Imagining ways to overcome institutional challenges to communication in development: insights from projects in India
Bhupesh Joshi · Development in Practice · 2025
The purpose of this paper is to discuss institutional challenges to communication practice in development and imagine new ways to address those challenges. In recognising that communication for development and public relations theories can inform communication practices of development institutions, this paper considers scholarly debates in these two disciplines to understand the challenges to communication in development. Subsequently, it discusses how focusing on development projects of development institutions might enable practitioners and researchers to enhance development work through communication. Based on a careful examination of relevant concepts in communication for development and public relations and practical insights derived from the qualitative interviews with development and communication professionals in India, a framework is offered to enhance communication practices around development projects in institutional settings. The benefits of this proposed framework in achieving the five functions of stakeholder engagement, community engagement, agency-building, advocacy communication, and promotion in projects are also discussed here.