Technical Assistance to Support the Delegation of the European Union to Malawi on Strategic Communication

Project Description

The project aims to enhance the visibility, understanding and positive perception of the European Union (EU) and its partnership with Malawi through a strategic communication and public diplomacy campaign. The project builds on the EU Delegation’s “Growing Malawi Together” campaign, which seeks to position the EU as a strong, reliable and strategic partner contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic growth, job creation and development in Malawi.

Overall Objective

The overall objective of the project is to increase the positive perception of the European Union in Malawi by positioning the EU as a trusted and reliable partner. This will be achieved by raising awareness and improving understanding of EU actions, its partnership offer to Malawi, and the rationale behind its engagement within the framework of the EU Global Gateway strategy and the Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) for Malawi.

Specific Objective

The specific objective of the project is to measurably increase awareness among the Malawian population of the EU Partnership, Global Gateway priorities and their positive impact on people’s lives and national development.

Expected Outputs

The project is expected to achieve the following outputs:

• Development of a long-term campaign plan: A comprehensive communication campaign strategy will be developed to raise awareness, strengthen understanding and improve perceptions of the EU’s role and partnership with Malawi.
• Implementation of a strategic communication campaign: A long-term campaign strategy will be implemented for the EU Delegation to Malawi, using tailored messages and communication approaches adapted to different target audiences.
• Monitoring and evaluation of campaign performance: Regular monitoring, analysis and reporting will be carried out to measure progress and impact against defined indicators. The results will support adjustments to the communication strategy and dissemination approach where necessary.

Target Groups

The primary target audience consists of young adults aged 18–35 years, particularly those with at least secondary education who are not directly involved in policy, advocacy or international relations. Secondary audiences include decision-makers, opinion leaders, activists, multipliers and networks working in areas linked to Global Gateway priorities.

Scope and Implementation Approach

The project will support a campaign-based strategic communication approach aimed at explaining the EU–Malawi partnership, highlighting how EU-supported initiatives contribute to development outcomes, and encouraging engagement by ensuring that local voices and perspectives are represented. Communication approaches and materials will be adapted to local contexts and target audiences, with emphasis on relevant media channels including radio, social media and digital platforms.

The project will be implemented in the Republic of Malawi over a planned period of 20 months, starting from September 2026. The expected deliverables include the development of a campaign strategy, implementation of a large-scale multi-channel campaign, establishment of a KPI monitoring framework, development of campaign waves, production of human-interest stories highlighting EU-supported impacts, and collaboration with local influencers and goodwill ambassadors.