23 May 2012
Muscat: Aimed at developing communication strategy for sustainable practices and social development, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) is organising a two-day training workshop in the Sultanate.
Officials from the Ministry of Education, Health, Social Development and Economy; from the World Health Organisation; and representatives from Sultan Qaboos University along with the Unicef officials are attending the two-day workshop, which began yesterday. The participants were introduced to Unicef's Communication for Development (C4D) concepts, theories and principles and steps in developing a communication strategy for sustainable practices and social development.
Unicef's C4D strategy is one of the most empowering ways of improving health, nutrition and other key social outcomes for children and families. "C4D uses dialogue and consultation with, and participation of children, their families and communities. It privileges local contexts and relies on a mix of communication tools, channels and approaches,- Unicef officials said.
At Unicef, C4D is defined as a systematic, planned and evidence-based strategic process to promote positive and measurable individual behaviour and social change that is an integral part of development programmes, policy advocacy and humanitarian work.
The Unicef, which is organising C4D workshop for the first time in the Sultanate, aims to develop the capacity of Sultanate's ministries to act in identifying and tackling the health and nutrition problems of children in the Sultanate.
"C4D is not PR or corporate communications exercise. C4D seeks to accelerate achievement of key results in Unicef's Medium-term Strategic Plan (MTSP) for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by increasing knowledge and awareness, improving and building new skills. It will also focus on maintaining and increasing demand for products and services, improving the performance of service providers, changing individual behaviours and collective practices, influencing attitudes, the officials added.
Muscat: Aimed at developing communication strategy for sustainable practices and social development, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) is organising a two-day training workshop in the Sultanate.
Officials from the Ministry of Education, Health, Social Development and Economy; from the World Health Organisation; and representatives from Sultan Qaboos University along with the Unicef officials are attending the two-day workshop, which began yesterday. The participants were introduced to Unicef's Communication for Development (C4D) concepts, theories and principles and steps in developing a communication strategy for sustainable practices and social development.
Unicef's C4D strategy is one of the most empowering ways of improving health, nutrition and other key social outcomes for children and families. "C4D uses dialogue and consultation with, and participation of children, their families and communities. It privileges local contexts and relies on a mix of communication tools, channels and approaches,- Unicef officials said.
At Unicef, C4D is defined as a systematic, planned and evidence-based strategic process to promote positive and measurable individual behaviour and social change that is an integral part of development programmes, policy advocacy and humanitarian work.
The Unicef, which is organising C4D workshop for the first time in the Sultanate, aims to develop the capacity of Sultanate's ministries to act in identifying and tackling the health and nutrition problems of children in the Sultanate.
"C4D is not PR or corporate communications exercise. C4D seeks to accelerate achievement of key results in Unicef's Medium-term Strategic Plan (MTSP) for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by increasing knowledge and awareness, improving and building new skills. It will also focus on maintaining and increasing demand for products and services, improving the performance of service providers, changing individual behaviours and collective practices, influencing attitudes, the officials added.
© Times of Oman 2012
