Dissemination plan – WP9,...

Building Capacity of Serbian Agricultural Education to Link with Society Coordinator: University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture

Izgradnja kapaciteta srpskog obrazovanja

u oblasti poljoprivrede radi povezivanja sa društvom

Koordinator:

Univerzitet u Beogradu Poljoprivredni fakultet

544072-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-RS-TEMPUS-SMHES (2013 – 4604 / 001 - 001)

Dissemination plan – WP9, D1

Dissemination concept Dissemination of project results – WP9, leader Dušan Petrić, University of Novi Sad as described in CaSA proposal comprise: [a] development and adoption of a dissemination plan and identification of target groups for dissemination; [b] design and maintenance of the project web-site; [c] organization of other dissemination and visibility activities (e.g. briefings, presentations, press conferences and other events); [d] publishing and dissemination of training manuals and guidelines and [e] dissemination at Final conference at University of Novi Sad.

Development and adoption of a dissemination plan and identification of target groups for dissemination and design and maintenance of the project web-site were planned and started at the beginning of the project while start of organization of other dissemination and visibility activities was envisaged for tenth month of the project. Anyhow, at the “kick-off” meeting held from 30th to 31st February at University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, the idea to start this particular group of dissemination activities right from the beginning was shared between all participants. In addition, proposal to develop the special part of dissemination activities to support the sustainability of the CaSA project was supported too. New “no cost” activities will range from e-mail promotion of CaSA activities and outcomes to the colleagues working at the agricultural faculties/universities in the region (e.g. Banja Luka, Mostar, Plovdiv, Sarajevo, Osijek, Zagreb, Priština, Skopje, Podgorica, Ljubljana, Maribor) to communication at the meetings of different types held in Serbia, where CaSA partners participation will be funded from sources outside the CaSA budget.

Accordingly, in addition to the main target groups defined in the proposal (AMS teachers and ES workers, project partners, Tempus office, EACEA, press and media) several more are considered (the list is flexible and will be tailor made to stakeholders attending the forthcoming events and “no cost” tools available):

secondary schools (apart from AMS) to attract the scholars to HE in Agriculture and use of NaRA, agricultural faculties of the region (Banja Luka, Mostar, Plovdiv?, Sarajevo, Osijek, Zagreb, Priština, Skopje,

Podgorica, Ljubljana, Maribor) as a potential NaRA users and contributors after the project life, Serbian faculties for food and technology, technical sciences and veterinary medicine as prospective participants

in NaRA, NGOs, association of the farmers as end users of NaRA, local (municipalities), provincial (Provincial Secretariat for agriculture) and national (Ministry of Agriculture)

administrations in charge of agriculture EU DG that might also be interested in NaRA SIRA Danube flagship project SC/MC (representative of Serbia), different forums (GMO, bee keepers etc.).

The activities within tha CaSA will produce a wide range of data that need to be disseminated to different stakeholders. The method of dissemination depends on (a) the communicator, (b) the message and thus the type of data and level of detail, (c) the selected presentation medium (charts, plain text, etc.), (d) the recipients (both end-users and nontechnical audiences), and (e) the desired social, political, or scientific impact and any feedback envisaged (Figure 1, Lasswell’s model).




Koordinator:



Figure 1. Dissemination/communication of CaSA outcomes and effects (after Schaffner et al. 20121)

Dissemination pathways for stakeholders, end-users and other target audiences (general public, non-governmental organisations, etc.) will be carefully developed, taking into account the sensitivity of the information. The choice of data type, level of detail and presentation style (charts, plain text, etc.) willl be tailored to the target group and designed to deliver the desired impact. The language style used may depend on the scale of the dissemination campaign. The timing of a campaign should be set according to the desired response from the target group: launching a NaRA promotion before it became functional differs substantially from a launch when it is already posted on CaSA website when the target groups are able to navigate through and use it.

1Schaffner F., Bellini R., Petrić D., & Scholte E.-J. (2012): Guidelines for the surveillance of invasive mosquitoes, Technical report, Avia-GIS, Zoersel, Belgium, Feb. 2012, (released as Guidelines for the surveillance of invasive mosquitoes in Europe. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden ISBN 978-92-9193-378-5, doi 10.2900/61134) 44 pp. + Annexes 72 pp.

