Summary Paper

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLANNING TOOL

Programme: MALARIA PREVENTION IN THE EAST TIMOR

Thipwimon Chaloeikrai (Mew)

A) An Overview
Family members are Primary Participant Group. Secondary Participant Group is Neighbors,
peers, community leader, chief of Aldeia, the community Police. And Tertiary Participant
Group is Government Officer, Traditional and Religious leader (priest and pastor).
For the Primary Participant Group, by the end of 2010, 60% of families in East
Timor clear away any stagnant water around their house and community

As for the Secondary Participant Group, the participatory community activities

provided by the end of 2010 will increase by 70 % the proportion of parents who attend
community meetings by:
a) discussing the causes and effects of Malaria
b) cooperating to clear away their stagnant water in household and community

Lastly, Tertiary Participant Group, by the end of 2010. after promotion campaigns,
monitoring and providing training programme to each community in East Timor, 75%
of community leaders :
1. can inform the people in their community effectively
2. succeed in promoting and persuading their community to clear the stagnant water
3. provide enough abate to each community.

The strategy uses a combination of media, interpersonal communication, traditional

Media, and social mobilisation and they are the participatory communication mechanisms
that communities use, for example:
- mass media; radio, television, newspaper, signs
- traditional media like song, poem, announcement in church since indigenous
media can legitimize interventions and help to make them feel they are still in consistent with
social norms
- interpersonal communication; word of mouth, peer communication via party and
family gathering, uses of small groups discussion, inclusion of local influentials like religion
and traditional leader, uses of role modeling especially their leaders, etc.
Phycho-social factor
- uses of colours, symbols(traditional accessories, facial expressions),
language(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum), tone of message, and traditional music in
constant with social norms into the recommended behavior can be memorable message.
It is important to combine media and interpersonal communication because the community
mobilization and advocacy can occur when mass media address people the issue. Moreover,
mass media can stimulate people to talk about the issue as an interpersonal communication
strategy which makes them decide and adopt recommended behavior change. In social
transaction (interpersonal communication), while people talking about campaign as well as
seeing their associates adopting the recommended behavior, there will be increase in adoptive
behavior. Then the community can develop the suggested behavior as a social norm, they will
take control of their own situations. Then, the sustainable and on-going services via
community networking from the social empowerment and evaluation from authority figures
to measure the change are strategies for sustaining recommended behavior long enough to
make a different.

c) Use of Media:

A. Primary Participant Group

1) Memo Note which can be logo providing designed theme, it should easy to read
since Literacy is low, at 55 per cent for men and 45 per cent for women, however,
they are quite literate and able to read. Besides, the memo should be catchy,
Housewife who handle with household chores can start prop up this program via
using memo note to inform and warn their family’s members. And the colors are
red meaning amulet& black meaning darkness and sadness, the use of colour can
remind family member with the serious meaning of the colour using, black refers
to grief while red is the bravery and power to protect from sadness.

2) Sign in house can be used to promote new problem to family members and make them
aware of using abate where the signs sticked to. Color can be red to symbolize protection
and black to represent death. Language using is Tetum since the majority uses this
language in daily conversation with family. Tone is threatening/persuasive to address
how important and serious the issue is.

B. Secondary Participant Group

1) Radio, the widest reach for communications, via Spot announcement (during the news
program through the RTL station) since radio is a popular medium to reach all level of
community (50%). The spot announcement should be intervened in many kinds of radio
programs like news ( 80.95% of respondents ), entertainment (60.12% of respondents) , for
example, teenagers (69.49% of young respondents, 15-18 years old and 62.79% of adult
respondents, 19-25 years old).
- Music ( listening to music stirs our brain-create brain worms)as a part of spot
announcement should be used traditional music with the setting in the song related to the
daily lives in the community widely known to older people ( to reach older people) and
can be used modern music to be catchy for all level of respondents (may use the foreign
songs to reach young people since they are influenced by modernization/foreign culture),
language is Tetum, since respondents prefer to use Tetum, 82.91% respondents use it for
all occasions. Moreover, message can be used threatening & logical tone to be understood
as a serious issue.

2) Announcements in church & ceremony by priests since respondents regularly participate in

religious activities such as mass, bible courses, community prayers and choir singing every
week. Religious activities are the strong reason for people gathering. And people accept
church’s role in disseminating information on any issue because they have high respect for
religious leader. The Language is Portuguese because they want to meet the terms with the
official regulations and make it formal to address the issue and Portuguese language often
spoken in religious activities (67.52%). Tone of message can be informative & appeals to
community pride, traditions and culture.
 C. Tertiary Participant Group

1) Television – television advertising broadcast during news on 20.00-22.00 and

16.00-18.00 as the frequent time for watching TV.
- music (Traditional songs( listening to music stirs our brain-create brain worms)), language
(Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)), color (black=death, green showing
comparison of the positive v.s negative effects of Malaria prevention.

2) Newspaper STL. – Ads., informative article, STL- the most popular newspaper
- color (black) represents the result of not preventing Malaria and green represents healthy
- symbol: traditional accessories as a symbol of the prohibition of Malaria
- language: Portuguese verifying the message as formal as it sounds complying with
government regulation.

Use of Traditional Media:

A. Primary Participant Group

1) Sing traditional songs to family members (change the lyrics to make it relate to the
message of the campaign) as traditional songs are widely known by the older people, thus
the message will reach to the elderly. By using traditional media, it makes respondents feel
easy with the program.
Music: traditional melodies and songs related to their daily lives( listening to music stirs our
brain-create brain worms)
Language: Tetum as it can be used in any occasion.
Tone: emotional & persuasive to make song subjective and still informative.

