Awareness and Communication Strategy The involvement of the media in the Water Sector necessitates that a deliberate capacity building mechanism be put in place to ensure that technocrats in the Water Sector are able to engage with the media effectively and be able to harness communication opportunities presented by the mass media. Media efforts should be recognised through the implementation of regional and national Media Awards. In addition, the increasing media involvement in the Water Sector demands that a Crisis Management Plan be put in place within the SADC Water Division. This mechanism will include training of key personnel in media relations and facilitation of a speedy response whenever controversial issues come up. 11.2.3 Financing - Mapping of communication activities within existing SADC projects and aligning them with Strategy; - Inclusion of adequate communication budgets in project proposals; and - Developing and fundraising for communication and awareness project proposals The existence of this communication Strategy and its implementation plans offer the basis for sourcing funds from donors, foundations, private sector and other funding agencies. The Strategy will also enable project and programme proposal developers to incorporate communication activities within their proposals to ensure that relevant communication activities are integrated into national and regional programmes to ensure their linkages with thematic activities. Existing projects and programmes should be reviewed to ensure that their communication aspects are aligned to this Strategy and thereby allocating resources for the implementation of some aspects of the Strategy that are relevant to respective projects or programmes. The proposed Information and Communications Specialist Reference Group for the SADC Water Sector will play a coordination role to ensure that all aspects of this Strategy have been taken up by various funding agencies and implementers. 11.2.4 Research Linking communications specialists in the SADC Water Sector with water researchers in the region through the Information and Communications Reference Group for the SADC Water Sector As its guiding principle, this Strategy seeks to ensure that communication is strengthened by facts and not just perceptions and opinions. This justifies a strong link between communication and research considering that research generates some factual information that strengthens communication messages. In addition, although great strides are being made in research in the different fields of water, the uptake and application of research results by relevant authorities, civil society groups and the broader public often lags behind. Occasionally, these groups receive research results at the end of the research. However the research findings are often not in the appropriate format, as researchers usually have a bias towards publishing in academic journals. There is a significant role for communication specialists in repackaging research findings for specific target groups (in line with the strategic objectives outlined in this Strategy) and ensuring research uptake by various stakeholders in the sector. This role should also aim at ensuring that researchers are informed enough to respond to the existing information gaps in the Water Sector. Page 50