COMMUNICATIONS FOR POLICY INFLUENCE

Caroline CassidyRAPID Programme

Overseas Development Institute, London

October 2014

CAROLINE’SCOMMS TIPS

FOR ANYPROJECT

Disseminate

Don’t leave it to the end!Image devised by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI)

“People share, read and generally engage more with any type of content when it’s surfaced through people they know and trust.”

Malorie Lucich, Facebook spokesperson

Don’t be a stranger

Don’t forget the messenger!

Develop packages not just publications

But before you think about your comms strategy…

WHAT KNOWLEDGE ROLE DO YOU PLAY?

But before you think about your knowledge role…

WHAT DOES A POLICY-MAKING PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

What’s your theory of change? Where do you want to see change happening?

For each of your stakeholders, what changes would you… …expect to see? …like to see? …love to see?

But before you think about how to foster change…

WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE AND WHAT DO THEY NEED?

Use an AIIM matrix

For an effective policy impact strategy…

FOUR STEPS

MAP YOURSTAKEHOLDERS

1DEVELOP YOUR

THEORY OF CHANGE

2UNDERSTAND WHAT

KNOWLEDGE ROLE(S) YOU COULD PLAY

3DEVELOP YOUR

COMMS STRATEGY

4

ODI’s comms strategy

BEING THERE CRADLE TO GREY REUSING THE WHEEL

Getting your messaging right

KEYS TO MAKING MESSAGES STICK

S U C C E SONCRETEIMPLE NEXPECTED CREDIBLE EMOTIONAL TORIES

WHY UNEXPECTED?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oSQJP40PcGI

WHY CREDIBLE?

Helicobacter pylori

WHY EMOTIONAL?

KEYS TO MAKING MESSAGES STICK

S U C C E SONCRETEIMPLE NEXPECTED CREDIBLE EMOTIONAL TORIES

What is your top line?

• Give them the dessert first, then the starter and main course

• Be sure to frame carefully to your audience objective

• Go back to - why should they care?

EXERCISE:THE ELEVATOR

(LIFT) PITCH

• Write your message (s) (5 minutes)

• Split into pairs – one of you the policy-maker in the lift, going from the 1st to the 12th floor.

• You have 2 minutes to pitch your key message. Switch. (4 minutes – 2 minutes each)

EXERCISE: THE ELEVATOR (LIFT) PITCH

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?

Everyone says ‘I should write a policy brief’

Evaluating policy briefs

• Each group has a brief. DON’T LOOK YET!

• When we say ‘GO’, you will have FIVE MINUTES to read through the brief (you may want to take notes)

• And then hide the brief again…

It’s like being a policy-maker…

In your groups, note down the answers to the following questionsthinking about the pros and cons of the brief. (you have 5 minutes)

1. What issue is the policy brief aiming to change, validate or inform?

2. Who do you think is the audience for this brief?

3. Did you establish the key message(s)?

4. Is there any specific piece of evidence that sticks out in your mind?

5. How is that evidence signposted?

6. Are there any recommendations/implications?

A few tips from ODI on briefs

KNOW YOUR TYPE OF BRIEF

The type of policy brief depends on:

• the objectives and messages of the research • the specific context within which your research takes place • the audience identified• the author(s)• other communications activities that are being planned

alongside your policy brief

THINK BROADLY ABOUT BRIEFS

Memo

Publication – print and/or online

The ‘marketing tool / hand out’

Targeted summary

Part of a presentation or meeting

TYPES OF POLICY BRIEFS

The policy brief as memo The policy brief as publication

• Often internally focused

• Demand-driven

• Narrow audience

• A general overview of the subject: multiple opinions or view points

• Multiple, and even competing, solutions

• Externally focused

• Supply-driven

• Often broad audience

• Targeted research summary

• Gives strong, clear and coordinated policy recommendations or implications

• Often used as a “marketing” tool

CONSIDERING THE OBJECTIVES

Analyse an issue / put an issue on the public agenda

Make recommendations on an issue /advocates change

Describes a problem or situation, the causes + suggests options to improve the situation

Gives a clear opinion on a specific relevant topic in a particular moment and proposes action

Presents several solutions without suggesting the best Offers a range of options and a specific solution using an evidence-informed argument

Is oriented to a general audience Is oriented to an expert audience

IMPLICATIONS VS RECOMMENDATIONS

Implications

• What policy changes do the results point to?

• Supported by evidence

• Must be actionable

• Less direct than recommendations

• Useful when advice not requested or welcome

Recommendations

• What does the writer think should happen?

• Supported by evidence

• Must be actionable

• Describe clearly what should happen next

• State as precise steps

SHOULD YOU USE OPINION?

Policy-makers views:

• Do present evidence-informed opinions• Don’t shy away from opinion and value judgements

• But signpost which content is subjective and which is objective

BUT, who are you?

AND THE REST OF YOUR STRATEGY

• Timing is important

• Other activities?

• Can the audience help you develop the brief?

• How are you going to share it?

Source: Jones and Walsh (2008), Policy briefs as a communication tool for development research.

BRAINSTORMING YOUR BRIEF

1. Overarching message

2. Policy recommendation(s)

3. The Evidence:

- What is the problem?- Why is it timely/urgent?

- What could the target reader do?

4. Entry points

Can apparent superluminal neutrino speeds be explained

as a quantum weak measurement?

Probably not

OTHER WAYS TO GET YOUR EVIDENCE OUT THERE

Data visualisation: try infogram

Presentations: try prezi

Events: try storify

Video editing: try Popcorn

SOME EXAMPLES

Data visualisation: try infogram

Presentations: try prezi

Events: try storify

Video editing: try Popcorn

SOME EXAMPLES

Data visualisation: try infogram

Presentations: try prezi

Events: try storify

Video editing: try Popcorn

SOME EXAMPLES

Data visualisation: try infogram

Presentations: try prezi

Events: try storify

Video editing: try Popcorn

Thank you!

c.cassidy@odi.org odi.org/RAPIDroma.odi.org