U.S. USER GUIDE
Contents
1. ment programs make a real difference in the world Ethiopia When Side by side comparison of fields in Oromia State Ethiopia in 1990 and 2013 Ethiopia Now a TH NARRATIVE PROJEC I can see by the pictures that our help does make a difference U S survey participant 55 THEME 3 EMPOWER Images showing that people in developing countries share our goals such as earning an education or providing for their family create human connections and convey the idea that development helps people build the foundations of independence E Rehena Juma in her fields in Valeska village near Arusha Tanzania on October 7 2013 TH NARRATIVE PROJEC I think that using positive images of how we ARE helping would be much more beneficial U S survey participant 36 THEME 4 PITY While images that invoke pity create emotional reactions in some people they do not advance the idea that people in developing countries are active partners in development Amena Begum and her child Farzana who is recovering from malnutrition at the hospital TH NARRATIVE PROJEC I wish I were able to do something about the problem however I cannot even watch commercials about children liv ing in extreme poverty because it is too depressing to watch and I feel I cannot do anything anyway U S survey participant 37 THEME 5 HOPE NARRATIVE PROJEC Images of people that do n2. TH NARRATIVE PROJEC U S USER GUIDE BUILDING SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS E Introduction Using This Guide Methodology E Audience Overview M The Narrative Narrative Approach Narrative Messages Narrative Tagline Narrative Long form Language Tips E Key Research Insights Do s and Don ts E Applied Narrative Examples E Attacks amp Responses E Creative Tools Images Creative Brief Content Creator s Checklist Ww 10 14 12 13 14 15 19 22 29 32 33 39 42 THE gt NARRATIVE PROJEC INTRODUCTION GOAL CHANGE THE CONVERSATION CAN YOU CHANGE A NARRATIVE Earlier this year a group of organizations see sidebar who work together on global equity issues asked a question can the public conversation about global development be changed to foster a more positive understanding of the issues That is a question that has been asked for years and has prompted many studies and research efforts in search of an answer During that time the debate around global development has become negative and broken The public conversation focuses on what doesn t work and what is wasted The base of active supporters for global issues is shrinking and often ill equipped to talk about any of the positive change happening around the world as a result of development programs THE NARRATIVE PROJECT To find a new approach these organizations created The Narrative Project a research and com
3. created a local market to support the women and their families while providing nutrient rich meals for local students to eat As members of the Logo Women s Group build the foundations of independence for their own families their efforts have a ripple effect throughout their communities improving the health education and economic op portunities for other families TH NARRATIVE PROJEC 0090 25 EXAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK POST TWEET When girls join forces to share knowledge When girls join forces they can build the and resources they can build the foundations of independence foundations of independence Every child regardless of where they are Every child regardless of where they are born deserves protection against diseases born deserves protection against Ebola such as Ebola Investing in that protection will let children survive thrive and reach their full potential Investing in women and girls makes a Investing in women and girls makes a lasting difference in their community and lasting difference the world Women like Miriam use development Women like Miriam use development programs like PEPFAR to build better programs like PEPFAR to build stronger lives for themselves their children and families 8 communities their communities Development programs help people living Just because have this virus does not in the world s poorest places become mean cannot earn a living Mestawit in
4. empathy with the people served by development programs and encourages our audience to support devel opment M Metaphors such as two way street help our audience understand the idea of partnership and picture people working together in meaning ful ways M Presenting problems as solvable as in prevent able diseases communicates that progress is possible which motivates people to support the effort People are more likely to take action in support of development when they hear specific tangible examples of progress like these M People can be motivated to take action to avoid losing something valuable as expressed here in the phrase undo all the progress we ve made 14 LANGUAGE TIPS GENERAL LANGUAGE NARRATIVE THEME EXPLANATION development places education health and economic opportunity every person regardless of where they are born two way street people from dif ferent countries join forces share knowledge resources and responsibility working shrunk disappearing improve Development can be a vague word for people who aren t experts in the field but in general the term carries positive meanings Foreign aid has strongly negative connotations for our audience In research with U S audiences this was the favored word to describe the goal of development Self sufficient and self reliant also work This avoids stigmatizing people by ass
