Guy Bessette
In the previous module, we learned how to plan and conduct participatory evaluation of the research process around resilient seeds systems and climate change. We collected evidence-based information regarding appropriate germplasm and climate change in a given locality. What do we want to do with this information? Share it with colleagues or with a larger audience? Engage community members in a discussion of the results? Use it to influence policy? Or do we want farmers themselves to share their experience?
In this module, you will learn about the concept of a communication strategy and some of its main elements, as well as its application to the field of agricultural research in view of communicating research results in an effective way. This module will help you undertake the following activities: develop a communication strategy; identify and involve various groups with whom to communicate; formulate communication objectives; and apply a strategy for communicating agricultural research results.
At the end of the module you will be able to design and carry out an effective communication strategy.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
Often, in the context of a research process, communication refers to the dissemination of results. A report is usually prepared and sent to selected people, or a paper is written and sent to journals. However, there are more ways in which you can communicate your findings effectively.
Communication is more than dissemination. It is about making information available in different formats suitable to different groups of users. It is also about engaging them in a discussion about the research carried out and the results produced to reach specific communication objectives. Sometimes, it can be about how to support farmers and communities so that they can also tell their own stories.
In this module, we introduce the concept and elements of a communication strategy and its application to agriculture. Such a strategy will help you think about whom you want to communicate with, for what purposes, and how best to reach specific groups and get feedback in return.
In this part of the module, you will learn how to develop a communication strategy, how to identify and involve various groups with whom you wish to communicate, and how to formulate communication objectives.
A communication strategy is your road map to effective communication. It identifies the following elements:
It also includes an implementation plan that specifies:
As you can see, communicating goes far beyond sharing information and using media. It is a planned activity, based on participatory processes, as well as media and interpersonal communication. Its aim is to facilitate a dialogue among stakeholders and lead to consensus and action (see Acunzo et al. 2014 and Bessette 2004). Communication planning requires a clearly defined strategy with specific objectives established in advance and an expected impact on intended stakeholders. Such a strategy includes four phases: analysis and design (selection of a goal, target groups analysis, production of communication objectives, identification of expected feedback, messages and activities, and selection of communication tools); development and testing; implementation and monitoring; and evaluation and replanning.
In this module, we will concentrate on the first four elements of a communication strategy: identification of a goal; target groups; communication objectives; and key messages, communication tools, and activities. Once you identify these, you will be able to develop the core of a communication strategy. You can then develop partnerships to select media and communication tools, produce and disseminate materials, and evaluate your strategy, as well as producing the required implementation plan.
You may have various goals in communicating your results:
Depending on your goals, you will want to identify the groups you want to reach:
You can also identify and learn more about your target groups by conducting a stakeholder analysis. This technique is explained in Module 1. Situational analysis.
You will also want to collect information on each target group: what they already know, their perceptions and attitudes, their level of influence, etc. This will help you establish communication objectives that target each specific group.
In terms of communication, goals and objectives are different. Your goal is about what you want to do. Your communication objectives identify what you want your target groups to know or to do following the communication initiative.
For example, if you want to influence policymakers, you may want to have an objective stating that selected advocacy organizations will have the information they need to campaign in favour of resilient seed systems.
If you want communities to start using the new appropriate germplasm that was identified in the research, an objective might be: “within one year, farmers in locality X will have the necessary knowledge and skills to use variety Y and report on its performance.” Try not to be over ambitious.
Whenever possible, communication objectives should be “SMART” — Simple and clear; Measurable; Achievable; Reasonable; Time bound and location specific — because it makes them easier to monitor and evaluate.
You have a story to tell: your research process and your research results. You also know with whom you want to share this story and for what purpose.
You now have to:
You can then insert the different elements in a matrix:
| Goal | Target Groups | Comm Objectives | Key Messages | Comm Tools & Activities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
You will find examples in the readings below.
