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Documentation toolkit section 2 (continued)
   Last updated: 02.07.02
Planning Step 5C: Who will do the work?
2.5C. Aim: To identify who will do the work to develop and produce a documentation and communication product

Introduction

Having decided how to prepare and produce its documentation and communication product, an NGO/CBO needs to decide who will carry out the work.

It is usually best if one person leads a documentation and communication project. However, a broad range of colleagues can make a contribution. So, it is important to choose the right combination of people and skills - in the form of a documentation and communication team.

(Note: Further support in this area is provided in Section 1.6: What skills do we need for documentation and communication?)

Instructions
Timing: 30 minutes

1 Explain the aim of the activity.

2 Facilitate a discussion about how to decide who should prepare and produce a documentation and communication product. In particular, discuss who should lead such work and who should contribute to it.

3 Divide the participants into their NGO/CBO groups and ask them to review their cartoon strips about preparing and developing their documentation and communication product (see Step 5B). Ask them to discuss who should be involved in each step - considering issues such as people's skills and availability.

4 Ask the groups to write down who should be involved in each step on small pieces of paper, and to stick them on to the relevant cartoon.

5 Ask the groups to underline the name of the person who will take the lead for each step

6 Bring everybody back together, and ask the groups to present their results. Encourage the participants to ask each other questions and to make comments.

7 Facilitate a group discussion about what has been learned from the activity, based on questions such as:
  • What mix of skills is needed for each step of preparing and producing the product?

  • Why is it necessary to have a lead person for each step? What should their role be?

  • Are people's roles realistic - considering their other work commitments?


8 Ask each group to write who will do the work in column 5C of their documentation and communication planning grid.

Facilitators' notes

! Support participants to start by looking at the combined skills that they will need for each step, and then by identifying the specific skills that individuals can offer.

! Support participants to think carefully about who is suitable to be the lead person for each step. Help them to think through issues such as: Do they have enough leadership skills? Do they have enough time? Do they have enough influence?

! Encourage participants to be realistic about whether people will have not only the right skills, but also the time and enthusiasm to be involved.

Example: 'The Up-lifted of the moral, economic, technological, socio-spiritual aspirations of men and women' (METSA), the Philippines
METSA is a community development group involved in HIV prevention. At a training session, staff discussed who should prepare and produce their documentation and communication product, including particularly who should lead it and who should contribute to it. They then reviewed their cartoon strip about preparing and producing their product and discussed who should be involved in each step - considering issues such as skills and availability. They wrote the names down on small pieces of paper and stuck them on to the relevant cartoons. They then underlined the name of the lead person. For example:

Youth Co-ordinator
Staff, photographer, visual artist, board member
Checking and finalisation with the community

Afterwards, the facilitator led a discussion about what had been learned from the activity, such as that a lead person is necessary for each step to ensure that there is overall co-ordination and that the work gets done on time. Finally, METSA wrote their decisions about who would do the work under column 5C of their documentation and communication planning grid.

(Reference: Adapted from a workshop on "Documentation and Communication Skills for HIV/AIDS Work", Philippines HIV/AIDS NGO/CBO Support Program and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the Philippines, September 2000.

ACTIVITY SHORTCUT
Ask participants to decide who will take the lead and who will contribute to each step of developing and producing their documentation and communication product.

Planning Step 5D: When will the work be done?
Activity 2.5D. Aim: To decide when the work for developing a documentation and communication product will be done

Introduction

When an NGO/CBO has decided who will develop its documentation and communication product, it needs to consider when the work will be done. To decide the timing of its steps, an NGO/CBO needs to think about: • The overall timescale of its product, including the final deadline. • How long each step will take. • What steps can be carried out at the same time or close together. • The other commitments of the NGO/CBO during that time. • The other commitments of the team members during that time.

Instructions
Timing: 1 hour

1 Explain the aim of the activity.

2 Facilitate a discussion about what is meant by a timeline, and why it is a useful tool for developing a documentation and communication product.

