Why?

Sensing the changing scenario of ecosystem and context of policy response to community issues, socio-economic-political norms and dominant perception about civil society, vital understanding and adoption of strategic communication is a continuous process and so VSS engages with the community of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with the approach of continuous learning and co-creation in the course of development of perspectives, methods and their delivery.

How?

VSS functions as an enabler, facilitator and co-creator with the CSOs for center-staging strategic communication and storytelling in the organizational culture, processes and practices for creating effective and credible relationship with diverse set of stakeholders, such as government, media, people’s representatives, academia, youth and social leaders for strengthening governance systems and constructive relationships amongst them. The effective and credible relationship will emerge as a pathway in increasing participation of CSOs in the social and policy governance processes will help in bringing people’s aspirations and local context in the discourse, policy formation and implementation for the common good.

Credentials?

Vikas Samvad has worked on the functional connectedness of media, government, community and civil society by adopting and integrating applied strategic communication towards constructing environment for policy development and effective implementation for common good for 25 years.

Activities

• Capacity Strengthening (trainings and ActShops) on Strategic Communication and Storytelling (following the contextualized modules of Concept and History of Civil Society, Concept of Strategic Communication and Storytelling, Practice of message creation, Understanding Communication Platforms and Channels, Public Speaking, Digital Techniques, Writing Skills, Value based and Non-violent Communication and Methods of self-reflection)
• Dialogues with civil society representatives on the purpose of being civic actor, existing dominant narrative, internal and external challenges and role of the CSOs in creation of constructive narrative
• Development of Open-Source Knowledge Products (about civil society, strategic communication and strategic communication)
• Development of contextual Capacity Strengthening Modules and refresher sessions
• Handholding support to CSOs for developing organizational framework and Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).

Outputs

• Increase in frequency of effective communication and partnership with diverse set of stakeholders  
• Increased understanding of genesis and meaning of being civil society and existing dominant narrative
• Centre staging the idea and framework of Strategic Communication in the organizational system and culture
• CSOs will develop, adopt and implement the Strategic Communication framework at the organizational level
• Access to knowledge products

Outcome

• Adoption of organizational norms of accountability, transparency, participation and critical thinking as core elements of Strategic Communication framework
• Increase in recognition, participation and engagement of CSOs in systemic change processes such as effective conversation with the governance processes, policy making, implementation and monitoring authorities.
• Emergence of constructive perception about civil society organizations.