Energy communication is not a messaging activity alone; it is a strategic, technical, social, and political process that determines whether energy projects gain acceptance, face resistance, or fail entirely.

This 10-day programme is designed to move participants from:

“explaining energy projects” to “strategically shaping understanding, trust, and participation in the energy transition.”

To develop advanced, practice-ready professionals capable of designing, managing, and executing strategic communication and stakeholder engagement processes across the full lifecycle of energy projects, policies, and infrastructure.

By the end of the 10-day programme, participants will be able to:

1. Analyse the political economy of energy communication in Zambia and the region.
2. Interpret and translate technical energy systems into stakeholder-specific narratives.
3. Design integrated communication and stakeholder engagement strategies for energy projects.
4. Communicate effectively with communities, regulators, investors, utilities, and the media.
5. Apply ethical, inclusive, and participatory communication approaches.
6. Identify and manage communication risks and misinformation.
7. Execute crisis communication responses in contested energy environments.
8. Communicate live energy infrastructure (plants, substations) to non-technical audiences.
9. Build long-term trust and social licence for energy projects and reforms.

DAY 1 – ENERGY TRANSITION & COMMUNICATION CONTEXT

Module 1: Energy Transition, Policy & Public Discourse

Key Content:

• Zambia’s energy transition agenda (ASCENT, PCEI, private sector IPPs)
• Energy poverty, access, affordability, and justice
• Why energy projects succeed or fail socially
• Communication as a policy and project delivery tool
• Case studies of communication failures and successes

Output:
Participants understand the strategic importance of communication in energy decision-making.

DAY 2 – FOUNDATIONS OF ENERGY COMMUNICATION THEORY & PRACTICE

Module 2: Energy Communication as a Distinct Field

Key Content:

• Energy communication vs general corporate communication
• Socio-technical nature of energy systems
• Framing, narratives, and perception management
• Communicating uncertainty, risk, and trade-offs
• Ethics, transparency, and accountability

Exercise:
Audience perception mapping for a national energy project.

DAY 3 – UNDERSTANDING ENERGY AUDIENCES & STAKEHOLDERS

Module 3: Audience Analysis and Stakeholder Mapping

Key Content:

• Stakeholder typologies in energy projects
• Power, influence, and interest analysis
• Policymakers, regulators, utilities, investors
• Traditional leadership and rural communities
• Civil society, activists, and media

Group Work:
Stakeholder mapping for a utility-scale renewable energy project.

DAY 4 – TRANSLATING COMPLEX ENERGY SYSTEMS & DATA

Module 4: Making Energy Understandable Without Oversimplifying

Key Content:

• Overview of energy technologies (generation, transmission, distribution)
• Power plants, substations, grids, tariffs, and losses
• Communicating technical diagrams and data
• Data visualisation and storytelling
• Avoiding misinformation and greenwashing

Practical Lab:
Convert a technical feasibility summary into:

• A community briefing
• A media note
• A social media explainer

DAY 5 – DIGITAL, MEDIA & STORYTELLING FOR ENERGY

Module 5: Platforms, Narratives & Public Engagement

Key Content:

• Storytelling techniques for energy projects
• Media relations and press engagement
• Social media strategies for energy communication
• Video, infographics, and digital explainers
• Managing online discourse and misinformation

Exercise:
Develop a digital communication campaign for an energy initiative.

DAY 6 – SITE VISIT I: POWER PLANT COMMUNICATION PRACTICUM

Module 6: Communicating Power Generation Infrastructure

(Hydro / Solar / Thermal – as applicable)

Activities:

• Guided technical briefing at the power plant
• Identification of key communication touchpoints
• Translating plant operations into public narratives
• Safety, environment, and community interfaces
• Communicating benefits, risks, and constraints

Applied Task:
Participants practice explaining the power plant to:

• A community audience
• A policymaker
• A journalist

DAY 7 – STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT & COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION

Module 7: Participatory Communication & Social Licence

Key Content:

• Community engagement principles
• Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
• Gender and inclusion in energy communication
• Grievance mechanisms and feedback loops
• Managing expectations and benefit sharing

Group Work:
Design a Community Engagement and Communication Plan.

DAY 8 – SITE VISIT II: SUBSTATIONS & GRID COMMUNICATION

Module 8: Communicating Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure

Activities:

• Visit to a substation / grid facility
• Understanding grid constraints and reliability issues
• Communicating outages, upgrades, and safety
• Land, wayleave, and resettlement communication challenges

Applied Task:
Develop a public communication brief on a grid expansion project.

DAY 9 – CRISIS COMMUNICATION & REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

Module 9: Managing Conflict, Misinformation & Crisis

Key Content:

• Communication risks in energy projects
• Typical crisis scenarios (land, tariffs, environment)
• Crisis preparedness and response frameworks
• Media handling and spokesperson roles
• Managing activist and political pressure

Simulation:
Live crisis scenario involving community resistance and media backlash.

DAY 10 – INTEGRATION, ASSESSMENT & PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Module 10: Capstone Integration & Assessment

Activities:

• Group presentations: Integrated Energy Communication Strategy
• Peer review and expert feedback
• Individual reflective assessments
• Professional ethics and future practice

Outcome:
Participants demonstrate end-to-end competence in strategic energy communication.

5. ASSESSMENT METHODS

• Continuous participation and practical exercises
• Group communication strategy (capstone)
• Site-visit applied tasks
• Individual reflective assessment

This programme is designed for professionals involved in energy transition initiatives, including:

• Corporate communication and public affairs professionals
• Government and NGO officers involved in energy policy and programmes
• Energy project managers and developers
• Media and public relations practitioners in the energy and environmental sectors
• Consultants and ESG advisors
• CSR and sustainability specialists