3 Divide the participants into their NGO/CBO groups and ask them to draw a timeline - which goes from their start date (i.e. when they will begin developing their product) to their end date (i.e. when they will finish their product). Ask them to mark the weeks and months in between.

4 Ask the groups to review the cartoon strips that they drew of the steps for developing the product (see Section 2.5, Step 5B). Ask them to write the caption of each step on their timeline - according to when the cartoon will take place. (See Example.)

5 Bring everybody back together, and ask the groups to present their results. Encourage the participants to ask each other questions and to make comments.

6 Facilitate a group discussion about what has been learned from the activity, based on questions such as:
  • What does the timeline show about how realistic the plan - including the final deadline - is or is not?

  • What steps can be done at the same time? What steps can be done close together? What steps need time in between them?

  • How can participants finalise these steps within their organisations?


7 Ask each group to write when the work will be done in column 5D of their documentation and communication planning grid. See below.

Facilitators' notes

! Help NGOs/CBOs to be very realistic about how long each step takes and which steps can or cannot be carried out at the same time. In particular, help them to consider the time that will be needed if they want to involve anyone that is external to the NGO/CBO team. For example, this might include a trustee reviewing a draft text, or a company printing a document.

! Help participants to develop a realistic deadline for their work - that will encourage them to work efficiently, but not put too much pressure on them.

! Some participants may feel overwhelmed by what seems like a lot of work in a short period of time. Support them by discussing whether their plans can be simplified, or if their final deadline can be postponed.

Example: Mambilima Health Project (MHP), Zambia
MHP is an NGO involved in community health work. At a skills-building workshop, they discussed what is meant by a timeframe, and why one is important for documentation and communication work. They then drew a timeline, marking in the months and weeks. They reviewed the cartoon strip of their steps for developing their product, then wrote the number and caption of each cartoon in an appropriate place along their timeline, according to when it should happen.

April (Start date)
Week 1
(Step 1) Meeting with the project supervisor
(Step 2) Making a budget
Week 2
(Step 3) Meeting with the community
Week 3
(Step 4) Compiling the information
(Step 5) Analysing the information
Week 4
(Step 6) Writing a draft report
May
Week 1
(Step 7) Circulating the draft report for corrections
Week 2
(Step 8) Editing the final draft of the report
(Step 9) Printing a final version of the report
(End date)
Week 3
(Step 10) Distributing the final report

Afterwards, the facilitator led a discussion about what had been learned from the activity, such as that, while some steps can be carried out at the same time, others need a lot of space between them. Finally, MHP wrote their decisions about when the work would be done under column 5D of their documentation and communication planning grid.

(Reference: Adapted from a workshop on "Documentation and Communication Skills for HIV/AIDS Work", Zambia Integrated Health Programme, Central Board of Health and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Zambia, July 2000.)

ACTIVITY SHORTCUT
Ask each group to identify when each of the steps for developing their product will take place.

Planning Step 6: Disseminating the product
Activity 2.6 Aim: To decide how to disseminate a documentation and communication product

Introduction

Having developed a documentation and communication product, an NGO/CBO needs to plan how to disseminate it.

Dissemination means how the product will be distributed to the audiences that have been chosen. NGOs/CBOs often need to combine different strategies so that their dissemination will be as effective as possible. These include through:
• Mailings in the post • Meetings • Conferences • Articles in journals • One-to-one briefings • Websites • Special events • Launches

Instructions
Timing: 1 hour

1 Explain the aim of the activity.

2 Facilitate a discussion about possible strategies for disseminating documentation and communication products.

3 Facilitate a discussion about criteria for deciding the effectiveness and appropriateness of such strategies.

4 Divide the participants into their NGO/CBO groups and ask them to identify the four to six dissemination strategies and three to four criteria that are most relevant to their specific product.

5 Ask the groups to draw a ranking grid - by writing the dissemination strategies in a column down the left-hand side, and the criteria along the top as headings of columns (see Example).

6 Ask participants to score each strategy in terms of the criteria. For example, they might give one point ?) for a strategy that is not effective and appropriate, two points ??) for one that is quite effective and appropriate, and three points ???) for one that is very effective and appropriate.