Dissemination methods Depending on the type of audience, results can be disseminated using a variety of methods which should be tailored to the particular target audiences, designed to achieve the desired impact, and customised to the type of information to be disseminated. A dedicated website should state the rationale behind the project, provide project and partner descriptions, allow easy connection to NaRA, and track progress and results.




Koordinator:



Complementary information for the dissemination of CaSA results is provided in Table 1, which offers an overview of various dissemination approaches and their strengths and weaknesses in terms of data formats, evaluation of efficiency, and intended audiences.

Table 1. Format of data, efficiency and main audiences according to the type of dissemination method (after Schaffner et al. 20121)

Dissemination method

Format of data Sp

eed

to re

ach

audi

ence

Com

preh

ensiv

enes

s

Main audiences

Text

Figu

res

Tabl

es

Polic

y m

aker

s Re

sear

cher

s Te

chni

cians

1

Loca

l au

thor

ities

Publ

ic

inte

rest

ed in

NaR

A Ge

nera

l pub

lic

Report Low High Newsletter Low Medium Dedicated website High High E-mail High Low Press release (national) High Low

Local media and TV High Low Leaflet Medium Medium Scientific publication Low High

Telephone Very high Low Smart phone Very high High

Reports

Considered ‘grey literature’, reports are nonetheless very useful for stakeholders, policymakers, but are largely inaccessible to journalists, scientists and the general public. Reports can hold vast amounts of data, thus providing precise and detailed information and therefore will include them in NaRA.

However, reports are static, cannot be easily corrected, and multiple reports may be needed to cover one single subject.

Newsletter

A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication, generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newsletters can be distributed as hard copies, or electronically via email (e-newsletters) and websites. Newsletters




Koordinator:



include news and upcoming events, as well as contact information for general inquiries. Since newsletters are distributed to a selected group of people that have at least some interest in agriculture, it is probable that recipients have a certain predisposition to the main messages. We would consider possibility to include/connect relevant newsletter in Serbian language in NaRA.

Also, newsletters are static and cannot be easily corrected.

Websites

Websites are flexible, easily updated, link to other relevant websites and literature, can handle virtually unlimited amounts of information, and are accessible to everybody who has access to the internet. Project-specific website will be developed and regularly updated to cover CaSA objectives, activities, and results.

As similar topics are discussed on other websites, which are not always backed by scientific data and research, some readers may get confused.

E-mails

E-mails are useful for rapidly communicating new information or data to a selected audience, and will be used to communicate mostly between people involved in CaSA realization (project partners) or to stakeholders involved in complementary programmes.

As e-mails are not a formal data dissemination method, the accuracy and correctness of the data may seem less to some readers, particularly when compared to other formats (e.g. reports and scientific publications).

Press release

National press releases are a useful medium for informing the press and subsequently the general public. If used properly, press releases will greatly enhance transparency, improve involvement of the general public, and demonstrate the usefulness of the implemented CaSA activities. Moreover, press releases can inspire journalists to publish complimentary or more detailed information.

As always, there is a risk that information is misused or misinterpreted, or that the message is exaggerated, alarming rather than informing the public.

Local media

Local media provide coverage of events in a local context. Usually this includes local newspapers, radio and/or TV stations, which inform the local population on issues regarding a defined and relatively small area (mostly ranging from municipality to region/province level). Communication/dissemination via local media does usually not cover detailed information, but may increase in frequency and level of detail if the situation so requires (e.g. recruiting contributors to NaRA).




Koordinator:



To inform the local population on CaSA-related issues, and avoid misinterpretation of facts, it is advisable to provide a ‘press release’ with contact details for well-informed, media-savvy personnel.

Leaflets

Leaflets are distributed to people coming to local/regional scholar or professional gatherings. This dissemination method is effective in reaching the people that are most likely to be affected. In addition, leaflets are possibly amongst the best methods of involving people in actions that need public involvement. The strength of this approach is that the accuracy of data and advice are assured, and that a lot of information can be provided indirectly by adding website addresses or other internet links.

A weakness is the relatively high cost (editing, printing, and distribution), and the fact that leaflets may not include the most up-to-date information on CaSA realization.

Scientific publications

Scientific information on agricultural topics is mostly published in scientific journals or as research monographs in book form. Scientific publications are authored and co-authored by experts and researchers, all of whom must agree to their content before publication. Manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals are considered validated but are exclusively written in English language. Anyhow there is a waste amount of publication in Serbian in National journals that are not widely available but provide useful information for CaSA stakeholders and will be therefore deposited in NaRA.

