Moving the Goalposts Communications & Advocacy Strategy by I am Ranelle

Moving the Goalposts Communications and Advocacy Strategy

2013

Moving the Goalposts

Communication Strategy

2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2015

Moving the Goalposts |

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Situation Analysis 2. Observations 3. Goals 4. Communications Outcomes 5. Audiences 6. Messaging 7. All About Advocacy 8. Advocacy Outcomes 9. Advocacy Messages 10. Advocacy Approaches and Tools 11. Advocacy Audiences 12. Advocacy - Other Considerations

Acronyms & ABBREVIATIONS AIDS – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ARH – Adolescent Reproductive Health AYSRH – Adolescent Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health CEC - County Executive Committee CMS – Content Management System FHI – Family Health International GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit HIV – Human immunodeficiency virus IEC – Information, education and communication MTG – Moving the Goalposts PSI – Population Services International RH – Reproductive Health UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund VSO – Volunteer Service Organization WHO – World Health Organization YSO -– Youth Service Organization

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There is a girl being born in Africa. And somebody will tell her she is strong. And somebody will give her a ball. And then someone will give her a chance.

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“We live in the information age and negotiating our time and place in history requires good communication.” – Maggie Williams

fOREWORD The era in which we live is characterized by the way in which we communicate. Simply put – strategic communications is being thoughtful about the way we communicate. Communications is a powerful tool for every organization, if great work isn’t communicated – it’s like it never happened. Strategizing communications allows us to create effective messages that will deliver a lasting impression to the right people, in the right medium at the right time. Obtaining the support needed for Moving the Goalposts to flourish requires that MTG better communicate its ability to impact the lives of girls and young women through football. Strategic communications can help MTG mobilize resources to effectively implement the strategic plan, raise the organization’s global profile and visibility, and establish MTG in the vanguard of sports and development programs on the continent. This Strategy lays out a smart communications foundation – an essential plan for Moving the Goalposts under any and all leadership. For communications to be successful it needs to be strategic, participatory, results-oriented and well-funded. Only when the ‘powers that be’ invest the necessary time, effort and resources will this Strategy reach its full potential. The Strategy was created with input from MTG staff, stakeholders and a review of relevant documents. It will be integrated into the overall organizational work and performance monitoring plan. During the Strategy development process and trainings, a great deal of commitment was expressed by the entire MTG staff – operationalizing this Strategy will certainly be a collaborative effort. Budget considerations and a process outline are enclosed under separate cover. A condensed video version highlighting the key findings and priority issues is also available for viewing. This Communications Strategy is a living document that is designed to grow with Moving the Goalposts. Special thanks to the Ford Foundation for their generous support in making this Strategy a reality.

Ranelle E. Sykes Communications Consultant

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ÂŠ Getty Images, Sam Maina

Moving the Goalposts is operating in defining times. After 2013, Kenya will be devolving the central government into 47 counties. Kenya also boasts a fast-growing, largely youthful population and is positioned to benefit from what economists call a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;demographic dividend.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

SITUATION ANALYSIS1

dolescent girls in Kilifi, Kenya are faced with immense challenges. Prevailing gender norms restrict the ability of girls to flourish socially, academically and physically. “Girls in these families are less likely to be educated than her brothers . . . . less likely to control family finances or inherit land, and less likely to have a voice in the social and political systems that will shape her life.”2 Girlhood in Kilifi is replete with domestic subordination, limited opportunities and too often the realization that she is not as valuable as her male age mates. Growing up in a patriarchal community, with little social interaction or access to health care, girls are often not informed or confident enough to make healthy choices about sexual activity. This has led to a high incidence of teenage pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases. Moving the Goalposts (MTG) was founded in 2001, as a small sport and development project with small teams totaling 126 players. Today, MTG has over 3,000 girls participating in their all-female football league. To many – reclaiming public spaces in Kilifi for girls to play football is making a bold statement. Yet, MTG is growing consistently – in both participants and donor support. Moving the Goalposts has 35 fields throughout Kilifi County. During the 8-month season, football matches are held at MTG fields – open spaces located in close proximity to players’ homes. Convenient fields are a key feature of the league’s success since transportation is neither affordable nor reliable for many players. MTG uses football as an entry point to offer girls recreational and vocational services, reproductive health information, links to clinical services and life skills training. Main programs include leadership-through-football, peer-led health education and economic empowerment. A communications strategy for Moving the Goalposts was created for the 2012 fiscal year, however due to inadequate time, ‘womanpower’ and internal buy-in the strategy was not fully integrated into the organization. The strategy was a result of a capacity building training completed by the Program Manager and the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. Currently, Moving the Goalposts does not operate within a communications strategy, and engages in communications activities that are either (1) necessitated by a donor agreement, or (2) at the behest of the Board or staff members. 1

During the senior staff review of the evaluation it was suggested there be a condensed version of the Strategy created, in response to this a 3 minute video explanation was created.

Monique Oliff, “Moving the Goalposts: MTG Model handbook,” 3.

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Moving the Goalposts has scored features in national newspapers at least twice a year and gained the attention of local newspaper and radio stations, as well as international sports and development websites. However, the growth of Moving the Goalposts and its’ stakeholders has grown to demand much more. These are defining times for Kenya. After the March 2013 elections, the country will be devolving the central government into 47 county governments. This reorganization of state will transfer the responsibility of major social services to new county infrastructures. According to the Fourth Schedule of the 2010 Constitution, the national government will be responsible for developing health policy, while county governments will be responsible for implementing the policies at the county-level. This structure emphasizes the right of communities to manage their own affairs, and can present robust opportunities for inclusive development throughout the country, and for Moving the Goalposts – if properly positioned. The Constitution has assigned the larger portion of the delivery of health services to counties, the exception being the National Referral Services. This implies that counties will bear the overall responsibility for planning, financing, coordinating and monitoring health services so that Kenyans are able to achieve “the highest attainable standard of health.” 3 Devolution can be an answer to addressing disparities and inequities in the resource allocation of health services; however, the availability of resources (both human and financial) will ultimately be determined on the ability of counties to implement their devolved functions in health service delivery.

The Demographic Dividend “In Kenya, about 30 % of the population in 2009 was estimated to be young people within the ages of 15-29 years. The future of the country – certainly in the context of its Kenya Vision 2030 – rests very critically on this age group.”4 Kenya’s fast-growing, largely youthful population means that the country can benefit from what economists call a ‘demographic dividend’ – “a special window for faster economic growth and human development due to changes in population age structure.” 5 This unique opportunity occurs when the working age population exceeds the number of dependents. This ‘window of opportunity’ is fleeting, and the onus is on the Government of Kenya to create effective policies that will allow the country to take advantage of this population shift. Current population trends threaten the country’s capacity to achieve the goals outlined in Kenya’s long-term development plan, known as Vision 2030. Heightened prioritization of reproductive health issues and policies that deliver on the promise to provide universal access to family planning for women of childbearing age are necessary to reduce unplanned pregnancies. 6

A guarantee of the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Part 2 – Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 43(1)a

Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) (2012), Report on Youth Employment, Under-employment and Decent Work in Kenya, at 14.

Ross, J. (2004), Understanding the Demographic Dividend. Retrieved from http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/generalreport/ Demo_Div.pdf

Id.

“Socially vibrant and data-driven communications will establish credibility, achieve recognition for a decade of accomplishments and forge a better,clearer way forward.”

OBSERVATIONS Making Communications a priority

Moving the Goalposts is an extraordinary organization that has managed to impact deepseated traditional beliefs on gender in rural and urban Kenyan communities. As MTG’s flagship programs grow and diverge, communications will play a critical role in amplifying success. Stepping up communications must become a priority – relegating it to an afterthought will result in little to no progress. For communications to be effective, it must be strategically and professionally applied. Effective strategic communications plans are transformative for any organization, both inhouse and externally. The following recommendations are included as a precursor to the Strategy, and are essential to actualizing communications goals and objectives: (1) Senior-level management and Board of Directors must express their commitment to implement the Strategy Moving the Goalposts’ communications activities have been ad-hoc – as a result of donor requirements,7 or a few staff members deciding it would be a “good idea.” Currently, there is no system in place for designing, implementing or evaluating communications activities. Shifting to a strategic communications approach is 7

During program design MTG staff roll-in communications activities into award agreements – lack of consistent follow-through and limited staff capacity make it difficult for MTG take full advantage of these opportunities.

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a gradual process that will take organizational support and understanding, and significant financial and human resource investments. MTG will need to mobilize resources in order to hire dedicated communications and advocacy staff. (2) Building a data-driven organization, focused on communicating context and impact Communications will not create program results, and well-produced information products will not take the place of data that communicates impact. A robust monitoring and evaluation framework must produce meaningful results consistently. Substantive quantitative or qualitative results are rarely mentioned in current information products.

Communications will not create program results and well-produced information products will not take the place of impact. With over ten years of experience, Moving the Goalposts’ communications should be results and data-driven. As a mature sports and development organization, MTG should be at the forefront of resourceful communications in this arena. Data that puts MTG’s work in context and communicates impact is vital, i.e., the reporting of outcomes related to knowledge, attitudes, and behavior change, and the overall effectiveness of different approaches for reaching girls and young women. 8 Being able to specify the full impact of Moving the Goalposts’ work is the best possible communication MTG can achieve, and will separate MTG from other adolescent reproductive health organizations.9 Providing contextual information that allows audiences to understand the gravity of relevant issues10 is also helpful because it: qualifies MTG as an indispensable and knowledgeable resource; supports the necessity of MTG programs; and illustrates the political and socio-economic climate. (3) Improving the collection of information Outreach and communications should be an agenda item at every staff and highlevel Strategy meeting – both to improve on the collection of information and enlist department support in communications activities. There are several layers of information maintained within the organization, most of it – captured in the institutional memory of employees and board members. The Communications Team will be responsible for working with senior staff, tenured 8

“It appears that impact evaluation has not been fully embraced by many Kenyan youth-serving organizations as a critical component to their programs. Additionally, motivation for evaluation-related activities sometimes comes only from a donor requirement or request. Without strong monitoring and evaluation plans, projects limit their capacity to demonstrate impact and may risk losing funding for lack of such evidence. If the use of experimental designs to measure changes in behavior is not feasible, programs should at least be encouraged to use less rigorous methods to assess whether a project has improved knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors..” Schueller, J., J. Liku, G. Hubbard, W. Odede, S. Shaban and A. Njeri. 2006. Assessment of Youth Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Programmes in Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya, and Arlington,Virginia: Family Health International at 24 and 25.

“There are numerous promising interventions being undertaken in Kenya that have not been rigorously evaluated for effectiveness. However, these interventions have not either reached the evaluation stage or have not undergone rigorous evaluation to provide the evidence.” Kenya AYSRH Summary 2011 at 1.

10 E.g. demographic statistics, baseline assessments, evaluations, surveys, maps, authoritative publications, historical analysis, methodology, etc.

employees and board members to record, organize and archive information in a public database or shared drive. Information must be unlocked from personal memory and hard drives – so that it can be packaged and resource-ready. (4) Rolling Communications into Monitoring and Evaluation Communications indicators and outcomes will be integrated into the overall results framework. A closely monitored results framework can be used as an organizational ‘playbook’ – monitoring and evaluating communications activities on a rolling basis. In the first year of implementation, the Communications team will be measured qualitatively on its ability to construct and implement the communications infrastructure outlined in this Strategy. In the second year, the Communications Team will be measured quantitatively by the increase of suggested impact measurement activities.11 (5) Commit the necessary resources and create and/or adhere to approval and revision procedures to produce high quality information products and communications High editorial and aesthetic standards should be commonplace. Such standards include: ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Concise and compelling grammar, High-resolution photos, Standard graphic and textual layout, Explanatory visual aids, and Consistent branding.

