Project CivilSociety4You: Empowering Armenian Civil Society through Strategic, Evidence-based Communications

An Open Society Foundation’s (OSF) grant report revealed that Armenian civil society organisations (CSOs) faced significant challenges in effectively communicating their messages and engaging the public, which hindered their ability to garner support for their causes. The report highlighted the need for enhanced communication strategies, capacity building, and public engagement to foster a better understanding and appreciation of CSOs’ vital role in Armenia.

In my role as Global Campaigns Lead at Comms Hub, I collaborated with my team and our Armenian partner, the Democracy Development Foundation (DDF), to launch Project CivilSociety4You. This two-year initiative aimed to tackle the communication challenges faced by Armenian CSOs head-on.

Through a well-crafted strategy, we targeted Civil society actors such as CSO professionals, policy-makers, government officials, media professionals, donors, community leaders, and youth. We worked with them on diverse issues, including education, supporting conflict-affected women, youth engagement, police reform, domestic violence etc.

CivilSociety4You – Project in Numbers

The project was jointly developed and implemented by the DDF and Comms Hub.

Strategies Implemented

We developed a multifaceted, data-driven approach that empowered CSOs to connect effectively with their audiences and achieve their advocacy goals.

• Polling: The process began with rigorous polling to accurately identify and understand the target audience.
• Focus Groups: Focus group discussions were conducted to delve deeper into the issues and gain insights into public perceptions, including testing messages, visuals, and narratives.
• Social Media Listening: A thorough analysis of the digital landscape was performed to map the online conversation, identify key influencers, and understand prevailing narratives.

As the Global Campaigns Lead for this project, I worked with the partner CSOs to see how we could apply the findings of these data-driven strategies to the campaigns, which included capacity building, mentoring, and knowledge management.

Capacity Building

• Training: Thematic training sessions were organised, covering strategic communication, social media, campaigning techniques, and crisis communications management. This equipped CSOs with the necessary skills to develop and execute impactful communication strategies.
• Ongoing Support and Mentoring: The CSOs received continuous support throughout their campaign initiatives, ensuring they could effectively apply their newfound knowledge and skills.

Campaign Execution and Knowledge Sharing

• Public Campaigns: The project supported nine CSOs in launching seven impactful public campaigns on critical social issues such as preschool education, support for conflict-affected women, and police reform.
• Unified Branding: A joint branding concept, including a slogan, hashtag, logo, and project page (“CivilSociety4You”), was created to enhance the visibility and impact of the campaigns.
• Knowledge Sharing and Sustainability: The project’s achievements and lessons learned were meticulously documented through micro-webpages and video interviews, promoting knowledge sharing and inspiring others.

Impact

This project has significantly enhanced the communication capacity of Armenian CSOs, enabling them to develop and implement effective strategies that foster engagement with target audiences and facilitate advocacy for policy change. The project’s impact extends beyond individual organisations, strengthening the overall civil society sector in Armenia through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

As for myself, throughout this endeavour, I feel I’ve grown tremendously as a communicator. Each CSO came with its own set of challenges and aspirations, requiring us to customise our support accordingly. This personalised approach not only enhanced the impact of individual organisations but also strengthened the fabric of Armenia’s civil society as a whole through increased collaboration and knowledge sharing.

The project has taught me the value of adaptability in the face of unforeseen circumstances. Whether it was navigating the complexities of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or adjusting plans due to security concerns, we learned to pivot our strategies while keeping our core objectives intact. This flexibility, I believe, is crucial in the ever-changing landscape of social development.

While we’ve achieved remarkable milestones, I’m acutely aware that our work is far from over. CivilSociety4You represent a significant step forward, but it’s also a reminder of the journey that lies ahead.