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Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers
and Civil Society Organisations
Ingie Hovland, October 2005
Background
It is sometimes assumed that we need more communication of evidence
within the international development field. This is not necessarily
true. More communication can simply end up as a form of 'pushing
knowledge down a hosepipe, in the hope that at least some of it
will come out the other end' (Andrew Barnett 'Reducing
poverty needs an 'innovation system' approach', SciDev.Net).
What we need is far better communication of evidence within
the international development field. This toolkit is therefore designed
to help development actors communicate better. It presents 23 tools,
divided into the following categories: 'Planning', 'Packaging',
'Targeting' and 'Monitoring'.
Communication is crucial in development - whether in the form of
dissemination, guidelines, prescriptions, recommendations, advocacy,
promotion, persuasion, education, conversation, roundtables, consultations,
dialogue, counselling or entertainment. Sometimes, providing information
is the most powerful strategy available. Information is a tool that
helps people help themselves, in a 'fishing-pole-rather-than-fish'
sort of way. Information is also the lever that people need to hold
government accountable and to ensure transparency in participative
and empowering processes. As one development communicator has put
it 'They say sunlight is the best disinfectant, well let the sunlight
in!' (Rick Davies, www.mande.co.uk).
But communication is often about more than providing information.
It is about fostering social awareness and facilitating public democratic
dialogue. It is about contributing to evidence-based policy, and
about building a shared understanding which can lead to social change.
It is about creating space for the voices of the poor to be heard,
and, ultimately, it is about redistributing power. However, these
positive effects of communication do not come automatically. More
communication does not automatically mean more development. In fact,
in certain situations, disempowering or esoteric communication dynamics
can dramatically hinder development - just think of gender
and power issues, or the provision of incorrect information. This
is why it is important to communicate better. We hope this
toolkit can help.
This toolkit builds on the previous work and experience of ODI,
especially its Research and Policy
in Development (RAPID) programme which aims to improve the use
of research and evidence in development policy and practice through
research, advice and debate. Click here for more on RAPID's four
themes. Previous relevant RAPID publications include a literature
review on communication, a literature
review on knowledge management, a working
paper on knowledge strategies, and a handbook on 'Tools
for Policy Impact'. A complementary toolkit on 'Knowledge and
Learning' (forthcoming) may be especially helpful for anyone using
this toolkit on communication. RAPID is now beginning a process
of identifying, developing and using tools and resources that can
help a range of actors improve their communication. The present
toolkit should therefore be seen as work in progress.
Target audience: researchers and practitioners in CSOs
This toolkit is for researchers and practitioners who wish to
communicate to policymakers. The tools are therefore specifically
geared towards the needs of researchers and practitioners in civil
society organisations (CSOs), including development NGOs, research
institutes, think tanks, universities and networks. The toolkit
addresses the questions of how researchers and CSOs can best communicate
evidence in order to inform or influence policy, to achieve their
own stated development objectives, or simply to make their own knowledge
accessible and understandable to a wider audience.
Click on the links for more information:
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