Communications that include typos, incorrect grammar, grossly outdated information and superfluous prose are unprofessional and damaging to the organization’s credibility and reputation. (6) Clarify program areas It was difficult to understand MTG’s basic program information during desk review. 12 Program staff should work together to logically reorganize program areas by subject/ issue. Suggestions include adding leadership tracks,13 tournaments and all-star teams under the main program area of football.

See Annex 1.2 for suggested indicators.

E.g. Community liaison is featured as a main program area in the annual report, but should be categorized under organizational structure.

E.g. referees, coaching, first aid, health education, etc.

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COMMUNICATIONS GOALS

The 2012 – 2015 Moving the Goalposts Strategic Plan identifies four essential strategic results: 1. Competitive football established as an area of opportunity for girls and young women for equal access to informed choice, education, health, leadership and sustainable livelihoods; 2. Girls and young women enabled to claim their rights and realize their full leadership potential; 3. Strategic alliances at community, county, national and international levels are managed to champion girls and women’s rights and promote change in policy & practice affecting girls and young women; and 4. MTG’s institutional capacity enhanced to effectively deliver on its strategic results and promote an organizational culture that encourages young women’s leadership and sustains creativity.

Under strategic result #3, Moving the Goalposts desires to strengthen â&#x20AC;&#x153;MTG communication capacities for effective implementation of focused communication Strategy.â&#x20AC;? The two communications objectives defined by the consultancy terms of reference are used in this Strategy as communications and advocacy strategic results.

Strategic Result #1 (Communications):

Increased awareness and understanding of MTG programs/activities, results and approach by a wide range of audiences.

Outcome (1.1)

A strong, in-house Communications Team hired and developed.

Outcome (1.2)

An interesting, attractive, easy-to-use and accurate website that makes MTG information more accessible and usable created and maintained.

Outcome (1.3)

Information materials communicating the context and impact of MTGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to target audiences produced and improved.

Outcome (1.4)

Strategic public speaking engagements planned and executed.

Outcome (1.5)

Targeted interaction with existing relationships increased.

Outcome (1.6)

Proactive media engagement increased and enhanced.

Strategic Result #2 (Advocacy):

Decision-makers engaged and mobilized to create and implement public policy for a more enabling environment for girls and young women.

Outcome (2.1)

A solid understanding of: (i) policies that affect adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights; and (ii) the policy process at all levels (from formulation to implementation and reform) demonstrated by MTG staff

Outcome (2.2)

Increased socialization and active participation of MTG within the larger, adolescent sexual and reproductive health stakeholder community (optional: and active networks mobilized under the common goal of developing a county level framework and operational plan for adolescent reproductive health services)

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ÂŠ Getty Images, Sam Maina

COMMUNICATIONS OUTCOMES

Together, the Communications Team will implement the communications strategy and maintain the tone and voice of Moving the Goalposts.

Outcome (1.1) A strong, in-house Communications Team hired and developed. A Communications Team is the first step in implementing this Strategy. Suggested human resources include: a (i) a full-time Communications Officer/Specialist; (ii) a full-time Communications Assistant; and (iii) an MTG editorial board consisting of MTG staff and participants. The Communications Team will be supported by specialized contract labor for photography, website development and graphic design. TThe Communications Officer will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the overall Strategy. S/he is responsible for ensuring a clear and consistent writing style in all external communications products. S/he approves external written products prior to publication and/or dissemination. The Communications Officer will coordinate communications activities with partners, donors, media and the community. S/he will work closely with the program and administration departments to ensure communications are in line with donor branding and marking requirements. The Communications Officer manages the contracted labor and is responsible for ensuring written, up-to-date guidance and training materials are available for MTG staff and partners on the proper use of the MTG brand, logo, messages, photos and production style. The Communications Officer leads media relations and develops talking points on program activities. S/he manages the activities of the editorial board, reviews their work and provides regular trainings and easy-to-use templates for press releases, presentations, success stories and reports. S/he is responsible for regular communications coordinating meetings, ensuring that agendas are circulated in a timely fashion and that there are measurable outputs from the meeting. S/he is responsible for proof-reading and editing major communications to donors. S/he will provide key partners and donors with timely and relevant content on activities and achievements. S/he will produce a monthly e-Newsletter to support MTG program activities and ensure a regular flow of information to donors and other valuable partners. The Communications Officer is responsible for planning and executing events for media, partners, donor and VIP visits. S/he ensures they are supported by up-to-date briefing materials and scene setters. S/he will also be responsible for efficient management of a communications budget, and leveraging funded communications activities into multiple products for use through various channels.14 The Communications Assistant is responsible for packaging photos, stories, audio and video content as appropriate for MTGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various web-based dissemination channels, including the website, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube accounts. S/he is responsible for the timely response to any queries that come in via the website, social media or through other channels. S/he will seek out other donor and stakeholder websites, social media and blogs to offer MTG content for posting. S/he will develop and implement written guidance on how MTG can best 14

E.g. Information, education and communications (IEC) materials can also be featured as special content/resource offers on the website.

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encourage positive interaction with social media viewers while maintaining the integrity of MTGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message. S/he will research, propose and implement a photo archiving and document management system. S/he is responsible for ensuring all activity fact sheets are updated quarterly and formatted consistently. S/he is responsible for proposing and producing two new video stories per quarter for use in public outreach and online. S/he takes the lead in dissemination of information products and keeps updated inventory. S/he maintains the activity calendar and travels to the field to capture stories through photography and video.Â The editorial board will provide support for the production of website and social media postings and success stories. They will systematically collect story ideas and photos. Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) volunteers and interns are required to be on the board and will also have a responsibility to blog weekly about their experiences in Kilifi and at Moving the Goalposts. Together, the Communications Team will implement the Strategy and maintain the tone and voice of Moving the Goalposts. The full-time Communications Officer and Assistant will also play a key role in relationship management. In addition, the Communications team will convene a communications coordinating meeting once a month with MTG staff. Outputs of the communications coordinating meetings will include: a calendar of communications activities and public events; a list of new story ideas with agreed-upon deadlines for how and when they will be packaged and disseminated; a schedule of site visits for photos and/or videos; and, a list of phone numbers of players from whom success stories can be documented. These communications coordinating meetings will also provide training opportunities for MTG staff in branding, photography, success stories and other communications skills. The Communications Team will report out to senior staff and board members quarterly. The Communications Officer and Assistant will be responsible for identifying prospective partnership opportunities, teasing out reasons for engagement and formally presenting them.

Due to the rise of affordable smartphones and the growing popularity and accessibility of mobile internet – building a site with an equally great user experience on a mobile platform is absolutely necessary.

Outcome (1.2) An interesting, attractive, easy-to-use and accurate website that makes MTG information more accessible and usable created and maintained. Modernizing and improving the impact of Moving the Goalposts’ website is the first step to establishing MTG’s digital footprint, or web presence – and expanding the website’s reach among target audiences. The voice and tone of the website should establish MTG as a thought leader in sports and development, welcome potential opportunities and promote valuable information and multimedia content.

Website address Using the initials www.mtgk.co.ke or www.mtgk.org can be hard to remember for strangers and supporters alike. Rather, an address that aligns with the tagline or key messages will be helpful in getting contacts and partners to not only remember the website, but visit frequently and share the site with others. A website address that is easy to remember also compliments a solid branding strategy and gets the site more traffic. Shorter, meaningful web addresses are the cornerstone of a website’s success.

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The Mobile User-Experience Due to the rise of affordable smartphones and the growing popularity and accessibility of mobile internet – building a site with an equally great user experience on a mobile platform is absolutely necessary. As technology advances, so do the needs of internet users. In the near future (already in Africa) – most people will be using a mobile phone for browsing. Factoring mobile compatibility into every stage of this website redesign is a wise investment. Currently, Moving the Goalposts’ mobile website offers the same user experience as the full site, except on a much smaller screen. This makes the drop-down menus difficult to navigate and necessitates that the screen be over-expanded to clearly view content. There are certain considerations such as loading time, page size, brevity of content and navigation design that should also be factored into a mobile-friendly redesign. If MTG redesigns the website – a distinct mobile design process should run parallel to these efforts.

Website Purpose Currently, the website is used to communicate information about the organization, program activities (mostly league play), solicit for donations, promote the founder’s book, post their publications and research documents. There are no analytics available to determine how viewers use the website, or how they arrive there. Web analytics are great tools and gadgets that can either come with the web hosting plan or can be added in from outside sources. The Communications Team should track the analytics on a quarterly basis. Key analytics include: ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Number of visitors to the website; Page views and click data; Referring sites; and Where visitors are located.

In order to build a successful website, it is important to understand who MTG’s audience is and what information they may be searching for. Analytics are often the most helpful factor in determining an initial starting point. However, if this information is unavailable, website content can be tailored to the most important and largest group of users.15

What information are they looking for? Generally, users will be looking to find information about: ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Program Activities – What exactly does MTG do? History of MTG – How did the idea to start such a unique organization occur? Results – What impact has MTG made in the community? Great Videos and Photos – Viewers want to see MTG in action. Resources – Annual reports, information products, presentations, research, etc. Opportunities – How to partner with MTG, donate, intern, volunteer, get a job or take action to help create a more enabling environment for girls. ■■ Contact – How to get in touch with MTG (Email, address, social media streams)

15 This Strategy considers the same audiences for the website as identified in Section V.

■■ Partners – Who works with and supports MTG. ■■ Staff – board members and employees.

Homepage The homepage is the most important page on the entire website. This is the place to show off the freshest and most important content. At first glance, the homepage should orient and engage users, showcase high-level data and point users in the direction of other featured pages. The homepage should have: ■■ Headline or Tagline; ■■ Sub-headline – A small bio about MTG (Who We Are); ■■ Purpose – Brief, compelling statistics about girls in Kilifi that will help users familiarize themselves with the issues; ■■ Call to Action (CTA) – As MTG implements the advocacy Strategy, CTA’s can be developed and placed on the homepage, simple CTA’s16 can also be used; ■■ Results, Awards, Recognitions – establishing integrity and credibility on the homepage with success indicators is essential; ■■ Supporting Images – Powerful photos of MTG in action, homepage photos should be high-resolution and clearly depict program activities using different perspectives; ■■ Content Offer – Feature a great resource available for download, MTG Model guide, white paper, booklets, best practices, webinars, IEC materials, etc.; ■■ News Feed – One dynamic news feed or slider to feature current information;17 and ■■ Social Media Icons – Make it easy for viewers to like, ‘re-tweet’, share or subscribe. Appropriate sizing of content on the homepage is important; as the larger the item – the more significant it is. What the website and organization is about should be the most prominent features on the homepage, with images that capture the MTG spirit, e.g. photos of girls, games, program activities etc. While the main sections, such as Headline, Sub-Headline and the purpose should only be changed to update information – results, content offers, CTA’s and supporting images should be changed more frequently.

Elements of the User Experience 18 At face value, there are some standard issues with the current website infrastructure that make it difficult to find and read information. Overall, the website should be redesigned to include better usability, navigability, visual aesthetics and holistic user engagement. Here are some suggestions for enhancing the user experience.

E.g. “Learn More, Subscribe to our newsletter, comment on a blog post or success story, request senior staff to speak at an event, request an MTG Model workshop.”

Currently, there are two identical feeds of news (on the left vertical sidebar, and in horizontal blog format), the extra space should be used for other important content that is missing from the homepage.

