(The power of perceptions)
• In my life experience, I have seen the importance of politics for development and policy outcomes, and in this process, the relevance of perceptions in the decisions we make.
• As a political scientist working in international development and governance issues for nearly 20 years, I have spent part of my career trying to get policy-oriented scholars, professionals, officers, practitioners, and policymakers to think and work politically.
• For that, I have been trying to promote creative ways of doing political analysis and developing strategies for understanding and managing perceptions; perceptions of risks, situations, problems, policies, social norms.
• Managing public perceptions for social, political or policy change requires doing “soft power politics” and if you want to think and work politically you need political smart methods, skills and practical tools.
• For example, if you want to manage the perception of risk during a public health emergency, as Covid-19 pandemic, you need effective strategies for policy communication as part of your global political strategy, especially if you want to change the mindset, the language and the image of some issue or problem to make progress.
• This perspective can play a critical role for many situations and public concerns. Having the skills for changing or managing perceptions, can be a crucial toll for facing multiple challenges that require better decisions and effective policy responses.