Practical video testimonial training ⎮ Visual:©️Corbecoms

In development cooperation, communication teams produce a wide range of outputs—articles, videos, photographs, social media posts, and event coverage. What is often less clear, however, is how these activities contribute to the strategic objectives of a project.

Communication can easily become a stream of outputs without a clear strategic connection. The more demanding task is ensuring that these outputs actually support the broader strategy behind a project and help demonstrate why that strategy matters. A useful starting point for communication planning is therefore a simple question:

What purpose should communication actually serve?

For projects supported by the European Commission and BMZ, communication does more than share information about project activities. It can also help demonstrate that the strategic approaches behind these projects are delivering results. In this sense, communication contributes to providing credible evidence that development cooperation strategies are working in practice.

These questions formed the starting point for a five-day Strategic Communications workshop in Accra, Ghana, involving communication practitioners working with the Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region project (MOVE) and the Agribusiness Facility for Africa. Communications consultant Pascal Corbé facilitated the training.

In exploring these questions, participants engaged with both strategic and practical aspects of communication work. This included:

• Reflecting on how communication activities can better support the strategic objectives of projects funded by the European Commission and BMZ
• Revisiting communication goals and discussing how concepts such as SMART goals can emphasize the importance of relevance
• Developing testimonial-based interview formats that encourage interviewees to share experiences and perspectives rather than repeating formal project descriptions
• Conducting a practical outdoor exercise on video and photography, experimenting with both smartphones and cameras and discussing framing, lighting, sound recording, and the interpersonal dynamics involved in interviews
• Using artificial intelligence tools to draft and edit professional communication content, including LinkedIn posts
• Discussing how a content plan can help structure communication work over time and support better planning of inputs, approvals, and required resources

Clarifying the purpose of communication

A key discussion point was how communication goals are often framed primarily in terms of visibility. While visibility can be an important element of communication work, it does not by itself define the purpose of communication. A more meaningful approach is to ask “visible for what purpose?” and to ensure that communication activities remain clearly linked to the broader objectives they are meant to support.

In this context, participants also revisited the concept of SMART goals. Traditionally, the “R” in SMART is interpreted as realistic. However, from a strategic communication perspective, this interpretation adds little beyond what the other elements of the framework—specific, measurable, and achievable—already imply. A more useful interpretation is to focus on relevance, ensuring that communication activities clearly contribute to the overarching strategic objective.

Another essential aspect of communication strategy is developing a deeper understanding of the audiences projects aim to reach.

Communication teams are often naturally focused on presenting project activities and achievements. Effective communication, however, requires stepping back and considering what different audiences—such as policy partners, private sector actors, or other development practitioners—actually want to know. This includes reflecting on their interests and perspectives, conducting targeted research where necessary, and listening more actively to the feedback and questions that emerge from these groups.

Strengthening this perspective helps communication products move beyond descriptive project reporting and instead highlight insights, experiences, and lessons that resonate with the intended audience.

Strategy also shapes practical communication work

It also becomes clear in practice that strategic thinking does not stop at defining communication goals. It continues to shape the many practical decisions involved in producing communication outputs.

For example, when designing testimonial interviews, the strategic perspective influences the kinds of questions that are asked. Instead of prompting interviewees to simply repeat project descriptions, questions can be designed to encourage experiences, opinions, and reflections that audiences may find genuinely interesting and credible.

The same applies to visual communication. This can be seen, for example, in practical filming and photography exercises, where strategic considerations influence even small tactical choices. How a subject is positioned in the frame, what atmosphere is created during the interview, and how questions are phrased to encourage meaningful and focused answers.

Participants also discussed the value of working with a content plan. Such a tool does more than outline when communication products should be published. It helps teams structure the entire preparation process behind an output—identifying who needs to contribute input, when approvals are required, and what resources may be needed along the way.

Planning communication activities in this way can also clarify practical questions early on. Do certain outputs require additional technical support, such as a camera team? Is expert input needed for an article or interview? Are financial resources required for honoraria or external services?

Considering these aspects in advance helps ensure that communication activities are planned with the same level of foresight that is typically applied to other components of development projects.

By combining strategic reflection with practical application, this approach helps strengthen the ability to align communication activities more closely with the broader objectives of development projects.

Practical video testimonial training in Accra, Ghana ⎮ Click to enlarge ⎮ Visual:©️Corbecoms

Contact

For more information, please contact elisabeth.helle@giz.de or pascal.corbe@corbecoms.com