5. is a two way street People from donor countries and devel oping countries join forces to share effort resources and responsibility to make develop ment programs work PROGRESS Development programs work Over the last 15 years these programs have helped cut the number of children dying before age 5 by nearly half We ve beaten small pox nearly defeated polio and helped millions of people get education and training TH NARRATIVE PROJEC CONTENT CREATOR S CHECKLIST CONTENT CREATOR S CHECKLIST Use the guidelines below to successfully apply The Narrative Project approach to your communications CORE THEMES INDEPENDENCE SHARED VALUES PARTNERSHIP O Lead with building independence as the O Describe people in terms of their hopes and O Focus on partnership in all aspects of de purpose of development programs values in order to create empathy velopment programs and how each player actively contributes CI Emphasize independence instead of invoking O Highlight feelings that all people can relate to pity O Use examples and metaphors to help your audience picture how people and countries work together SUPPORT THEME PROGRESS Don t lead with progress Provide examples of progress as supporting information after the other themes in the narrative 1 Present problems as preventable and solvable to show that progress is possible O Use simple clear language and specific examples to assert what ha
6. s poorest places who die before the age of 5 has shrunk by almost half Millions of people use training and education they didn t have before to improve their lives Preventable diseases are disappearing These are solvable problems We can address them here at home and in the world s poorest places CLOSE Development programs make a difference for people striving to build the foundations of inde pendence Let s not turn our backs on them and undo the progress we ve made CREATIVE TOOLS The following sections include practical tools to help users apply the narrative to different forms of communications IMAGES This section presents themes that were tested to explore which visual ideas make people more likely to support development They are shown in order from most persuasive to least persuasive THEME 1 POTENTIAL MARATE Photographs showing that development programs help people reach their human potential were found Pictures make me want to help more to be persuasive with members of the Engaged Public This type of image also supports the idea that than words development helps people achieve independence over the long term U S survey participant D de Portrait of two students with their names written on a black board at the Colobane Lansar B school in Dakar Senegal on November 14 2012 34 THEME 2 PROGRESS Before and after images showing tangible changes in local communities make it clear that develop
7. to positive attitude toward development They believe we have a strong obligation to help people in the world s poorest places but they also believe that development is a waste DESIRED PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES Swings who finish watching the video will have a more positive attitude toward development and will be more willing to take an action to support an organiza tion They may still be skeptical about the value of development but they will have a new appreciation of the purpose of development programs the partnerships behind development and why they should support this work TH NARRATIVE PROJEC 40 NARRATIVE APPROACH The key ideas to include in a narrative to build support for development are shown in the messages below Each one includes specific language shown to motivate Swings to support development The ideas are shown in their order of importance to Swings introducing these themes in this order will have the most effect in persuading Swings to support development Independence is the most im portant theme and should be the first idea introduced in the video TAGLINE Building the foundations of independence INDEPENDENCE Development programs help people in the world s poorest places become independent and stand on their own two feet SHARED VALUES People born in the world s poorest places deserve the same chances and opportunities as anyone because every human life is valuable PARTNERSHIP Development
8. ams But be cautious of overreaching or making claims you can t back up Do emphasize core human values and priorities that are relatable to both donor and developing country audiences Do highlight partnership in all aspects of development programs Describing the active contributions of development program recipients contrasts with the traditional image of passive charity recipients Do use familiar language that our audience will understand immediately Speaking in development jargon makes it more difficult to build understanding and support RESEARCH INSIGHTS Miane DON S x Don t expect facts and figures about progress alone to convince people to support development Many people won t listen to the facts until they understand why they should support development independence shared values and how it works partnership x Don t invoke pity or characterize people in developing countries as helpless victims or assert that people have an obligation to support development People react negatively to the perception that their sense of morality is being questioned x Don t lead with negative concepts or words Messages that start by describing the problems that development programs are working against are less convincing than talking about why a person should support development for example independence shared values the value of human life x Don t use long term timeframes to communicate a g
