Communications to achieve results

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Communications to achieve results

• 26th March 2010, DC
• Enrique Mendizabal, ODI
• e.mendizabal_at_odi.org.uk

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Complex decisions

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

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• 10

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Outline

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

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Who are we?

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

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The gap between research and policy
Research
Policy
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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
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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
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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
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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

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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
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To achieve what?
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However we made a choice

• RESEARCH based influence

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Why does this matter?

• And
• Potential trade-off between visibility and
  substantive influence

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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
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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

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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

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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)
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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

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1. There is no such thing as a free lunch
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2. Visibility can reduce credibility
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3. Researchers research
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4. People can demand too
And I can VOTE
Context and historical analysis
Problem definition
Policy recommendation
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Maybe something like
Short term / demand driven analysis
Funds
Visibility
Engagement with policy process for
Long term, problem focus research
Substantive influence
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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

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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

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Questions?
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Planning research based policy influence and
communications
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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

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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

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The six lessons
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Policy makers do not...

• Identify the problem

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

Source Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting,
ODI, 2005
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The six lessons
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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
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The six lessons
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An analytical framework
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A practical framework
political context
Politics and Policymaking
Media, Advocacy, Networking
Research, learning thinking
evidence
links
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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?

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The six lessons
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Policy and social entrepreneurs
Networkers
Storytellers
Engineers
Fixers
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The six lessons
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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

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The ROMA and Communications
More research
Develop a network or partnership
Media strategy
Academic research communications
Online communications
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Before you even start

• Win the battle over the problem
• Mathew Taylor (Tony Blairs policy advisor)

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(No Transcript)
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An analytical framework
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The importance of the policy cycle
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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
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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
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AIIM some examples
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Types of policy objectives
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Force Field Analysis
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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
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The Three Stages
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• 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

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• 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
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• Questions?

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So, communications
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(No Transcript)
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Three ingredients of effective communication
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The shoes of your audience
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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

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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.
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The elevator pitch
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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?

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Keep it simple

• 1 1 2

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

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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