Guidance note: Risk communication and community engagement

FAO

Guidance note: Risk communication and community engagement

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 38 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Booklet

ISBN 978-92-5-133131-6

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) Information is a form of assistance in itself. Access to accurate information can allow people to make informed decisions to protect themselves. Moreover, understanding drivers of behaviour and integrating that understanding into communication approaches can make information more likely to result in desired action. Preparedness and response activities should be based on protection and related “do no harm” principles and conducted in a participatory manner that is informed by community feedback. Communication efforts must respond to stakeholder concerns, mis/disinformation and behavioral factors. Transparent and consistent messaging in local languages through trusted channels can help address barriers to change. Furthermore, by using community-based networks, engaging key influencers and building local capacities, communication can more effectively mitigate risks to more efficiently establish the authority and trust required to rapidly mount responses. Hence, Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) refers to the processes and approaches to systematically consult, engage and communicate with communities who are at risk, or whose practices affect risk. The aim is to encourage, enable and include stakeholders in the prevention of and response to risks by adapting communication to local realities. In the case of COVID-19, RCCE enables authorities and communities to work together to promote healthy behaviour and reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) developed this guidance note to support Pillar IV of the country-level activities under the framework of FAO’s component of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19: “Ensuring food supply chain actors are not at risk of COVID 19 transmission” through risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and national authorities. In alignment with the Organization’s commitments on Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), this guidance note aims to support country offices in designing and implementing inclusive RCCE initiatives.

See the full list of policy briefs related to COVID-19. Last updated date 01/10/2020 (typo corrected).

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2020. Guidance note: Risk communication and community engagement: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Rome.

https://doi.org/10.4060/cb0526en

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

Booklet

Guidance note: Community engagement in Anticipatory Action 2023

Also available in:

No results found.

The guidance note offers information and recommendations to FAO Country Offices and partners involved in Anticipatory Action programming on how to engage affected and at-risk people and communities to better understand their risks, needs, priorities and capacities. It provides guidance on listening to and acting upon their feedback to ensure their meaningful participation in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Anticipatory Action projects and programmes. It also specifically seeks to support wider FAO commitments to being people-centred and accountable to populations affected by a disaster and/or conflict throughout its emergency policy and practice, through all phases of the project/programme cycle.
Book (stand-alone)

Community engagement in anticipatory action
Compendium of experiences and good practices from focus countries
2024

Also available in:

No results found.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as one of the leading operational organizations implementing anticipatory action and providing technical advice and normative guidance on corresponding approaches in the agriculture and food security sector, has embarked on a project funded by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance of the United States Agency for International Development with the aim to capture emerging and good practices to improve community engagement in anticipatory action. In this framework, FAO has developed a Compendium of experiences and good practices from focus countries, namely Bangladesh, Guatemala, the Niger and Zimbabwe. The purpose of this Compendium is to share knowledge that will help move towards more context‑specific, conflict-sensitive, inclusive and accountable anticipatory action programming. It is intended for stakeholders involved in anticipatory action, from the local to national and global levels.
Booklet
Note d’orientation – Communication sur les risques et interactivité avec la population
Pandémie de maladie à coronavirus 2019 (covid-19)
2021

Also available in:

English
Spanish

L’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture (FAO) a élaboré la présente note d’orientation en vue de soutenir le quatrième pilier des activités menées au niveau national dans le cadre du volet du Plan de réponse humanitaire global covid-19 qui concerne la FAO: «veiller à ce que les acteurs de la filière alimentaire ne soient pas exposés au risque de transmission de la covid-19» grâce à la communication sur les risques et à l’interactivité avec la population, en collaboration avec l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) et les autorités nationales. Conformément aux engagements pris par la FAO en matière de responsabilité à l’égard des populations touchées, cette note vise à aider les bureaux nationaux à concevoir et à mettre en œuvre des initiatives inclusives de communication sur les risques et d’interactivité avec la population. L’accès à des informations fiables peut permettre à chacun de prendre des décisions pour se protéger, en connaissance de cause. En outre, la compréhension des facteurs qui déterminent les comportements et l’intégration de ces connaissances dans la communication peuvent accroître la probabilité que des informations aboutissent à l’action souhaitée. L’objectif est d’encourager, de mobiliser et d’inclure les parties prenantes dans le cadre des efforts visant à prévenir les risques et à y faire face en adaptant la communication aux réalités locales. Dans le cas de la covid-19, la communication sur les risques et l’interactivité avec la population permettent aux autorités et aux populations de travailler ensemble en vue de promouvoir des comportements sains et de réduire le risque de propagation des maladies infectieuses.