9. by their own merit Skeptics They do not respond well to Sustainable change language about shared values Lasting difference INDEPENDENCE Determine their own future Dial Up Control their own destinies Equity People lack opportunity Equal chance SHARED VALUES People cannot help where they are born Dial Down Human Traits Pride Energy Determination Neutral Tenacity Hope Persistence Striving to help themselves cS Sharing Working with poor countries CAA Sharing knowledge and expertise PARTNERSHIP Hand up not a handout Neutral Accountability Transparent Accountable Proven long term efforts Can t blindly support Dial Up Rigorous evaluation KEY RESEARCH INSIGHTS This section presents the most critical narrative research insights in a simple list of Do s and Don ts RESEARCH INSIGHTS Ma DOs Do lead with building independence as the purpose of development programs This idea persuades Swings and motivates Supporters Do talk about empowering women and girls in the developing world Gender equality is a powerful argument in support of development for the Engaged Public Do provide examples of progress in the context of other ideas in the narrative Simply asserting that development programs work is ineffective unless you pair examples of progress with messages about independence shared values or partnership Do use simple clear and bold language to assert the accomplishments of development progr
10. dependent Women like Mestawit are stands on her own two feet utilizing tools to stand on their own two feet and lift up their communities THE gt NARRATIVE PROJEC 0800 SO O 26 EXAMPLE BLOG EXAMPLE PROVIDED BY THE UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION EVERY CHILD DESERVES OPPORTUNITY FROM DAY ONE Independence it s what we all want for children everywhere We hope they ll have the chance to grow up healthy go to school and have every opportunity to reach their full potential Above all we want our children to count Many of us take it for granted but receiving a birth certificate is crucial for all of this When you re counted on the day that you re born it s the first step toward accessing all the opportunities that lead to being an indepen dent self sufficient adult Unfortunately there are children all around the world missing out on this opportunity today Nearly 230 million children around the world don t have birth certificates As a result it will be much harder for them to thrive throughout the rest of their lives Without a birth certificate or other identification children often find it difficult to enroll in school see a doctor and find gainful employment later in life Adrift in their communities these children often become uncounted faces vulnerable to kidnapping trafficking and war crimes It s especially difficult for girls who are at higher risk of abduction for sexual slavery child marriag
11. e and under age recruitment for armed groups These children deserve the same thing that every child in the world deserves the opportunity to lead a full happy healthy life That s why more and more developing countries and donor countries are joining together to create innovative programs and campaigns that target birth registration And already the progress has been amazing For instance UNICEF worked with local authorities in Guinea to register more than 20 000 children and refugees fleeing armed conflict from Western Africa in the early 2000s The effort placed an emphasis on girls and had the added benefit of equipping these children with health records and connecting them with child protection services TH NARRATIVE PROJEC 27 In Afghanistan local authorities partnered with UNICEF and local health officials to register two million children in under two years while also administering polio vaccinations And right now the United States Congress is considering The Girls Count Act which would support programs to improve birth registration in partnership with developing countries These efforts are crucial because when children have birth certificates they have a much better shot at stand ing on their own two feet for the rest of their lives When they are able to get an eduation find jobs and con tribute to the local economy they are doing more than just reaching their own potential They are beginning a virtuous cycle tha
12. e fortified milk that will help save his life thanks to you 24 EXAMPLE SUCCESS STORY PURCHASE FOR PROGRESS BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE FOR WOMEN FARMERS IN MALI The Logo Women s Group is comprised of female smallholder farmers in Mali who tend plots exclusively for the production of ni b a protein and nutrient rich bean sometimes called a black eyed pea The World Food Pro gramme WFP which is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger recognized an opportunity in ni b By buying crops from smallholder farmers such as the women in the Logo Women s Group WFP could feed more people while also offering a hand up to women striving to provide for their families and stand on their own two feet WFP s Purchase for Progress program sees development as a two way street in which local farmers and governments work with donor organizations to share in the effort resources and responsibility to make the program work successfully for the people they serve In Mali Purchase for Progress partnered with Catholic Relief Services and the government of Mali to provide seeds train local farmers in growing the crop and help women farmers obtain both land and literacy so they could successfully grow and market ni b To ensure the demand for ni b would continue to support the women tending the crops these organizations worked with the local governments and school programs to purchase ni b This partnership
