Planejamento estratégico de comunicação para difusão de pautas socioambientais relacionadas à Área de Proteção Ambiental de Itupararanga

Abstract

This study examined the communication structure, processes, and relationships within the Itupararanga Environmental Protection Area (APA) with the objective of producing a communication diagnosis to support the development of an integrated strategic communication plan for this Conservation Unit. In the first phase, the APA’s communication structure, processes, and relationships were analyzed through documentary and content analysis based on Bardin’s methodology. During this stage, documents such as legislation, internal regulations, and the management plan were reviewed to identify communication guidelines relevant to the APA. For the content analysis, interviews were conducted with representatives of the Conservation Unit’s Advisory Council, following the model established by Kunsch. This approach made it possible to understand how the communication guidelines were operationalized in practice. The interviews also enabled an examination of the level of interaction among the Council’s various stakeholder groups, drawing on Dreyer’s methodology, an essential step in constructing the communication diagnosis. The analysis revealed that, overall, the communication guidelines established in official documents are not implemented, primarily due to insufficient resources, limited organizational structure, and a lack of personnel. Conversely, it identified a subset of entities within the Advisory Council that already engage, to some degree, in communication or educommunication activities and could potentially contribute additional resources to strengthen communication regarding the APA. Based on the diagnosis, a Strategic Communication Plan for the Dissemination of Socio-environmental Agendas related to the Itupararanga APA was developed, following public relations communication methodologies proposed by Kunsch and Dreyer. The core strategy of the plan is to leverage the communication resources, structures, and capabilities of the entities represented on the Advisory Council to establish an integrated communication system coordinated by an organizational communication office dedicated to the APA. Using the interaction levels defined by Dreyer’s model, the plan was structured for phased implementation: the first phase focuses on information and communication, while the second seeks to encourage participation and engagement through educommunication initiatives. Finally, mechanisms for evaluating, monitoring, and controlling the plan were developed based on communication metrics proposed by Guissoni and Neves, ensuring the effectiveness of its implementation.