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p. 8 of 18 BACK | NEXT Definitions Executive Summary Introduction Public Communications and Development Effectiveness ADB’s Experience in Public Communications The Policy The Strategy A. External Relations B. Disclosure of Information Implementation Arrangements Staffing and Resource Implications Compliance Review Recommendation

The Public Communications Policy of the Asian Development Bank: Disclosure and Exchange of Information : The Strategy

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A. External Relations

41. ADB will reinforce and refine its approaches to external relations by defining a focused external relations strategy. ADB will develop clear positions on issues of importance to its members, improve its information products to explain these positions, and disseminate these products more widely. To clarify the importance of external relations within the organization, ADB will align its organizational arrangements and modify its staff skills mix accordingly.

1. Prerequisites

42. To raise its profile with external audiences, ADB must ensure that:

1. it generates original ideas and insightful messages on development issues;
2. it actively engages in international discussions of these issues derived both from its operational experience and research;
3. it consistently seeks and exploits opportunities to meet media and other external audiences;
4. it maintains active and open internal communications so that staff are aware of its views and positions on issues;
5. it maintains a sound operational record; and
6. operations staff maintain strong relationships with people and organizations with direct operational and business links to ADB.

2. Leadership and Motivation

43. A strong, highly visible commitment to strengthening external relations by each member of ADB Management is critical. Management will play a key role in defining, updating, and executing ADB's external relations strategy. As ADB's key communicators, members of Management will actively participate in external relations activities, and establish strong relationships with ADB's primary audiences, including decision makers and opinion leaders in donor and borrowing countries.

3. Target Audiences

45. ADB works with and seeks to influence a broad range of audiences (Box 1). Each of these audiences is important to ADB and can contribute to its effectiveness. ADB's developing member countries, the countries in which it does the bulk of its work, are its most important partners in day-to-day operations. Strong relationships with decision makers and opinion leaders in these countries are critical if ADB is to achieve its long-term goals. Resident missions will play a key role in developing and maintaining these relationships. Trusted relationships with other audiences including decision makers and opinion leaders in donor countries, other development organizations, and civil society, are integral to enhancing ADB's operations and their effectiveness (see paragraphs 9-14).

46. Since resources will always be limited, ADB must prioritize its audiences. Given the already close working relationships with a broad range of decision makers and opinion leaders in developing member countries, this strategy emphasizes reaching out to new audiences, primarily in donor countries. Audience prioritization will be based on the following criteria.

1. Level of influence on decision makers. ADB's operations are affected by a variety of decision makers, primarily ministers, parliamentarians, and national executives. Target audiences will be selected on the basis of their influence on the thinking of these decision makers.
2. Role as "channels" to indirectly targeted audiences. Information and opinions about ADB are expressed by many players and then channeled to wider audiences. ADB will build relationships that will enable its messages to reach audiences not directly targeted by the strategy.

47. Strengthening relationships with audiences in developing member countries will remain the responsibility of ADB's operations departments, which will be its contact points for affected people and will be responsible for building partnerships with civil society organizations directly involved in and concerned with specific operations. The NGO Center will be responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with civil society in general.

48. While it is important for ADB to reach the general public, this strategy does not directly target the public in donor countries or in developing member countries, or the private sector. ADB's engagement with the general public will remain indirect.¹¹

4. Approaches to Reaching Target Audiences

49. Building strong and lasting relationships with target audiences will require consistent personal interactions and a regular exchange of substantive information, not just public relations materials. Establishing such relationships will take time and money, particularly as ADB is headquartered in Manila, which is neither an international media nor a research center. Relationships will be established and nurtured by Management and senior staff during missions and by representative offices.

50. ADB will intensify its relationships with top-tier media. Appearances by Management and staff on broadcast media will increase and efforts will be made to boost the number of references to ADB research and operations in newspapers, magazines, and TV news programs that influence target audiences. ADB will conduct regular surveys on opinion leaders' sources for information about ADB and will refine the selection of target media accordingly.

51. External relations will become the primary function of the representative offices in Europe, Japan, and North America. These offices will work to enhance relationships with media and opinion leaders, disseminate ADB views and information on development questions, and engage in public discussion and debate on development.

52. Management and staff will continue to promote ADB messages and its work at conferences, seminars, and other external and internal events.¹² To achieve significant impact, a more focused outreach strategy will be gradually introduced.

5. Key Communicators

53. Given the limited resources available for external outreach, ADB must clearly identify its key communicators and the specific audiences they will target. The President and Vice Presidents will be ADB's most visible communicators. They will lead efforts to raise ADB's profile among target audiences through personal contacts, speeches at high-level forums, and interviews with and opinion articles in top-tier media. The Chief Economist and other heads of departments and offices-including senior staff at resident missions and representative offices-will also communicate actively with external audiences.

54. In addition, experts among ADB staff, particularly if they have conducted specific marketable research, will build networks through personal contacts, addressing conferences, speaking with media, and writing opinion articles on their areas of expertise.

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