Note: The general rule for creating a successful user experience normally requires that content precede design. Without fleshing out revised and additional content in full – it is challenging to produce a logical, hierarchal structure that is readable, usable and attractive. The below suggestions are based on a redesign of the current website, and provides basic recommendations for an improved structure.

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Web content writing tips ■■ Intro Text – Each page should have a summary of the page’s content in the first paragraph – the first 11 words are the most read on any website page. Just in case a viewer does not take the time to read the whole page (which they probably won’t) a brief summary should be provided in the top, left-hand corner. ■■ Body Text – Feature explanatory summaries and pull-out quotes: (instead of reading long text, users can browse short/abbreviated versions of the main points) ■■ Headings – Make sure that page headings convey useful information both about the content and about the information in subsequent paragraphs. Other Tips: ■■ Add links to related content within the site – this will draw viewers further into the website to seek more information. Related links are best featured as a stand-alone box in a column to the right of the basic text layout, as well as in the body of the text. Be sure to use information-rich text for links. ■■ Use short words, short paragraphs and short pages. Cut out the fluff and provide the key facts and supportive in-depth content.

Navigability, Usability and Content Navigation allows people to get to the exact location they need, it is the most significant element in web design. Navigation elements allow the user to understand where they are in the site and what else the site offers. One top, horizontal, drop-down navigation menu is enough to organize and satisfy MTG’s content needs – with an additional search capability and contact link built in the upper righthand corner. Currently, there are two levels of navigation menus, with the top-level consisting of dropdown menus19 plus fly-out navigation. The dropdown menus range from 2-6 items and the fly-out menus range from 3-8. This navigational structure lends itself to difficult and daunting site navigation. Users can easily get confused, overwhelmed or frustrated in trying to find information. Further, the bottom, or secondary tier of navigation20 menu is virtually indistinguishable from regular text – which hides its’ important functionality. Navigation elements in the website should stand out from other elements of the website; they should be distinct and easily recognizable. Using drop-down and fly-out menus, adds another layer of confusion and clutter in MTG’s website navigation. Generally, drop-down menus are the most standard and natural to use. Standard designs use common website elements, design layout and navigation – they are supported by most web browsers (even mobile devices). Standard designs conform to the way people have learned to use websites – making the site easier to use. 19

About Us, Projects, Publications, Partners and Contact Us.

20 News, Blogs, Calendar, Photos and Media.

All of the current website information â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; can be neatly organized under one primary, drop down navigation menu.21

It is best to consult with the web designer on the mobile compatibility of any type of navigation.

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Primary menu items should be:22

■■ Who We Are/About Us XX Contact Us – descriptive address,23 phone number, P.O. Box, contact form. zz Links to Policies zz FAQ XX Mission, Values & Goals – easily summarized on one page. XX How We Began – category page that includes a 10 Year photo essay, founding story, book review, etc. XX Staff – category page with all of the departments, group photos and functions listed, if interested – a user can ‘drill down’ to individual staff bios and job duties by clicking on embedded links to more in-depth pages. XX Support/Partners – category page of networks, donors, partners, football exchanges, etc. – each section will link out to more in-depth pages. XX Board of Directors – category page with function of board, reports, bios, etc. – each section will link out to more in-depth pages. XX Organi-gram – organizational chart

■■ What We Do24 XX MTG Model Info-graphic with supporting narrative. XX MTG Leagues & Tournaments – category page with types of leagues and tournaments – each section will link out to more in-depth pages. XX Reproductive Health – category page on curriculum, HIV/AIDS, girl-to-woman health education, pregnancy, etc. – each section will link out to more in-depth pages. XX Leadership Tracks – category page to highlight the various leadership-throughfootball tracks25 – each section will link out to more in-depth pages. XX Economic Empowerment XX Giving Back to Kilifi (One Page)

■■ Our Impact XX Results XX Success Stories (in blog format)

■■ Get Involved XX XX XX XX XX XX

Host a Workshop/Share Your Knowledge Volunteer Intern Donate Be a Coach Partner

22 Ideally, ranking and organizing navigation menus should be done in collaboration with MTG staff and the website designer. 23 Also include an updated photo of office building. 24 Printable Fact Sheets should be available on each page.

25 Peer educators, first aid, coaches, referees, etc.

■■ Media & Resources XX Press Coverage – database of press articles. XX Video – category page that lists and provides screenshots and a brief explanation of each video.26 XX Photo Gallery XX Annual Report XX MTG Newsletter XX Tunaweza XX Strategic Plan XX Policy briefs

Other website considerations ■■ Visited links should change color, to indicate that a visitor has been to that page. ■■ Images should be converted to clickable elements.

Preparing for website renovation First, the Communications Team should draft all of the content and gather all the multimedia that will be placed on the site. They should provide an example site plan/outline in bulleted format, and create and save links to sites that feature preferred navigation menus or page design. The team should then choose a web designer who has expertise in building sites with content management systems (CMS) that are easy to use. The designer’s portfolio should feature desired user experiences and layouts. The CMS or web designer maintenance contract should include analytics,27 and online/telephone support.

26 Videos should be embedded on separate pages, MTG should identify or customize a user-friendly video player. 27 Including an e-mail server that allows for tracking analytics.

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Visual Aesthetics, Design Space & Multimedia Choice The website design should be simple, consistent and standard. The Communications Team should consider using more ‘whitespace,’ a fundamental concept that provides balance and attractive content layout. The Communications Team should also think carefully about their choice of multimedia, and whether it enhances the user-experience. Considering the technical environment users have available is also a factor in choosing multimedia. The reality is – bandwidth is still an issue, and users accessing content via mobile browsing may not have capabilities to play video. Evaluating the necessity of multimedia, especially on the homepage is important. If the video is not necessary to tell a viewer about Moving the Goalposts or what the website is about – it should be moved to a more appropriate place on the website.

Social Engagement Basic internet presence is easy and free to ignite, but is only effective when it is monitored and maintained and results in a constant flow of traffic to the website. The Communications team will: ■■ Log-On – Develop a Wikipedia page, Flickr or Tumblr, YouTube and Twitter accounts for basic social media engagement. ■■ Create a content sharing plan – It takes days, weeks and maybe months to create stellar publications or success stories – MTG must amplify original content in every way possible. The Communications Team will generate a list of online blogs and content-sharing forums to which they can submit their success stories.28 ■■ Social Media – The Communications Team will build the capacity of at least 4 members of the editorial board to assist in managing social media. Once a month, each member will be responsible for one week of social media management. S/he will repackage content for various social media fora, including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Youtube. Members should post a minimum of 2 Facebook posts and 2-3 tweets a day. Monthly, the Communications Team will post 1-2 Flickr photo albums and at least one video.29 MTG will “friend” contacts, partners and audiences on Facebook and follow them on Twitter, this way social media can be used to monitor upcoming activities, hot topics or issues and new and interesting content. MTG can also expand the visibility of content by posting on partners walls. Other suggestions for engagement include: XX Invite followers of your page (“fans” on Facebook) to MTG events; XX Point to a news article on MTG’s work or relevant issues; XX Showcase photos or video from MTG projects; and XX Spark conversation by posing interesting open-ended questions.

28 This will involve developing a media resource list of relevant webmasters and journalists responsible for posting content on these sites. 29 The more frequently one posts on social media the more often viewers see the message and have an opportunity to amplify it.

Outcome (1.3) Information materials communicating the impact of MTG’s work to target audiences produced and improved. Priority information products should be in compliance with MTG messaging and branding. MTG currently has six (6) main information products: ■■ An MTG leaflet – a tri-fold, full-color leaflet created in 2009. ■■ Three policy briefs – products of varying production styles that articulate the organization’s policy position from 2008 - 2012. The policy briefs discuss: menstruation and scaling up initiatives to make sanitary pads available; integrating HIV into holistic reproductive health programs; listening and including the stories of young girls in policy creation; providing tcommunities with the necessary knowledge and techniques to support girls in making positive reproductive health decisions; and dedicated youth times and techniques at health facilities to help health workers improve interaction with youth. ■■ MTG Model handbook – a 22-page, full-color book that provides insights on how to establish a girls football program. ■■ MTG Newsletter - a bi-annual, two-page full-color newsletter aimed at external stakeholders, including various Ministries within the Government of Kenya, donors, other sports and development organizations and interested parties. The newsletter is distributed to about 940 persons as an e-mail attachment and 1,000 copies are printed for distribution throughout the Kilifi community and at events, meetings and trainings. The newsletter is also posted online. There are no newsletter analytics on open rates30 or views. ■■ Tunaweza Magazine - a black-and-white monthly newsletter whose target audience is Moving the Goalposts teams and leagues, 500 copies are produced. ■■ Annual Report - a 20-page, full-color report summarizing the year’s successes in words, photos and stories.

Information Stakeholder Review An Information Product Stakeholder Review will be conducted annually to solicit input from staff and key stakeholders on how to improve MTG information products. MTG will implement actions based on the findings of the analysis.

Visual Assets The Communications team will be responsible for taking photos to submit for inclusion in information products. The team will develop a shot-list that defines what photos are needed to accompany high quality information products. A photo database will be created to better collect and catalogue MTG’s visual assets.31 The Communications Team will deploy contract photographers on a regular schedule of field trips, at least once a quarter to ensure a continuous supply of usable photos that illustrate MTG’s most recent achievements and results. All photos will be stored in the photo database and will be accessible to MTG staff, 30 The number of people who opened the newsletter. 31 A database exists in the MTG Resource Center, the Communications Team should organize the database by program and create and maintain a folder with high resolution photos that are most ideal for information products.

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giving them tools to increase the visibility of MTG programs.

Updating and Creating Information Products Information contained in these products should comply with Moving the Goalposts messaging and should incorporate more graphics and visuals. Products should avoid information overload and excessive “fluff” by shortening text and focusing on results and impact in visual form. Messages should always be kept clear, simple and most importantly – brief. The Communications Team will work with each department to increase focus on results and impact, and assemble an editorial board to extract compelling, illustrative success stories of MTG in action. The Strategy recommends the following information products be developed or updated in order of priority:

MTG Brochure/Leaflet Packaged in a tri-fold leaflet or booklet style; with colorful photographs – the brochure should include the following information in brief: ■■ The standard core messages; and ■■ MTG Model info-graphic – this will facilitate the kind of ‘buy-in’ that inspires replication. A credible info-graphic must be represented in a way that is visually appealing and easy to understand. Info-graphics are graphic visual representations of information; data or knowledge. A great infographic tells a meaningful story that can be understood in one sitting. It provides instant clarity to models and theories, while stripping an issue down to the most important, impactful parts. It is the go-to tool to explain MTG’s use of football to impact larger social issues, such as HIV/AIDS, unplanned pregnancies, gender-based violence and poverty.

Fact Sheets (1-2 pages) for each of MTG’s major program areas – this is an opportunity for MTG to offer more in-depth information about program activities, fact sheets should include: ■■ Brief explanation of each program activity; ■■ How the program is making a difference; ■■ Challenges the program faces; ■■ One archetypical success story; and ■■ Contact Information. Each program fact sheet should be updated every quarter to reflect the latest information on results and impact. The fact sheets should be the foundation from which all other information products are developed.

Success Stories A standard template will be created for success stories – the template should build from a personal, human interest narrative – to the results of the activity – to the larger impact of the program.32

Press Release Template The Communications Team will develop a standard, branded press release template. The Communications team should insert starter questions to build the capacity of MTG staff to draft their own press releases prior to seeking approval.

