What+is+changing+for+us+with+the+'CRP+way+of+working'

= = Partnership and Communication annual meeting 2012 On 24-26 January, ILRI's P&C department held a meeting in Addis Ababa to review the highlights of 2011 and align plans and ideas around strategic priorities for 2012 and beyond. (go back to ParCom12 home page)

This session was a world cafe where we organised a SWOT analysis around three issues:
 * How to develop quality content (to communicate externally)?
 * How to design quality knowledge sharing processes (both internally and externally)?
 * How to ensure great outreach of our science via comms efforts?

How to develop quality content (to communicate externally)?
STRENGTHS
 * Good scientific evidence is available in the institution
 * Well skilled and good communicators
 * High quality products
 * Large audience
 * Clarity of images and other products like films

WEAKNESSES
 * Lack of simple and clear communication materials and language
 * Non-targeted broadcasting of messages
 * Failure to connect the information across all the relevant stakeholders
 * Lack of clarity in what we want to communicate as an institute

OPPORTUNITIES
 * Sound knowledge base
 * Plenty of resources to tap into
 * Engage more staff to be interested in the information that is being produced
 * Brilliantly recycle our information to diverse channels
 * Better repackage our information for our audience
 * Engage scientists throughout the project cycle and do more than event based communication
 * Link our information and materials more deeply i.e. have a message that cuts across or links the producer and consumer

THREATS
 * Livestock is perceived to be a complex agenda
 * Funding for developing good content
 * Credibility of the information

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SWOT
 * Simply and enhance the clarity of our messages
 * Tap into our knowledge base (scientists)
 * Develop a strategy to link our research, outcomes and livestock issues better
 * Have a 'VOICE' in topical issues
 * Be a credible source for livestock matters

How to design quality knowledge sharing processes (both internally and externally)?
Strength


 * We already proven that we have good knowledge sharing to our partners
 * We have already established a good network...so setting up will be easier for centers in CRPs
 * We have plenty of research outputs
 * Plenty of tools
 * KMIS expertise

Weakness


 * Lack our partnership with our stake holders
 * Following up with new skills
 * Scientist are not sharing back and also they are not both internally and externally visible
 * Not all staff has access to the tools
 * In the CRPs ILRI theme are not well structured
 * Staff don’t know much about ILRI work
 * There is language barriers
 * Not capitalizing on internal communication

Opportunity


 * The demand of sharing has increased
 * Strengthen our internal communication
 * Opportunities need to be more inclusive of our partners
 * Make sure there is a good communication flow across each themes
 * Hiring people who want to share their knowledge
 * Match tools 4 the people
 * Identifying the value chain approach to reach our stake holders
 * Linkage across CG centers

Treats


 * Open access, Losing control of our content (others not convinced yet)
 * Fear of losing intellectual property
 * Not enough follow up
 * There is uncertainty b/c of CRPs change
 * Overload of information

Key recommendations emerging from SWOT
 * Strengthen our internal communication
 * Strengthen our linkage with partners
 * make sure there is a good communication flow across themes
 * Match tools 4 people
 * Identifying the value chain approach to reach our stake holders

How to ensure great outreach of our science via comms efforts?
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">STRENGTHS
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Global presence
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We have good web presence
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We have quality products to sell; 'solid' products, scientific evidence
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Over the years, we have built good reputation for us, among farmers
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Partnerships with regional organizations (ASARECA, FARA)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Media

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">WEAKNESSES
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We are too global and lose country-specific focus
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We lack clear strategy on outreach
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Lack of expertise to do outreach
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Lack of connections with NARS
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Media
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Limited capacities in different languages
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We do not have documents of outreach 'stories' or lessons from ILRI projects
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Limited money to do outreach

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">OPPORTUNITIES
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Agriculture is increasingly important
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Graduate fellows program is a good means for outreach. ILRI alumni, too.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Strengthen our engagement with media (newspapers, TV, radio)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Have better partnerships with the governments
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Governments can benefit from ILRI's capacity development work
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Work with boundary partners and let other organizations speak about ILRI; build boundary partners' capacities
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Conferences
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Media
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">ILRI info 'package' -- one-stop shop
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Review existing ILRI projects that have done good outreach and learn from them.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Prioritize the target audiences

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">THREATS <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">KEY RECOMMENDATIONS <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Good outreach leads to better funding, therefore ILRI's productivity or ILRI as an institute is at threat in absence of effective outreach.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We will be taken over by competition (funding)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">If we don't reach out with the right messages, the livestock debate will be taken over by environmentalists...
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">If we don't reach out, we become irrelevant
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Good work remains unnoticed and remains 'on the shelf'
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Strengthen partnerships to take advantage of the competencies of our boundary partners
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Build strategic partnerships with the media and development partners
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Adopt inclusive approach to language of communication to target non-English targeted audiences
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Respond to topical issues on the global agenda to ensure we remain relevant
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Prioritize funding for outreach in projects