Missions 2019 - 2023

From April to July 2020, the mission team supported representatives of CICDoc, an organization that coordinates more than 230 associations working in the health sector in Burkina Faso. CICDoc needed to align its interventions with the government’s national COVID-19 response plan.

The objective of the mandate was to help CICDoc identify priority actions within the response plan and develop a clear, unified message that could be communicated to member associations to raise public awareness while increasing the organization’s visibility.

The team developed visual tools to explain COVID-19 prevention measures to the public, an advocacy document outlining preventive measures, a communications activities evaluation guide, a press release, and additional materials for publication on the social media channels of the Embassy of Canada in Burkina Faso to promote the RPSF–CICDoc partnership in action.

From May to July 2020, the mission team supported representatives of Accountability Lab Mali (ALM), an organization that is part of a network of NGOs operating across Africa and Asia and funded by the United States. ALM promotes good governance by fostering active citizens, accountable leaders, and responsible institutions.

The objective of the mandate was to develop an overall communications strategy and lay the foundation for a communications plan aimed at raising public awareness, particularly in the city of Mopti.

RPSF acted as an advisor by reviewing the plan and supporting the organization throughout the process, including providing guidance on the production of a weekly COVID-19 newsletter.

From March to June 2020, the mission team supported representatives of Action Cœur et Poumon (ACP), an organization founded several years ago by a pulmonologist and a cardiologist to raise public awareness of various diseases that can affect communities. During the pandemic, ACP was mandated by the government to incorporate COVID-19 prevention into its awareness initiatives.

The objective of the mandate was to strengthen ACP’s capacities by developing a communications plan and providing coaching for its implementation, including the use of a WhatsApp platform. The support of the Québec Office in Abidjan and RPSF was instrumental to this process.

The collaboration enabled ACP’s representatives to identify a local communications resource at the University of Abidjan, with whom they worked closely on the deployment of the campaign. ACP successfully met the challenge of launching an awareness campaign that reached a large number of people in a short period of time.

From April to July 2020, the mission team supported representatives of the Institut National d’Hygiène Publique (INHP), a national public institution under Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene. Responsible for the prevention and control of communicable diseases, the INHP played a key role in the Ivorian government’s COVID-19 response strategy. The institute was tasked with supporting the 13 municipalities of Abidjan in raising public awareness.

The objective of the mandate was to strengthen the capacities of the communications officer in providing support to the municipalities, particularly in building the capacities of community leaders. Topics covered during the INHP sessions included communication techniques in times of public health crises and the implementation of preventive measures, such as handwashing, with an emphasis on key messages and explaining the “why” behind these measures.

The main challenge of this training initiative was to foster meaningful behavioural change and to be able to observe its impact. RPSF provided targeted support to the communications officer by helping create a ripple effect and improve the use of social media to expand the reach of public health messages. The support of the Québec Office in Abidjan was instrumental throughout this initiative.

In September 2020, our mission team developed and delivered an online media relations training program for Equitas partners in Senegal (La Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme) and Burkina Faso (Mouvement Burkinabè des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples). The training was part of a project funded by the International Organisation of La Francophonie and complemented Equitas’ Promoting Equality Through Human Rights Education (PETEDH) project.

The objective of the mandate was to strengthen participants’ capacities to develop radio spots by identifying key messages to share, determining the most effective ways to communicate them, and negotiating broadcasting agreements.

The training was delivered through a highly participatory approach that included a mock interview and engaging exercises, such as preparing a 30-second radio message. This interactive format was greatly appreciated by all participants.

In October, mission leader Guy Versailles spent a week in Bamako, Mali, with Avocats sans frontières Canada (Lawyers Without Borders Canada) to support the development of an advocacy booklet for ASFC’s Mali office. The initiative was part of a project aimed at promoting and protecting the human rights of women and other vulnerable populations.

In November, mission leader Gary Sutherland travelled to Honduras to support the efforts of Avocats sans frontières Canada (Lawyers Without Borders Canada). His mandate was to help develop a communications strategy for ASFC’s office in Tegucigalpa in support of a project aimed at promoting and protecting the human rights of women and other vulnerable populations, and to deliver a capacity-building workshop for staff members at ASFC’s office in Choluteca.

Cyber-mentorship projects aim to support local organizations through remote assistance in the development and implementation of communications and advocacy plans that advance their mission.

The mission of Terre des Hommes is to enable disadvantaged communities to better defend their rights and meet their essential needs, with a particular focus on girls and children.

Cyber mentorship projects aim to support local organizations through remote assistance in the development and implementation of communications and advocacy plans that advance their mission.

Douar Tech supports rural entrepreneurship projects for the benefit of women.

Cyber mentorship projects aim to support local organizations through remote assistance in the development and implementation of communications and advocacy plans that advance their mission.

The mission of CEFCI is to improve the status of women by increasing awareness of their rights and, above all, by fostering the emergence of women and young girls as leaders.