Communication & Research in an age of Style1

Exploring how KM and Communication can support your RIU

project get more interest from donors and partners

1 hat tip to Hastings Chikoko

What are the triggers?The tipping point for creating a revolution is

10%!

Scientists...

Ignorant Target groups...

...possess all expert knowledge

and scientific wisdom

... will gladly change their attitudes and

behaviour accordingly

Difference between conventional research communication & Communication for R4D

Area Conventional Research Comms Communication for R4d

Objectives Contribute to bodies of knowledge Inform and provide information

Change perceptions and behavior, contribute to development processes

Targets Researchers, scientists, academics

Multiple actors (farmers, planner, policy makers, private sector, NGOs, etc)

Methodology One way, mechanisticPassive

Two way, iterative process – multiple actors involved, participatory

Strategies Publish in journals Attend scientific meetings Message focused Hand over information tomedia/Public Information

Facilitation, interaction and engagementUse multiple channels, products – what works for the audience we are trying to focus onFocused on use rather than production

When At end of research process Continuous process where communication is seen as a process for deriving shared meaning

Why communication is important

• Research and development institutions are being challenged to demonstrate a poverty orientation (pro-poor), show impact and ensure results are cost-effective.

• Research generation is not more important than research utilization: both are equally important.

• Knowledge management and communicationmake the big difference.

7Dr. Peter Ashton, CSIR

We are here

Networks & Partnerships: like a value chain

ResearchNext users

End users

Leverage networks and partnerships

Maximize opportunities within these networks to establish relationships

Looks at impact pathways, who we want to influence, what we want to change

Elements to CPWF KM

M&E

Process and Outcomes

Information Management

Data collection

Information bits

Communication

(supporting changes identified in impact

pathways)

Approach to KM

Power: information

= power

Partnerships

Processes Packaging

What we have to offer you• Information management and knowledge sharing systems:

– Yammer & e-letter

– Youtube/slideshare/etc

– Document Repository: CG-Space linking all your documents to the CG repository

Resources and support for external communications

• Support from the Basin communicators

• Media/Journalist work

• Linkages to global events, i.e. COP17, WWW, WWF

• Visual identity guidelines

• Planning on Com dev or policy communication processes

I can’t reach it

still. I need

something

longer

Vehicles to publish your materials

• Working papers• Field stories• Briefing notes• Blogs• CPWF E-letter

What we would expect from you

• Each project should try to set aside 10% of budget for communication (materials, partner workshops, etc)

• Contribute to the information management systems:– Flickr, Youtube, slideshare, Cgspace

• Contribute to the our different communication vehicles– Contributions to e-letter

– Contribution to different CPWF series: working papers, briefing notes, outcome and field stories series

Linking communication plans to OLMs and Milestone plans

Theories of change

•What we want to change

Impact pathways

•How we will go about the change

Communication plans linked to

milestones

•How to support research to achieve impact

Research strategies

• Whatresearch we will carry out

Discussion

• What are your own communication needs? What support would you like?

• How should RIU engage with BDCs and/or global level – what communication linkages should be in place

• How can we use communication to enhance linkages to partners/donors to continue the RIU work or become part of it?