The document discusses how research can impact target groups and effective communication strategies for research and development. It notes that conventional research focuses on contributing to knowledge through one-way communication with researchers, while communication for research and development aims to change behavior and contribute to development through two-way iterative engagement with multiple stakeholders. It identifies target groups for the research including government officials, NGOs, communities, and private sector groups. It also discusses different modes of communication and how to best influence decision-making, which often involves personal interaction, narratives, and understanding political interests rather than just evidence.

1. How can your research impact
your target groups?
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2. Communication in Research 4 Development
Area Conventional Research Comms Comms for R4d
Objectives Contribute to bodies of Change perceptions and behavior, contribute
knowledge to development processes
Inform and provide information
Targets Researchers, scientists, academ Multiple actors (farmers, planner, policy
ics makers, private sector, NGOs, etc)
Methodology One way, mechanistic Two way, iterative process – multiple actors
Passive involved, participatory
Engaged and active
Strategies Publish in journals Strategic communication linked to changes in
Attend scientific meetings KAS of targets
Message focused Seen as part of the social sciences
Hand over information to Use multiple channels, products
media/Public Information Focused on use rather than production
When At end of research process Continuous process where communication is
Andes • Ganges • Limpopo • Mekong • Nile • Volta seen as a process for deriving shared meaning

3. Target groups – based on project OLMs
Researchers (incl. internal) Dam operators and investors/financers
Project staff (MK1) (MK2) Dam developers and financers (MK1)
Researchers and practitioners incl. NARS Dam operators (MK1)
partners (MK2) Dam operators (power sector) (MK3)
Mekong BDC teams (MK5) Investors/developers & WB, ADB, donors
MK5 staff (MK5) (MK3)
BDC teams (MK5) Dam operators (MK4)
Technical platform, i.e. Mekong BDC Dam Developers and Operators (MK5) (MK6)
researchers + in our networks (MK5) (MK6)
Government NGOs/Civil society/communities
Ministries in charge of Energy in each Mekong Water stakeholders and Policy-makers at
country (MK1) national levels (MK2)
Policy makers (Ministries: energy, agriculture, Non-hydropower deciders / stakeholders
fisheries, forestry, environment) (MK3) (national and provincial levels) (MK2)
Policy and planning officials in relevant state Members of riparian WSI communities (MK1)
agencies (MK4) Local NGOs/activists/civil society/medias
Local communities and their mediators (MK4) involved in the debate on hydropower (MK2)
Catchment managers (RBOS, Dept. fisheries, Communities and their mediators (MK4)
forestry, water resources, agricultural Civil Society and NGOs (MK5)
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extension protected areas) (MK3) Regional/International Organizations (MK5)
Government (MK5) (MK6) (MK6)

4. Modes of communications
Irrigation model
One-way, decentralized
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5. Bank model
Two-way, centralized
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6. Transport model
Non-linear, decentralized
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7. How can we influence decision-making?
• Evidence plays a relatively modest role in decision-
making, which is dominated by political expediency.
• Policy makers tend to use stories rather than ‘hard’
evidence as they are easy to understand and
effective.
• Change is a product of a participatory development
process.
• Personal interaction remains the most effective
means of communicating with decision-makers.
• Communication strategies should build on existing
networks and communities of interest.
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Source: http://www.healthlink.org.uk/we-do/comms_icd.html

8. When decision-making processes are not
rational, then how can we influence them?
• Different ways of looking at change of policy and
practice, including:
– Interactions between different groups with differing
political interests
– Actor-oriented approaches: such as policy communities
and networks, MSPs,interfaces, actor-network, epistemic
communities, entrepreneurs/saboteurs
– Discourse, which is an ensemble of ideas communicated
through practices via coalitions, narratives, or rhetoric
– External drivers: economics, investment, climate variability
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9. Communicating your research discussion
What is the role of the researchers?
What is the role of MK5?
In which ways do we best reach our
target groups?
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