AwareEU | Morethanprojects ActionAid

Partner

INFO.NODES ETS, MONITHON EUROPE ETS , ONDATA - ASSOCIAZIONE DI PROMOZIONE SOCIALE

Donor

European Commission - Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy

Stakeholders

Associazione Italiana per la Comunicazione Pubblica

Objective of the project

We want to reduce the gap between citizenship and European institutions through the production, dissemination and analysis of information related to the impact of the Cohesion Policy and the NRRP in Italy

Abstract of the project

The project will analyze specific case studies on some projects financed by the 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 Cohesion Funds and the NRRP programming in Italy and their impact, in order to promote a different approach to the production, dissemination and analysis of data and information relating to the use of European funds and their impact on people’s lives. These cases will be told by journalists starting from the data available on the Monithon platform, which are collected by the people themselves through civic monitoring activities. Thanks to a mentoring path managed by Info.nodes, junior journalists will use storytelling and data journalism techniques to develop and tailor such content to a wider audience. The data will also be further analyzed through OnData’s expertise in infographics and data visualization. The communication approach from citizens who collected data to citizens who will read and listen their stories will be further developed also through a podcast which will be led by ActionAid IT, exploiting its experience in large public communication which is centered around people and their stories of change.

Context analysis

Italy is one of the largest beneficiaries of the Cohesion Funds and Next Generation EU. This amount of resources which are used and allocated, however, does not correspond to an equally great awareness of their origin, effects and impact on the lives of citizens. A study conducted in 2016 from the Bologna University as part of the PERCEIVE2 project highlighted that in Italy, although the average knowledge of Cohesion policies and the NRRP has increased in recent years, and even seems to be higher than in the rest of the European countries, the perception of their impact on daily life remains negative or absent. There are several factors that have an impact: the available information on the Cohesion Funds is aimed mainly at professionals rather than the general public; European institutions are perceived as distant; there is a widespread distrust in institutions, also exacerbated by populist and nationalist trends of thought.

Italy

The geographical scope of the workshops and media content will be national, with specific insights into some Italian regions in Northern, Central and Southern Italy.

Implementation Period

01/04/2024 - 31/03/2025

Beneficiaries

Direct

20 journalists
10 citizens monitoring
60 civil society organizations
20 communication professionals

Indirect

250 civil society organizations
10 local authorities
local public opinion (around 30k people online and 200 in situ)

Project Strategy

Activities

Network building activities with partners’ networks and other stakeholders
Informative video pills on Cohesion Policy and how to obtain data for civic monitoring (4 videos)
/ Course in data journalism and storytelling techniques on European funds and civic monitoring
Coaching and tutoring of young journalists
Writing of articles and investigations on civic monitoring stories and the launch of a journalistic contests
Photographic contest for monitoring citizens
Development of infographics on monitored projects
Podcast on Cohesion policies and stories of civic monitoring (5 episodes of 15 minutes)
Three territorial workshops to disseminate project outputs (Rome, Milan, Palermo)
Online roundtables on techniques for the communication and storytelling on Cohesion Policy addressed to various stakeholders
Two events on citizen participation on Cohesion Policy and NRRP, and on civic monitoring at the 2024 edition Participation Festival
Policy brief on techniques for the communication and storytelling on Cohesion Policy
Communication and dissemination activities (online and through traditional media)

Outputs

4 video pills on Cohesion Policy and funds, and the Italian NRRP, and on the support mechanism that the EU puts in place to ensure better implementation of projects, as well as the available information sources.
At least 30 success stories selected.
10 infographics and maps produced, exploited for the production of journalistic content and published on a webpage dedicated to the project on the Civic Observatory website.
9 journalistic contents, investigations, articles, to be published in local and/or national media.
1 podcast series (consisting of 5 episodes) broadcasted by ActionAid and partner channels and launched at territorial workshops.
3 local workshops involving 150 participants.
2 roundtables involving 80 participants (journalists, representatives of civil society organizations, public communication professionals, representatives of public administration, citizens monitoring)
1 workshop and 1 public event at the Participation Festival
30 photos, representing implemented projects, which will be collected and disseminated through social media

Outcomes

Short-term results:

Increase and improvement of the information available on the impact of the Cohesion Funds and the NRRP
Greater knowledge of data journalism and storytelling techniques for the involved target group
Increased visibility and media coverage on civic monitoring reports, success stories and involvement of citizens in Cohesion Policy

Medium-term results:

Increased public awareness of the functioning of Cohesion Policy and the impacts of EU funds on their lives
Changes in the communication styles of involved journalists and media professionals
Improved communication of civil society organizations and activists towards their community of reference

Long-term impact:

Increased involvement of citizens in searching for information relating to EU funds, starting from the people who follow the project partners and develop further in peer-to-peer mode
Increase in the perception of proximity by citizens towards institutions, through direct people’s stories to other people
Countering disinformation.
Positive impact on the trust of citizens towards the EU institutions
Positive impact on participation and sense of belonging