Talking Points The Communications Team will develop talking points for each department that include 1-3 core program messages, built around central themes that will be included in every communications activity. MTG should create centers of gravity by rallying stakeholders, Kenyan opinion leaders and international media around “big wins” for a 3-6 month timeframe in each program area. This means focusing messaging on no more than 3 core messages in each program area for the suggested timeframe. This ensures the target audience hears the message several times and is thus better able to retain the message.

Presentations The Communications team will work with contracted expertise to design a branded Powerpoint presentation template. All internal and external presentations will be given using this template. The Communications team will populate and update the presentation with photos and facts to accompany talking points. Annual results presentations should be scheduled with all donors, senior staff also suggested intensive presentation trainings for select MTG staff to improve public- speaking skills and ensure consistent messaging throughout the organization.

Template E-Newsletter The e-mail newsletter is a powerful marketing tool. It can remind the audience about MTG, and update them on program activities and upcoming events. The Communications Team, 32 This template was explained to all staff in-detail in the second communications training during the course of the consultancy.

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with the help of contracted expertise will create one e-newsletter template, 33 with a standard number of features and articles. All content should explain how MTG activities are fulfilling donor commitments – while mutually advancing MTG strategic goals. Content should be results and impact-focused with a colorful human interest lead. Careful calendaring and planning will provide increased consistency and ease of production. Each month an editorial budget will be populated for upcoming editions, and the Communications Team will work with the editorial board to execute the stories.34 Each newsletter will have abbreviated stories with links back to the full-length story on the website. 35 Each e-newsletter will have:

A Theme: Identifying a theme helps plan and define newsletter content. Different themes

can also be used as a subject line ‘hook,’ to give the audience a preview of the content.

Articles ■■ One complimentary feature story - either a human interest story or feature on ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

program activity All Access – Team Spotlight In the Zone – quick tidbits of information, what’s new, milestones or achievements, links to articles or press clips featuring MTG, etc. Save the Date - Calendar of Activities One photo of the month with links to new and additional galleries on Flickr

League Play Leaflet The Communications Team will produce a special soft and hard-copy leaflet before the football season starts – highlighting league play, special events and sponsorships. If dates are firm, MTG can include this in a brief calendar, which showcases MTG photos and messages. A special e-newsletter and hard-copy newsletter will also be created to recap the season.

Video Communications The Communications Team should be trained on basic video editing techniques; the Communications Team will provide video-editing support.36 A library of 1-2 minute video content will be created that tells the MTG story through a girl’s perspective. The Communications Team will work with one participant per month and: ■■ Assist the participant in understanding and writing her story. ■■ Help her think about a list of questions, people to interview and activities to film. ■■ Provide her with technical support to shoot, produce and edit the film. One to two minute videos37 of MTG staff sharing tips on the MTG model and implementation can also be used for promotional and informational purposes online, for trainings and network dissemination. Electronic player profiles and one minute videos of soccer tricks will also be useful and entertaining. 33 Use an HTML web page or e-mail format to allow tracking of open rates and click-throughs. 34 A list of over 15 potential stories was generated at the storytelling communications training during the course of the consultation. 35 The website will feed the e-newsletter stories, so a website content Strategy will be needed to keep the newsletter current. 36

During the course of the consultation, MTG had an opportunity to participate in the Digital Storytelling initiative with Women Win! The award provided MTG with a pro-consumer DSLR Nikon camera and trained one staff member on how to assemble a digital story. The staff member put together a four-minute digital story.

37 Videos should be two-to-three minutes (and almost always under five minutes).

Getting in the loop In order to ensure contacts have a continual supply of interesting news from MTG, the Communications Team will submit monthly success stories to donors, and make at least one post bi-weekly on the website. The Communications Team will also make submissions to other blogs/websites and journals repurposing this content. MTG will also aim to get content included into publications and reports developed by donors or partners.

Loud and Clear Moving the Goalposts has established relationships with local radio statiovns. Radio spots should be produced in an interview format – and should always, always feature girls. 38 The Communications Team will produce in-house radio spots39 that will focus on the added value of Moving the Goalposts programs. On-air content can highlight added benefits of the MTG program such as: ■■ Camaraderie and friendship-building; ■■ Scholarship opportunities; ■■ Learning and utilizing public speaking and presentation skills; ■■ Access to job opportunities and skills training; ■■ The intrinsic value of the sportsmanship experience, i.e. it better prepares you for life, exemplifies qualities of fairness, helps girls understand that giving weaker team members a chance will help them to grow and develop, instills moral and ethical values (doing the right thing), promotes leadership and taking care of the younger generation of girls and teaches life-lessons on the field; ■■ Increased accessibility to role models; ■■ Positive effects on family life, i.e. how girls can develop better familial relationships with their parents and siblings; ■■ Preparedness for future motherhood and child-rearing; ■■ Provides exposure, i.e. how girls have seen the country and the world and are now able to identify things worth aspiring for and avoiding; ■■ Civic benefits that expose girls to the political agenda and equip them to become more responsible citizens; i.e. girls now have a vision of the Kenya they want to see and help create, and are developing realistic civic expectations of the Kenyan government especially in terms of education and health care; and ■■ Enhanced decision-making, i.e. how MTG teaches girls to make good choices.

38 Radio spots will be commercials that sound like live interviews. Girls should be chosen based on their experiences and stories, and coached on delivery and content. 39 The Communications Team can either outsource audio-editing or preferably assist MTG in fundraising for the necessary equipment.

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The Communications Team will work with the departments to increase focus on results and impact, and assemble an editorial board to extract compelling, illustrative success stories of MTG in action.

Outcome (1.4) Strategic public speaking engagements planned and implemented. Public Speaking Opportunities The Communications Team will seek out opportunities to promote Moving the Goalposts, including providing support for senior staff speaking requests. The team will also invite experts within key audiences to share their expertise and knowledge. Topics can include new trends on sports and development, reproductive health, coaching, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc. The Communications Team will: ■■ Assert and promote the Executive Director and three other senior staff as thought leaders, professionals or experts in their respective fields;40 ■■ Distribute and promote information products and content that feature staff accomplishments and expertise, such as: XX Posting staff bio’s on the website; XX MTG business cards with brief personal bio messages; and XX Shooting and posting quick video clips of staff sharing knowledge and tips. ■■ Develop a list of reoccurring events for which the Communications Team can submit senior staff for presentations; ■■ Host quarterly skills enrichment opportunities featuring experts/professionals within key audiences; invite other external stakeholders to attend in-person or via video; ■■ The Communications Team can also video the presentation and edit it into contentrich segments for archiving, disseminating and posting online. ■■ The Communications team should track—and provide analysis of—public speaking engagements to ensure that such efforts are strategic and effective.

Moving the Goalposts must begin to socialize the organization within the larger community. 40 This was identified by senior staff as essential to facilitating a more active role in MTG networks and establishing the organization as an influential stakeholder throughout all program areas. However, it was recognized that there was a lack of preparedness concerning presentations and trainings.

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Outcome (1.5) Targeted interaction with existing relationships increased Maximizing through relationship-building Partnerships and networks can be formed between a number of individuals, agencies or organizations with a shared interest. A partnership is strategic when there is an overarching purpose for partners to work together on a range of specific objectives. This can support a larger engagement strategy set forth by senior staff or board members.41 Based on a stakeholder mapping exercise completed with staff – MTG interacts with over 30 organizations, associations, networks and government agencies in the course of implementing program activities. MTG’s involvement is limited to attending trainings, workshops, meetings and sharing work plans. The Communications Team will work with each department to identify valuable relationships that advance the organizations mission, provide a platform to reach wider audiences and have the potential to generate worthwhile opportunities.

How to strategize relationship-building The Communications Team will make a coordinated effort to build and maintain identified relationships. Activities will be focused primarily on strengthening active participation. The Communications Team will work with staff to: ■■ Identify and prioritize current relationships; ■■ Create and maintain an internal relationship database that includes: XX Basic bio data (name, e-mail address, website, title, phone number); and XX Relationship information (nature, purpose, history, goal and progress of relationship). ■■ Make a plan to track and cultivate key relationships through consistent communication and engagement; this will include: XX Monitoring website or affiliated websites; XX Building social media relationships either personally or professionally; XX Setting up Google alerts and other media tracking methods; XX Subscribing to their newsletter or other publications; XX Researching senior level management and board members; XX Setting up an activity calendar that includes upcoming events or activities;42 and XX Schedule and prep appropriate MTG staff to attend and represent the organization at key events. ■■ Reporting out on upcoming and recap events at weekly staff meetings, employees will be responsible for submitting new e-mails and contacts from events to be added to a master contact list. 41

It is important to note that communications alone cannot build and sustain substantive relationships, rather this takes strong organizational leadership and commitment.

42 This calendar will be located in a shared workspace for MTG staff to populate and view.

Strategic communications is built on finding value that works towards the overarching communications objective in every event or activity.

■■ In the absence of any formal or official invitations, the Communications Team will ensure that key stakeholders are appropriately and consistently engaged. 43 ■■ Generating and teasing out partnership ideas as discussion points in monthly meetings with senior staff and board members.

Creating content synergy Social interaction is built on content-sharing – the Communications Team will work to find additional avenues, such as websites, social media, network blogs and publications with which content can be shared. The Communications Team will be responsible for coordinating with other organizations to cover, generate, package and share content from joint activities. To this end, the Communications Team will work with the relevant department/staff to develop a plan on: ■■ What information products should be distributed at the event; ■■ How the event can be co-promoted via MTG communications channels (website, social media, e-newsletter); and ■■ What content can be generated from the event (photography, e-newsletter or website article/report, blog post).

Private Sector Engagement Moving the Goalposts must begin to socialize the organization within the larger regional community. The Communications Team and the Advocacy Officer should make ‘cold calls’ to businesses with information products and a generic proposal – ready to introduce the organization. 44 Other ideas for private sector engagement include: ■■ Local Trade Shows and Exhibits – display and sell merchandise from MTG economic empowerment ventures, have star players demonstrate football skills, and play MTG videos and slideshows with photos and tidbits of information on program activities, where possible. ■■ Exhibition Games – Host games and skills exhibitions on hotel grounds and work areas, and arrange staff football tournaments against MTG all-star teams.

Tactics of engagement can include invitations to social opportunities, working lunches, networking events, senior-level meetings, hosting accredited/certified trainings and workshops.

44 Private Sector Introductions – Introduce businesses to the program and invite them to host a match or skills exhibition on their grounds, invite them to be the guest of honor at a game,

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Through participation in stimulating seminars and study tours, interaction with health and development experts, and networking with colleagues, journalists gain understanding of how family planning, reproductive health, and population growth are critical to national development.â&#x20AC;? Building Media Capacity to Cover Population and Reproductive Health, September 2010

East Africa Business Council Regional CEO HIV Testing Day CEO HIV Testing Day calls on company executives to lead by example by involving themselves in a public initiative to ‘know their status.’ This is a one-day exercise that has been carried out simultaneously in each of the five capital (Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Kigali and Bujumbura) cities across East Africa in the lead-up to World AIDS Day. The event attracts about 500 company CEOs and senior managers. Moving the Goalposts will host a football game or skills/tricks exhibition at the CEO Testing Day using MTG soccer balls and engage the CEO’s to ‘kick around.’ The Communications Team will get photos of MTG soccer balls being kicked around by CEO’s and use the opportunity to invite them as guests of honor at big events and tournaments. 45

Outcome (1.6) Media relations across a range of media outlets increased and enhanced Working with the Media46 Moving the Goalposts has an impressive media record of newspaper, magazine and web articles. Proactively engaging with the media and mobilizing them to amplify MTG’s message puts a strategic spin on media relations. The Communications Team will ‘court’ a small group of journalists (7-10)47 to whom they will consistently pitch stories to and invite to cover events.

