Who are the Communicators?

Those who describe themselves as communicators in a professional sense include some academics, journalists, politicians, TV presenters, and people in development work with a communication officer title. In implementing the strategy outlined above, the water and sanitation sector may have need of all or any of these experts, especially as the current information and communication epoch has accelerated the drive to use the media more purposefully and systematically for development.

However, a communication-oriented sector cannot be realised by grafting on a few specialists. Water sector professionals need to become more communication-oriented than in the past, so that they see themselves as the first advocates for water supply and sanitation and their work and as communicators in their working lives. They must become part of a new alliance of communicators working hand-in-hand with health professionals, volunteers, educators, teachers, media specialists, entertainers and artists, publishing and advertising professionals, leaders of women's and youth groups, development and social workers, and with politicians at all levels of government. Mobilising the political will of nations to put water back on the forefront of the world's agenda as part of the current environmental concerns will be a priority.

An understanding of this need for communication takes place in an uneven way. The people who are first convinced may be field workers or in the middle of the sector structure. This does not mean that they should simply wait for those above them to become convinced. At every level there are things that can be done to change a way of working. They can also approach those in positions of greater influence and use the elements of messages outlined in this booklet to convince them. Although anyone in the sector can make a start, it is also true that the changes outlined above will only have their full effect when the whole sector has become involved.

Sector leaders can not only become effective advocates for WSS at the highest policy level in their respective country or agency, but also persuade other sector staff to accept communication as a key component in their work. Managers should be able to articulate more forcefully, with data, the benefits of their programmes and projects. Field workers must communicate with the communities to provide feedback and to bring about involvement and action. If a critical mass of concern and interest is generated within the sector, communication will become a new and powerful thrust.

Responsibility for changing the agenda lies with the sector itself. The more that this communication culture penetrates the sector, the better will its people become mobilisers of policy makers within developing countries, allies of sectors with complementary aims, trusted partners of the community and international advocates for the sector.