13. e gt before the age of 5 from prevent able diseases and we have the power to help Shot Life supports the work of the UN GAVI and other global partners to deliver life saving vaccines to children in developing countries many in hard to reach rural areas This work would not be possible without the support of the American people and U S government Partnership gt GN MESSAGING We have met mothers who will walk for miles for the opportunity to vaccinate their children They re determined to provide their children with a healthy shot at life and an environment in which to survive and thrive Let s help them get there The fact is 1in 5 children are dying before the age of 5 from preventable diseases We have the power to help give a hand up not a hand out so that they can grow and unlock their potential Shot Life supports the work of the UN GAVI and other global partners to deliver life saving vaccines to children in developing countries many in hard to reach rural areas This work would not be possible without the strong mutual partnership between the American people U S government and the families we are reaching Together we ve reduced the global burden of disease not by handouts but by partnership TH NARRATIVE PROJEC 23 EXAMPLE BRAND POSITIONING EXAMPLE PROVIDED BY SAVE THE CHILDREN U S ORIGINAL MESSAGE Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in
14. earch amp Development Process 1 Review existing 2 Conduct sector research narrative audit 3 Develop new narrative ideas in focus groups 4 Test narrative ideas in surveys MON ivi 6 Test language for 5 Craft language motivating power 7 Use language in public communications amp test audience responses AUDIENCE OVERVIEW Research conducted for The Narrative Project divided members of the Engaged Public into three groups based on their attitudes toward global develooment Supporters Swings and Skeptics This section describes attitudes and demographics for each segment in the United States AUDIENCE TARGET THE ENGAGED PUBLIC Stories about extreme poverty in other countries make me sad because I don t like the idea of innocents starving and dying However I feel like there is little Ican do person ally and I know we have starvation and homelessness in our own country U S survey participant The Narrative Project Working Group commissioned a body of research to better understand public attitudes toward development For this project the public is defined as the Engaged Public in the United States United Kingdom France and Germany The Engaged Public is an important slice of the general population in these countries people who follow global issues talk about them with others and feel that it s important to improve health education and economic opportunity for the
15. effective supports the other ideas in the narrative by educating the public on what has been achieved but was shown not to be persuasive on its own or as a lead theme NARRATIVE MESSAGES gt INDEPENDENCE Development programs help people in the world s Language testing Wih Members of the i h poorest places become independent and stand on their own two feet ene ee Une SNOWEA MARINES WEI effective words and phrases to express the narrative themes to our target audience SHARED VALUES People born in the world s poorest places deserve the chance to achieve their full potential because every human life is valuable PARTNERSHIP Development programs work because people from across countries and communities join forces to share knowledge resources and responsibility Oo 0 PROGRESS Development programs work We ve beaten smallpox nearly defeated polio and helped millions of people get education and training NARRATIVE TAGLINE The tagline is a simple phrase that sums up the purpose of development It employs the metaphor of building foundations to underscore the long term impact of development programs It highlights the most important theme to communicate to our target audience development helps people achieve independence Building the foundations of independence TH NARRATIVE PROJEC In language testing independence was the most popular term for the theme of self sufficiency to U S audience