7 When all of the strategies have been scored, ask participants to add up the number of ticks for each one and to write the total in the final column. Ask them to identify their priority strategies - namely the two to three with the highest score.

8 Bring everybody back together, and ask the groups to present their results. Encourage the participants to ask each other questions and to make comments.

9 Facilitate a group discussion about what has been learned from the activity, based on questions such as:
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of using more than one dissemination strategy?

  • Are the dissemination strategies appropriate for the audiences?

  • How much will the priority strategies cost - in terms of time and money?


10 Ask each group to write their dissemination strategies under the sixth column of their documentation and communication planning grid.

Facilitators' notes

! Encourage participants to think of creative dissemination strategies. Support them to include, but also to think beyond, frequently used strategies, such as mailings and briefings.

! Encourage participants to develop selection criteria that are directly relevant to their NGO/CBO. For example, if they have a big team of volunteers, human resources might not be a problem. If they have limited funding, cost efficiency might be vital. Remind them that the activity will only be useful if their criteria are strong.

! Help participants to think through all of the issues relating to dissemination. For example: Will their product be free or sold? Will their product need to be advertised? Are they producing the right number of copies?

Example: Christian Missions on Mainlands (CMM), Zambia
CMM is a local NGO involved in health education with young people. At a skills-building workshop they brainstormed strategies for disseminating documentation and communication products, and criteria for prioritising those strategies

They identified the six most relevant strategies and the four most relevant criteria for their specific product - a booklet of lessons learned about working with young people on sexual health.

They then used a ranking grid to score their strategies according to the criteria - giving ?for a not useful and appropriate one, ??for a quite useful and appropriate one and ???for a very useful and appropriate one.

Finally, CMM identified their three priority strategies - namely the ones with the highest scores.

Dissemination strategies
(across the top)
Criteria for selecting dissemination strategies:
Cost efficient
Reaches our priority audiences
Quick and easy
Suits our skills
Total score
(down left axis)
Public functions, ???????????total=12
Mailing in the post, total=????4
Seminars ???????, total=8
Special events (eg. World Health Day) ??????????, total=11
Satellite meetings ????????, total=9
Information booths at conferences, total=????????8

The participants agreed that products are easier to monitor if they only have one dissemination strategy. However, the disadvantage then is that it may not reach so many people.

Finally, CMM wrote their decisions about disseminating the product under the sixth column of their documentation and communication planning grid.

(Reference: Adapted from a workshop on "Documentation and Communication Skills for HIV/AIDS Work", Zambia Integrated Health Programme, Central Board of Health and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Zambia, July 2000.)

ACTIVITY SHORTCUT
Ask participants to decide two to three priority strategies for disseminating their documentation and communication product.

Planning Step 7: Monitoring and evaluating the product
Activity 2.7. Aim: To decide how to monitor and evaluate a documentation and communication product

Introduction

As part of its documentation and communication plan, an NGO/CBO needs to decide how to monitor and evaluate its product. Monitoring means keeping track of what is being done and achieved. Evaluation means assessing whether something has been successful, and what its strengths and weaknesses have been.

Indicators are ways to measure how successful something has been. They can be:
• Quantitative - meaning that they are about numbers. For example: "The number of reports distributed."
• Qualitative - meaning that they are about feelings and emotions. For example: "Positive feedback received about the report."

To monitor and evaluate a documentation and communication product, NGOs/CBOs can take three steps:
• Reviewing the aim, objective and audiences of their plan.
• Identifying indicators to know if their plan is working.
• Deciding how to collect information to measure their indicators.

Instructions
Timing: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 Explain the aim of the activity.

2 Facilitate a brainstorm about what monitoring and evaluation means, and why it is important for documentation and communication work.

3 Facilitate a discussion about what is meant by qualitative and quantitative indicators.

4 Divide the participants into their NGO/CBO groups. Ask them to review the aim, objective and audiences of their plans. Ask them to write these down on the left-hand side of a piece of flipchart paper.

5 Ask each group to identify some qualitative and quantitative indicators for their product, and to write them down the centre of the piece of paper.

