SURVEY RESULTS: Information Needs and Practices of International Development Professionals - August 2012
The Communication Initiative was commissioned by UNICEF to undertake a survey on the Information Needs and Practices of International Development Professionals. The survey was conducted between August 5 2012 and September 16 2012.
This survey was a repeat of the one undertaken in May/June 2011. One major purpose for repeating this survey was to double check the initial results.
This narrative report will adopt a headlines style, identifying some key points/messages to emerge from the 2012 survey.
The detailed results from the 2012 survey can be found in the PowerPoint presentation above and below. Within that presentation, we have included the 2011 results. There are slides that compare the two sets of survey results. We have placed these in the PowerPoint format so that the charts and tables can be “blown up” on your screen for easy viewing and also so that it is possible to collectively review with a group of people in your organization.
2012 Survey – Scale and Nature of the Responses
- 1,183 people completed the 2012 survey
- They came from over 200 different agencies
- People from 121 different nationalities completed the survey, with over 10 responses from 29 different nationalities
- The respondents were based in 115 different countries, with over 10 responses from people based in 31 different countries
- The respondents covered a full range of primary job functions - with 5 roles having over 100 respondents - Executive or decision making; Information or knowledge management; Programme Communication; Programme Management; Research or technical work
- There was also a good spread of primary areas of work - with the 5 top roles being Health, Education, Governance, Social and Economic Policy, and Gender
- There was a full spectrum of appropriate ages represented by the respondents - by way of example, this number of respondents for these ages - 20 years (0 responses); 30 (26); 40 (40); 50 (41); 60 (15); 70 (5)
- Slightly more Women (51.9%) than Men (48.1%) completed the 2012 survey
Overall Learning from the 2011 and 2012 Surveys
Here are 8 strategic observations/learning/implications from our review of the data and insights submitted by the respondents. Please do draw your own analysis and conclusions from the full data in the presentation.
1. The persistent importance of “established” communication processes.
It is perhaps a testimony to how quickly things can change that "established" now includes web sites, e-newsletters, and email! In reviewing the responses submitted to Q 11 for 2012 "How do you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your field?" the top 4 results are Colleagues within my Organization; Email Lists and Newsletters; Publications/Journals/Reports: and Web Sites. All are well above a 50% Very Important rating across all respondents.
Strategic and Investment Implications
Strategic and investment emphasis on the 4 areas of (a) Colleagues within my Organization (b) Email Lists and Newsletters (c) Web sites; and (d) Publications/Journals/Reports
2. The Rise of Social Media in Importance – but still lagging
In the 2011 survey, we saw the significance of Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) as the means by which international development professionals kept up to date with latest developments. But they did significantly lag the main(stream) communication processes identified in 1 above.
In 2012, the lag is still present, but the gap is narrowing quickly. In just the 16-month period between surveys we see the following changes.
- “How do you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your field?”
Results for the "Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc)" option
- 2011 - Not Important - 30.3%
- 2012 - Not Important - 22.3%
- 2011 - Somewhat Important - 40.0%
- 2012 - Somewhat Important - 41.3%
- 2011 - Very Important - 29.7%
- 2012 - Very Important - 36.4%
For "Very Important" there is a 6.7% swing over the 6 months: but, still, that figure lags, for example, behind Email lists/Newsletters by 26% points (62% for Very Important for 2012 survey).
So, here is a difficult strategic judgment: Related to work activities, will Facebook, Twitter and other social media continue to rise at this rate or will that growth now slow? What kind of balance between the more established media and social media is most appropriate?
Strategic and Investment Implications
From the data produced through the survey, it would appear that a balanced approach with continued investment (not building one at the expense of others) across and between all major options would be the most prudent, even in an era of declining overall financial resources.
3. Handling key sources and multiple sources
The 2012 survey provides a good insight into the dilemmas provided by the responses to the questions that sought to elicit information on the particular sources that development professionals access to read and review sources of professional information. In the PowerPoint, there are tables for each of the main possible elements - periodicals, publications, web sites, e-newsletters. Across all 4 categories there were 723 answers. As requested, many people included more than one answer in each option - for example, this was one person’s response to Periodicals alone - "The New Nation, The Daily Star, The New Age, Prothom Alo, the Daily Ittefaq". Overall, there were just below 3,000 responses across the 4 main areas.
We tallied up the responses for the top “mentions”. By way of example, The New York Times was one of those in the top 10. There were 90 mentions of The New York Times across all respondents to all 4 elements of Q12: "In an average week, what are your most frequently read sources of professional information: Please list up to 5 for each and avoid acronym".
When the total number of mentions for the top 10 sources identified were tallied, there were 671 mentions. The top 10 account for just 22% of the overall responses. Those specific sources are: The Communication Initiative/Drum Beat (198); New York Times (90); Economist (78); Guardian (71); BBC (53); UNICEF (46); UNAIDS (37); World Bank (35); Washington Post (33); Lancet (29). (With full disclosure, re: this going to our network - though, of course, that may have, in some cases, led people to avoid mention of The CI/Drum Beat).
