The Oxfam experience

The problem for development NGOs

Losing public debate on global social justiceMultiple, longitudinal measuresPublic “uninterested and uninformed”Media, NGOs, companies, government all in same place

We can’t get away from statements like:“nothings changed since Live Aid”“aid is just wasted on corruption”

Frames

Surface frames: words and meaningse.g. Tax relief

Deep frames: worldviewse.g. Moral order

Moral order

? ? ? ?

Moral order

aid development charity campaigns

Six things we’ve done

“Know thyself” research: personalising the imperative

Small: festivals messaging

Medium: engagement model + new expertise + training

Large: corporate approaches + model of change

Supersize: pan and cross-sectoral working

Research conclusion (2010 Comms)

“Seen through the ‘Frames and Values’ lens, the language of Oxfam communications often promotes frames and values you are trying to move away from

However, your comms do show – in places – ‘how it can be otherwise’”

Oxfam UK and the Moral Order

8

Simplification: especially binary oppositions, imperatives, assertions and war metaphors

Assumptions: about supporters, prospective supporters & local partners

Agency: subtle suggestions about who does what, to whom, which disempower supporters and local people

Subtle suggestion

9

1 Despite ourselves, NGOs are telling an old, predictable story, and are pretty comfortable with it

‘Old’ charity

Starving African babies (usually in black and white)

Distance and difference

Grandiose hope over reason

2 Government and the media are in the same boat

3 We are blind to some very important unintended consequences

Three uncomfortable truths

The four horsemen of belief

1 Mass poverty is inevitable

2 The problem is primarily with the people who are poor

3 People are poor for ‘natural’ and moral reasons

4 Charity is (good) enough

1 We assume far more than we know; we are more slave than master of our language

2 We fixate on what people think and ignore the why

3 We don’t know what a credible long term vision for engaging the public looks like

4 We confuse policy prescriptions for campaigns

Four bad habits

Five new habits?

Take a whole organisation/whole sector perspective. Collaborate.

Study your language. Use experts. Standardise e.g. discourse analysis (looks at why)

Prioritise credibility

Evolve communications, campaigning & fundraising models in one direction:

deeper engagement models

more conversation

less turnover

Revisit models of change. Together.