Communication planning is an evidence-based undertaking. Analysis, being the first stage of the P Process, invites communication for development (comdev) practitioners to collect pertinent data, which would guide the planning process. This entails identifying social issues and communication gaps (problem analysis), profiling and prioritizing the participants of a communication program (stakeholder analysis), assessing the lead organization's capabilities and mapping related programs and policies (program and policy analysis), and surveying information and communication resources and potential strategic partners (situation analysis). It is in this foundational stage of the P-process that comdev practitioners and key stakeholders lay the groundwork for the tasks ahead.

Problem analysis

• Problem analysis marks the first step toward identifying the people or groups in the target community who should be involved and addressed by the communication strategy.

• The general steps in problem analysis include:

• Focusing on a development issue

• Describe the existing versus the ideal situation

• Determining communication entry points based on the gaps identified

It would serve communication for development planners well to facilitate a problem tree analysis among key stakeholders. According to Anyaegbunam, Mefalopulos, and Moetsabi (2004), a problem tree is a visual analysis tool that allows stakeholders to trace the causes and identify the effects of critical issues.

• The roots of the tree represent the causes of the main problem.

• The trunk may be seen as the main problem.

Ultimately, problem analysis must answer the following question: what gaps exist between the current and desired situation? For instance, gaps may lie in the following:

Knowledge skills attitudes Practices Resources Policies

However, not all gaps identified are, in fact, communication problems. But exactly what is a communication problem? Windahl, signitzer and olson (1992) describe communication problems as those that arise from a lack of or the wrong type of communication or those that may be solved with the help of communication.

Communication gaps may relate to the following:

1. Level of openness to change

2. Leve of knowledge or awareness

3. Level of access or exposure to information

4. Level of access to communication channel

5. Level of interest or acceptance/adoption

6. Lack of determination to adopt a product, service, skill, or desired behavior

7. Level of participation or mobilization

8. Direction of public perception (on image, identity, and position) (Asian institute of journalism and communication, 2012)

Stakeholder analysis - consists of three general steps:

1. Identify your stakeholders

2. Prioritizing them

3. Describing them

You can describe your stakeholder by:

1. Socio-demographic characteristics

2. Knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices

3. Information-seeking behavior

Identify your stakeholders. According to Acunzo et. al. (2014), stakeholder categories may include:

1. Intended stakeholders - actual or potentioal project beneficiaries.

2. Intermediaries - organizations or individuals who provide information or services.

3. Peers - partner organizations

4. Donors - organizations that provide funding.

5. Policymakers - people and organizations that make decisions that affect the clients or the project. 6.The public-other people not directly concerned with the project, but who may be interested.

Prioritize them. Doing so focuses communication efforts accordingly (food and agriculture organization of the united nations, 2011)

1. Top priority - "must communicate"

2. Second priority - "advisable to communicate"

3. Third priority - "nice to communicate"

4. Bottom priority - "not necesary to communicate"

Describe them. Socio demographic characteristics: 1. Number 2. Location 3. Education 4. Language 5. Background 6. Organization 7. Livelihood and employment

Knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices - What do they already know about the subject? - To what extent are they able to perform the key recommended behaviors? - What are their opinions on the solutions you are proposing? - What are they currently doing about it?

Information seeking behavior - From where do they currently get information about the subject? - What media do they use? - What information do they need?