Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

Children across Northampton, UK who had a parent that worked in the local police force, received a letter from the Chief Constable. The letter:

• Thanked children for 'sharing their parents' and for the child 'being part of the team'
• Thanked children for washing their hands properly, doing their school work and only going for one walk a day, making it possible for their parents to work

By circulating through social media, encrypted messaging services, online discussion boards and face to face interaction. To achieve this, organisations might consider:

• Identifying fake news and actively debunking it on own social media accounts and public display boards
• Closely monitor automated systems for errors. In Australia the CovidSafe App alarmed and confused users with a message telling them that they had contracted coronavirus when trying to upload their information, despite not being tested. Additionally, in Ukraine, residents attacked busses with evacuees from China after a hoax email falsely attributed to the Ministry of Health suggested some carried the virus
• Supporting the public to think critically about, question and fact-check information they receive
• Working with community leaders to circulate useful, accurate information
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of their own communication strategy, possibly working with partners such as universities to undertake social media analytics

Consider:

• Images are a useful tool for educating and reassuring children about COVID-19 and how they can stay safe
• Images are a useful tool to convey messages, or practices i.e. effective hand washing, those who speak another language and for those who are not able to read
• Images are a useful tool to provide information to people with disabilities to communicate ideas and practices in an accessible format

This lesson was offered by a Digital Transformation Specialist in India during project data collection.

Acting on information is a result not only of how the information is presented but of the way the subconscious operates; underlying beliefs, attitudes and motivations. The following can be considered:

• Connect precautions for COVID-19 to aspirational movements, like community spirit and local pride – keeping your community safe
• Leverage people’s desire to do the right thing for others in all aspects of their lives – e.g. what would your own grandmother want?
• Use images of famous people in protective gear delivering food – e.g. members of the Royal Family
• Feature celebrity athletes and movie stars telling people to shelter at home – e.g. through TV advertising

It will take a steady stream of messages to shift behaviour: this is not a one-off activity

In Australia there is a highly organised and well-tested communications system that utilises standard emergency communications procedures used for other disasters such as forest fires. Australian risk managers highlighted two issues which may be useful for others.

In order to deliver efficient and effective communication during an emergency, an understanding of how the public perceives and receives this information; awareness of cognitive bias , which shapes the way people understand the information provided to them, is needed[1]. Cognitive bias impacts decision-making as a result of how events are remembered by individuals and influences behaviours that can impact recovery. For example, not showing symptoms of COVID-19 and therefore believing you are immune or won’t infect others. Other cognitive bias is related to people’s selectivity about what they pay attention to which has implications for retaining and enacting public health advice. This may be mitigated by:

• Communicating testimonials and stories to challenge peoples thinking about practices that are safe and unsafe
• Sharing transparent and consistent information across all platforms to reduce misinformation and distrust
• Providing easy to find information through mechanisms such as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to reduce ambiguity
• Providing information that supports collective action towards a solution so people feel they are part of solving the problem and understand that change is required

To addresses some of these biases, health messaging experts in Australia called for:

• Effective use of television streaming services, social media and news services, rather than use of posters that had unclear messages and images
• More effective communications from politicians that answer questions in snappy sentences rather than long answers where people become confused or lose interest, and consistent slogans like Australia’s ‘Help stop the spread and stay healthy’.
• Engaging and emotive video advertising that highlight the impact individual’s actions can have on others such as their loved ones[2]

In addition, trust and transparency were seen as important. This requires:

• Openness about data collection and the source of that data
• Information that is shared in a “fearless and transparent” [3] way to provide open, real-time information. This was also seen in Korea and was attributed to them swiftly and successfully flattening the curve[4].
• Government to consistently share information to media outlets, and for media outlets to responsibly use verified information to reduce public speculation[5].
• Use of known and trusted mechanisms for the public to access information[6], such as those already set up in Australia for disasters
  

References:

[1] Risk Manager 1

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/24/australia-is-crying-out-for-clearer-messaging-on-coronavirus-rambling-politicians-told

[3] Risk Manager 1

[4] Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00740-y

[5] Risk Manager 1

[6] Risk Manager 2

The original format of this case study (including references) can be read in the source link below (p.15).

