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Need for Public Awareness Campaign
No matter how well a privatisation programme is designed technically, there is a danger that critical groups having incorrect perceptions can impede progress. Furthermore unless potential investors are well aware of opportunities afforded them by the programme, successful divestitures will be hard to achieve.
Despite the large and growing evidence from various sources of the success of privatisation in general, and the privatisation programme in Malawi, in particular, doubts about privatisation still linger. Workers, for example, fear for their jobs and consumers fear increases in prices of goods and services. There is also a real misconception that national assets are being given away to foreigners.
Hence to eliminate incorrect and harmful ideas about privatisation and to increase the interest of private investors in the programme, it is necessary to ensure that the privatisation programme is properly understood by all major concerned parties.
The Privatisation Commission believes that the general public must continuously be educated about the welfare gains of privatisation through intensified public awareness campaigns. To that end, the Privatisation Commission beginning February 2001 engaged the services of Ms Jeri Gomonda as a Public Relations Advisor, on a one-year retainer basis, to assist with this function. Later on established a full Information, Education and Communications Department to manage all matters related to the Communications needs of the organisation including the Public Awareness Campaign.
The Privatisation Commission, however, now recognizes that having a good reform programme may be a necessary condition for privatisation success, but maybe not a sufficient one. In view of the increased intensity of opposition to the programme, the Commission believes that it needs to involve stakeholders more than has been the case before. The Privatisation Commission needs to re-enforce its efforts to convince the political directorate, SOE managers, unions, workers, civil servants, businessmen, potential purchasers, and the population at large of the benefits of the programme. Although achieving broad consensus will not be easy, informing and educating stakeholders about the privatisation programme and its effects is often a condition of its success. The Government of Malawi (GoM) therefore embarked on a major and integrated communications campaign with a view to disseminate information effectively and efficiently on the objectives of the privatisation programme, what it entails and the benefits expected for various stakeholders, other interested parties and investors.
Key audiences identified for this campaign include Malawi civil society as a whole, Government decision makers, employees, trade union associations, SOE personnel, the private sector, foreign and domestic investors, opinion leaders, the clergy, the media, and academics.
TOOLS USED
The campaign has been using the following tools to reach out to key audiences identified above:
Earned Media Campaign
Under this component we have radio programmes (comedies, documentaries, radio minutes and interviews), TV programmes (comedies, documentaries, panel discussions) and newspapers (columns, comic strips).
Stakeholder Meetings
These are meetings that are organized to interact with each of the key audiences such SOE meetings, interactions with CSOs, MPs etc.
Investor Campaign
This is done through this website and other pre-packaged information kits.
Public At Large
This is done through the earned media campaign and other IEC materials such as T-Shirts, Caps, Umbrellas and Stickers.
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Public Awareness 
