James Georgalakis

Head of Communications

IDS

Building a communications strategy and the use of social media

Session objectives

Basic introduction to research communication skills

Understand key steps to building a communication

strategy

Learn how to deliver your messages

Understand the use of blogs and social media

Why does research communication matter?

Factors affecting research uptake

Research uptake and changes in

people’s lives

Effective research communication

Southern research capacity

Political context and power relationships

Gaps between researchers and research users

Character and credibility of evidence

What is research communications?

Research communication is defined as the ability to interpret or translate complex research findings into language, format and context that non experts can understand.

It is not just about dissemination of research results and is unlike marketing that simply promotes a product. Research communications must address the needs of those who will use the research or benefit from it.

Communication not as Dissemination…

but as engagement

Research Communications – a Network of Participants and Beneficiaries

Researchers JournalistsDonorsNGOs and practitionersCivil society organisationsPolicy makersGovernmentsIndividual beneficiaries

All have different communication needs!

Effective research communications

Distillation of research findings

Use of plain language

Making information accessible

Tailored communications for different audiences

Identification of the needs of the target groups

Consider technical barriers, language and cultural factors etc

Three ingredients of effective communication

Effective communication

Channel

Message

Audience

Main delivery channels

Publications Online

Media Events

‘Communication’ throughout research project Informing:

Research agendaMethodological choices

Comms strategy

Five key questions that your communications strategy should answer:

1. Objectives: What are the desirable outcomes from our comms activity

2. Audiences: Who do we want to influence and inform and what do we

know about them?

3. Communications pathways: Who is best placed to communicate with

each of our audiences and what are the best ways to reach them?

4. Timescales: When will be the best times to communicate?

5. Resources: What do we need - what might we have?

1. Communication objectives

What will success look like for the project?

What do you want individuals/institutions to do as a result of your communications with them: Act differently; Think differently; Design or implement policies differently?

How realistic are your objectives – what are the main barriers to your success?

2. Audiences

Who are you trying to reach?

Why should they listen to you or care?

Will they agree with you? Are they potential partners or opponents?

What role might they play in the reearch’s design, delivery or uptake?

3. Communications Pathways

Who is best placed to communicate with each of your target audiences? Who has the skills, knowledge, contacts, legitimacy, networks?

How do your audiences access information and what/who influences them?

What kind of communication outputs/activities will be most effective in reaching your audiences? Blog, policy brief, workshop, report, media, journal?

4. Timescale

When will be the best time to influence policy or practice?

What are the planned events and processes where you could present your research?

Particular opportunities to collaborate with others?

Are you tracking policy environment to support planning?

5. Resources

Have you already mapped out the activities you plan to undertake?

What are the major resource implications – time, materials, skills?

Will resource limitations or capability issues mean making any hard choices – how will you prioritise between desirable communications activities?

Choosing your communications outputs and pathways

When Outputs and pathways

Resources Audience(s) Expected outcomes

Launch of project

•Press release to national media and networks

•Launch Website

Project comms officer Policy makers, Civil society orgs

Researchers, funders

Awareness of project and interest in collaboration

Year 1 •Launch Blog•Project e-newsletter

•Working Papers online

Researchers time and support from comms officer

All

Academics

Inform policy debate

Grow credibility of project

Year 2 •Workshops•Policy briefings

•Working papers

$$$ Policy makers, civil society orgs

academics

Research design and uptake

Year 3 High level roundtablePolicy briefingsFinal reportPress conferenceJournal articles

$$$Comms officer

Researcher’s time

Policy makersNGOs, funders, decision makersPractitionersacademics

Policy/practice changes

Influence research agendas

Developing your messages

How to make messages stick

– Simple– Unexpected– Concrete– Credible– Emotional– Stories

Chip and Dan Heath (2006) Made to Stick

Framing your message

You need to knowWhy should they listen?Why should they take action?What actions do you want them to take?

Then tailor your core message? What you say – theories and argumentsHow you say it – language, style and formatWho says it – appropriate messengersWhen, where and how you deliver

The analysis The recommendations

What is the key issue?

What is the key learning?

How does it affect people?

How will it benefit people?

What is the evidence?

What is the evidence for the solution?

An example or killer fact?

Who/What needs to change?

Elevator pitch

Statement

Evidence

Example

Call to action

Social media

Social networking

Applications which enable users to connect by creating personal profiles and inviting ‘friends’

Friends can access each others profiles and other information and interact through message exchanges

How the internet has changed

Internet access in Africa

Cheap

Convenient

Work

Mobile

CyberCafé

Fixed Internet

Expensive

Inconvenient

College

What’s in it for researchers?

Quick and easy way to publish

Raises researcher profiles more rapidly

Ability to reach a larger audience

Blogging

Short, crisp writing with a point to make from a provocative angle. 

A blog should invite thought, response, and dialogue.

Questions, even rhetorical ones, are a good idea; they invite dialogue and comment.

Links to other blogs, articles, (3 or 4 minimum) etc. are good

Use quotes from other good articles and give credit. Especially reference & link to important bloggers, journalists

A picture or a video embedded in the blog is great.  For a picture, there must be copyright permission.

Source: Planet Under Pressure email to bloggers

Twitter

A micro-blogging site launched in 2006

500 million active users worldwide

What haven’t we covered!

Tips for managing media interviews

Writing policy briefs

The theories behind research uptake

M+E