Communications to achieve results - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 56
About This Presentation
Title:

Communications to achieve results

Description:

Title: Towards greater clarity.. Author: John Young Last modified by: R4D16 Created Date: 5/16/2002 8:03:57 AM Document presentation format: On-screen Show (4:3) – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:134
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 57
Provided by: JohnY68
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Communications to achieve results


1
Communications to achieve results
  • 26th March 2010, DC
  • Enrique Mendizabal, ODI
  • e.mendizabal_at_odi.org.uk

2
Complex decisions
  • What kind of influencing?
  • What do we aspire to?
  • Inspire
  • Inform or advice
  • Influence
  • Coerce
  • Value for Money

3
  • 10

4
Outline
  • What are our functions/roles?
  • How do we influence?
  • How should we communicate?

5
Who are we?
  • 2 communities or 1 community?
  • Where do we fit in relation to others?
  • What are our functions/roles?

6
The gap between research and policy
Research
Policy
7
No gap between research and policy
Crowded
Technocratic networks
Universities
Research
Political parties
Ideological think tanks
NGOs
Internal think tanks
Regulatory bodies
Think tanks
UN Think tanks
Lobbies
Policy
Public think tanks
Executive
corporations
Map
8
Values/ ideologies
Faith leaders
Ideological think tanks
Faith based think tanks
Media (g)
Media (t)
Political parties
NGOs
Internal think tanks
Research
Regulatory bodies
Think tanks
Legislature
Executive
Technocratic networks
Universities
Politics
UN/ifi think tanks
Public think tanks
Lobbies
corporations
Economic interests
9
How do we work?
Message based on Mode of work Ideology, values or interests Applied, empirical or synthesis research Theoretical or academic research
Independent research
Consultancy
Influence/advocacy

Oxbridge
The Media
Applied research centres in universities
Internal think tanks, ideological centers,
interest groups, NGOs, lobbies
Independent Think tanks
Consultancies
Chief scientific advisors, Academic/Opinion
leaders
Political parties
10
What functions do we play?
  • We promote the adoption and implementation of
    policies based on research.. But also
  • Create and promote spaces for debate sounding
    boards for policymakers
  • Develop the capacity and train future generations
    of policymakers
  • Legitimise and support narratives and policies
  • Channel funds into political parties and other
    partisan groups

11
How do we influence?
Type of influencing Where? Through what channels? How? By what means?
Evidence and advice National and international policy discourses/debates Formal and informal meetings Research and analysis, good practice Evidence-based argument Providing advisory support Developing and piloting new policy approaches
Public campaigns and advocacy Public and political debates in developing countries Public meetings, speeches, presentations Television, newspapers, radio and other media Public communications and campaigns Public education Messaging Advocacy
Lobbying and negotiation approaches Formal meetings Semi-formal and informal channels Membership and participation in boards and committees Face-to-face meetings and discussions Relationships and trust Direct incentives and diplomacy
12
To achieve what?
13
However we made a choice
  • RESEARCH based influence

14
Why does this matter?
  • And
  • Potential trade-off between visibility and
    substantive influence

15
Visibility and/or substance?
Visibility Substance
Short term relevant research Long term research
Focus on solutions for agreed problems Engage with the definition of the problem
Media exposure Lobby, network, horse trading
Briefing papers, Opinion pieces Estimates, costed proposals, policy options
Website, Blogs, Facebook, etc. Academic publications, long reports
Online communities with millions of hits Communities with the right people
Delegations at high level global conferences Private meetings at Party conferences and private meetings while planning for the high level conferences
Event focused influence Problem focused influence
Global Go-To-Survey Prospect magazine Think Tank of the year
16
What actually matters?
  • According to Andrew Rich, substantive influence
  • Length of the process
  • Where decisions are made
  • Interest groups
  • Involved in the problem definition
  • Marketing strategies only matter in terms of
    positioning your experts in the right policy
    spaces

