Lesson Learned

Future reform projects’ communications strategy should include a transparency and disclosure activity to make the benefits of reform widely known among the public.

Future reform projects’ communications strategy should include a transparency and disclosure activity to make the benefits of reform widely known among the public. While the project provided technical assistance to regulatory stakeholders, it did not incorporate activities that would build public support for reform. In their review of newspaper articles and press releases, the evaluation team found business associations, civil society groups, and politicians speaking out against increasing end-user tariffs. Publicly disclosing the winners and losers from the current tariff structure—and how reform will address these—could be an additional tool to build support for reform. Specifically, future projects should publicly disclose reform recommendations and disseminate these recommendations through a communications strategy. Projects should also consider undertaking coalition building in partner countries to support public communication and advocacy to help achieve and sustain reforms.