10 GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1. Develop a Communication Strategy
2. Spend minimum 10% on it
3. Assess policy, communications and research environments
4. Identify, reach and engage with multiple audiences
5. Identify mechanisms to reach user groups throughout
6. Convene multi-disciplinary teams to meet objectives
7. Evaluate properly and practically
8. Generate information that is appropriate and regular
9. Develop capacity of user groups to access and use
10. Design distribution strategy that outlasts your project
LESSONS LEARNED
1. Start with a baseline and set realistic targets
2. Engage different stakeholders early on in research
3. Find the human story within your research
4. Work with different forms of media
5. Be creative with your data 6. Recognise – and help – reluctant researchers
7. Use information intermediaries to get your message across
8. Piggyback newsworthy events