17
Visibility for what?
  • Visibility can be a good thing
  • It can lead to more funds
  • It can lead to influence
  • But the visibility effort can undermine the
    capacity to bring about substantive influence

18
A tragedy in the making?
More money for think tanks from value for money
donors or ideological groups
More think tanks
More competition
More commentary, less estimates/ options/
proposals
More Marketing oriented
In Developing countries
More visibility
Less substantive impact
Adapted from Andrew Rich (2006)
19
Some challenges
  • Funding and deliverables can make demands on your
    strategy
  • Visibility can detract from substantive influence
    and even reduce credibility
  • Developing communication competencies could
    undermine research competencies (limited
    resources in developing countries)
  • New competitors for which we cannot really
    compete

20
1. There is no such thing as a free lunch
21
2. Visibility can reduce credibility
22
3. Researchers research
23
4. People can demand too
And I can VOTE
Context and historical analysis
Problem definition
Policy recommendation
24
Maybe something like
Short term / demand driven analysis
Funds
Visibility
Engagement with policy process for
Long term, problem focus research
Substantive influence
25
Some bottom line issues
  • We must command high quality research for
    substantive influence
  • We must reach policymakers (because long gone are
    the days when they came looking for research)
  • We must base our influence (including the
    process) on research
  • We must be credible
  • And we must be relevant to our context

26
Communicating for research based results
  • Recap
  • Research based implies that the audience or the
    person influenced bases their decisions or
    behaviours on research
  • The type of organisation that we are affects the
    type of influencing approaches we choose (but
    dont forget research)
  • Results are not hits on our website they are
    substantive changes in policy

27
Questions?
28
Planning research based policy influence and
communications
29
The RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach (ROMA)
  • We propose (but you do not have to follow) an
    approach based on OM that
  • Provides planning tools that can be used to
    monitor progress, and
  • Focuses on learning

30
Presentation Outline
  • Introduction to RAPID and the 6 lessons of the
    study of policy influence in complex contexts
    and key steps to develop a systematic policy
    influence strategy. Discussion of different
    types of policy objectives
  • Brief exercise to try to complete the outline of
    a plan

31
The six lessons
32
Policy makers do not...
  • Identify the problem

33
Policy processes are...
34
The six lessons
35
What is most influential for policymakers?
Source Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting,
ODI, 2005
36
Different notionsof evidence

Source Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting,
ODI, 2005
37
The six lessons
38
Health Care in Tanzania
  • The results of household disease surveys
    informed processes of health service reform which
    contributed to a 43 and 46 per cent reduction in
    infant mortality between 2000 and 2003 in two
    districts in rural Tanzania.

TEHIP Project, Tanzania www.idrc.ca/tehip
39
The six lessons
40
An analytical framework
41
A practical framework
political context
Politics and Policymaking
Media, Advocacy, Networking
Research, learning thinking
evidence
links
42
What you need to do
What need to know What need to do How to do it
Political Context
Evidence
Links
  • Work with them seek commissions
  • Strategic opportunism prepare for known events
    resources for others
  • Get to know the policymakers.
  • Identify friends and foes.
  • Prepare for policy opportunities.
  • Look out for policy windows.
  • Who are the policymakers?
  • Is there demand for ideas?
  • What is the policy process?
  • Build a reputation
  • Action-research
  • Pilot projects to generate legitimacy
  • Good communication
  • Establish credibility
  • Provide practical solutions
  • Establish legitimacy.
  • Present clear options
  • Use familiar narratives.
  • What is the current theory?
  • What are the narratives?
  • How divergent is it?
  • Get to know the others
  • Work through existing networks.
  • Build coalitions.
  • Build new policy networks.
  • Build partnerships.
  • Identify key networkers, mavens and salesmen.
  • Use informal contacts
  • Who are the stakeholders?
  • What networks exist?
  • Who are the connectors, mavens and salesmen?

