This paper is aimed at developing and evaluating the most effective and efficient channels of distribution of the 200 000 circulation of the information brochure “Land Reform: Questions and Answers”.
Implicitly, initiators of the distribution hope that dissemination of brochure will generate specific outcomes or effects in the knowledge, attitudes and (hopefully) behavior of brochure recipients, that it will reach certain rural social groups, and that the results of distribution could be somehow measured or evaluated.
From this viewpoint, current distribution efforts must be regarded as an information campaign
An emphasis is not accidental. Any practitioner in agrarian reform can testify that today’s Ukrainian village is plagued by arbitrariness, conscious manipulation of peasants’ low legal awareness and culture and suppression of rural civil society initiatives. Huge size of brochure circulation (it constitutes 3% of all land certificates owners, or 6% of working age owners) makes its distribution one of the largest information campaigns in independent Ukraine. It is evident that this campaign represents a unique chance to push forward the pace of the Land Reform.
Ultimate goals of the information campaign should be - significant increase in the awareness of land certificates owners about their rights and possibilities and fostering democratic processes in rural Ukraine. Being framed in this way, campaign means great responsibility for those who will implement it
In technical terms, potential ways (or modes) of brochure distribution are: mass mailing,targeted mailing (to consciously selected groups of recipients) and mixed mailing (combining both). An analysis (or formative evaluation) of brochure distribution as an information campaign is necessary to reach the decision.
Planning of campaign should start with an evaluation of previous information efforts, or with benchmarking. To the best of author’s knowledge, the Land Reform has not been followed by the Ukrainian state information campaign. Fortunately, international organizations and programs such as IFC, RONCO, UOPRR, etc conducted such a campaigns. They targeted state bodies, journalist community, part of rural self-government and private farmers, and managers of rural enterprises in a limited number of Ukrainian regions. That is to say, they did not reach rural population at large, they did not target unevenness in information awareness of Ukrainian regions and their coverage was small (RONCO’s brochure circulation is estimated at around 15 - 20 000 copies).
Campaign tasks are to reach the largest possible rural audience and to level regional unevenness in rural awareness
An analysis of information circulation, perception and use in rural communities is the next step in planning information campaign under consideration. Though rural community is often viewed as closed, with single authority figure or institution, and top-down information circulation, it is quite different from this image. Information flows through multiple channels – collective heads (or heads of new enterprises), heads of rural council, secondary schools, libraries, post office, raion newspapers, private farmers, young people studying in the city, etc. And there is an intangible but the most powerful channel – “word of mouth”.
Thus, in order to secure the largest possible coverage, information campaign should use the largest possible scope of the information distribution channels
This conclusion is closely connected with the rural perception patterns of any information or information product. Favorable perception of the information will greatly depend upon the trustworthiness of the information channel or source. Some peasants like private farmers (though they may be fierce opponents of Land Reform!) and hate former heads, other trust only heads of rural councils, etc. It is very important argument in favor of the multiple channeling of brochure distribution. Another supporting argument states that favorable treatment of the information increases if information is received through communication with peers, neighbors, farmers, in some cases – relevant officials and even outsiders. Here, the role of non-state rural organizations cannot be underestimated. Favorable perception of some rural groups depends upon official recognition/support (or even enforcement) of the information distributed. For example, if brochure mailing will include cover letter of high rank official of the Ministry of Education, teachers’ attitude will be more favorable towards its content and its usage.
To sum up, in order to secure the most favorable treatment, the brochure distribution should use multiple channeling, including rural NGOs, and brochure mailing to certain rural groups should include some kind of official support
Above stated measures are aimed at inducing changes in the knowledge and, to some extent, attitudes of the land owners. As to the behavioral changes, the choice of target groups is the key factor in securing the success of campaign. Working age people and pensioners are the largest distinct target groups in Ukrainian village. Within the former, change agents are qualified workers and managers of new enterprises, private farmers, heads of rural self-government, rural intelligentsia, members of NGOs and young generation. Taken as a whole, pensioners are unlikely to play the role of change agents. At best, they can act as agents of information transfer.
Some of the channels may act as organizational agents of change. Their participation in the brochure distribution may lead to their mobilization, thus increasing their role in rural democratization. Rural NGOs, farmers’ associations, credit unions, some of rural councils and new enterprises are among these organizational agents.
If it is expected to generate some positive changes in behavior, brochure distribution should target mostly the groups of social change agents. If it is expected to contribute to the rural democratization, it should mobilize and be channeled through various rural organizations of democratic nature
To sum up analytical conclusions, the best mode of brochure distribution (the largest coverage, the most favorable treatment by recipients, with the most likely positive social effects) should be targeted mailing.