As the summer project comes closer for our current MPP students, past summer projects continue to demonstrate their impact to the wider public. Renata Goldirova, alumna (class of 2013), spent last summer working with WPP’s Government and Public Sector Practice researching voting patterns.
The fruit of her work is a report that was launched yesterday in London. “International best practice in voter turnout campaigns” aims at sharing strategies to increase democratic participation through effective communication.
Government representatives, third sector organisations and communications agencies discussed the findings with experts Alex Robertson of the Electoral Commission and Helen Cleary of consulting firm Penn Schoen Berland. The idea behind the report is simple – in a healthy democracy, political participation is essential. And yet, many people are unengaged – for example, Robertson said, 7.5 million voters are not registered in the UK. To create a successful campaign it’s important to understand the local context and define target audiences.
The discussion touched also on the advantages and difficulties of using social media to increase voter turnout and lessons learned from the Scottish independence referendum.
Laura Citron, Managing Director of WPP Government & Public Sector Practice, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Blavatnik School of Government to host future leaders like Renata for their summer projects. The findings of this report demonstrate the power of applied behavioural science and communication to drive positive change and support democracy.”
It’s great to see the outcomes of a summer project ‘in action’. This is one of many examples where we see the benefits that this part of the MPP brings not only to the students themselves, but also to the host organisations, and the wider public. Anne Currie, who has a role as adviser in public policy careers at the School, confirms: “The summer project is a vital part of the MPP programme where students apply their skills to a real-life policy environment. We are really excited to see our students having an impact and adding to the debate on topical issues as a result of their placement.”
Renata is now working with the Slovakian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and is heavily involved with preparation for her country’s EU Presidency semester in 2016.
The report can be downloaded for free on WPP Government and Public Sector Practice's website.
Read some past students' experiences of summer projects
Find out more about WPP Government and Public Sector Practice
