Popularising Policy – the 4D approach

Design the Policy

•	A nation-wide consultation process is organised. It asks a broad and representative range of individuals and groups to reflect on experience and prioritise their claims, concerns and issues.
•	Using statistics, research findings and the results of the consultations a technical committee draws up a policy document which includes specific targets with activities and indicators that can be used for monitoring.

Digest the Policy

•	Official policy documents are written to please many different interest groups and the ideas are often justified by statistics. In their original form they are therefore often thick and difficult to understand. 
•	The policy documents are translated into plain language so that ordinary people can understand them and therefore discuss them in an informed and meaningful way. 

Disseminate the Policy

•	The goal is to make plain language information about the policies available to as many people as possible. They cannot participate if they do not know.
•	The messages can be written but they can also be spoken, sung and/or  acted either live or on radio and television. It is also true that a good picture (cartoon) is worth a thousand words.
•	Ways are found to make sure that the information reaches all people in all parts of the country. Materials are channelled through existing organisations which have many branch offices.

Develop the Policy

•	Local level discussion groups are formed when the policy first appears so that the local implications can be worked out and action plans can be designed. (Putting flesh on the bones)
•	Information, training and support are supplied to groups that need it.
•	The local level discussion groups meet regularly to review progress on the action plans and to make changes where necessary. (Monitoring and evaluation)
•	Where it seems useful records of discussions are used as feedback to the appropriate central policy makers who are easy to identify. 
•	This is how ordinary people help to develop policy at local and national levels. 

The feedback process means that
local developments help to design national policy.