Report on St Ann Outreach Activities June 2012

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Report on St Ann Outreach Activities of the GOJ/EU/UNEP
Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction
Project – June 5-6, 2012
The St Ann outreach activities under the GOJ/EU/UNEP Climate Change Adaptation and
Disaster Risk Reduction Project communication and public education campaign (Result
Area Three) took place between June 5 and 6, 2012.
The project partnered with the Panos and NEEC Voices for Climate Change Education
Project, NEPA, the Forestry Department, ODPEM, the St Ann Parish Council and the UDC
for the St Ann Activities, in the spirit of partnership and engagement with key
stakeholders.
The outreach activities were linked to the commemoration of World Environment Day
(June 5).
The objectives of the outreach activities were:
1. To increase engagement of target groups in exchanges of information and ideas
regarding climate change, its impact at the individual, community and national
levels in Jamaica and on possible adaptation measures that can be undertaken at
these levels;
2. To increase the availability of accurate and culturally relevant information and
communication resources on climate change, its impact and adaptation, to wide
cross sections of the Jamaican population
The activities undertaken over the two days were:
▪ A parish council meeting with community stakeholders to provide citizens
with key information on climate change, its impacts, possible adaptation
strategies and disaster risk reduction
▪ A Private Sector Luncheon to raise awareness about climate change and
in particular its implications for the tourism sector
▪ An expo in the Turtle River Park for World Environment Day –
coordinated by NEPA at the project’s request
▪ An edutainment event using Women’s Media Watch community theatre
and the Voices for Climate Change Education artistes at the Turtle River
Park.
▪ Press and Publicity Activities-to raise awareness about: the St Ann
outreach activities, climate change, its impacts and the need to adapt and
the work of the GOJ/EU/UNEP CCADRRP and the Voices Project
The CCADRRP team in St Ann consisted of Mr. Clifford Mahlung, Mrs. Constance MayneHinds and Mr. Errol Campbell from the Meteorological Service, Ms. Gail Hoad and Ms.
Chantalla Griffiths from the project unit, Ms. LeAnne Roper from the Planning Institute
of Jamaica and Mrs. Mary Ann Gooden, Ms. Kadene McKenzie and UNEP intern Ms.
Swati Garg from the Project Management Unit, Mrs. Allison Gordon from the Office of
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management as well as representatives from the
Forestry Department and NEPA at the Expo. Mr.Ainsworth Grant from the Forestry
Department was also at the parish council event.
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Results:
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St Ann Parish Council Meeting with Community Stakeholders at
the St Ann Parish Church Church Hall on May 5 –The parish council
mobilised 22 persons from various communities/disaster preparedness
zones in the parish to attend this event. The mayor, the secretary
manager and the parish disaster coordinator also participated in event.
There were also representatives from the National Works Agency, the
Project Management Unit and the Forestry Department present. An
evaluation questionnaire was distributed to participants. Presentations
were made by representatives from the Met Service, ODPEM and the
PIOJ. There was lively discussion and feedback from the community
representatives.
The evaluation forms – completed by 11 participants- indicated that most
persons felt the objectives of the meeting had been made clear (100%),
that the information presented helped them better understand climate
change issues (100%) and was useful to the work they do (90%). Most
also felt that they got new information in the meeting (90%) and that the
information presented was interesting (81%).
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A Private Sector Luncheon –Invitations were sent individually to all
members of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce as well as to the Chamber
itself asking them to help us mobilise members. The event was held at
the Sunset Jamaica Grande. Other private sector representatives from the
alternative energy and agricultural sectors were invited. About 21 private
sector representatives and members of the Chamber attended, as well as
the Mayor of St Ann’s Bay and parish council representatives. A
presentation was made by the PIOJ and the Caribsave Film was shown
One media house covered the event (Northcoast Times)
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Edutainment Event – Based on feedback from the two parish councils
consulted so far, the decision was taken not to try to organise the town
hall meetings as originally envisaged but instead to have an edutainment
event merging the community theatre by Women’s Media Watch, an expo
and the Voices concert. Both the St Ann and St Thomas parish councils as
well as the Forestry Dept noted that efforts to organise town hall type
meetings do not yield the desired number of participants and the desired
result ie to engage persons and share information on an issue in a mass
public setting. Based on this information from the parish level and the
experience in Montego Bay which seemed to bear this out, it was decided
to organise the edutainment events for both parishes and see how this
could work. WMW member Darion, who was a part of the skit was also
emcee for the concert. The CCADRRP campaign supported the artistes’
participation in the concert. The Expo, organised by NEPA, was a
precursor to the skit and concert package.
