research, communication and knowledge management

Research, Communication and Knowledge Management Top tips from CDKN and ODI

“Research is like salt; it’s no good if you leave it on the shelf” (Sam

Bickersteth, CDKN)

What does effective research uptake

look like?

Climate and Development Knowledge Network | www.cdkn.org 3

Top Tips:

1. Get to know your context

5. Target your communications

6. Use others to amplify your message

7. Go to where the action is

8. Identify windows of opportunity

2. Narrow down your audience

3. Really get to know them

4. Distil your message


No. 9 Be strategic, but be prepared to adapt

Monitoring and Evaluation

Agenda Setting

Decision Making

Policy Implementation

Policy Formulation

Civil Society

Donors Cabinet

Parliament

Ministries

Private Sector

Policy processes are complex...

And you’re just one amongst all these players

A common mistake

• Being vague

• Trying to reach everyone

and as a result

• Failing to reach anyone

Useful tools

• Theory of change – expected pathways of influence

• RAPID framework

External Influences Socio-economic and cultural influences, donor policies etc

The links between policy

and research communities – networks, relationships, power, competing discourses, trust, knowledge etc.

The evidence – credibility, the

degree it challenges received wisdom, research approaches and methodology, simplicity of the message, how it is packaged etc

The political context – political and

economic structures and processes, culture, institutional pressures, incremental vs radical change etc.

Useful strategy tools

No.4

Distil your message,

then

distil it

again

Draw up a targeting matrix

Audience Journal Article

Policy Brief

Video Media article

Face-to-face

Training module

Social media

Etc.

The Minister

Minister’s advisors

Donor agency

Field staff

Academic peers

etc.

You can’t do all of these well. Which ones do you want to concentrate on?

Working with knowledge brokers

Journalists

• International

• National

• Local

• Community

Networks

• Topic related

• Professional

• Communities of interest

Other websites

• Blogging sites

• Portals

• Climate Knowledge Brokers Group

Grabbing those chances

good timing +

good antennae +

good networks +

opportunism +

a clear message +

a bit of luck

A much better chance you’ll have some

impact

=

KM approaches


KM Tool Box:

Policy briefs (examples and recommendations available)

Summary papers/brochures/newsletters

Blogs and social media (examples and recommendations available)

Media engagement

Short and longer films

Tools/users guides.

Off line approaches e.g. ‘games’ based approaches

Tailored events; public events, round tables, conference sessions, one to one

meetings.

Tailored engaged strategies

Networks to share results e.g. Climate Knowledge Brokers partners, Low

Emissions Development (LEDS) Global Partnership, academic networks

N.B. Method often changes based on your intended audience/s and expected results. (for

further materials, please visit: http://cdkn.org/resources )

http://cdkn.org/resources


Emerging in a changing climate

Rwanda: new Green

Growth and Climate

Resilience Strategy

A better future

Shubh Kal: from

information to knowledge

and action

Documentary films to communicate research and content


Tool to communicate research and content

Caribbean Climate

Online Risk and

Adaptation TooL -

CCORAL


Influential piece of research

Climate change: addressing heat-health vulnerability in rapidly urbanising regions of Western India

Blogs

Heat Action Plan

Posters


Influential piece of research

Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative

Research, reports and case studies films

Timing!


Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance (ACCRA)

Offline promotion of research and content

Policy-makers’ trips to the field

“the field visit that opened my eyes”


Group discussion: Questions

1. Research partners: Reflections on your current communications

related deliverables? Have these been updated over the lifetime of the

project?

2. Government partners: what are your preferred methods for getting

key messages and insights from research?

3. What could change/stay the same on the projects and

approaches?

This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing

countries. However, the views expressed and information contained in it are not necessarily those of or endorsed by DFID, which can accept no

responsibility for such views or information or for any reliance placed on them. This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters

of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining

specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information

contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, the Climate and Development Knowledge Network’s members, the UK

Department for International Development (‘DFID’), their advisors and the authors and distributors of this publication do not accept or assume any

liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information

contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.

Copyright © 2013, Climate and Development Knowledge Network. All rights reserved.

www.cdkn.org

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