43
The six lessons
44
Policy and social entrepreneurs
Networkers
Storytellers
Engineers
Fixers
45
The six lessons
46
Conclusions
To improve impact you may need to
  • focus more on policy than research
  • establish different incentives / culture
  • establish different systems
  • spend more on communications
  • engage with different actors
  • produce different products
  • be ready to seize unexpected policy opportunities
    and move very fast

47
The ROMA and Communications
More research
Develop a network or partnership
Media strategy
Academic research communications
Online communications
48
Before you even start
  • Win the battle over the problem
  • Mathew Taylor (Tony Blairs policy advisor)

49
(No Transcript)
50
An analytical framework
51
The importance of the policy cycle
52
Social network analysis
Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key
Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow Type of flow
Expertise Funding Information Lobbying Regulations Scrutiny
53
Alignment, Interest and Influence Matrix (AIIM)
High
  1. Map actors on the matrix
  2. Identify which are the most influential
  3. Who do you work with directly?

Develop enthusiasm to address topic
Learn in partnership
General level of alignment
Develop awareness and enthusiasm
Challenge existing beliefs
Low
Interest in specific topic
Low
High
54
AIIM some examples
55
Types of policy objectives
56
Force Field Analysis
57
SWOT Analysis
  • What type of policy influencing skills and
    capacities do we have?
  • In what areas have our staff used them more
    effectively?
  • Who are our strongest allies?
  • When have they worked with us?
  • Are there any windows of opportunity?
  • What can affect our ability to influence policy?

Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
58
The Three Stages
59
  • For example
  • RAPID Framework
  • Drivers of Change
  • Power Analysis
  • SWOT
  • Influence Mapping
  • Force Field Analysis
  • For example
  • AIIM
  • Stakeholder analysis
  • Influence Mapping
  • Social Network Analysis
  • Force Field Analysis

Start by defining your policy objectives
constantly review them during the process
  • For example
  • Progress Markers
  • Opportunities and Threats timeline
  • Policy Objectives
  • AIIM
  • Force Field Analysis
  • For example
  • Log Frame (flexible)
  • Outcome Mapping
  • Journals or impact logs
  • Internal monitoring tools
  • For example
  • Force Field Analysis
  • For example
  • Policy entrepreneur questionnaire
  • SWOT
  • Internal performance frameworks
  • For example
  • Publications, public relations
  • Media and events
  • Negotiation and advice
  • Develop a network or coalition
  • Research

60
  • Project report
  • Summary
  • PPT
  • Press conference
  • Public launch
  • Articles on blog
  • Article in IBP newsletter
  • Radio Appearances
  • Illustrated brochure

Publications strategy
Media strategy
Online strategy
61
  • Questions?

62
So, communications
63
(No Transcript)
64
Three ingredients of effective communication
65
The shoes of your audience
66
What is a message?
  • What do you want to say, and to whom?
  • Summarise the main point, argument or line of
    reasoning into one or two clear and accessible
    sentences
  • Messaging is about prioritisation, not about
    dumbing down
  • Messages should be both clear and consistent, and
    should tell a coherent story

67
Prioritising An example
  • International trade has been seen in many cases
    to help developing countries to integrate into
    global markets and global value chains. This can
    help reduce the burden of governments to provide
    social protection in rural areas because some of
    the most vulnerable can earn greater incomes,
    thus alleviating poverty.

trade
can
reduce
Trade can reduce rural poverty.
rural
poverty.
68
The elevator pitch
69
Developing messages
  • Questions to answer when developing messages
  • Why is this issue important or urgent?
  • What background information is required to
    understand the issue?
  • How does this affect your target audience? Why
    should they care?
  • What action can they take based on the situation?

70
Keep it simple
  • 1 1 2

But you do not need to do this is your audience
understands
71
Personal exercise
Policy influencing objective
Audience What do you want them to do differently? Influencing approaches Activities

72
Additional materials
  • ME of research influence
  • http//www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/1751.pdf
  • Learning oriented competency framework
  • http//www.odi.org.uk/RAPID/Tools/Toolkits/KM/docs
    /5_competencies.pdf
  • Evidence based policy in development network
    www.ebpdn.org
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com