What’s in it for the media? Building strong media relationships starts with creating a mutually beneficial relationship. Journalists can use the experience and insights of Moving the Goalposts as an expert knowledge base – and MTG can utilize the journalists to get messages out to the public. Strategies include: ■■ Create opportunities for journalists to build their skills – Moving the Goalposts should work with other stakeholders to plan media roundtables or breakfasts, seminars or study tours with the purpose of sensitizing journalists on the issues. MTG can also invite speakers from the Coalition of Media Health Professionals, Internews, African Women and Child Features network, the Network of Women Journalists and other media professionals and groups that can speak to gender and reproductive health issues.48 In collaboration with other stakeholders, MTG should identify relevant local, regional, national or international trainings or conferences and sponsor a journalist to attend. There are several health reporting projects currently supported by the Population Reference Bureau and the Pulitzer Center. 45 MTG has relationships with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), who is a past supporter of the event. 46 This section combines both communications and advocacy considerations in working with the media. 47 Suggested journalists include: Daily Nation - Ashley Lime, Terry Njoki, Muruma Mathiu, Lukoye Atwoli, Tricia Wanjala, Joan Thatia, Asunta Wagura, Tabitha Mwangi, Rose Kiura, Gatonye Gathura, Rebecca Okwany; or Standard - Njoki Keruoya (Editor), Linah Benyawa, and Elias Yaa. This group should also include other editors, media owners, bloggers, web content managers and other local, regional and national media with a history of covering relevant issues. 48 MTG can use other stakeholders and networks to seek out potential speakers.

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■■ Reward Journalists who report on relevant issues – Develop and sponsor a media award for reporting excellence in elevating girls’ reproductive health issues in the media at the Media Council of Kenya’s annual event or at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Track the media and develop solid pitches After journalists have been identified, the Communications Team should study the journalist’s style of writing or reporting and develop and send pitches that echo that style. The Communications Team will routinely provide details on major issues, program successes, sector-specific updates, and priorities to consistently engage the core group of journalists. The team can also blast SMSs to regularly feed the journalists brief, but interesting ideas or perspectives on current events.

Media Information Kits Media information kits allow MTG to maximize each press visit, by providing real-time, useful information that can be used by journalists to draft their stories. The Communications Team will make sure these kits are always put into the hands of media representatives. A media kit contains: ■■ The speech given at the event; ■■ Press release; ■■ Fact sheets; ■■ Website Links; ■■ Reports, studies and publications; ■■ Brochures, booklets and fliers; and ■■ Related articles.

Do-it-yourself content The Communications Team will regularly submit editorials from senior MTG staff and board members for placement in local, regional and national newspapers and magazines. Example articles include: ■■ Will Women Representatives finally bring women’s issues to the table? ■■ Football: Unearthing female champions in Kenya ■■ Girl Power: Kilifi Style (Explaining the MTG Model) ■■ Kenya’s History of Women’s Rights Activists: Where is the new generation?

Facilitating communication can help MTG mobilize resources to effectively implement the strategic plan, raise the organizations’ global profile and visibility, and establish MTG in the vanguard of sports and development programs on the continent. 38

AUDIENCES

Moving the Goalposts’ communications should introduce target audiences to programs/

activities, results and approaches. MTG will actively reach out to five target audiences: 49 (1) International and national NGO’s, CBO’s, networks, and bilateral and multilateral organizations – These are allies at the local, regional, national and international level. This includes organizations who work with youth (especially girls), HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health, girls-to-women health education, sexual and gender-based violence and economic empowerment. (2) Local, National and International Football Associations – This includes professional football associations, summer/extracurricular and school/university leagues, and other structured organizations. 50 (3) Potential and Existing Donors – This includes the current donors who provide funding for MTG programs and potential development partners. 51 (4) Public-Private Sector – This includes local businesses or national business with extension offices in Kilifi and surrounding counties, corporate social responsibility divisions, agricultural businesses (macadamia, coconut, sisal, cashew plantations), bottlers, hotels, insurance companies, banks, airlines, tourist associations, etc.52 (5) Local/National and International Media – This includes local/national journalists in newspaper, television and magazine and web content managers. (6) Opinion Leaders – Also known as message multipliers, opinion leaders are those people who due to their professional position or fame are in a position to deliver information about Moving the Goalposts to key audiences. This includes county and national government officials, think tanks, development professionals, religious and civic leaders, businessmen and women, doctors, nurses, chiefs, teachers, youth counselors and health care officials. Journalists, editors and media personalities are also opinion leaders, as they determine what gets written or talked about in the media.

49 The Communications Team will work with MTG staff to create a comprehensive list of potential audiences based on the above descriptions. 50 Kenya Referee Association (KeFora), Football Kenya Federation (FKF), Kenya Association of Coaches, Kenya Sports for Development Partners, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Council of East and Central African Football Associations, Union of European Football Associations, East Africa Street Football world Network, Youth Development through football and Football for WASH. 51 The Communications Team will work with senior staff and board members to develop a specific audience of potential donors. 52 MTG will solicit the assistance of commercial companies to sponsor their participation in the 2014 Football for Hope tournament in conjunction with the World Cup.

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MESSAGING

It’s vital that Moving the Goalposts articulate a consistent, unified message. MTG should always use one or more core messages in publications and public events.

Branding Branding is about creating a universally recognizable identity, and is usually the combination of a logo and a tagline or slogan. Moving the Goalposts’ current branding message is Tunaweza, which means “we can do it” in Kiswahili. Branding is a very subjective process – but there are a few central qualities that are fundamental to the brand creation process. A good brand should be distinctive – currently, there are several other NGO’s and CBO’s in Kenya and throughout East Africa that use the phrase Tunaweza as their slogan or tagline.53 Another central quality of branding is focusing on what is unique about Moving the Goalposts and amplifying it – for MTG that’s girls and football. Building a strong brand means agreeing on a simple, clear, defining message that sums up the organization and builds value. Strengthening a brand is central to strengthening communications, and using a tagline as a memorable signature can often attract positive attention. Another consideration is the language barrier of the current brand, to attract the attention of a non-Kiswahili speaking audience; a complementary English-language brand should be used in addition to Tunaweza. These suggestions were derived from a message development training with Moving the Goalposts staff during the course of the communications consultancy

The top four ideas in order of popularity are: ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Girls who dare to play – dare to lead. Leaders in football, leaders in life. Girls. Play. Lead. Girls in leadership, a bright future.

53 Tunaweza is the name of an NGO located in Mwanza/Tanzania which provides vocational training for young people with disabilities, a Kenyan health project funded by African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and an advocacy group in Mombasa.

“I believe branding is more important for nonprofits than for-profits because nonprofits are in the business of cooperating, more than competing,” Burton Glass, principal at Hairpin Communications, a branding and communications agency

Core Messages Core messages provide useful verbiage that can be inserted in key information products, such as press releases, website content, social media profiles, etc. Core messages are general statements about the organization that should be included in all communications. The following are suggestions for core messages: 54

Who We Are: Moving the Goalposts is a sports and development youth center in Kilifi, Kenya that uses football to positively impact the lives of girls and young women between the ages of 9 – 25. Since 2001 – we’ve empowered girls to find their voices and use them to make healthy decisions about their future. We are a unique organization that links reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and economic empowerment within youth sports programming.

What We Do: Over 3,000 girls in our all-female football league are championing community development in Kilifi. Through defined leadership tracks, girls-give-back-to-girls through peer education, coaching and field leadership, mentoring, first-aid and income generating opportunities. Our football leagues and programs are girl-led and girl-managed, and the 35 community-owned MTG fields are ‘home-base’ for our main areas of intervention in HIV prevention, girl-towoman health education, reproductive health and economic empowerment. 54

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Where We Began: Over 10 years ago we started life as a sports and development project. Opposed with the reality that girls in Kenya were not given a chance to reach their full potential – we got girls in the game. We reclaimed public spaces, set up fields and moved in the goalposts. As the games began, we quickly went from a small project of 120 players – to a 3,000 player, football league.

This is our Focus: Moving the Goalposts believes that by focusing on empowering girls and young women, we can empower the whole community. We use football as the ultimate “gender-equalizer” to give girls the self-confidence and courage to improve their lives. We understand that it is not enough to provide girls with information on reproductive health, if they are not able to meet their basic needs. This is why our programs have expanded to provide fundamental economic and education opportunities through job and life skills.

This is Why We’re Here: Moving the Goalposts envisions a Kenya where the rights of girls and young women are realized and protected. We want to see educated, healthy girls meaningfully contribute to their communities. We envision that we can undo the cycle of early marriage and pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and poverty – if we give a girl smarts and confidence as she evolves from a girl to a woman. We are optimistic about the brilliance in girls, and their potential to impact their world through football. We are here because of her.

This is How We Do It: Moving the Goalposts empowers girls through football – we engender change the moment a girl begins to play. We know that the positive collective experience of being on a team, reminds her that she is not alone – and together – with her team, she can confront sensitive personal health issues like sex, pregnancy, abortion and HIV. Our work is peer-oriented – because girls trust the experiences of girls. Our interventions are on the field – because this is her safe and supportive space. Through football, we bring the community together for girls.

These are Our Values: Fair play, Integrity, Respect, Accountability, Non-discrimination, Diversity, Justice, Creativity, Strategic engagement and partnerships.

This is Our Support: Moving the Goalposts is at the center of a vibrant community of local, national and international development partners – ranging from small family foundations to global sports networks. We are most appreciative of the invaluable investments of time and support made by Kenyans, and are humbled to contribute to the rich cultural fabric of the Kilifi community.

This is What We’ve Achieved: Drafting these messages requires a report on significant program results, which were unavailable during the consultancy. 42

Moving the Goalposts Advocacy Strategy 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2015

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Despite attempts by the Government of Kenya to demystify devolution – it will be a steep learning curve for the entire country.

ALL ABOUT ADVOCACY

Like communications – advocacy can affect awareness, understanding and knowledge

– and ultimately influence action. In fact, action is what policy advocacy is all about – it is a deliberate process to influence the choices and actions of policy makers. Humanitarian organization CARE, defines advocacy by emphasizing the three words, “influencing, deliberate and policy makers:” “Influencing those who make policy decisions - Many people start with a preconception that advocacy is about “being confrontational” and “shouting at the government.” There is a wide range of advocacy approaches to choose from, e.g. a public vs. a private approach, engagement vs. confrontation, and working alone or in coalition with others. Advocacy is a deliberate process, involving intentional actions. Therefore, before implementing advocacy strategies it must be clear who you are trying to influence and what policy you wish to change. Policy makers can encompass many types of decision makers - those who make laws and regulations, and those who distribute resources and make other decisions that affect the well-being of many people. Advocacy is not restricted to those policy makers who work for the government. There are policy makers who work for the private sector, and who wield enormous influence over poor communities. It is important to keep in mind that policy makers are always human beings, not institutions.55” Communications and advocacy are often used in tandem, and while communications can be used as a vehicle for advocacy messages – the two are very distinct messagedelivery tools. Advocacy is data-rich communication carefully positioned and targeted to influence and compel change. 55 Sprechmann and Pelton (2001); Advocacy Tools and Guidelines: Promoting Policy Change.

What is the change we wish to see? Moving the Goalposts is interested in policy advocacy that creates a “more enabling environment for girls and young women.” An enabling environment exists where there are policies, laws, and practices that promote accessible reproductive health information and services, and the responsible exercise of reproductive rights.56 There is often staunch opposition to adolescent reproductive health programs from cultural, religious and political leaders. This is why advocacy is crucial. Both social and political factors can have a profound effect on a young person’s ability to make healthy choices, a mix of advocacy techniques that enhance community and government support can engender positive change.

