Strategic Communication of the Ministry of Agriculture: Assessment of Public Mobilization in the Green Legacy Initiative Campaign
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Date
2024-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The Green Legacy Initiative Campaign is a tree-planting campaign initiated by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia in 2019. It aimed to minimize drought, combat climate change, improve agricultural productivity, and ensure food security and environmental sustainability. This research evaluates the strategic communication that the Ministry of Agriculture utilized for public mobilization in the Green Legacy Initiative Campaign. The study used surveys, interview schedules and in-depth interviews to collect data. The survey data was collected from Meta woreda of the Sebeta sub-city. For the questionnaire, 256 respondents were used to find data, whereas responses of 130 participants were collected through interview schedules. The in-depth interview data was collected from the Green Legacy Initiative’s technical and steering committees, natural resource and agro-forestry experts, PR officers from the ministry, region, and woreda, agricultural extension workers, and community leaders. Accordingly, 15 interviewees were interviewed to collect data. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS employing descriptive. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The research findings answered the research questions. Regarding the strengths and weaknesses, the findings show that the ministry's strategic communication has both strengths and weaknesses. Its strengths lie in creating awareness, mobilizing, and engaging the public, utilizing appropriate communication channels like TV, radio, and mobile SMS, as well as crafting clear, relevant, and consistent messages. However, it had weaknesses in providing messages about biophysical relations and collecting feedback from audiences. It also had shortfalls in utilizing social media platforms and websites and disseminating technical messages, specifically on post-management, regularly. In terms of the effectiveness of communication channels and platforms, the ministry effectively utilized traditional media channels like TV, radio, and print to reach wide audiences, including rural communities. However, the ministry's use of social media platforms and dedicated website presence was limited and had inconsistent use of campaign materials over time, which could have been leveraged to engage the youth and the public, especially for post-management activities and the sustainability of the Green Legacy Initiative Campaign. Regarding the ministry’s message, the ministry's messages were effective in terms of clarity, relevance, and consistency, as they were crafted in collaboration with regional experts and communicated in local languages. However, the ministry lacked regular dissemination of technical messages on post-management activities. Generally, the ministry's strategic communication had several strengths, including effective collaboration with stakeholders, utilization of various communication channels, and the development of clear, relevant, and consistent messages. However, it also had notable weaknesses, such as a lack of clear messages regarding site matches, limited feedback collection, and irregular dissemination of technical information on post-management activities. While the ministry was successful in mobilizing and engaging the public, creating awareness, and building capacity, it struggled with social media utilization and the consistent use of campaign materials. Based on the findings, it is recommended to develop a comprehensive communication strategy for the Green Legacy Initiative, improve message dissemination in biophysical relations and post-management activities, and increase the utilization of social media and websites to reach a wider audience. Additionally, the ministry should sustain message regularity, strengthen post-management communication, and document the communication materials produced during the campaign. Implementing these recommendations can help the ministry enhance the effectiveness of its strategic communication and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Green Legacy Initiative.
Keywords: Strategic communication, public mobilization, Green Legacy Initiative Campaign
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Keywords
Strategic communication, public mobilization