One drawback is the long process from data collection to analysis, writing, and publication, so that often the most recent information cannot be included. Also, the terminology and language used in scientific publications is very technical and may not be readily understood by the general public.

Telephone

With the advent of the smartphone, the concept of ‘telephone’ began to change. Voice-only communication with one person is still useful when sharing selected data and/or recent developments, or when trying to resolve a specific situation. Also, personal contact by phone is helpful but unfortunately sometimes also prone to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Moreover, no records of shared information are kept, which may be an advantage or a disadvantage.

Modern smartphones provide multimedia capabilities and fast online access. In CaSA, smartphones are planned to be used by stakeholders to quickly communicate with NaRA: transferred information/images, for example, can help to assess a complicated situation in the field.

Project website (M1 - M36) Project-specific website (Figure 2) will be developed and regularly updated to cover CaSA objectives, activities, and results. Design and maintenance of the website will be linked to NaRA from its creation (including NaRA front page).




Koordinator:



CaSa website will: [a] make all project activities visible; [b] enable networking with stakeholders and a wider public; [c] connect to social networks and enhance visibility; [d] contain the children corner (“farmerčić”) where agriculture and healthy food and life styles, nature conservation/biodiversity and green agriculture will be popularized OR “farmerčić” will be on NaRa and link on the web-site; [e] display announcements on training courses, meetings, jobs offers?; [f] promote the best pupils/students? and [g] enclose attractive photograps.

Figure 2. Proposed homepage design of CaSA website

Building Capacity of Serbian Agricultural Educationto Link with Society

Home The project The partners Stakeholders NaRA Childrens corner Events and news Networks

Slike nekih egzoticnih mesta npr. Vrdnik koje se menjaju a sa njima i najvažnije vesti

Diverse dissemination and visibility activities This set of activities will include: [a] presentation to colleagues of own/other faculties; [b] press conferences and/or media events; [c] presentations on fairs professional/scientific/educational meetings and gatherings, and other events and will be performed by all Serbian partners.




Koordinator:



A presentation/poster describing the project will be prepared to be presented/displayed at professional/scientific/ educational meetings in Serbia.

Targeted events are both national and international with significant participation of national participants (dissemination international and meetings held abroad will be in “no-cost” category – see above):

a. Education fair “Putokazi”, Novi Sad b. Plant protection, Field crops, Agricultural engineering, Agrotechnology annual meetings (e.g. Čačak, Zlatibor) c. CASEE Workshop, Novi Sad 2014 d. AgroWeb e. Journal of Central European Agriculture Annual meeting (2014) f. Annual meetings/meetings of AMS and IPN g. SIRA Danube Centers of excellence in Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia (from 2015) h. Web pages of the faculties of the region who accept to disseminate activities of CaSA (Banja Luka, Mostar, Plovdiv,

Sarajevo, Osijek, Zagreb, Priština, Skopje, Podgorica, Ljubljana, Maribor), including not only Agricultural faculties but Faculties of Food and Technology, Technical Sciences, Veterinary Medicine

i. Related Tempus projects in Serbia (e.g. “Building network of remote labs for strengthening university secondary vocational schools collaboration”)

Publishing and dissemination of training manuals and guidelines (M 6, 10, 13, 14, and 17) Guidelines that will help future trainers/teachers of vocational courses will be prepared as a part of dissemination activities:

a. Guidelines for preparing the classical LLL courses for AMS and ES NEW (EF – M6) b. Guidelines for preparing e-learning courses for AMS and ES NEW (EF, M10) c. Academic skills and project writing skills (BSN) M13 d. Guidelines for assessment of student’s knowledge and skills (EF) M14 e. Feedback from teaching scenarios analysis and collection of improved scenarios (EF) M17

Regular reporting to EACEA As planned in CaSA proposal, regular reporting of obtained results to EACEA will be done three times during the project life in M12, M24 and M36.

Final conference Final wrap up of the CaSA outcomes will be presented to the stakeholders together with already achieved results and plan how sustainability of NaRA platform will be secured.




Koordinator:



Leader of WG9

Prof. Dušan Petrić

Dissemination plan – WP9,...

Documents

Transcript of Dissemination plan – WP9,...