Both social and political factors can have a profound effect on a young person’s ability to make healthy choices, a mix of advocacy techniques that enhance community and government support can engender positive change.

ADVOCACY OUTCOMES Outcome (2.1)

A solid understanding of: (i) policies that affect adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights; and (ii) the policy process at all demonstrated by MTG staff Effective policy action must always begin with a basic understanding of how policy is developed and implemented. This is a foundation advocacy objective in Kenya’s changing governance climate. As mandated by the 2010 Constitution, the government will devolve, or decentralize after the March 2013 general elections. This marks a “major shift from the centralized system that the country has known for most of its life since independence.” 57 Ministries and their functions and services will also be shifted to the county level. 56 In the senior staff Strategy review other considerations such as sports resourcing were also noted as potential areas of policy advocacy. However, reproductive health is the only policy discussed in this Strategy in a focused effort to build upon policy information and actions already in place. An extensive policy analysis is recommended to assist MTG in developing additional, specific areas of policy concern to achieve broader advocacy goals involving girls and young women. 57 Report on Devolved Functions, Structures and Staffing for County Governments, Ministry of State for Public Service, MSPS Taskforce on Devolved Governments, May 2012 , 1.

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The full transfer of powers from the national government to the county government will happen in phases over a three- year period. “In practical terms, counties will take some time to take root as fully-fledged entities with capacities and systems to undertake their respective functions.” 58 The county governments will be responsible for implementing national legislation within the county – this means that county level policy frameworks and operational plans must be developed and enacted.

How will county governments work? Each county will have an elected County Governor, who nominates his/her Deputy Governor and a County Executive Committee (CEC). The committee is responsible for determining the county development agenda and “superintends over the management of the County Public Service.” 59 Each committee member will be responsible for a functional sector, and by virtue of their political appointment by the Governor will be accountable to the people. Key requirements by the committee include: ■■ Being responsive to the needs of the local community and the functions and competencies assigned to and transferred to the county; ■■ Ensuring that the county departments and other structures align their roles and responsibilities with the priorities and objectives set out in the county’s policies and plans; and ■■ Allowing participtatory decision making.60 An elected County Assembly – compromised of members voted in by ward constituencies will hold legislative authority. The assembly will receive and approve county development plans and policies and check the power of the Governor and the executive committee. “The County Assembly together with the County Executive are at the apex of the organizational hierarchy of the county government.” 61

Despite attempts by the Government of Kenya to demystify devolution – it will be a steep learning curve for the entire country.

Id. At 17.

Id. At 22.

60 Id at 27. This implies there will be a growing role for civil society to collaborate with governmental actors at all stages of the policy cycle, through networks MTG can channel their experience and expertise into the policy arena. 61

Id. At 21

What don’t we know? Despite attempts by the Government of Kenya to demystify devolution – it will be a steep learning curve for the entire country. Each of the current line ministries will “unbundle” and devolve their functions. Unfortunately, these plans have been a slow, closed-door, back-and-forth process.

What does this all mean? Advocacy issues are directly dependent on the political context, and demand a focus on what is actually done as opposed to what is proposed or intended. Since the Transition to Devolved Government Act, 2012 allows up to three years to transfer power from national to county governments – the policy environment may become ‘shifting sand.’ Asymmetrical roll-out, power-sharing, unclear delineations in roles and responsibilities, capacity issues (especially in the areas of policy and legislative development) and human resource dilemmas may make it difficult to determine at what level advocacy will be most effective. Moving the Goalposts must gain a realistic understanding of how the policy process will work at the county level, build their capacity to link their community experience to policy and use these skills to influence policy development and/or implementation.

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Recommendations included: national coordination of adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health activities by the AYSRH Technical Working Group. National policies surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health The overall policy environment for adolescent reproductive health is supportive;62 there is ample policy, legislation and guidelines at the national level. However, full implementation of existing policies remains a challenge because of funding constraints and the poor dissemination of policies.63 In addition to development of policies and strategies at the national level, resources must be available for guidelines, communication strategies and implementation at sub-national levels in order to assure that the policies and strategies are understood and carried out. The 2011 Knowledge, Awareness and Practices (KAP) Survey commissioned by Moving the Goalposts on the reproductive health status of young people between the ages of 16 – 25 in Kilifi County uncovered several issues, including: ■■ Youth needed someone to talk to about sex and reproductive health issues, and they preferred to talk to parents and health workers. ■■ Sexually active youth didn’t understand how to use condoms or contraceptive pills properly. ■■ There were too many barriers to obtaining modern contraceptives, such as inconvenient locations and operating hours, and judgmental health workers. ■■ Youth did not clearly understand the messages contained in information, education and communications materials. There are three policy briefs produced by Moving the Goalposts from 2008 – 2012 that articulate the organization’s policy position. The policy briefs discuss: menstruation and scaling up initiatives to make sanitary pads available; integrating HIV into holistic reproductive health programs; listening and including the stories of young girls in policy creation; providing communities with the necessary knowledge and techniques to support girls in making positive reproductive health decisions; and dedicated youth times and techniques to help health workers improve interaction with youth. Other stakeholders agreed with Moving the Goalposts on the inadequacy of youth-friendly reproductive health services. In a 2011 report on adolescent and youth reproductive health programs in Kenya, by the Division of Reproductive Health – 67 youth service organizations (YSO’s) and 13 development partners were identified and a portion of them participated in a survey on adolescent reproductive health services. The results found: insufficient coordination of activities at national, provincial and district levels; different content of sexual 62 Appendix 1.0, Adolescent Reproductive Health Legislation. 63 Schueller, J., J. Liku, G. Hubbard, W. Odede, S. Shaban and A. Njeri. 2006. Assessment of Youth Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Programmes in Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya, and Arlington,Virginia: Family Health International.

and reproductive health training curriculum and education materials; inadequate youthfriendly training and services within facilities; inflexible and inconvenient operating times and inadequate dissemination and implementation of policies, strategies and guidelines.64 Recommendations included: national coordination of adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health activities by the Adolescent Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) Technical Working Group; increased review and dissemination of policies, strategies and guidelines; youth sexual and reproductive health content should be reviewed and harmonized; youth friendly services should have convenient hours and utilize networks of peer educators to provide level one sexual and reproductive health services; address training and curricula gaps, identify evidence-based interventions and share information, education and communications materials.65 Moving the Goalposts should commission a comprehensive policy analysis that includes: ■■ A summary of relevant policies, laws, regulations, action/operational plans, administration decisions, strategies and policy linkages that impact youth friendly reproductive health services;66 ■■ An explanation and training on the policy process (formal rules and procedures used to make policy decisions at the county level), how policy will be developed and translated into action at the county level67 and the functions and roles of countylevel policy makers; ■■ Identifying the various factors that affect policy formation; ■■ Highlighting critical opportunities for policy improvement; ■■ Identifying specific policy tactics, such as resource mobilization/budget, curricula development, service delivery guidelines, county government commitment and action plans, etc; ■■ Identifying how, when, and where to act to achieve maximum impact from advocacy efforts; ■■ Identifying emerging issues and the positions of government, political, religious and local leaders with respect to these issues.68

Relationship to other governing policies Advocacy efforts and messages must also be anchored in: ■■ Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) – Kenya’s express commitment to the MDG’s – specifically promoting gender equality, empowering women and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS.69 ■■ Kenya’s Vision 2030 – Social Pillar, specifically health, youth and sports, and gender, children and social development project goals; and 64 Kenya AYSRH Summary 2011 at 1. 65 Id. 66 This can also be a broader analysis of all policies that affect an enabling environment for girls and young women, depending on the extent of resources and advocacy activities contemplated by MTG. 67 Such as infrastructure building, finances and fees, service delivery guidelines, data and information systems, organizational structure, logistics, maintenance, evaluation, services, staffing, staff capacity, etc. 68 This research will also be helpful in creating advocacy toolkits discussed in Section X. 69 The MDG’s have a focus on condom and contraceptive use, HIV prevalence, and comprehensive correct knowledge of women 15-24 years old.

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■■ Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan 2009 – 2013 – Supports a targeted outreach to youth through youth-friendly services.

Our Best Bet – At what level should advocacy be undertaken? Kenya is in the midst of a long, intense transition phase. Government officials at the national level are jockeying for positions at the county level, with some fearful for their jobs due to the changing administration. After the elected bodies assume their positions post-March, the remaining county positions must be filled in accordance with the Constitution. Further, it is widely understood that counties will face huge capacity challenges to becoming operational, and the national government will have to “babysit” them until they are able to effectively perform. Considering the adequacy of national policy on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, the massive scramble occurring at the national level, and a fair amount of time and opportunity to participate in the devolved policy making process – MTG’s best opportunity for policy advocacy will come at the county level and below. The first major advocacy step will be getting adolescent reproductive health on the development agenda. 70 Even though county governments will not be up-and-running immediately – Moving the Goalposts must begin to put an advocacy strategy in motion. This involves prioritizing advocacy in the organizational work plan, appropriating the necessary funds and human resources and conducting a thorough stakeholder mapping. In a collaborative stakeholder setting, Moving the Goalposts should gather information to determine the best ways to achieve their overarching policy goal. Advocacy may not be the most effective method, and MTG should also consider a mix of related concepts such as community mobilization and information, education and communications (IEC).

In order to get a clear, comprehensive picture of the issues in context and the actors at the community, sub-county/district, county and national level – an exhaustive stakeholder mapping exercise should be initiated.

70 At the district level this occurred partially through District Development Committees.

Outcome (2.2) Increased socialization and active participation of MTG within the larger, stakeholder community (optional: and active networks mobilized under the common goal of developing a county level framework and operational plan for adolescent reproductive health services) A strategic, evidence-based advocacy campaign that pays careful attention to the existing and forthcoming policy environments and the activities and interests of stakeholders will have a much greater impact than fragmented, uncoordinated efforts. Meaningfully influencing policy takes the involvement of more than one organization – it must include everyone within the county who has a stake in the issue. Factors like limited resources and expertise make it difficult for Moving the Goalposts to launch a robust advocacy campaign as a single organization.

“Together, there are well over one hundred key donors, government ministries, and implementing agencies (international and local) working on youth RH and HIV/AIDS issues in Kenya, which creates a great challenge for coordination. -Assessment of Youth Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Programmes in Kenya

Effective policy advocacy includes – at the very least: ■■ Understanding the mechanics of a newly developed government; ■■ Monitoring government and policy makers; ■■ Compiling and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to define and prioritize key issues for evidence-based decision making; ■■ Diluting data through assessment tools that make the ‘data speak’ – providing evidence of issues; ■■ Making findings actionable and accessible for policy makers and presenting it in bite-sized manageable pieces; ■■ Strategizing for targeted relationship-building; ■■ Developing and testing messages for target audiences; ■■ Convincing and building the capacity of opinion leaders to champion the cause; ■■ Consistently engaging in advocacy activities at many levels of government; and ■■ Creating information products and tools that contain accurate, understandable information for policymakers. There is power, money and resources in numbers. While there are other, more indirect ways to influence public policy – building or joining a network is the most effective. In fact, Moving the Goalposts |

several reviews of adolescent reproductive health organizations in Kenya identified a need for adolescent reproductive health partners to coordinate more closely.