6 Ask each group to decide what steps to take to gather the information for the indicators, and to write them on the right-hand side of the piece of paper.

7 Bring everybody back together, and ask the groups to present their results. Encourage the participants to ask each other questions and to make comments.

8 Facilitate a group discussion about what has been learned from the activity, based on questions such as:
  • Do the indicators link well with the aim, objective and audiences?

  • Will the indicators help the NGO/CBO to know what has gone wrong with their product, as well as what has gone right?

  • Will the steps result in the right type and amount of information needed?


9 Ask the groups to write how they will monitor the product under the seventh column of their planning grid:

Facilitators' notes
! Adapt this activity to the level of skills of the group. For example, participants with experience in monitoring and evaluation may want to develop specific indicators for the process, output and impact of their plan. Also, some may need to develop particular types of indicators to meet the requirements of their donors, especially if documentation is a major part of the work that they are funded to do.
! Ensure that this activity focuses on how to monitor HIV/AIDS documentation and communication products, rather than overall HIV/AIDS programmes or IEC work.
! Help participants to keep their monitoring questions and steps as simple as possible. For example, help them to identify just the key things that they need to know, rather than the details of every process and result.

Example: Traditional and Modern Health Practitioners Together Against AIDS and Other Diseases (THETA), Uganda
THETA is a local NGO involved in the response to HIV/AIDS. At a skills-building workshop, they looked at how they could monitor and evaluate their specific documentation and communication product - a case study. They started by reviewing their aim, priority objective and audiences and writing them on the left-hand side of a piece of flipchart paper. They then identified some indicators to show if their product was working, and wrote them in the centre of the paper. Finally, they decided what steps to take to gather the information to measure those indicators.

Aim and priority objective

To promote collaboration among traditional healers, biomedical workers and communities to improve the quality of health care.

To improve the awareness of the work of traditional healers by documenting and communicating best practices on traditional medicine as complementary health care practice.

Priority audience:
Biomedical workers.

Indicators
• The number of copies of the case study distributed to biomedical workers.
• The number of different ways in which the case study is used (e.g. in journals, conferences).
• Biomedical workers request more information after reading or listening to the case study.
• Biomedical workers are more open to referring people to traditional health care providers.

Steps to collect the information
• Counting how many case studies are distributed.
• Recording the different ways in which the case study is used.
• Holding focus group discussions among biomedical workers.
• Attaching evaluation forms to the case studies, and analysing the information that is sent back.

Afterwards, the facilitator led a group discussion about what had been learned from the activity, such as how it is important for an NGO's/CBO's indicators to allow them to assess what is going wrong as well as what is going right so that they can improve their future work.

Finally, THETA wrote their decisions about monitoring and evaluating their product under the seventh column of their documentation and communication planning grid.

(Reference: Adapted from a workshop on "Documentation and Communication Skills for HIV/AIDS Work", Uganda Network of AIDS Service Organisations and International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Uganda, March 2001.)

ACTIVITY SHORTCUT
Ask participants to identify two to three key indicators to measure the success of their documentation and communication plan, and two to three steps to gather the relevant information.

Section 2.8 Finalising the plan
Activity 2.8. Aim: To finalise a documentation and communication plan

Introduction

When an NGO/CBO has finished developing a documentation and communication plan for a specific product, it needs to look at the plan as a whole and reflect on its strengths and weaknesses.

A final review can help an NGO/CBO both to identify individual steps to be changed and to look at the plan as a whole. It can help an NGO/CBO to assess key issues about its planning - such as if all of the steps support the aim and priority objectives.

Instructions
Timing: 1 hour

1 Explain the aim of the activity.

2 Facilitate a discussion about why it is important to look at the plan as a whole.

3 Divide the participants into their NGO/CBO groups and ask them to review their documentation and communication planning grids using the "Checklist" (such as the Handout - which can be photocopied - at the back of Section 2) - to identify their plan's overall strengths and weaknesses (see Example).

