3ie Grantees Communication for

Policy Influence ClinicNegombo 16th – 18th July 2012

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How to communicate impact evaluations…

A short clip to watch

http://blip.tv/ictkm-program/how-science-can-not-only-predict-but-also-mitigate-the-effects-of-natural-disasters-4114862

How science can not only predict but also mitigate the effects of natural disasters

ILRI Peter Ballantyne

ILRI Peter Ballantyne 2011

Communication channels

Publications Media

Events Digital

Brainstorm: Communications channels

• Make a list of different formats and outputs you could use for communication of research within your assigned channel (publications, media, events, online)

• For each format or output, try to identify:– Which audience it best serves?– When it may be best to use it within a research

process?– Any costs or resourcing?

10 mins in your groups

Policy briefs:

A research communication tool

Evaluating policy briefs

Exercise 1

Evaluating policy briefs

• Each group has a Policy Brief. DON’T LOOK YET!

• When we say ‘GO’, you will have THREE MINUTES to read through the policy brief (you may want to take notes)

• And then hide the Policy Brief again…

It’s like being a policy-maker…

• In your groups, note down the answers to the following questions - you have 5 minutes and no peeping at the briefs!:1. What issue is the policy brief aiming to change,

validate or inform?2. Who do you think is the audience for this brief?3. What recommendations are made?4. Is there any specific piece of evidence that sticks

out in your mind?• Each group will have two minutes to present your

answers

What does a good policy brief look like?

• Clear headline (IDS)• Good summary of the context (IDS)• Key points (CDKN)• Good use of simple graphics (CGD) – but be

careful…• Too much space? (CDKN)• The methodology is not that important (CERGE)• It’s got to have a point! (AAAS)

Experience sharing

So what is a policy brief?

What is a policy brief?

A concise, standalone document that focuses on a particular issue requiring policy attention:• Explains and conveys the urgency of an issue• Presents policy recommendations or implications• Gives evidence to support these

recommendations• Points the reader to additional resources

What is a policy brief?

• Policy Briefs are the most popular form of publication in think tanks. Why? Because they can help bring together the research and policy communities

Source: CIPPEC and GDN’s Comparative study of policy research institutes in developing countries

Different types of policy brief

– Policy Briefs as a memo

– Policy Briefs as a publication – print and/or online

– Policy Briefs as a marketing tool / hand out

– Policy Briefs as a targeted research summary

– Policy brief as part of a presentation

Types of policy briefs

The PB as memo The PB as publication

• Often internally focused• Demand-driven• Narrow audience• A general overview of the subject showing multiple opinions or view points• Might give multiple, and even competing, solutions

• Externally focused

• Supply-driven• Often broad audience• Targeted research summary that supports a main argument

• Gives strong, clear and coordinated policy recommendations or implications• Often used as a marketing tool

Types of policy briefs

The type of policy brief depends on:

• the objectives and messages of the research • the specific context within which your research takes place • the audience identified• the author(s)•other communications activities that are being planned alongside your policy brief

Planning your policy brief

20

Considering the objective(s)

Analyse an issue / put an issue on the public agenda

Make recommendations on an issue / advocacy

Describes a problem or situation, analyses causes and points out options to improve the situation.

Gives a clear opinion on a specific relevant topic in a particular moment and proposes a certain action

Presents alternatives to solution without suggesting the best one; offering costs and benefits from each alternative.

Offers a range of options and then proposes a specific solution using an evidence-based argument

Is oriented to a general audience (technical concepts explained)

Is oriented to an expert audience

Context-driven

Monitoring and Evaluation

Agenda Setting Decision

Making

Policy Implementation

Policy Formulation

Civil Society

DonorsCabinet

Parliament

Ministries

Private Sector

The shoes of your audience

• Who is your brief aimed at?• Does the audience know you? • How much does your target

audience know about the issue? • How do they perceive the issue?• What questions do they need answers

to?• How open are they to your

message(s)?

Audience-driven

Common audiences

Non-academic / non-specialistDecision-makers who may have varying degrees of expertise on a given issueIn certain cases may target practitionersNot usually general public

Policy-makers views:• Do present evidence-

informed opinions• Don’t shy away from

opinion and value judgements

• But signpost which content is subjective and which is objective

Audience-driven

• Contextualise your evidence within existing research

• Consider institutional factors

• What are our areas of credibility?– The writers– The organisation

Considering the authors

Types of author(s)

ResearchersPolicy-oriented research institutesThink tanksCivil society organisationsAdvocacy organisationsInternational NGOsMultilateral organisationsGovernment bodiesNetworks/ coalitions of any of the above

Policy briefs as one part of your communications strategy

• Timing is important

• Where does your policy brief sit alongside other activities in your strategy?

Source: Jones and Walsh (2008), Policy briefs as a communication tool for development research.

What does an effective policy brief look like?

• Potential sections of a policy brief:– Title– Executive Summary – Introduction (10-15%)– Background and methodology (10-15%)– Results or policy options (30%)– Implications or recommendations (30%)– References and useful resources (10%)

REMEMBER: Policy briefs are two, four or a maximum of eight pages in length (approx. 1,200, 2,500 or 4,000 words)

Structure and content

• Format & design can:– Engage people– Highlight crucial information– Separate content and signpost

your narrative– Convey authority– Show information in different

ways

Structure and the role of design

Some design ideas…

• Photographs• Graphs and

charts• Text boxes• Pull quotes• Side bars

Outlining policy briefs:

where to start

42

Brainstorming for policy briefs

1 •Identify the purpose and overarching message of the policy brief

2 •Determine three key policy recommendations/ implications

3 •Construct a logical line of argument for making these recommendations

4 •Based on an understanding of the context around the issue, identify one or two entry points for the message

An example to use in the online

toolkit…

44

Example: objective

The objective for this policy brief is to encourage national governments around the world to embed impact evaluations in government decision-making processes by setting up independent evaluation departments.

Example: Recommendations

• All government programmes should be evaluated using rigorous impact evaluations.

• Governments should institute capacity development programmes for bureaucrats to help them design evaluable programmes.

• These processes could be supported through the establishment of an independent evaluation department in each country.

Example: Line of argument

Governments should institute capacity development programmes for bureaucrats to help them design evaluable programmes.

-Many policy makers do not understand what an impact evaluation actually is-This means they have limited understanding of the benefits and constraints of IEs-Many programmes and policies are currently not evaluable

In South Africa, the gov’t announced a policy on subsidies for companies who employ young workers, but they don’t know if this is an effective way to reduce youth unemployment.

With the global financial crisis, many gov’t budgets have been cut and many programmes are losing funding. It is therefore important to make sure funding for programmes that work is not cut.

In the UK, there were budget cuts amounting to x% of the annual budget.

Example: Hooks (entry points)

• An ‘age of austerity’ is sweeping through governments as the medium term impacts of the global financial crisis start to be felt.

• Budgets are being cut, but usually on an ideological basis rather than because a programme is ineffective.

The views presented here are those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views of ODI, or our partners.

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www.odi.org.uk

c.cassidy@odi.org.uk

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