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Press and Publicity- A publicity strategy for the St Ann activities was
developed and implemented in collaboration with Panos and NEPA. The
event was listed as a part of World Environment Day activities.
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A radio advertisement publicising the edutainment event was
recorded and used on Power 106 and IRIE FM as well as for a
town crier.
A press release and an invitation for coverage re the CCADRRP
activities in St Ann was drafted and sent out to all major media
houses, with a special focus on media houses in St Ann and rural
desk coordinators at the Gleaner and Observer newspapers.
Special package deals were arranged with Power 106 and Mello
FM to run advertisement spots re the CCADRRP outreach activities
and to do interviews with key persons from the CCADRRP, NEPA
and the Voices project.
NEPA organised an outdoor broadcast with NewsTalk Radio which
was done at no cost to the implementing partners.
CCADRRP representatives Mary Ann Gooden, Clifford Mahlung,
LeAnne Roper and Gail Hoad participated in radio interviews on
NewsTalk on June 5.
Natalie Fearon from NEPA and a Voices artiste were interviewed
on Power 106 to publicise the St Ann activities.
Gail Hoad provided information for an article on the St Ann
outreach activities being implemented by the project, which was
published in the Sunday Observer of June 3
Indi McLymont-Lafayette from Panos did a radio interview with
Power 106
The Gleaner and the North Coast Times covered the expo and
concert
http://northcoasttimesjamaica.com/2012/06/agenciescome-together-in-ocho-rios-for-world-environment-dayobservation/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Yx
YuIS7PO3I
The North Coast Times covered the business sector luncheon
http://northcoasttimesjamaica.com/2012/06/what-climatechange-could-mean-for-the-economy-of-the-coast/
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Target groups engaged- students, private sector groups, tourism interests, the Ocho
Rios community/public, community groups in St Ann. It should be noted that the PMU
via the UNEP intern Ms Swati Garg organised for dissemination of KAP questionnaires at
the parish council and private sector meetings.
Successes:
• The team approach of working in conjunction with Panos/NEEC Voices Project
and NEPA continues to work well and give added strength and visibility to efforts,
prevent duplication of efforts and support a harmonised approach to public
education and sensitisation.
• Inclusion of ODPEM and PIOJ on the outreach team was a further step towards
strengthening the team approach and harmonisation
• Community members at the parish council event were very receptive towards
new information and enthusiastic about learning more about climate change and
adaptation strategies
Challenges:
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Need to work at greater integration of the messages of the skit and concert and
engage the audience more re climate change adaptation messages
Need for all team members present at the given parish outreach location to be
mobilised to work on logistics as well as on actual presentations
Need for clarification and localisation of key messages for private sector – more
in-depth preparation needed; more specific messages; more authoritative and
high level “messengers” from the public sector required
Information, Education and Communication materials are required for the
audiences. There is need to get the brochures and fact sheets out and other
informational material out that can help persons teach others about climate
change and about possible adaptation responses
Lessons Learnt & the Way Forward:
Implementing agencies need to give more time to identifying representatives/
spokesmen/women for the various outreach activities. This is particularly important for
engaging high level groups such as private sector groups.
More thought and time needs to be given to developing presentations which focus on
what state/government plans and proposals for climate change mean and have to offer
to this sector in each parish or in general.
Generally it should be noted that the level of awareness of climate change in general is
not low, based on interactions with various groups (the KAP survey will provide evidence
as to how accurate these observations are ) but individuals and groups need to know
what these changes mean for them, responses specific to their groups and what
proposals and plans being made by the state mean for them as well.
A representative of the PMU is to be invited to all key parish activities, as is convenient
for the unit, to give an overview of the project from the PMU perspective and to include
information on the source of funding for the activities etc.
Previous recommendations re the importance of “climate change champions” in
reaching key groups and the importance of partnerships and building on the strengths of
existing initiatives that are working well, while ensuring branding of events and activities
still stand.
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SCENES FROM THE ST ANN OUTREACH JUNE 5-6, 2012
Parish Council Stakeholder Meeting-St Ann’s Bay Parish Church Hall, June 5,
2012
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Expo and Concert at Turtle River Park, Ocho Rios on June 5, 2012
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Private Sector Luncheon –Sunset Jamaica Grande, Ocho Rios, on June 6, 2012