Heerlijk Helder(‘Delightfully Clear’)The Flemish campaign for plain languagefor governmental organizations

Contact Dirk Caluwé & Karen Deschamps

taaladvies(at)vlaanderen.be heerlijkhelderetaal.be

where?Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium)

who?• initiative of the Flemish Government• for 54 organizations of the Flemish

Administration (28,000 employees)• in collaboration with Direct Duidelijk

(the Netherlands)

when?

COMMUNICATION = BEHAVIOUR

insights frombehavioural sciences can help to improve

(governmental)communication

• preservation of autonomy and control (increases motivation)

organizations choose their own plain language objectives

• long-term perspective (changing people’s behaviour takes time)

sustainable effect rather than quick results

• wide range of behaviour change interventions in order to overcomethe various obstacles for plain language (e.g. lack of awareness,knowhow, support …)

7E model

DEVELOP CAMPAIGN STRATEGY MAKE TEXTS MORE EFFECTIVE

Nov. 2017campaign

kickoff

Feb. 2018organizational objectives for

2018

Feb. 2019self-evaluation of objectives

Oct. 2019organizational objectives for

2019-2020

How do youget attentionfor your message?

How do youget peopleto take action?

How can you motivate people

to carry out a task?

How do you dealwith resistance?

Belgium

FLANDERS

FRANCE

GERMANY

THENETHERLANDS

Enthuse

Encourage

Exemplify

EnableEngage

Experience

Enlighten

• many texts from public administrations attempt toinfluence behavior (e.g. request to pay a debt, to fill ina form)

• compliance with written requests can be increased byusing plain language and behavioural techniques

• collaboration with Behavioural Insights Team:- checklist of behavioural techniques for letters

and mails- common workshops- tool for pretesting (in preparation)