Communication and Liaison Between Regional and National Scales Activity leader: Elvis Addae,

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3. Communications and Documenting Lessons Learned

The mid-term evaluation of the project highlighted that “communication with local and District level stakeholders and of technical materials has been exemplary” but also stated that “communication products targeted to the needs of national and international stakeholders are less apparent”. The first two recommendations for the remainder of the project as stated in the evaluation report are: Identify and document lessons learned “We feel that the project has invested very widely in engaging a very large number of stakeholders. That has been positive, but we believe the learning from that can only be captured through reflective analysis. We suggest the project focus its remaining energies more on analyzing and capturing lessons learned than on new initiatives.” Communicate carefully “Choose strategic messages, especially targeted, synthetic lessons to upper level, high visibility policy makers and decision makers. Policy briefs and white papers such those now in progress are valuable; we think there also is a significant need for items that are shorter, more synthetic and more targeted.” In line with these recommendations, Year 4 will see greatly enhanced communications actions at the national level as well as a participatory approach at that level for documenting and sharing lessons learned. Activities surrounding the preparation, review and subsequent publication of issues briefs in the leading national newspaper will serve to accomplish this task as well as the set of activities associated with preparing a Fisheries Legislative Instrument. The final report will serve as a capstone document that is a readable account of what Hen Mpoano has done, learned, and clearly orients a well-thought out way forward. Hen Mpoano will continue its successful communications campaign at the local and regional level and will advocate for a transitioning of the communications activities to other programmatic partners such as the World Bank WARFP and the upcoming DFID investments in the coastal zone.

3.1 Communication and Liaison Between Regional and National Scales Activity leader: Elvis Addae,

Team members: George Hutchful, Kofi Agbogah, Donkris Mevute, Kyei Yamoah, Linda Dnase The issues briefs series will serve as the main tool for communicating at the national level what: 1 Hen Mpoano has learned; 2 what Hen Mpoano is doing and; 3 what Hen Mpoano suggests as a way forward for coastal and fisheries governance issues in Ghana. Each issues brief is structured around communicating the three points above. Strong momentum has been created in developing Issue Briefs that will communicate and guide policy development and implementation see Section 1.1.2. Parallel, synthetic messages intended to get top level decision makers interested in fisheries and coastal policy development. “Briefs of briefs” would raise the curiosity of higher level decision makers, encouraging them to direct their staff to pay more attention to issue briefs and the nested governance paper. Visibility for ICFG, CRC and US AID as well as an increase in political support at the national level that would empower changes sought in the Region. As part of the communication process, we suggest the project clarify and demonstrate clear linkages with Feed the Future. The topics and key messages will be identified in part by the development process of the 44 issue briefs and working papers and well as experiences from “learning by doing” in the field Components 1.2 and 2. The preparation of the briefs will entail a rigorous review process that itself serves to communicate with targeted stakeholder groups and to engage them in discussion on each issue and envisioning the way forward. The briefs will be published in the Daily Graphic newspaper as a Hen Mpoano series with a listing of the Hen Mpoano advisory board members with each publication. Finally, events will be planned around the publication of each brief. These events will include: workshops; ceremonies highlighting an accomplishment in the Western Region; press conferences; radio call in shows; or events surrounding international theme days such as World Wetland Day. The issues briefs will also be printed in glossy handout documents for wide distribution. Summary of Key Tasks, Outputs and Targets: Component 3.1 Table of Key Activities Tasks 3.1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Round table sessions to prepare issues briefs X X Publication of issues briefs and events X X X Documentation of feedback X Summary List of Key Outputs Tasks 3.1 • Issues briefs published • Reports from events surrounding each issue brief • Documented feedback that contributes to final capstone document and the “proposed nested coastal governance system

3.2 Communication at the Local and Regional and National Scale