16. eople cannot help where they are born Dial Up Human Traits ande Energy oe Determination Dial Up Tenacity Hope Persistence Striving to help themselves cS Sharing Working with poor countries ae Sharing knowledge and expertise PARTNERSHIP Hand up not a handout Neutral Accountability Transparent Accountable Proven long term efforts Can t blindly support Dial Down Rigorous evaluation f LANGUAGE TIPS SWINGS THEME KEY IDEAS LANGUAGE EMPHASIS Swings found all of the narrative themes to be relevant but responded particularly Independence Succeed by their own merit well to language about independence Sustainable change ats traits of people striving for a better life and Lasting difference INDEPENDENCE Determine their own future Dial Up accountability Control their own destinies Equity People lack opportunity A Equal chance SHARED VALUES People cannot help where they are born Neutral Human Traits prige Energy oe Determination Dial Up Tenacity Hope Persistence Striving to help themselves QY Sharing Working with poor countries Sharing knowledge and expertise PARTNERSHIP Hand up not a handout Neutral Accountability Transparent Accountable Proven long term efforts Can t blindly support Dial Up Rigorous evaluation y LANGUAGE TIPS i SKEPTICS THEME KEY IDEAS LANGUAGE EMPHASIS Independence and accountability are essential themes to emphasize with Independence Succeed
17. hat the pur pose of development programs is to build foundations of self sufficiency before giving examples of effective programs V Leading with facts and figures about progress will not disprove the widespread perception that aid is a waste VI Many people won t accept the facts unless they first believe in the goals of development 30 ATTACK amp RESPONSE AoA PROJEC ATTACK Charity begins at home Tips for Effective RESPONSE People here at home and in the world s poorest places Rebuttals deserve the same opportunity VI Avoid asserting or implying that people have an obligation to sup port development People react very This message suggests that people should focus on helping those close to them before helping oth negatively to perceptions that their ers pitting the needs of people in donor countries against those of people in developing countries sense of morality is being ques tioned OPEN People living in the world s poorest places deserve the same chances and opportunities as anyone We can and should help people build the foundations of independence whether they re M here at home or living in the world s poorest places Be prepared with specific examples of success e g the number of children who die before the age of 5 SUPPORT Development programs are less than 1 percent of the budget in most donor countries has shrunk by almost half and they work The number of children in the world
18. lution Each user will have to apply the concepts messages and language to their own work with care and creativity TH NARRATIVE PROJEC METHODOLOGY CONDUCTING RESEARCH WITH THE ENGAGED PUBLIC From February to August 2014 the 15 organizations in The Narrative Project s Working Group guided in depth research to inform the creation of a new narrative The process began with an exhaustive review of existing research on public attitudes in order to build upon prior knowledge and the work of others within the sector The Working Group also conducted an audit of the frames development organizations use in their communications which define the public dialogue today Along with leaders in the development field a team of social scientists linguistics political advisors and public opinion researchers contributed expertise and ideas Focus groups were used to develop and test ideas for a new narrative with people in the United States United Kingdom France and Germany Online surveys with 1 200 members of the public in each of those countries measured the persuasive power of various themes based on their ability to change at titudes and motivate people to take action to support development The most powerful themes formed the approach for the new narrative which was then crafted with a structure and language determined to deliver maximum motivating power to both supporters and potential supporters of development TH NARRATIVE PROJEC Res
19. muni cations effort focused on changing the development narrative in the United States United Kingdom France and Germany The project consulted with experts across the fields of linguistics anthropology psychology marketing political science development political economics public opinion and com munications It used qualitative and quantitative research and message testing to develop a set of insights about how to change the narrative and create a broader base of public support for global issues NEW FINDINGS While the project confirmed many insights from previous studies it also uncovered some exciting new findings including language usage and messages that can help the global development sector create momentum around its work Perhaps most important The Narrative Project identified an undecided audience that when reached the right way could significantly increase the base of support for devel opment The User Guide is a tool to bring these findings to life TH NARRATIVE PROJEC Partners Y Save the Children bend FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESULTS UNITED NATIONS Wy FOUN DATION the power to end poverty nnd aji S THE GLOBAL POVERTY PROJECT U S GL f k LE DERSHIP COMIC i COALITION RELIEF AA welt Inter Action oe ror caent tues hunger S hilfe bten onii ATES foundation DSW care USING THIS GUIDE The User Guide is designed to be an informative tool for communicators and advocates
