Communication: a means to improve the implementation of development programmes

Abstract

A field study in Topola, Serbia

When it started, with up to 50 people a day queuing outside its offices hoping for something it did not provide, the Topola Rural Development Programme (TRDP), in the town of Topola, Serbia, faced real difficulties in getting through to people regarding what it was about: TRDP did not have a communication strategy. This article looks at how this influenced its implementation, revealing the choices the programme did make in terms of communication, and how that corresponded with the needs of the local community.