Communication for Research Uptake Promotion: Learning from Practice

This 6-page brief is based upon "A synthesis of communication products and practices". It is a synthesis study across six of the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID) Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy (RNRRS) research programmes and their projects, which sought to assess the effects of their communication, and to derive lessons for improved practice. "These projects emphasise the time, resources and range of specialist skills needed for effective communication since this relies on close engagement with stakeholders, on the development of useful and usable communication products, and on identifying and learning from practice to enhance individual and organisational communication capacity."


From the background section: "Mandatory requirements for projects varied between programmes, but included:

• Communication planning at the start of a project, either in the form of a separate document or built into the project proposal, and reviewed and revised during the project’s lifespan
• Hosting inception and project completion workshops
• Holding pre-proposal stakeholder meetings and producing reports
• Production of policy or practice briefing notes.

Support for researchers on developing and implementing communication activities also varied across programmes, and included:

• Guidelines on preparing communication plans, and on expectations at different stages of the project
• Training courses in communication methods and advocacy
• Providing a CD of ‘good practice’ projects to help researchers during different stages of implementing their communication plans
• Encouragement to hire in communication expertise
• Commissioning communication research to inform programme strategy"

The key lessons learned are the following:

1. "Communication planning is crucial for research uptake promotion projects. Flexible plans, developed with specialist help and supported by flexible budgets, allow for the most effective communication.
2. Successful engagement with stakeholders is central to communication for uptake promotion. Sufficient skills and resources are needed to achieve this: close and repeated interaction, often face-to-face and one-to-one, is typically required.
3. Developing effective communication products is difficult, and seldom achieved by projects. Key needs are for project teams to have the communication knowledge, skills and experience to achieve this.
4. Diverse communication skills are needed for effective communication. Communication specialists should be included on project teams to assist with communication activities as well as to provide training in communication skills.
5. Dissemination of information via electronic media is widespread, but little is known about the reach and effectiveness of this communication pathway. More study is needed on the limitations and potential of these media for research uptake.
6. Specific monitoring and evaluation of communication activities within projects is needed. The effects of communication on research uptake are often only fully apparent in the longer term, and so later assessment is important for learning what does and what does not work and so developing improved communication practice.
7. Good communication practices are sometimes shared, but often remain confined to the project. Institutional learning and organisational capacity for communication need to be improved to enable wider influence and the creation of models of good practice.
8. The skills, resources and time to achieve effective communication are typically underestimated in project planning and implementation. Research funders and programme managers need to recognise this and to ensure that communication is adequately resourced."