Transcript FCO – Politico-Military Communication issues

Strategic Communication
Masterclass:
31st October 2011
Conrad Bird, Head of Public Diplomacy & Strategic
Communication, FCO
Why strategic communications?
• Protecting the UK depends increasingly on an ability to influence
individuals, groups and states.
• States and non state actors are taking advantage of a globally connected
world to recruit individuals and encourage hostile behaviours.
• The modern media environment means that people’s perceptions and
misperceptions can matter as much as the reality and persuasive words,
deeds and images can be transmitted globally instantly.
• Hard power remains effective, but as the nature of conflict becomes more
asymmetrical alternative methods of influence, such as strategic
communications, will play a more important role.
Different definitions exist ….
‘Focused United States Government efforts to understand and engage
key audiences to create, strengthen, or preserve conditions favorable
for the advancement of United States Government interests, policies
and objectives through the use of coordinated programs, plans, themes,
messages and products synchronized with the actions of all instruments
of national power.’
Strategic Communication is first and foremost a process that supports
and underpins all efforts to achieve the Alliance's objectives; an enabler
that guides and informs our decisions, and not an organization in itself.
It is for this reason that Strategic Communication considerations should
be integrated into the earliest planning phases - communication
activities being a consequence of that planning’ NATO
‘Co-ordinated actions, messages, images and other forms of signalling
or engagement intended to inform, influence or persuade selected
audiences to support national objectives’
Understanding audiences and harnessing our
assets to engage
and influence
them: our
Strategic
Communications
definition
of strategic
Communication
coverscommunication
words, images and public actions. It
includes public information, public affairs, information
• Systematic: planned strategies
operations, defence diplomacy, soft power
activities and
– short, medium and long-term
‘The systematic
and coordinated
use of all
diplomatic
campaigning.
• Delivering Objectives; focused
means of communication to deliver UK objectives
on HMG priorities
•
Systematic:
planned
strategies
–
short,
medium
and longby influencing the attitudes and behaviours of
• Understanding audiences:
term
research, polls, influencer
individuals,
groups and states. Communication
mapping etc
covers
images and
public actions.focused
It
• words,
Delivering
Objectives;
on FCO/HMG
priorities
• Connecting with them: via
includes public information, public affairs,
combined
HMG efforts, PD
• Understanding audiences: research, polls,
influencer
information operations, defence diplomacy, soft
Partners, Commonwealth &
mapping etc
Chevening, Posts, Ministers,
power activities and diplomatic campaigning’.
• Connecting with them: via combined HMG
efforts,
credible
voices -PD
using channels
consume
Partners, Commonwealth & Chevening, they
Posts,
Ministers,
• Change attitudes/behaviours:
credible voices - using channels they consume
delivering and measuring our
impact
• Change attitudes/behaviours: delivering
and measuring our
impact
The 5 ‘modes’ of stratcomms we identified
 Reassure: Public messaging designed to reassure and build trust in the
institutions responsible for protecting the citizens of the UK
 Prompt: Activities designed to engage UK individuals, communities and
businesses to inform, alert and drive behaviours that build resilience
 Indirect Influence: Activities that reduce the likelihood of actions against
UK interests by building international influence (soft power)
 Direct Influence – non state: Activities designed to change attitudes and
influence the behaviours of individuals or groups, including those who are
hostile or potentially hostile to the UK or are vulnerable to hostile
messaging
 Direct Influence – states: Communications in support of diplomatic efforts
designed to influence friendly or hostile states, either on a bilateral or
multi-lateral basis
10 practical principles ….
1. Clear and measurable communications objectives flowing
from well-defined policy objectives
2. A strong evidence base, including understanding of drivers of
attitudes and behaviours, and of competitors’ activity
3. Systematic evaluation applied to all activity
4. Systematic use of messages and narratives that resonate
with target audiences to change attitudes and/or behaviour
5. Multi-skilled teams empowered to deliver quickly and flexibly
10 practical principles ….
6.
Integration across Government, with policy and
international partners
7. Innovative channels that connect with audiences and the
use of powerful visual imagery:
8. Use of credible voices, brands and mechanisms that can
connect with audiences effectively
9. Use of case studies of UK overseas activities eg
development programmes, to generate trust and support
UK objectives
10. Sharing of best practice techniques and examples to drive
up standards across Government
‘A whole of Government effort’ involving
policy and partners…
Plus GoP, NGOs, networks, international partners etc….
Clear objectives and audience understanding
are at the heart of an effective approach
Strategic communications efforts contain
big moments supported by ongoing activity
…your
evolving story
…another
chapter in…
Every activity
is…
Ongoing dialogue
Learning the lessons from Libya
Some principles were in evidence
•
The presence of clear and measurable communications objectives flowing from
well-defined policy objectives:
•
UN1973 mandate and subsequent objectives gave clarity on how the campaign
should be pursued, the objective of which can be defined as ‘to support the UK
role in NATO and the coalition to protect Libyan people, isolate Qadhafi, put
pressure on him to step down and encourage those around him to defect’. Beneath
this, specific target audiences were identified and communications objectives
identified for each segment.
Some principles were in evidence
•
•
Integration of plans and delivery across Government, with policy and with
international partners; policy and communications officials from Cabinet Office,
MoD, FCO, DfID, RICU, and others met immediately the crisis broke to form a coordinated strategy and response. This was chaired by the Cabinet Office Head of
National Security Communications.
As a result, all appropriate resources and modes of operation were brought into
play early and co-ordinated: these included:
– plans for public communication,
– influencing hostile actions and behaviours,
– deployment of soft power assets (in particular, DfiD’s humanitarian assistance,
Chevening Scholars, Wilton Park, BBC World Service and, in the longer term, British
Council and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy)
– diplomatic campaigning (for instance, on the London Conference for Libya).
Some principles were in evidence
•
Agile, multi-skilled teams empowered to deliver quickly and flexibility within
governance frameworks; to escalate communications up the hierarchy rapidly, a
senior FCO official was specifically appointed to head up a dedicated Libya
strategic communications surge team at No10 and personnel seconded in from the
FCO, Home Office, MoD and DfID.
– Daily battle rhythm and weekly/monthly planning grids
– Core script (updated daily to reflect events and audience insights) (Principle:
development and systematic use of narratives that resonate with target
audiences to change attitudes and/or behaviour
– Daily media monitoring (with daily social media and Arab opinion boosters)
– Weekly audience tracker
– Competitive analysis
– Liaison with international partners, NATO and INC
Some principles were in evidence
•
Identification and activation of credible voices, brands and mechanisms that can
connect with audiences effectively alongside HMG across all risks, together with
proactive management of relationships with NGOs;
•
individuals and groups who were credible with target audiences were identified
early and deployed; these included Libyan diaspora and defectors, exAmbassadors, commentators and NGOs (both in the UK and in the Middle East).
These were regular deployed across media channels.
•
‘Eyewitness series’ was created to maintain support across target audiences
Some principles were in evidence
•
The use of innovative channels that are proved to connect with audiences and
the use of powerful visual imagery:
•
digital diplomacy has been employed extensively to influence audiences, with all
departments active in this area. The FCO’s digital capability in the Middle East
acted both as a source of insight into audience attitudes and opinions and a
channel to amplify messages.
•
In addition, technical assistance was supplied to the INC’s own London-based web
team to advise them on their social media and web strategy. Equally, powerful
images (such as human rights abuses in Misrata) were sourced and transmitted
across all channels.
Thank you and questions