B. Secondary Participant Group

1) Read poem and announcements in church, poetry is widely known media for the
majority’s gathering occasions.
Tone: persuasive & emotional tone make it appeals to community pride, traditions and culture
Language: poem, it is practiced in traditional ceremonies.
Music: traditional melodies along the reading (it is memorable by using songs)

C. Tertiary Participant Group

1) Compose effective songs used in campaign / other participatory approaches to stimulus

discussions of key issues within families, between friends and in communities.
Music: traditional & song rhythm and melody, easy to remember when using songs( listening
to music stirs our brain-create brain worms)
Tone: persuasive
Language: Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum) by using easy words

Use of Interpersonal Communication :

A. Primary Participant Group

1) Words of Mouth: tell their peers about how and why to clear stagnant water and use abates(
makes the program widely known and persuade an individual to adopt new idea)
-language: Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Tone: informative, persuasive
2) family discussion:(spouse together or spouse with children) parents can influence their
children
Language: logical- to make it understandable
Message: threatening- to influence child with fear (for the magnitude of harm, and the
likelihood of experiencing the threat)

B. Secondary Participant Group

1).Community meetings; use of peer education; people from local community- friends,
neighbours-motivating and teaching recommended practices; people from the same age, level
profession recommended practices to their own peers(peer’s pressure). They can influence
each other.They can see the role model from their peers. Additionally, group meetings are
important way to reach the hard-to-reach area.
Language: Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Message: logical, persuasive, informative
Tone: threatening(for the magnitude of harm, and the likelihood of experiencing the threat)

2)consulting programme; conseling can enhance the knowledge and influence the behavior of
their clients.
Language: Tetum (majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Message: logical & informative persuasive, to influence and convince the clients.

3) Police visit students in a school and hold a lecture to tell them the problem( police are
informative and important sources of information)
Language:Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Message: logical &easy to understand for young students

C. Tertiary Participant Group

1).Health Training programme for local leaders since they are the main power at the local
level collided with hidden power, traditional political concepts, and the modern world.
They are the bridge between the local level and the government. Thus, we should
empower them informally, by inviting them to meetings and coordinating all issues with
them to confirm their position as well. This applies to traditional modes of
communication.
Language: Tetum & Portuguese( popular and formal language using)
Message: logical & informative to inform them the program

Communication for Sustainable Behaviour

-Mixed between mass media and interpersonal communication

A. Primary Participant Group

1) Discussing with peers by using media to present problems can enhance the performance of
Malaria prevention and increase participants’ knowledge about specific methods.
Language: Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Tone: persuasive & informative
2)Party and family gathering ; the most likely occasions for people to share information. It is
helpful in disseminating information because they are judged more effective and efficient. By
using these occasions, health group can provide message to the entire community group.
Music: songs ( listening to music stirs our brain-create brain worms)
Tone: humor, persuasive
Colour: Red and green as the theme color of the party
Language: Tetum (majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)

B. Secondary Participant Group

1) Community meeting
-pastors and traditional leaders set the meeting and using media in the meeting.
Music: traditional music( listening to music stirs our brain-create brain worms)
Language: Tetum(majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Tone: Persuasive & logical
Symbol:
- traditional accessories representing positive effects of preventing Malaria: clear stagnant
water& use abate
-sign of nature representing good health
Color: green represents healthy, red represents bravery of changing behavior

2).Discussion through radio between audiences, DJ and health officer-creating interactive

communication-it is good for people to have a chance to feed back to stations. Moreover,
community radio can be used to broadcast health program with local health department.
Language: Tetum (majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Tone: informative, persuasive & logical- to make it convincing
Music: traditional songs & melodies, it is memorable. ( listening to music stirs our brain-
create brain worms)

3) fun activities held by police in school such as competition or contest in the community,
since the interpersonal channels: the community police themselves (25.5 are equally
informative and important sources of information in Graph 8. “Local authorities” still play a
major role in disseminating information as well as legitimizing interventions. There were two
other groups of responses which are extremely interesting in terms of methods (activities) and
media/channels suggested for communicating with populations police are serving.
Music: traditional music( listening to music stirs our brain-create brain worms)
Language: Tetum (majority prefers to speak in the Tetum)
Color: red and green are used to symbolize bravery and health by reinforcing the bravery of
changing behavior and having a good health
Tone: persuasive, humor( to build confidence in and reduce fear of - the police), informative

C. Tertiary Participant Group

1) Modeling behavior representing in News as a way to create enabling psychological
environments so that behavior development can take place. Besides, what is seen in the
paper has special impact.
Language: Tetum &Portuguese
Tone: logical and appeal national spirit and culture, showing that leaders support the
recommended behavior and showing that recommended behavior are in accordance with the
social norms and show them where the services are.

2) Health programme on television, what is seen on TV has special impact. Mass media can
enhance all methods employed in health education.
Music: traditional melodies, sticky to the audiences. ( listening to music stirs our brain-create
brain worms)
Language: Tetum, popular language
Tone: informative & persuasive
Symbol: traditional accessories, nature- they have the meaning of prohibition as a key
message to audiences.
Color: black, white, green and red-death, clean, fertility, courage; each colour has its meaning,
using colours to capture imagination and being memorable.