Since 2005, MSI has worked directly with USAID’s Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs in support of the Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) Training Program. This is the agency’s flagship communication program to help improve efforts to raise awareness of U.S. foreign assistance activities abroad.

In the past six years, MSI conducted 16 trainings for USAID’s communications specialists who manage all public affairs at overseas USAID Missions. These trainings have helped USAID to increase awareness of its activities and improve attitudes toward U.S. foreign assistance as well monitor the outputs of its outreach and communications activities. MSI also provided targeted assistance to several USAID offices, seeking to improve their communication with overseas audiences.

The project has contributed to changing USAID’s approach to communications, its staffing levels and the degree of institutional and financial support provided for domestic and overseas communications work. For instance, when the project started, only 30 communicators were in place worldwide; today, USAID boasts a network of 110 communications professionals, including many former journalists, PR professionals and writers who have all been through MSI-organized and implemented training courses.

In addition to the skills-based trainings, MSI developed a first-ever communications “Survival Manual,” which won a number of awards. And for the first time, several paid media campaigns were launched integrating radio, print and television to inform overseas audiences.

Public opinion polling to inform communications activities and better understand perceptions of foreign assistance is now ingrained in USAID’s communications thinking. Performance monitoring standards were developed and put in place for communications activities to monitor the impact of activities.

The work under the DOC Program has been lauded in a number of reports, including several conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). USAID’s Subcommittee on Public Outreach report, “Why the Story That U.S. Foreign Assistance Is Working Must Be Told,” commends the program and advocates for its continuation and expansion.

As part of the project, MSI works closely with USAID to organize and conduct training activities, which bring together USAID and U.S. Embassy personnel to coordinate the government’s message to host country audiences. The partnership also improves support provided by USAID’s Washington headquarters on communication activities. DOC professionals are also able to learn through a first-of-its kind on-line communication forum to share best practices worldwide among the communications network.

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