USAID Energy Investment Activity Project (EIA) Work Plan Attachment E: Public Outreach and Communication Strategy

(AEAI), in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The strategy aims to raise public awareness and promote energy investment opportunities in BiH, with a focus on stimulating interest among energy sector investors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and electricity consumers. The strategy is based on the principles of analyzing each stakeholder/target group in light of their prospective role in the energy sector, the overall political climate, and the impact of energy sector reform on them. Targeted messages will be developed and disseminated through the most cost-efficient and influential communication channels. The EIA approach to public outreach and communication involves developing core messages that will be communicated to different target groups, including citizens, the political environment, the business sector, and others. Clarity and repetition of core messages are key to successful public outreach and communication. Interpersonal channels of communication, such as face-to-face interactions, discussions, trainings, round-tables, workshops, conferences, and one-on-one coaching, will be used to engage with stakeholders. Standard media channels, including radio, television, newspapers, and magazines, will also be utilized, with a focus on objective media follow-up on project press-conferences, press-releases, and PR activities. News agencies will be used to disseminate information to wider news channels, and the EIA project website will serve as the main communication tool for dissemination of information to stakeholders and for educative purposes to the wider public. Other channels, such as brochures, leaflets, newsletters, explanatory papers on energy sector issues, media kits, conference kits, presentation folders, letterhead, business cards, and the like, will also be used to promote the project's objectives. The EIA website will be a key public outreach and communication channel, and its design and functionality will be contingent on USAID approval. The website will be visually functional, user-friendly, and easy to navigate, with a consistent design and page structure. It will also be easy for downloading, modular, and simple to maintain, with the possibility of activating intranet applications if needed. The EIA Public Outreach and Communication Strategy is divided into two parts: the first part describes the basic approach, and the second part outlines the approach to each project component individually, specifying the target groups and outlining the public outreach and communication action plan. The strategy is project performance-based and may shift based on the pace and approach of the project implementation, taking into consideration the evolving political climate in BiH. The EIA project has four components: Address Impediments to Investment in the Energy Sector, Address Retail Market Deficiencies in BiH, Achieve Energy Savings in BiH using Regulatory Incentives, and Advance EU Accession Requirements. The public outreach and communication strategy will focus on promoting these components and engaging with stakeholders to achieve the project's objectives.