20. n expand our base of support with a narrative that will swing the Swings to embrace development Here are some key facts about Swings SWINGS Swings have a neutral to positive attitude toward development They believe we have a strong obligation to help people in the world s poorest places but they also can be led to believe that development programs are wasteful Their opinion can swing from positive to negative Swings represent our biggest Swings are 39 ofthe opportunity and could potentially double our base of support If we can Engaged Public convince them that they can make a in the United States difference that belief will help drive them to take action My heart goes out to the people suffering such extreme poverty I dont know how I can change it U S SURVEY PARTICIPANT TH NARRATIVE PROJEC VW A 2 Ideology Engaged Public Swings E Liberal E Moderate Conservative 000 y Age Engaged Public 26 G 18 39 E is 34 35 44 El 45 54 55 69 Swings CO Education 15 39 29 16 15 42 27 HB High School Graduate J Some College A A Prof Degree a Bachelor s Degree E Master s Doctorate Degree Engaged Public Swings 9 Gender Engaged Public Swings Hi Male 7 Female AUDIENCE STRATEGY NARRATIVE PROJEC Skeptics are helping to drive the negative narrative ab
21. need with programs in 120 countries including the United States NARRATIVE THEME Independence Shared Values gt REVISED MESSAGE Save the Children invests in childhood every day in times of crisis and for our future In the United States and around the world we are dedicated to ensuring every child has the best chance for success We aim to inspire break throughs in the way the world treats children Partnership gt As the leading expert on children we inspire and achieve lasting impact for millions of the most vulnerable girls and boys by improving their health education and economic op portunities In times of acute crisis we mobilize rapid assis tance to help children recover from the effects of war conflict and natural disasters Independence gt Our pioneering programs give children a healthy start the opportunity to learn and protection from harm Our advocacy efforts provide a voice for children who cannot speak for themselves and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives Independence gt Progress gt By transforming children s lives now we change the course of their future and ours TH NARRATIVE PROJEC Image Captions Saguirou age 2 eats fortified milk in a stabilization center supported by Save the Children Niger The smile of a healthy child Once near death from malnutrition 2 year old Saguirou smiles while drinking th
22. oal or vision Referencing dates that are far into the future Such as 2030 don t engage people or encourage them to support development x Don t use the term foreign aid For many people including the Swings it carries a lot of baggage Many associate the term with short term crisis and others associate it with money that is wasted x Don t describe the goal of development as furthering the economic or national security interests of donor countries Most people don t find these self interest arguments persuasive x Don t try to downplay the problem of corruption Most people believe that corruption is common within development work and you won t be able to convince them otherwise x Don t try to explain away or justify problems with some development programs Language such as in the past development wasn t very effective or there will always be some setbacks is not effective APPLIED NARRATIVE EXAMPLES This section shows how ideas and language in the narrative can be applied in different forms of communication EXAMPLE CAMPA EXAMPLE PROVIDED BY THE UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION ORIGINAL MESSAGE NARRATIVE THEME REVISED MESSAGE We have met mothers who will walk for miles for the opportunity to vaccinate their children We want to give them Ge the opportunity to provide their children with a healthy shot at life Independence gt The fact is 1in 5 children are dying Independenc
23. ociating poor with their circumstances rather than the people themselves Building foundations is a metaphor that implies long last ing impact on people s lives These terms refer to specific types of development pro grams that most people understand and value You can provide other examples too These phrases address the idea of equity in familiar terms that our audience can relate to These words express values and beliefs shared by our audience and by people who benefit from development programs These words and phrases make the idea of partnership come alive These examples make it clear that people who benefit from development programs contribute something valuable to the work These action verbs and concise statements convey confi dence in the idea that progress is being made TH NARRATIVE PROJEC This language tested well with Support ers Swings and Skeptics LANGUAGE TIPS i SUPPORTERS THEME KEY IDEAS LANGUAGE EMPHASIS Supporters are particularly motivated by some ideas and turned off by others When Independence Succeed by their own merit addressing Supporters emphasize language Sustainable change about shared values and the traits of people Lasting difference INDEPENDENCE Determine their own future Neutral striving for a better life and de emphasize Control their own destinies ane language about accountability Equity People lack opportunity a Equal chance SHARED VALUES P
