Invest in further research on better understanding trust, communication, and existing systems in order to improve engagement by communities in decision-making.