As a response to COVID-19, close to 1,200 programs have been implemented in more than 200 countries to help more than 1.3 billion people. However, research demonstrates that in many cases less than 50% of the intended recipients are aware of the eligible benefits and how to access them. This lack of information leads to exclusion of deserving recipients, rumors, assumptions, lack of credibility, erosion of trust in governments, and most importantly poor impact of the government programs. An effective communications strategy for social protection programs (SPPs) needs a complex range of considerations and components for different stakeholders on both the demand and supply sides. This report on awareness, communication, and outreach highlights the need for the integration of key communication components for effective implementation of SPPs.

The report was developed as part of the COVID-19 Global Situation Room, convened by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with contributions from the following members of the Awareness, Communication, and Outreach Working Group:

  • MSC: Graham A N Wright, Arshi Aadil, Karishma Pradhan and Abhishek Jain (conveners)
  • African Development Bank: A. Sanogo-Toure
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Thao Hong
  • BRAC: Moonmoon Shehrin
  • Caribou Digital: Emrys Schoemaker
  • Every1Mobile: Abi Gleek
  • Strategic Impact Advisers: Shelley Spencer and Hamilton McNutt
  • Well Made Strategy: Richard Darlington and Njuhi Chege
  • World Food Programme: Astrid de Valon
  • World Bank G2Px Initiative: Ana Georgina Marin Espinosa (observer)

The findings:

View more G2P working groups.