What We Do
We organize our work around five strategic programmes, each representing a key thematic focus area. These programmes address distinct yet interconnected challenges and opportunities in communication, media, governance, and development within African contexts. Every programme draws on and integrates the full suite of our core approaches and activities to deliver targeted, cohesive, and sustainable results.
Programme Areas
Communication Rights, Freedoms and Ethics(CRFE)
This programme advances the protection and promotion of systems, practices, and policies that uphold communication rights and freedoms. It focuses on ethical standards in media and public discourse, access to information, freedom of expression, privacy rights, and ethical use of digital technologies. It addresses issues like censorship, disinformation ethics, digital rights, and equitable access to communication platforms.
Media, Information, and Digital Literacy (MIDL)
This programme strengthens the media, information, and digital competencies of citizens to enable them to access, evaluate, and ethically use information. It fosters critical thinking, active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, social development, and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), human rights, and economic development.
Communication for Development & Social Change (CDSC)
This programme leverages strategic communication approaches to address social challenges, empower communities, and support sustainable development. It aims to drive transformative social outcomes in areas such as health promotion, gender equality, education, environmental sustainability and climate change, poverty reduction, social justice and inclusion, civic engagement and human rights, and economic development.
Government and Public Sector Communication (GPSC)
This programme strengthens communication within and between government departments and agencies, and how these communicate and engage with citizens, communities, and other societal actors. It promotes transparency, public trust, service delivery communication, and crisis messaging. The programme supports policy development, builds officials' communication capacity, and advances inclusive strategies that improve information flow, participation, and accountability in public governance.
Democracy, Citizenship & Governance Communication (DCGC)
This programme advances strategic communication that strengthens democratic processes and accountable governance. It promotes inclusive public discourse, civic participation, and informed debate on elections, public policy, and governance reforms. By improving transparency, access to information, and dialogue among citizens, public institutions, civil society, and political actors, it helps connect citizen voice with decision-making, accountability, and effective policy implementation.
Core Approaches
Across all our thematic focus areas, we apply a consistent set of practical, collaborative, and evidence-informed approaches to drive impact. These core activities are deployed flexibly and comprehensively in every programme to ensure holistic, integrated interventions.
Research & Knowledge Generation
Conducting interdisciplinary and applied research to produce context-specific insights, identify gaps, and inform evidence-based policies, practices, and communication efforts.
Policy Advocacy & Engagement
Undertaking evidence-based policy advocacy and direct interaction with government and decision-makers to influence reforms, enhance accountability, transparency, and inclusive public decision-making.
Capacity Building & Training
Providing capacity building and training to equip individuals, civil society organizations, communities, journalists, institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders with essential skills in communication, media literacy, advocacy, and active civic participation.
Civic Literacy & Public Dialogue
Promoting media, information, and civic literacy while facilitating inclusive public dialogue and social change initiatives to foster informed debate, combat misinformation, and encourage transparent, equitable public discourse.
Communication Strategy Design & Execution
Designing and implementing tailored communication strategies and plans — including multi-channel campaigns, stakeholder engagement initiatives, and participatory communication efforts — to translate research into actionable impact and amplify marginalized voices.
We collaborate closely with communities, researchers, civil society, policymakers, political actors, citizens, and other stakeholders. Our methods are participatory, culturally rooted in African realities, and informed by theory, empirical evidence, and democratic best practices to ensure communication serves the public interest, expands inclusion, and advances the common good.