Lesson 3: Risk Communication and Plant Protection

Topic 2: Care Communication

The second type of risk communication is care communication. This type of risk communication is used to raise awareness of the risk of a particular hazard or to build support for a particular risk management strategy. In this topic, we will take a closer look at care communication and how it has been applied to phytosanitary risk.

Objectives:

  • Describe and illustrate the use of Care Communication
  • Identify how care communication can be used in plant protection

emerald ash borer

aquis_fact_sheet
A copy of the AQIS Fact Sheet can be found
in the Documents section of this module.

As the name implies, care communication is used in situations where the primary purpose is to raise awareness of the risk associated with a particular hazard, and to build support for managing that risk. In other words, to make people care about the risk. Like crisis communication, care communication can be used to motivate the audience to change its behavior in order to reduce or mitigate risks.

Although many of the same methods for communication can be used, care communication is applicable to situations where the risk is a longstanding or regular issue. It is not as appropriate for a new or unexpected event.

Whereas the purpose of crisis communication is to motivate the audience to take specific immediate actions, care communication focuses more on changing long-term perceptions and attitudes. In crisis communication, understanding of the risk might be unclear or evolving. Care communication typically involves communicating about risks that have been quantified by scientific research.

This means that the risks are known and accepted by both experts and lay people, that the consequences are generally recognized, and that we have a plan to manage the risk. A well-known example of care communication in plant protection would be the risks associated with travelers introducing pests when they carry certain types of materials from one place to another.  

Objectives of a care communication campaign can include:

  • Increasing awareness and alerting stakeholders to the risk associated with a particular hazard or activity, or stimulating discussion for those not as aware of the risk
  • Motivating stakeholders to change their behavior consistent with the risk (for example, to motivate travelers to declare agricultural materials at ports of entry)
  • Provide current information
  • Building a strong relationship with stakeholders, so that, when crisis situations arise, the public will trust the organization

Care communication has a relative advantage to other types of risk communication. The information that the audience needs to have is not necessarily urgent. This gives the NPPO the opportunity to employ a far-reaching strategy in its communication plan in order to maximize participation and success in a particular program. As with crisis communication, NPPOs should consider several elements in a typical care communication plan, including the following.

  • What actions or behavior modifications are necessary? Who is responsible for these actions?
  • Who is the target audience(s)? Whose behavior are you trying to change? Whose support are you trying to gain?
  • What is your intended purpose? Why does the information need to be communicated?
    • Know if you are trying to get attention, gain understanding/appreciation, or change behavior.
    • How do you want the intended audience to respond?
    • What information is most relevant to the target audience?
  • What is the best mechanism for delivering the information given the audience and what we want to convey?
    • How should the information be delivered?
    • Who should deliver the information (e.g., expert panels, agency spokesperson, etc.)?
    • When should the information be delivered (e.g., is there a seasonal problem?)?
  • How will we know if our message is successful?

There are many methods for delivering information for care communication. The target audience and the desired outcomes should dictate the communication delivery method. Social media, news media, commercials, and advertisements are useful for communicating to large numbers of people. The message can vary in complexity, and length. The information delivered can range from relatively short simple messages to being in-depth analyses, depending on which medium is used.

The video below demonstrates how the USDA uses multiple communication delivery methods to communicate to a large target audience.

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Campaigns such as “Hungry Pests” require a relatively large amount of resources in terms of money and personnel. However, care communication campaigns can be much simpler than this. Posters and brochures placed in the right places (e.g., airports) can be very effective at communicating simple messages. Another excellent example of care communication is the Australian Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Service’s (AQIS) educational fact sheets, which are designed for schools. The fact sheets contain information on particular pests, including biology, methods of control, and how to prevent their introduction and spread. The fact sheet concludes with a section entitled “What you can do to help”, reminding you not to move fruit from one state or country to another, and also requesting you to contact AQIS in the case they find insects in their fruit.

One benefit of these fact sheets is that they are informative on particular issues. More importantly, these fact sheets create long-lasting awareness and sensitization of stakeholders, not only about the particular topic of the fact sheet, but of quarantine issues as a whole. These fact sheets are part of an instructional program that also includes support for teachers. In this way, education about quarantine issues can become an integral part of the teacher’s academic program. One can expect that educating young stakeholders about quarantine issues will lead to an adult population that is sympathetic and supportive toward quarantine activities. It is also interesting to note that this form of communication reaches an audience that is not typically targeted in most risk communication plans (i.e., children).

Care communication campaigns can raise awareness or build support in risk situations where this is the primary goal. Care communication communicates risks that have been quantified by scientific research. These risks are well known and accepted by both experts and lay people, have consequences that are known and generally recognized, and have management plans. Care communication is applicable to situations where the hazard is a longstanding or regular issue, rather than a new or unexpected event. The information that an audience needs to have is not necessarily urgent, thus Care communication has a relative advantage to other types of risk communication. This gives the NPPO an opportunity to develop a communication strategy that is far-reaching and maximizes both participation and success in a specific program.

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