This may help communities feel they have ownership over information rather than simply being told.

For particular groups consider:

• Providing parents with skills to handle their own anxieties and help manage those in their children
• Provide information in accessible formats for those with disabilities
• Offer multiple forms of communication e.g. text captioning, signed video, online material suitable for use with assistive technology
• Support the translation of information into the preferred languages for different groups, ensuring that refuges and migrant groups are included
• Adjust information for community perceptions, beliefs and practices

To ensure that statements and information given to the public are consistent, while recognising some regional differences in content. Consider a communication strategy that clearly lays out:

• What will be said
• To whom will it be said
• Who will say it

Consider what existing relationships the news outlets have with organisations and the public and how the media can become a welcomed partner in communications strategies.

Reference: Emergency Planner, Canada

Rather than different pieces of reference information in different places. This will support recovery as people will know exactly where to get information that is in line with the developing situation relating to Covid-19.

Reference: Officer of the Governor, California, USA

To include a live-ticker on a website counting infections.

For example, Cape Town has an official government website to post messages of support.

This can help to ensure as wide a community outreach as possible.

This can reflect different experiences of the crisis and its effect on our lives which are more uplifting and positive. Volunteers can help with this, as can the voluntary sector. Check out the "Together Cumbria" social media accounts which are run by voluntary organisations on behalf of the resilience partnership.

This can help children to express their feelings about COVID-19 to ease their stress.

This can include the number of infected people, their status, characteristics (e.g. age, gender), number of inquiries to the call centre, number of people using subways, etc. The city can also provide the website's source code as open-data, so that other municipalities and institutions can use the data and replicate similar webpages.

From many examples, internet and smart phone applications are playing a critical role for communication, awareness-raising, teleworking but also learning and skills development. Online platforms should test how good their systems are, collect feedback, and improve their products - because many of us will never leave these platforms after discovering their utility.

Local government plays a key role in building trust in new measures and tackling misinformation. There may be a need for this in the UK. Of 2,250 adults surveyed:

• 15% of people thought seasonal flu was deadlier than coronavirus
• 31% believed "most people" in the UK had already had the virus without realising it
• 39% think they should be shopping "little and often to avoid long queues", when the advice is only to go out to shop for basic necessities and as infrequently as possible.
• 25% believed the conspiracy theory that coronavirus was "probably created in a lab" - one of several conspiracy theories currently circulating on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.

Surveys like this help your organisation identify areas where their messaging is not as clear as it needs to be. Local government would benefit from continuing surveys on public opinion.

Local government should analyse their local communities by disaggregating all data collected by important characteristics (e.g. sex, age, and disability) to ensure that they can target those communities appropriately. Information should then be provided in a format and manner that makes it accessible to all, accounting for vulnerabilities in the community. Local government should consider IFRC Guidelines on this to support vulnerable people.

Local government should, in their communication with the public, enhance the welfare and happiness of the entire community including those who are healthy. This can involve communicating digitally and providing virtual services during extended periods of isolation e.g. the virtual opening of art galleries and museums.

Reference: Chief Resilience Officer, Italy

Local government should encourage the use of digital technologies during restricted movements to support culturally appropriate information tools. This should consider how apps can be used in different languages suitable to the diversity of user.

Reference: CEO Digital Corporation, Germany

Local government should disseminate information in appropriate formats to ensure all communities receive information that is accurate and helpful to them. This will involve mapping community groups to understand their: individual characteristics; information needs; effective channels; appropriate languages and presentation.

Local government should help the public to access public health information and consider the effectiveness of different ways that public health information is disseminated. An 'information for all' approach is needed so that those with disabilities are included. This may include translation of information into brail, use of audio information, and signed videos for the deaf community.

Local government should advise that, for some populations, it will not be possible to ease restrictions on their movement outside of the home until:

• an effective vaccine is developed
• an effective treatment is developed
• community-wide immunity is achieved to reduce the risk to acceptable levels for all groups

These individuals will require protection that includes isolation and will need a blend of national and community-based programs. For example:

• Delivery of food and medicine
• Provision of a specialized medical care environment
• Social support
• Financial assistance e.g. for basic living expenses