 Acunzo, M., Pafumi, M., Torres, C., Tirol, M.S., 2014 Communication for rural development sourcebook Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy This sourcebook presents the various steps in designing and implementing a rural communication strategy that combines participatory methods with communication processes, media, and tools best suited for a specific situation. Module 1, pp. 35–40 and Module 3, pp. 75–115, introduce the reader to the communication development process and the design of a communication strategy and plan. |
|
 Bessette, G. , 2004 Involving the community: a guide to participatory development communication International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and Southbound, Penang, Malaysia This practical guide for people working in research and development introduces participatory development communication concepts, discusses effective two-way communication approaches, and presents a method for planning, developing, and evaluating communication strategies. |
|
 Mefalopulos, P., Kamlongera, C., 2004 Participatory communication strategy design: a handbook (2nd edition) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy This guide presents the various elements in the design of a communication strategy. The reader will find concepts and tools used in identifying target audiences, establishing communication objectives and messages, using communication tools, applying a strategy, and evaluating results. |
|
Oepen, M., Willner, S. , 2006 Strategic communication for sustainable development: a conceptual overview GTZ Rioplus - Environmental Policy and Promotion of Strategies for Sustainable Development, Bonn, Germany, pp. 36-46 Pages 36–46 present ten steps in developing a communication strategy. |
|
|
Graeff, J.A. (editor) , 2008 Writing a communication strategy for development programs: a guideline for programme managers and communication officers UNICEF, Dhaka, Bangladesh Pages 12–63 cover the steps toward developing a communication strategy. Although presented in the context of UNICEF’s health and development interventions, these tools and approaches can be integrated into other types of communication strategies. |
There are, of course, many examples of the application of communication strategies to agriculture. In this module we will look at four specific ones: disseminating new knowledge; scaling out agriculture innovations; empowering farmers; and influencing policies.
Disseminating new agricultural knowledge has traditionally been the field of extension. Researchers develop the knowledge, extension agents share it with the end-users, the farmers, and farmers are then expected to use it. As we now know, this model does not work very well. Effective extension now draws on sound participatory communication strategies that involve the farmers in the creation of knowledge through situational analysis, field experimentation, and participatory evaluation.
At the 9th United Nations roundtable on development communication, Niels Röling (2007) presented a paper that discusses three models for communicating agricultural innovations that have influenced practices. He suggested that communication strategies should focus on listening, exchanging ideas, building concerted action, and negotiating agreement with farmers around the learning and adoption of agricultural innovations.
Likewise, scaling out new knowledge about on-farm experiments has proven to be a complex endeavour. This is illustrated by the Knowledge Sharing and Communication Strategy used by the Evergreen Agriculture Project (Masuki et al. 2012).
In the context of scaling out Evergreen Agriculture innovations, a team of researchers developed a communication strategy to inform stakeholders about the new systems, and facilitate their mobilization to achieve the objectives of the project. The strategy was developed through stakeholders’ workshops that included farmers, media personnel, local government representatives, community-based and nongovernmental organizations, researchers, and extension agents at the local and district levels.
The workshop took stakeholders through a number of steps, namely:
This is a good example of involving stakeholders in the design of a communication strategy. Doing so increases the chances that the strategy will be appropriate for each category of stakeholder.
Using communication as a tool to empower farmers and support them in the role of educating their peers is a very effective application of communication in the field of agriculture. In a case study on Growing Bananas in Uganda (Naboka Odoi 2006), researchers had developed technologies that could be of benefit to farmers, particularly in improving banana crops. However, farmers proved reluctant to use these new technologies, despite researchers’ attempts to disseminate them.
Instead of sharing the information and conducting demonstrations, researchers decided to develop a communication strategy in which farmers would take the lead role. They asked them to prioritize the problems they faced for which they needed help. Farmers identified issues related to soil fertility, soil erosion, and soil moisture retention. With the help of the researchers, they then identified communication objectives for each of these problems, the activities that could be undertaken to alleviate them, and communication tools that could help them share their knew knowledge with other farmers.