24. ot show the context in which they live were least effective at building I feel it is our duty as human beings to support for development People feel good seeing pictures of happy children but it doesn t have the look out for each other same impact as photos with the themes of potential of progress U S survey participant Children play outside the Joy Celebration Center for Nations church in Nairobi Kenya on Wednesday December 16 2009 38 CREATIVE BRIEF SAMPLE CREATIVE BRIEF DELIVERABLE 3 minute video STRATEGIC GOAL Motivate Swings within the Engaged Public to support global development programs COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVE Produce a video showing how a development program helps people living in one of the world s poorest places build independence by working in partnership to share in the effort resources and responsibility of making the program work The story should also subtly remind the audience what they already believe Supporting development is the right thing to do because all people deserve the opportunity to reach their potential AUDIENCE OVERVIEW CURRENT PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES The Engaged Public volunteer fundraise and advocate for their causes They generally represent nearly one third of the adult population Swings represent our biggest opportunity at 39 percent of the Engaged Public they could potential ly double our base of support within the biggest donor countries Swings have a neutral
25. out global development The same narrative that 3 Ideology can swing the Swings and embolden Supporters can also placate Skeptics so that they don t dominate public dialogue on global development Engaged Public Skeptics LJ 38 E S K a PT CS i Liberal E Moderate 7 Conservative 000 y Age Skeptics are helping to drive the negative narrative about development They feel strongly that development is not effective and their attitudes are unlikely to change Skeptics can pull Swings away from a positive perception of development Engaged Public toward a negative one Engaged Public 26 aa 18 39 Skeptics META 0 52 E 18 34 35 44 El 45 54 55 69 CL Education 15 39 Skeptics EY Skeptics are 14 of the E ngaged Public E High School Graduate IE Some College A A Prof Degree Hi Bachelor s Degree O Master s Doctorate Degree in the United States ed QY Gender Engaged Public Iam not convinced money goes to these programs but is absorbed by corrupt governments Skeptics Itis a total waste of time and money Hi Mae Female U S SURVEY PARTICIPANT THE NARRATIVE This section provides guidance on the themes and language that are most effective in building support for development among the Engaged Public NARRATIVE APPROACH The most important lesson from The Narrative Project research is simple The
26. rters within the U S within the U S Engaged Public Engaged Public AUDIENCE STRATEGY NARRATIVE PROJEC The narrative that will encourage the Swings to embrace development can also bolster Supporters 3 Ideology and motivate them to continue to work hard to support development Here are some key facts about Supporters Engaged Public Supporters S U P 210 RT E RS EJ Liberal 7 Moderate Conservative cu Age Supporters have a positive attitude toward development and form a powerful base of support They volunteer donate raise their voices and take other action and they believe they can make a difference Engaged Public 26 16 39 Supporters 18 19 30 E 18 34 35 44 45 54 55 69 Cf Education We can get them to do more but Engaged Public EYA they re already on our side They represent nearly half of the engaged Supporters are 47 Supporters IEA pe ublic i chool Graduate ome College A A Prof Degree of the Engaged Public oo wo in the United States A Y Gender Engaged Public As a developed nation we have a moral responsibility to bring any people across the world to a decent level of i upporters education and health and it is a shame and a disgrace that all people do not have these opportunities U S SURVEY PARTICIPANT i Male 7 Female AUDIENCE STRATEGY SWING THE SWINGS Narrative Project research showed that we ca
27. s Self reliance and self sufficiency also work well NARRATIVE LONG FORM This is an example of a full articulation of the narrative approach The purpose of development is to help people become independent Development pro grams offer people in the world s poorest places a hand up so they can build the founda tions of independence education health and economic opportunity This work is essential because every person deserves the opportunity to live with dignity and reach their full potential regardless of where they are born Development programs are a two way street People from different countries join forces to share knowledge resources and responsibility Development is working The number of children who die before age five has shrunk by almost half Preventable diseases are disappearing Millions of people use training and education they didn t have before to improve their lives Let s keep making the world a better place We ve come too far to stop now and undo all the progress we ve made TH NARRATIVE PROJEC Tips for Articulating the Narrative M Showing how development programs help peo ple become independent using specific exam ples such as education health and economic opportunity helps our audience understand and support the work M Describing people in terms of their hopes and values as in the phrase to live in dignity and reach their full potential creates
28. s been accomplished Help people understand how their actions lead to change in order to make progress feel more believable TH NARRATIVE gt PROJEC