4 Ask the groups to identify what they have learned from their review, and to make any necessary changes to their plans.

5 Bring everybody back together, and ask each group to present their plan. Encourage the participants to ask each other questions and to make comments.

6 Ask the groups to consider the feedback from the other participants and, if necessary, to make final adjustments to their plans.

7 Ask the groups to write a neat, final version of their planning grid. (Give them a clean copy of the planning grid in order to do so.)

8 Facilitate a group discussion about what has been learned from the activity, based on questions such as:
  • Will each step help to achieve the aim of the plan?

  • Is each step of the plan as simple as possible?

  • What are the weakest parts of the plan? How can they be improved?


Facilitators' notes

! Encourage participants to focus on whether each step of their plan is not only effective but also realistic. Encourage them to ask themselves: "Can we really do this?" If the answer is no, help them to make that step more realistic.

! Encourage participants to look at the logical flow between the steps of their plans. Ask them to discuss any problems with the plans and to make adjustments.

Example: Uganda Youth Anti-AIDS Association (UYAAS), Uganda
UYAAS is an advocacy NGO involved in HIV/AIDS youth work. At a skills-building workshop, they developed a draft plan for their documentation and communication product - a leaflet about what their organisation does. To finalise it, they started by reviewing their planning grid - to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the individual planning steps.

Following this, UYAAS used a checklist to review the strengths and weaknesses of their plan.

Examples of questions on checklist
1 Does the plan support the NGO's/CBO's mission? (answer: yes)
2 Will the plan bring practical benefits to the NGO/CBO's HIV/AIDS work? (answer: yes)
3 Are the aims and objectives of the plan as clear and simple as possible? (answer: yes)
4 Is there a logical flow between the steps of the plan? (answer: no, and comment: It is not clear how the dissemination strategies link to the audiences.)

UYAAS then adjusted their plan accordingly - for example, changing their dissemination strategies to make them more suitable to their audiences. UYAAS presented their plan to the rest of the participants at the workshop and received comments. They then made some more small changes - such as clarifying some of their monitoring questions. Finally, they wrote up a neat, final version of their planning grid.

The facilitator then led a discussion about what had been learned from the activity, such as that a simple and strong plan is more effective than a complex one that won't be achieved.

(Reference: Adapted from a workshop on "Documentation and Communication Skills for HIV/AIDS Work", Uganda Network of AIDS Service Organisations and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Uganda, March 2001.)

ACTIVITY SHORTCUT
Ask participants to review their documentation and communication planning grids using a checklist. Ask them to produce a final, neat version.

Handout: (Section 2) Making a planning framework and grid
Step 1: Deciding an aim and objectives
Step 2: Identifying priority audiences
Step 3: Choosing key messages
Step 4: Selecting a product
Step 5: Developing the product
5a: What structure, content and style will the product have?
5b: How will the product be prepared and produced?
5c: Who will do the work?
5d: When will the work be done?
Step 6: Disseminating the product
Step 7: Monitoring and evaluating the product

Handout: (Section 2.8) Finalising the plan
Checklist
[Write these questions in boxes down the left hand side of the page, then have three columns for "yes", "no" and "comments" by each question; add extra lines at the bottom for questions added by participants]
1: Does the plan support the NGO's/CBO's mission?
2: Will the plan bring practical benefits to the NGO's/CBO's HIV/AIDS work?
3: Are the aim and objectives of the plan as clear and simple as possible?
4: Is there a logical flow between the steps of the plan?
5: Is the plan realistic for the NGO's/CBO's resources?
6: Can the plan be achieved within the timeframe?
7: Does the plan complement the other activities that the NGO/CBO has planned? 8: Is the language used in the plan clear and simple?
9: Will the plan make sense to others?
Other questions added by participants:
10:
11:
12:
13:

Source: Documenting and communicating HIV/AIDS work
This is an extract from Documenting and communicating HIV/AIDS work: a toolkit to support NGOs/CBOs, published by the International HIV/AIDS
Alliance in October 2001.

To view the whole toolkit follow this link.

To download this section, complete with graphics, in pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat software to read it) follow this link (file size 512kb).