During this process, the researchers discovered that some farmers had extensive indigenous knowledge related to these concerns, but it required validation. Moreover, farmers did not have a forum in which to share information; hence, the need for communication tools.
Researchers facilitated visits to sites where farmers were already using appropriate practices. Following the visits and discussions, farmers were more convinced than before of the new technologies’ benefits. Field experiments were organized with those who were willing to participate, and farmers were amazed at the results: not only do they now have high-yielding banana plots, but they are also making more money from this crop.
Participating farmers chose to use videos, photographs, and posters to show other farmers how to implement these techniques. In doing so, they also became closer as a group and started a farmers’ association. They became proactive in tackling their own problems and approaching service providers regarding their community concerns. In this case, communication around new soil technologies became a channel for empowerment.
Influencing policies is a fourth application of communication strategies in agriculture. Engaging stakeholders in dialogue can lead to better policy design and implementation. It also ensures that a given policy takes into account the many dimensions at play and the various interests and perspectives of the stakeholders.
Communication with policymakers often requires the presentation of evidence in an intelligible way. In a short article published by ODI, Jones and Walsh (2008) discuss the use of “policy briefs” and the need for a communication strategy that is more integrative.
Policy briefs are short documents that present the findings and recommendations of a research project to a non-specialist reader¬ship. They are often recommended as a key tool for communicating research findings to policymakers.
However, briefs alone can do little. To foster uptake and implementation, face-to-face and/or electronic discussions and deliberations with policymakers about the evidence presented in the brief and policy guidance are critical. Active mediation and translation among knowledge producers, knowledge brokers, and end users are needed, as well as an integrated communications approach that takes into consideration individual, organizational, and systemic levels.
 Röling, N., 2007 Communication for development, in research, extension and education Selected papers from the 9th UN roundtable on communication for development. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, pp. 57–77 This article argues that it is not useful to consider innovation as purely the outcome of transfer or delivery of results of scientific research to the “ultimate users” or farmers and that participation plays a major role in effective innovation (see description above). |
|
 Naboka Odoi, N. , 2006 Growing bananas in Uganda: reaping the fruit of participatory development communication Bessette, G. (editor), People, land and water: participatory development communication for natural resource management. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and Southbound, Penang, Malaysia, pp. 129–135 This case study is an example of empowering farmers through communication. |
|
 Masuki, K., Muriuki, J., Odhiambo, D., 2012 Knowledge sharing and communication strategy: Evergreen Agriculture Project World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya This case study presents a good example of involving stakeholders in the design of a communication strategy. |
|
 Jones, N., Walsh, C., 2008 Policy briefs as a communication tool for development research. Background notes Overseas Development Institute, London, UK This article presents key ingredients of effective policy briefs. It stresses that it is critical to foster close collaboration between researchers and policymakers from the outset, rather than disseminating research results at the end of a project; to reach consensus on the key questions to be addressed; and to promote understanding of research methods as well as ownership of findings. |
|
Bessette, G., 2004 Facilitating learning, dialogue and participation in natural resource management Communication and sustainable development: selected papers from the 9th UN roundtable on communication for development. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, pp. 79–100 This paper suggests a participatory communication approach where the information is not transmitted from experts to end users, but where researchers and practitioners use communication to facilitate participation and the sharing of knowledge. |
|
|
Guy Bessette, 2006 People, land and water: participatory development communication for natural resource management . International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and Southbound, Penang, Malaysia, 324 pag. |
Here is a quiz that will help you test your newly acquired knowledge. Once you have covered the content sections and completed the assigned readings, please answer the Knowledge-sharing and communication quiz.
Please, document this step of the research process by describing your communication strategy.
For our purposes, we will leave aside for now the other elements of a communication strategy as well as the communication implementation plan, and concentrate on the following elements:
This is the last module of this resource box on resilient seeds systems and adaptation to climate change. If you choose, you may go back to any of the 8 modules and revise what you have learned up to now.
You may also think about how you would introduce colleagues to the resource box and the research process on resilient seed systems in the context of climate change adaptation.