29. t helps entire communities rise up So please join the campaign Take action and join the Girl Up campaign to urge your member of Congress to make every girl count because every girl matters No matter where they live every child deserves the same opportunity to thrive and live with dignity Let s work together to turn their rights into realities TH NARRATIVE PROJEC 28 This section offers guidance for responding to the most common arguments against development 29 ATTACK amp RESPONSE ATTACK Aid is wasted RESPONSE Development programs help people build independence The argument that aid is a waste of money or is ineffective is the most common argument against development OPEN The goal of development is to help people become independent Our development programs do that by helping people build the foundations of education health and economic opportunity SUPPORT Development programs are working The number of children who die before the age of 5 has shrunk by almost half Millions of people use training and education they didn t have before to improve their lives Devastating diseases are disappearing CLOSE Development programs make a difference for people striving to build the foundations of inde pendence Let s not turn our backs on them and undo the progress we ve made TH NARRATIVE PROJEC Tips for Effective Rebuttals MVI The most effective rebuttal begins by reminding people t
30. theme of indepen dence as the end goal of development is the most critical idea to communicate to the public This finding challenges the development sector s current communications practices It also has the power to transform our work and its impact Using the full narrative approach shown in the diagram below independence first followed by shared values and partnership will pack the most persuasive power for Swings It also embold ens Supporters and appeases Skeptics However if you only have time or space to communicate one theme to any audience independence is the most influential The theme of progress is not part of the core narrative approach but was found to be a valuable supporting idea INDEPENDENCE SHARED VALUES PARTNERSHIP CORE THEMES SUPPORT THEME PROGRESS TH NARRATIVE PROJEC Research Insights INDEPENDENCE Emphasizing independence as the end goal of development is the most compelling theme across all audiences and helps convert the most Swings to Supporters SHARED VALUES This theme reminds most people of a belief that they already hold every human life has value and we have a moral obligation to help people who live in the world s poorest places PARTNERSHIP Explaining that people in developing countries actively participate in making development programs work is a critical theme for Swings PROGRESS The theme that development programs are
31. who want to apply The Narrative Project approach to their own messages and content It brings together the high lights of The Narrative Project research and lays out a narrative approach which is based on a deep analysis of those insights Here are some practical suggestions for how to use the guide The first section Audience Overview describes the specific target audience and strategy that the research and User Guide were designed around Read this section carefully A clear understanding of it is essential to using the guide The remaining sections describe the research based narrative approach along with messages and language that bring that approach to life They also provide examples of how the narrative ap proach can be applied in practice Read through the full guide then go back to find the pages that help you the most The Narrative Project User Guide Summary is meant to be used as a quick reference tool once users understand the findings The next step is to try out the narrative approach in the real world It can be used to create any thing from speeches to video content to social media To determine if The Narrative Project ap proach can truly help change the conversation organizations need to test it for themselves see what works refine and test again The insights and recommendations presented in this guide represent one path for changing public perceptions about global development They are not a one size fits all so
32. world s poorest people Focusing on the Engaged Public is critical because they are the group that is most likely to listen to information disseminated by the development sector and they are also more likely to donate money to development charities and volunteer their time to campaigns The rest of the public tends to be far more disengaged and far more likely to have negative attitudes about development Persuading more of the Engaged Public to support development work before turning to a broader public audience is the path to reaching more people If we can t convince the Engaged Public we won t be able to convince anyone else The Narrative Project examined the attitudes of three groups within the Engaged Public Supporters Swings and Skeptics The Narrative Project research showed that we can expand our base of support with a narrative that will persuade Swings to think and feel more positively about development The same messages can also empower Supporters and appease Skeptics TH NARRATIVE PROJEC The Challenge The Engaged Public in the United States represents less than a third of the population 26 Engaged Public of Engaged Public in U S population 74 Disengaged Public The Opportunity Within the Engaged Public we can potentially double the number of people who support de velopment if we can persuade Swings to think and feel more positively about development 49 of Swings of Suppo
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