The book, "Communication and Natural Resource Management: Experience/Theory", provides a framework for a comparative analysis and use of different communication approaches to be applied in the context of NRM projects. It is prepared and published by FAO’s Communication for Development Group in the Extension, Education and Communication Service (SDRE) in collaboration with The Communication Initiative (CI). On September 10, 2003 these two organizations launched an online discussion forum on the book. The forum was articulated in three main phases:
1. During the preparatory phase the document was made available on-line at the FAO and CI web sites. Since its posting of the book in August of 2003 the HTML version of the book has received over 18,500 page views on the CI site and the PDF version has been viewed 4,493 times. This phase also included a review of the book and a restricted discussion by a core group of communication specialists who also provided input to the moderators as they designed the discussion structure and approach.
2. The Main Discussion was held from as a public on-line forum, open to anyone who wished to contribute. The discussion was structured around the book and based on brief summaries, and three series of questions designed to solicit reflection and comments about central themes related to CNRM. The full text of these contributions to this discussion can be found in Chapter 5. The Main Discussion was further supported by an electronic newsletter sent out to subscribers of CI’s The Drum Beat that provided further background to the discussion4. Furthermore, a poll asking the question to engage participants and to make information available was posted in CI WEB Site5. At the same time, the proceedings of a previous E-Forum organised by the World Bank on communication for sustainable development were available online[2]. At the end of the discussion of The Drum Beat reviewed some of the themes and issues raised and shared them with the over 24,000 people.[3] The Main discussion forum highlighted the need for sharing information and learning about experiences in a systematic way.
3. Once the online forum was over, an Evaluation Discussion continued the among a restricted group of specialists to review the outcomes of the e-forum and identify priorities and directions for moving the field of CNRM forward. It focused on determining the specific information needs to be addressed in the field of CNRM and how best to fill those needs. It was structured around a series of questions developed by the moderators and based on the comments and contributions from the main discussion.
The main conclusions of the process are presented in Chapter 4.
| [2] http://www.worldbank.org/developmentcommunications/where1/environment/summary%5B4%5D.pdf [3] Issue 218:http://www.comminit.com/drum_beat_218.html |