Outside of that Top 10, the great majority of sources cited were local in nature - national newspapers, magazines, web sites, etc., that are specific to the context of each respondent. As previously outlined, there are thousands of sources. Just three further examples to illustrate:
- "Local Newspapers, Economist Magazine"
- "Daily Nation, Saturday Nation, Sunday Nation, The Standard, The People"
- "ghana business & finance, daily graphic, business & financial times, daily guide, ghanaian times"
Strategic and Investment Implications
Requires the ability to combine two elements within a coherent overall strategy: (a) partnership relationships with the leading global processes that are identified and agreed upon with (b) platforms to reach and engage with a large number of sources in a manner that is tailored to each source’s particular interests and requirements
4. Linking to LinkedIn
There has been a proliferation of social media platforms - there are hundreds. One possibly surprising result from the 2011 survey has been confirmed in 2012. The major social networking process used by international development professions for work purposes is ... LinkedIn. In the 2012 survey, 59% of respondents to Q 16: "Please indicate the main purpose you use any of the following new media and technology" answered "LinkedIn". Facebook was 42% and Micro-blogging, with Twitter featured as an example, was just 30%.
LinkedIn also had the largest increase from, 2011 to 2012, for work purpose use by international development professionals, amongst the social media options provided in the survey. In that important category, over the 16-month period between surveys, LinkedIn moved from 43% to 59%, whilst Facebook (37% to 42%) and Micro-blogging/Twitter (22% to 30%) increased their work use by development professionals at much slower rates of increase and remain behind LinkedIn in absolute terms.
Strategic and Investment Implications
Ensure that social media strategies include a significant emphasis on maximizing the relationship with LinkedIn.
5. Smart Rules!
In 2011, when asked Q19: “Do you plan to use any of the following devices?” 43% responded that they currently use a Smart Phone. By 2012, that figure had become 60%, with a further 23% saying that they plan to use one soon. Whereas, in 2011, 22% had said that they "do not use and do not plan to use any time soon", by the time of the 2012, survey that number had dwindled to 15%. Clearly the overall, general public trends related to smart-phone use have significantly penetrated international development.
There was a similar (perhaps surprising?) trend with e-Readers. Here are the trends between the years for the major categories:
E-Readers
No, and do not plan to use any time soon:
2011 - 40%
2012 - 18%
No, but plan to start using
2011 - 42%
2012 - 40%
Yes, currently use
2011 - 18%
2012 - 38%
Essentially, half of the international development professionals who indicated in 2011 that they were planning to use an e-Reader now do so. And with a further 40% in 2012 indicating that they plan to use one soon, this trend will continue.
Strategic and Investment Implications
Ensure that all knowledge and information products are developed for easy and simple use on smart phones and e-readers
6. Bye-bye multi-media, posters, pamphlets, brochures?
Perhaps, in a time of resource constraints, it is valuable to ask, emanating from the results in this survey, which resources hold the least value and, therefore, could possibly be excluded from any future portfolio of resource activities. Here we used children and development related resources as an example, but the results most likely apply across all development issues.
Q20 asked: "What types of resources are most useful to you in your work on Children’s issues?" In common with many of the other questions, there was a very similar pattern between the 2011 and the 2012 survey responses.
Strategic and Investment Implications
From the survey results to those questions, the data from both the 2011 and 2012 surveys, those choices for future omission would be: "Other Print Material - Banners, Pamphlets, Posters, etc."; and, Multi-Media materials. Both had comparatively low positives and high negatives in both surveys.
7. Digital and/or Print?
Every development agency on the planet must be considering the future of print publications. Are they still used/read in this digital era? Even if they are used/read does the cost justify continued print publication? The 2011 and 2012 surveys provide some input into answering those questions.
Q 23 in the survey asked, related to UNICEF publications: "In what format do you prefer to receive publications?". There were 3 options provided. (UNICEF has kindly allowed us to share these results as an example from one agency with the expectation that this trend will be shared across many organisations.) The responses for each of the surveys were:
Digital, PDF or electronic - 2011 (40%); 2012 (45%)
Print - 2011 (5%); 2012 (5%)
Both - 2011 (55%); 2012 (50%)
The major change here is that 5% of respondents have moved from wanting "both" to wanting "digital" only. This may be the continuation of a trend towards digital. But there are still a very significant number of people, with whom it is important for UNICEF to engage and offer information, who would prefer publications in print and digital.
Strategic and Investment Implications
Maintain a healthy print publication portfolio.
8. Who has influence?
Q 11 in the survey asked: "How do you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your field?" The 4th most popular answer was "Colleagues outside my Organization" - (56%).
In order to provide more insight concerning which development communities to engage in order to provide relevant and impactful support processes for development professionals, the survey further asked in Q15: "Outside your org what kinds of professionals are you most in contact with?"
The top 4 responses to that question - the only ones above 50% - for 2012 were:
- Academics and technical experts (72%)
- Communication professionals (53%)
- Programme Managers (53%)
- Community or Civil Society Leaders (51%)
Strategic and Investment Implications
Identify and work to position and share knowledge and information with existing processes that have extensive networks of academics, communication professionals, programme managers, and community or civil society leaders. Support the growth of those processes.
CONCLUSION
As highlighted at the beginning of this report, the full results can be seen in the PowerPoint attached. This includes the comparisons between 2011 and 2012.
There is much strategic learning that can be derived from the extensive submissions to this survey by large numbers of development professionals. We have highlighted just 8 above.
We are most happy to answer any questions concerning the survey and the results.
With many thanks for engaging with The Communication Initiative in this very interesting endeavour.
Warren
Warren Feek
Executive Director
The Communication Initiative
Twitter: https://twitter.com/warrencomminit
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September 29, 2012