Internship in inclusive communication research

Job description

As an intern, you will support the senior communications research advisor and the senior inclusive communications advisor in research projects and pilots that focus on hard-to-reach target groups. You will be working for the Public and Communications Service (DPC), part of the Ministry of General Affairs. Among other things, the DPC is responsible for providing digital information on behalf of the national government. One of the means of communication is the website Rijksoverheid.nl (Central Government Information). This website provides information from the government in as understandable and accessible a manner as possible, but the generic style of government communication is too complicated for hard-to-reach target groups. This can and must change. In order not to exclude anyone, steps must be taken towards inclusive communication. After all, everyone should be able to participate equally in society and benefit in the same way from the government's (digital) information provision and services. It is not without reason that this is one of the objectives of the Rutte III cabinet's coalition agreement.

In practice, this is a difficult task. The overall information and services provided by the national government are often primarily aimed at 'everyone in the Netherlands' and 'every Dutch citizen'. But in reality, this represents approximately 80% of Dutch citizens. This is generally also the group that is self-reliant, actively searches for information (online) when necessary, and knows how to navigate the jungle of information. This means that 20% of Dutch citizens find it more difficult to find the right information (online). This is because, for example, they have low literacy skills, do not speak Dutch or have insufficient command of the language, have limited or no digital skills, and/or have a physical or mental disability.

In 2018, an initial exploration was conducted into the state of affairs regarding (online) inclusion, target groups, and improving the information and services provided to these groups within the domain of Government Information. This provided an initial picture of how we deal with inclusion within the (national) government. In contacts with the municipalities of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague, it became clear that there is a great deal of knowledge about inclusive communication, from which the federal government could learn. In addition, it would be interesting to conduct more extensive research among municipal services, such as public health services and health clinics, and to speak with a larger group of interest groups. What knowledge do they have of hard-to-reach target groups? How do they communicate with these groups?

In the coming period, we will be working on various pilot projects based on the conclusions and recommendations from the exploratory study in order to make the provision of information and services by the federal government more inclusive. The starting point is to offer the right information to the right person in the right form via the right sender at the right place at the right time.

Your responsibilities

• You will establish contact with the various organizations mentioned above and attend the meetings.
• You translate good examples into opportunities for the DPC's information and services.
• You seek cooperation with ongoing initiatives in the field of (online) inclusion within the government.
• You make use of previous studies conducted by other government organizations.
• You maintain an up-to-date overview of third-party research on inclusive communication.
• You review studies, translate relevant findings to the DPC, and share them with colleagues.
• Based on the research and your own findings, you advise on effective ways of conducting research among hard-to-reach target groups.

Terms of employment

You will receive an internship allowance of up to €616 per month for a full-time internship of 40 hours per week.