Who are the players? In order to get a clear, comprehensive picture of the issues in context and the actors at the community, sub-county/district, county and national level – an exhaustive stakeholder mapping exercise should be initiated. This will identify the key players and possible champions in adolescent reproductive health. The research process, which should be executed with the full participation of MTG staff, will also introduce the organization to a larger community of stakeholders. The stakeholder mapping should begin with an extensive review of documents related to adolescent reproductive health in Kenya – an initial list of key stakeholders should be derived from this review and invited to take part in stakeholder mapping workshop. These actors should take part in a stakeholder mapping exercise71 to examine both the formal and informal interactions of the network. Informal networks cannot be identified during document review, these networks can provide indirect strategies to influence public policy and empower organizations to overcome the hurdles of inadequate county government capacity. Examining how local, community and village-level institutions interacting with formal institutions, informal relationships (personal, support/revenue-driven), what shapes the interests of key politicians and identifying informal interests that underpin formal arrangements. The mapping process – which should be executed with the full participation of MTG staff – will also introduce the organization to a larger community of stakeholders.

Where do we begin? Moving the Goalposts should become active in the Adolescent Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) Technical Working Group72 and the Reproductive Health Communication Technical Working Group at the Division of Reproductive Health. These are great places to begin mapping stakeholders at the county and sub-county/district levels, and may also provide further information on the status of adolescent reproductive health policies. In a culture of external analysis and strategic planning – the age-old ‘right-place-right-time’ mantra holds true. In network-building and advocacy, opportunities can present themselves by simply being in the right place, with like-minded people. Likely key players in the areas of adolescent reproductive health will include: the Department(s) of Health; Education; Youth Affairs, Culture, Children and Social Services; 73 women’s and youth representatives; civil society leaders; girl-child networks; development partners;74 NGO’s, private sector 71

A mapping exercise can provide a more comprehensive list of actors and their level of interest and influence, funding streams, advocacy links and other influential players.

72 Point of Contact: Dr. Asha Mohammed – Adolescent Reproductive Health Program Manager, Focal point for AYSRH Technical Working Group. 73 This also includes subdivisions, such as the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH), Department of Health Promotion (DHP), National AIDS and STD Control Program (NASCOP).

74 E.g. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), World Health Organization (WHO), Population Services International (PSI), FHI, Pathfinder International, EngenderHealth, JHPIEGO, and Population Council.

businesses; health officers and community health workers; youth councils/groups; private associations of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospitals and lawyers; research institutions; youth and reproductive health advocacy groups and representatives. Moving the Goalposts’ stakeholder and network engagement should have the following outcomes: ■Identify ■ organizations or other networks that may have an interest or experience in adolescent reproductive health policy; ■Assess ■ the appetite for and build a consensus around policy advocacy in Kilifi County; ■Identify ■ organizations who have dedicated funds for advocacy, or whose specialty or expertise is advocacy; 75 ■Build ■ an adequate database that: XX Accurately and comprehensively reflects the issues, challenges and restrictions (institutionally, socially and culturally);76 XX Maps out the current infrastructure for reproductive health services; XX Indicates which services are youth-friendly; and XX Reflects the current policy environment.77 ■Formulate ■ advocacy strategies and action plans; ■Build ■ the capacity of members to develop group and individual fundraising proposals to support advocacy activities; ■Engage ■ in policy dialogue; ■Seek ■ out capacity building opportunities for youth and girl-friendly journalists; ■Explore ■ the definition of and criteria for youth-friendly services as it is applied in policy and practically; ■Identify ■ necessary county government capacity building opportunities and suggest ways to be involved in them; ■Share ■ training materials, curricula and compile best practices; ■Create ■ an illustrative framework for a county-specific action plan for the implementation of key policies; and ■Arrange ■ meetings with community, sub-county/district and county leaders to understand how they feel about and prioritize relevant issues.78

“Actors meet to exchange information and advocate for certain policy goals; local and international initiatives contribute by adding funds or research; and all of these interactions contribute to shaping the content and process of policy making.” -

Transform Nutrition, Kenya Stakeholder Mapping Report

75 E.g. German Foundation for World Population (DSW), UNFEM, Informing Decision Makers to Act (IDEA), DRH/DHP, APHIA Plus, Pathfinder, UNICEF, GIZ, Population Services International (PSI) and PATHFINDER. 76 “Networks can help to improve the quantity and quality of the evidence, and hence also improve the credibility and legitimacy of arguments put forward to influence the policy process.” Court and Perkin (2005); Networks and Policy Processes in International Development: A Literature Review at 26. 77

MTG should examine ways to build on existing policy initiatives and work together with stakeholders already engaged in policy activities.

78 This research will be useful in creating advocacy toolkits.

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Challenges While networks are arguably the most useful and powerful tools for influencing policy – there are also many challenges to this approach. ■■ A significant investment in time and resources is required to build, manage and participate in networks. Individual or collective fundraising can also be necessary to develop and sustain advocacy initiatives. ■■ Creating and operating within large, extensive networks means that action may take longer. Accommodating different schedules, competing priorities, collaborative issues and limited resources can often create a bottleneck for action. ■■ The larger the network the more complex it is to manage and actively participate.

Networks: The Take-away Building an advocacy strategy that includes a network of stakeholders and is based on in-depth policy information is the ideal approach. The mere existence or development of a network does not guarantee success, rather mobilizing the network under clear policy objectives and coordinating activities in pursuit of this goal can allow MTG to capitalize on the networks collective potential to influence policy. MTG should become acquainted with existing networks and assess the desire of members to engage in policy advocacy, if there is no appetite – reality may demand a more practical approach.

ADVOCACY MESSAGES

In the 2010 – 2012 Reproductive Health Communication Strategy Implementation Guide developed by the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation it was noted that “despite the existence of documented best practices or promising approaches in reproductive health communication in the country, a number of communication programmes were not strategic in approach.” This Strategy builds on the wealth of reproductive health communications data compiled from stakeholders, and addresses identified gaps. The following themes of messaging are suggested for advocacy activities:

Building awareness and understanding of the issues and of existing national health policies The Division of Reproductive Health noted that the majority of health care providers from all the facilities were aware of the youth-friendly services concept, but were not aware of supporting national policies and guidelines.

Accessible adolescent reproductive health services require an investment from communities and the government Understanding that creating a supportive environment will take the active involvement of: ■■ Parents – who can encourage their children to avoid taking sexual risks; ■■ Community and faith-bvvased leaders – need to get more involved in youth issues Moving the Goalposts |

and support and speak out in favor of adolescent reproductive health services; and ■■ Government – must publicly endorse adolescent health programs and sponsor bills and policies that facilitate access to reproductive health information and services.

Link adolescent reproductive health services to the growth and prosperity of Kenya, and to bigger issues MTG should build a business case for the support of adolescent reproductive health by discussing the importance of these services as they relate to fighting larger health issues like HIV/AIDS, unplanned pregnancies, STI’s and abortions – and social issues like poverty/ economic growth.79 In order to ensure advocacy messages resonate and have the desired impact – they should be tested among the target group. In a changing social and political climate, a messaging workshop will be hosted regularly to review and redesign appropriate messaging. The following key messages for leaders are examples that can be reformatted based on the results of the workshop:

“A Young, Healthy Kenya – No challenge is more important.” Investing in and providing youth with the tools they need to lead responsible lives today is essential to Kenya’s tomorrow. ■■ Economic Growth - Kenya is perfectly positioned to take advantage of a population shift that requires we invest in the possibilities of youth. ■■ Linkages to Bigger Issues - Supporting access to reproductive health services today means that youth can make significant contributions to Kenya tomorrow. Providing youth-friendly services today, will reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS tomorrow. Giving a young woman access to contraceptives today will lift Kenyans out of poverty tomorrow.

“Delivering on our promise for a better Kenya.” The national government has created extensive policies to position Kenya for prosperity. Fulfilling the promises contained in national legislation is mandated by the Constitution and essential to realizing a better Kenya. ■■ Discuss the existing national legislation and the duty of the counties to uphold these policies. ■■ All Kenyans have a right to reproductive health services.

Additional tips for developing messages ■■ Leaders are often looking for ways to humanize themselves in the face of constituencies. Appeal to their feelings as a parent and explore how they can relate to others using this common bond. ■■ One of the most successful components of political speeches is personal stories from constituents – provide leaders with ready-made, real-life stories that they can draw on in their talking points. 79

Bringing communications and advocacy messages up to the impact level is critical to gain the support of decision-makers and opinion leade111rs.

■■ Keep facts and statistics simple and impactful and make sure they tell the story of how adolescent reproductive health stories link to bigger issues. ■■ Trainings on issues, facts and presentation skills will be done to ensure coherence and competency in messaging.

ADVOCACY APPROACHES & TOOLS

Uncertainties about devolution, or a lack of interest within the Kilifi stakeholder community regarding policy action may require a more organic advocacy approach. Here are some basic ways in which Moving the Goalposts can influence policy implementation from the ground-up and strategically position opinion leaders to advocate in favor of youth-friendly services.

Discovering Champions80 Moving the Goalposts will identify and cultivate adolescent reproductive health champions’ – people who due to their position, abilities and passion for the issue bring it to life as an advocate. Policy Champions become the voice and face of an issue; they are influential individuals with the ability, desire and confidence to: ■■ Take ownership and be educated on an issue; ■■ Be educated on Moving the Goalposts’ program activities and goals; ■■ Deliver positive statements and public declarations on relevant issues through multiple media channels;81 and ■■ Interact and influence both youth and policy makers alike.

Build a buzz Moving the Goalposts will set-up advocacy activities that provide a platform for leaders to speak-out on adolescent reproductive health services. MTG will introduce or ‘socialize’ with government officials, development professionals, religious and civic leaders, businessmen and women, doctors, nurses, chiefs, teachers, youth counselors, youth and health workers. The Communications Team will create events that bring together local stakeholders; 80 Involving influential individuals can increase access to opportunities. 81

Champions must also be willing to build necessary presentation and public speaking skills to enhance their messages.

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provide an agenda and advocacy talking points. MTG will: ■■ Coordinate the logistics for a suitable public event where opinion leaders can deliver a high-level message to the community; ■■ Create an agenda and outcomes for the event; ■■ Provide an educational training and talking points to the featured guest and staff that include key advocacy messages; ■■ Invite and facilitate media coverage; ■■ Ensure pre- and post-promoting of the event through the media at-large, existing MTG networks, guest networks, online via the MTG website, social media and e-newsletter; flyers and word of mouth; ■■ Package, disseminate and publicize photos and videos from the event that capture influential quotes on key advocacy messages and issues; ■■ Follow-up with featured guests and share packaged media content for dissemination; ■■ Maintain contact with guest and regularly supply bullet points of shared achievements or milestones; and ■■ Evaluate the event for effectiveness.

Health Providers In order to understand that access to reproductive health services is a right, and advocate as such - girls and young women need to become familiar with health services. Acquainting girls with key health stakeholders is a critical, mutual awareness-raising tactic. By visiting and touring facilities and experiencing practical demonstrations of reproductive health services girls can understand the health services available and become more confident in accessing them. In return, health care facilities get the opportunity to promote available services for more effective service delivery.

Strategies Moving the Goalposts will target the county and sub-county/district hospitals and make introductory visits to these facilities. MTG will bring brochures and Spread Facts! Advocacy Action packs to distribute. MTG will request key staff, such as the District Nutritionist, the Hospital Matron, Head Nurse, Social Worker and/or District Medical Officers to visit MTG to discuss their areas of expertise as it relates to girls and young women. Transportation, lunch and a small gratuity will be provided. The Mutual Benefit: MTG will also request a field trip to the hospital so that girls and young women can see what services are offered and how to take advantage of these services. A brown bag roundtable with hospital staff will be arranged and MTG will host a presentation on youth-friendly reproductive health services, with special messages from girls and young women.82

What I Know Now – Kenyan Women Speak Out on Reproductive Health 82 This can also be built into a joint capacity building activity on youth-friendly health services that involves multiple stakeholders.

