European Social Fund in England

Publicity and Information

The aim of the Publicity and Information study was to evaluate progress towards achieving the England ESF Communication Plan’s objectives, including the visibility and awareness of the Operational Programme.

The objectives of the study were to:

• assess whether a consistent set of messages on ESF investment in employment and skills is used in publicity and information measures
• identify changes or improvements for the development of information and publicity measures for the second half of the programme
• examine progress against the indicators in the communications plan; and
• identify good practice to aid the development of future information and publicity.

Evaluation Design

The evaluation involved three elements:

• an assessment of a sample of printed/published materials sourced from all parties delivering the programme
• the formal monitoring data which forms part of the required reporting within the programme by central and regional Managing Authorities and Co-Financing Organisations (CFOs)
• 18 face to face interviews with stakeholders undertaken in four study areas across England. The overall objective of the interviews was to explore stakeholder experiences regarding information and publicity activity and to further inform progress against the indicators.

Key findings

Key findings from the research were:

• A basic level of understanding of the requirements of the Communication Plan, in terms of a contractual requirement to use the ESF logo and branding, was found among all organisations involved. A greater appreciation existed among the Managing Authority and CFOs that it was equally as important to publicise the wider benefits and opportunities which ESF funding brings
• Several measures were established to aid the implementation of the requirements. At national level a Publicity Strategy Group assisted with the strategic management and delivery of the Communication Plan. At regional level, CFOs produced Communication Plans, the structure and content of which varied both between individual CFOs and regions. Some CFOs Communication Plans went beyond the statutory requirements, (including considering different audiences) and these plans therefore contained more detail
• In some regions close working links between individual CFOs led to the production of regional plans. In addition, a number of regions have accessed technical assistance (TA) to fund Public Relations (PR) agencies and/or organisations to coordinate activity across the region
• There was evidence from the regions that staff with marketing backgrounds had additional knowledge, skills and expertise for effectively managing and encouraging activity that went beyond basic compliance
• Each delivery organisation has different responsibilities for monitoring how requirements are complied with. The stakeholder interviews highlighted a key difference between CFOs in terms of whether they saw their role in monitoring as auditor or facilitator. The former tended to consider reviews as a means to reinforce regulatory aspects of publicity and quality assurance. Whilst not technically incorrect, this may place limitations on how effectively the message about ESF investment is communicated. On the other hand, those who viewed their role primarily as facilitators saw themselves more as conduits for information and support
• A range of materials had been produced and activities undertaken which had been effective at raising awareness of ESF investment. Materials and activities differed widely in terms of objective and target audience
• Printed materials at Managing Authority and CFO level included booklets, good practice guides and newsletters with the key messages and branding clearly evident. At provider level, printed material generally took the form of leaflets or flyers - often tailored to provide potential participants and referral agencies with information about projects. Although effective at informing target audiences about projects there were some issues with the effectiveness of such printed material in raising awareness of ESF investment in a meaningful way. The ESF logo often lacked prominence by being one of many crowded together. Also, the key messages about ESF investment were frequently absent
• Case studies were given high prominence throughout the programme due to their suitability in targeting a range of audiences, adaptability to use across most media and the role they play in bringing the ESF story to life. The ‘PR Toolkit’ for providers, detailing how to construct a case study, represents good practice in this area. However, some stakeholders expressed concerns over the process of gaining project participants’ consent and felt there might be a danger of an ‘overload’ of case studies in the media
• The internet was increasingly being used as a means of communicating with a variety of audiences, both formally through websites and informally through social networking sites. It was widely acknowledged that further guidance on the use of new technologies was needed
• A wide range of events had taken place across the programme with the driving force being the publicity priorities of 2008 and 2009. The key strengths of major events were the additional levels of publicity activity generated and the number of different audiences which could be targeted simultaneously
• Engagement with the media was principally through press releases. The assessment of materials showed that there was a wide range of publications in which ESF news appeared. Radio and television were less frequently used but some providers had found innovative ways of securing airtime.

More information

DWP research Report RR 646 | An evaluation of European Social Fund information and publicity | read synopsis | was published on 25 March 2010