Penplusbytes, as part of its mission to promote civic engagement and active participation in the democratic process, has launched a new project, titled, “Optimising Audience Engagement for AU-ECOSOCC”, in partnership with the Charter Project Africa and Code for Africa. This project, which is being co-funded by the European Union, is aimed at improving audience engagement with the African Union Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) – an advisory body of the African Union (AU) that serves as a bridge between African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the AU, enabling them to contribute to AU policies.

Since its establishment in 2004, AU-ECOSOCC has faced significant challenges in effectively engaging its diverse audience, including CSOs and citizens, hindering its ability to effectively disseminate resources and facilitate meaningful participation in policy discussions.

The project team is therefore conducting a comprehensive audience analysis to identify the underlying factors leading to these challenges. Focus will be on assessing audience’s preferences with regard to their preferred communication channels, content, messaging and format, thereby providing valuable insights to inform effective engagement strategies.

According to the project lead at Penplusbytes, Ms. Harriet Ofori, findings from this research will identify gaps in AU-ECOSOCC’s current digital engagement and inform strategies to enhance audience interaction with their communications and resources.

Expected outcomes include increased audience engagement, effective resource dissemination, and enhanced participation in policy discussions, ultimately fostering a more participatory and inclusive democratic process.