MTG will host one “What I Know Now” public event a month that will feature one female opinion leader83 to give a personal presentation and speak candidly on what they know now that they wish they knew as girls and young women.

Involving youth in advocacy Youth can play a tremendous role in advocacy activities, they add authenticity, energy and creativity to the advocacy process – and their mere involvement keeps advocacy efforts youth-focused. Community dramas are a widely popular and effective advocacy tool in Kenya. MTG will facilitate the training of a troupe of girls to deliver community dramas around the following themes: ■■ Girls being afraid to access reproductive health services and the consequences; ■■ Skits about parents not wanting them to play football, dispelling the myths about the program84 and winning their parents over with the benefits; or ■■ Skits on the difficult choices girls face every day (pressure to have sex, feeling inferior and not given as many opportunities as male age mates, etc.) Girls can deliver these skits at crowded health facilities, bus terminals/matatu stages, schools, market days, etc.

International Days International days of recognition such as The International Day of the Girl, World AIDS Day, 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence are important opportunities to seek out joint activities with other stakeholders and plan for active participation. Promotional items such as soccer balls,85 t-shirts, etc. can be created in collaboration with other stakeholders in recognition of these days.

83 E.g. President of a local women’s group, Executive Director of NGO, woman in the media, entrepreneur, politician, etc. 84 Designed to address negative statements about MTG within the community. 85 Stands for the soccer balls, and mini-soccer balls can be produced as well.

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Spread Facts! Advocacy Action Packs The Communications Team will create a Spread Facts Advocacy ‘Action Pack,’ for distribution to primary and secondary target audiences. These packs will include: a fold-out, two-sided info-graphic; fact sheets and message pamphlets. ■■ The info-graphic will illustrate on one side: XX Statistics on adolescent reproductive health in Kenya (abortion, teenage pregnancy, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among youth) and the barriers of accessing reproductive health for youth; And on the other side: XX An illustration of the impact that accessible services can have on larger issues such as HIV/AIDS, poverty and education.86 ■■ Fact sheets will summarize all the information provided on the info-graphic in narrative and bullet form;87 ■■ Customized toolkits/pamphlets for use by key audiences; these toolkits will include targeted messages and information that explain: 88 XX Why focusing on youth reproductive health is important now; XX What adolescent reproductive health is; XX How access to reproductive health can help solve larger issues like HIV/AIDS, poverty/economic growth and education; XX What practical steps they can take to support youth access to reproductive health services; XX How exactly they should take action through specific tips; and XX Critical issues/myths surrounding adolescent reproductive health.89

86 See e.g. Appendix Figure 1.0 87 Fact sheets should be kept to two pages at a maximum. 88 MTG should work with technical message development professionals that will test suggested messages with targeted focus groups. 89

Common myths include: by giving youth access you are encouraging promiscuity, youth do not have rights to reproductive health services, etc.

ADVOCACY AUDIENCES

A key feature of advocacy strategies is the division of key stakeholders into distinct groups. For advocacy planning purposes, stakeholders are conventionally divided into three broad categories: ■■ Advocates - those involved in advocacy planning and management ■■ Targets: those whom the advocacy actions aim to influence and change ■■ Beneficiaries - those who are ultimately intended to benefit from the policy changes advocated

Targets have the power to respond to demands and to provide MTG with assistance in solving the issue. There are two types of targets: ■■ Primary targets - people who have the power to develop, revise or implement policy ■■ Secondary targets - people who can influence the primary target to develop or revise policy

Primary Targets At the national level policy issues related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health will be taken into consideration under the Directorate of Preventive and Promotive Services – under the broad, thematic areas, of child and adolescent health and reproductive health.90 At the county level there will be one County Executive Committee (CEC) member designated as responsible for health and will provide the political linkage to the CEC.91 There is also discussion of a health workforce sub-committee that will be composed of: ■■ Director of County Health Services ■■ Health promotion and disease prevention ■■ Medical Services ■■ Planning and Monitoring ■■ Nursing Services ■■ General Administration and Finance Primary targets will also include: Senator, County Governor, Deputy Governor, County Executive Committee and County Assembly members, District/county health management team, sub-county health management team, community health committees, health care facility staff and management.

90 Effective Structures and Systems for Managing the Health Workforce in line with the Constitution, Proposals from the Ministries of Health (July, 2012) 91

Id.

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Secondary Targets Development partners and their agents at the national, regional and community level; medical and health training and research institutions; civil society bodies; development partners; NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; private sector; community health workers, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health medical professionals; private associations of teachers, lawyers, midwives, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and hospitals; 92 women in the media; and religious leaders.93

ADVOCACY -

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Human Resources Moving the Goalposts will hire an advocacy officer, who will be responsible for revising, planning and implementing the advocacy Strategy. The officer should have a political science background, understand the political culture in Kenya and possess strong communications skills. The advocacy officerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibilities will include: executing a full-scale stakeholder mapping; actively pursuing the formation of networks with various stakeholders; building and maintaining relevant contacts with stakeholders; representing MTG within various networks; identifying opportunities to shape policies; mobilizing support for advocacy initiatives; providing and/or engaging the provision of policy expertise; further developing and fine-tuning strategic advocacy plans and messaging based on research and technical assistance; ensuring that MTG results and insights are integrated into all advocacy work in relevant areas; monitoring current public opinion with a special focus on decision-makers and opinion-formers; providing political analysis on advocacy issues; drafting policy briefs, letters, reports and other advocacy products; building relationships with key decisionmakers and influencers; and attending public conferences and events to promote MTG.

Kenya Medical Association, Kenya Clinical Officers Association, Kenya Nurses Association, Kenya Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society

93 Other informal audiences identified in the stakeholder mapping will also be included as primary or secondary targets.

Evaluating Advocacy Measuring advocacy can be difficult and must take into account several considerations, such as the complexities of policy making in a devolving government structure, the many external forces and conditions that can impact advocacy objectives, the difficulty in attributing change to a particular action and the amount of time it can take to realize systematic change. Measurement can range from an outputs-based tool that counts the number of advocacy tasks undertaken â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to a customized theory of change that sets forth milestones in long-term policy change. The advocacy officer will be responsible for tailoring advocacy evaluation into a measurable results framework.

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ANNEX – 1.0 Adolescent Reproductive Health Legislation 2010 Constitution of Kenya: grants every person the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care. The Children’s Act of 2001: highlights children’s rights, sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and specifies that all persons below the age of 18 have the right to health and medical care. Adolescent Reproductive Health and Development Policy (2003): addresses adolescent sexual and reproductive health and recognizes that optimal health of adolescents will improve their productive capacity and contribute to the nation’s development. Adolescent Reproductive Health and Development Action Plan (2010 – 2015): lays out the implementation of the above policy. National Guidelines for Provision of Youth-Friendly Services (YFS) in Kenya (2005): outlines the essential reproductive health services package for young people aimed at improving their well-being and quality of life. National Youth Policy (2007): identifies issues that must be addressed for young people to enjoy good health as they transition to adulthood. These include teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions, STIs, HIV/AIDS and lack of youth-friendly services. National Reproductive Health Policy (2007): recognizes that full access to information and services is essential to improve the sexual and reproductive health of young people. National Reproductive Health Strategy (2009 – 2015) aims to increase equitable access to comprehensive reproductive health services at all levels of service delivery to enhance the health and wellbeing of all Kenyans. Reproductive Health Communication Strategy (2010–2012): identifies provision of adequate information and universal access to reproductive health services as priority issues to be addressed in order to improve the reproductive health of young people. Kenya Essential Package for Health (KEPH) integrates health needs of adolescents at the community level.

ANNEX â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1.1

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ANNEX – 1.2 1.2 Suggested Performance Indicators Relationship Building & Socializing ■■ # of journalists roundtables, seminars, etc. – either organized and executed by MTG, or in which MTG nominated a journalist to attend ■■ # of contacts in the relationship database ■■ # of events attended by MTG staff with the intended purpose of cultivating relationships (trainings, senior-level meetings, external conferences, seminars, etc.) ■■ # of cold calls made to private businesses to introduce MTG ■■ # of partnership opportunities presented to senior staff and board members by the Communications Team on a quarterly basis ■■ # of stakeholder contacts added to the master database Public Outreach ■■ # of events scheduled in activity calendar ■■ # of public outreach events MTG actively participated in; as demonstrated by signage, speaking otherwise prominently featured. ■■ % of target audience that received information through these events as demonstrated by survey or follow-up ■■ # of public speaking events that featured MTG staff ■■ # of private partner events organized and held (skills exhibitions/MTG vs. staff games) ■■ # of pitches made to event organizers for MTG featured involvement ■■ # of MTG hosted events that feature experts or professionals from target audiences ■■ % of target audiences reached in face-to-face events ■■ # of MTG staff trained on public speaking ■■ # of presentations given to target audiences about MTG using the standardized template Media ■■ # of journalists roundtables, seminars, etc. – either organized and executed by MTG; or in which MTG nominated a journalist to attend ■■ # of journalists that visit an MTG event ■■ # of media outlets where MTG has a working contact ■■ # of radio commercials aired that deliver a MTG core message and/or added value message ■■ # of media pitches made to journalists ■■ # of story leads and/or content distributed to journalists and websites ■■ # of mass media stories in which MTG is mentioned ■■ # of media outlets that cover MTG programs and/or events ■■ # of editorials submitted to newspapers and/or websites/blogs

Website ■■ # of unique website visits ■■ # of page views ■■ # of formal inquiries on MTG programs/activities ■■ # of webpages created or refreshed ■■ # of blog posts by volunteers and interns Social Media ■■ # of Youtube videos that feature MTG staff sharing tips/information ■■ # of digital posts to website, Facebook, Flickr and Youtube (can be disaggregated individually by platform) ■■ % of target audiences and partners that have received MTG information, as demonstrated by re-tweets, Liking, Sharing ■■ # of websites geared toward target audiences that post MTG content Information Products ■■ # of information products that feature senior staff as experts and thought leaders ■■ # of information products that are properly branded and deliver a core message ■■ # of information products distributed to target audiences ■■ # of fact sheets created ■■ # of times a fact sheet is updated ■■ # of success stffories drafted using the suggested template and include a core messages ■■ # of e-newsletters distributed to target audiences ■■ E-newsletter open rate analytics ■■ # of video presentations featuring MTG staff created ■■ # of video stories created telling the MTG story from a girls perspective Advocacy ■■ An extensive stakeholder mapping documented with key networks identified ■■ # of policy trainings attended or organized by MTG staff ■■ # of advocacy seminars, workshops and events organized with key stakeholders in ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

pursuit of advocacy objectives # of stakeholder organizations in which information is exchanged on a regular basis in furtherance of advocacy objectives # of advocacy information materials drafted and available for advocacy actions, including policy briefs, action pamphlets, condensed research materials, etc.; % of advocacy materials that reflect MTG results and insight Adolescent reproductive health legislation/operational plan that includes MTG policy recommendations drafted, reviewed and approved by county government officials

Miscellaneous ■■ # of communications trainings with MTG staff ■■ # of working contacts created within target audiences Moving the Goalposts |

ÂŠ Moving the Goalposts 2013

Moving the Goalposts Kilifi PO Box 605 Kilifi 80108 KENYA

Tel: +254 722 823834