Practical communications support to RIU country teams

Dar-es-Salaam

24th October 2008

Communication and Innovation

Communication and innovation theory are intrinsically linked

Passive model:

message

technology

Sender Receiver

Extension agent

Farmer

Dynamic (systems) model

Enhancing Demand in Innovation Systems

Supply led systems

Supply

Demand

RNRRS LPP08

How can I grow more

crops?

PUSH

Demand- led systems

I need a new

variety that is

resistant to white

fly!

I wonder if this will be useful

in the field?

Supply

Demand

PULL

Push and Pull in Information Markets

•Push/supply = Identifying suitable agricultural innovations and providing them in local language and easy to use formats through relevant communication technologies

•Pull/demand = Build users capacity to source, evaluate and apply information in decision making

•Information intermediaries are the interface between push and pull – supply

Policy makers

Researchers

Intermediary Institutions

Farmers Groups

Agribusiness:seed and input suppliers, processors etc

Traders

Constructing agricultural innovation systems

What are the linkages?

To link actors requires development of communication skills

What are the information needs?

What information contents do they need?

Which technologies can they access?

What human resources / budget are available for communications

What support can RIU provide to encourage better linkages?

Network Mapping

• How to make communication processes visible?

• Diagnostic tool to help country teams understand the existing communication context

• Can be used at different levels – diagnostic of platforms, NICs and policy context

• Identifying the key stakeholders and thinking about how to influence them to make our messages flow

Understanding Intermediaries

• Intermediaries are both institutions and individuals

• Who are the communications champions in our innovation platforms

• Intermediaries need support – to communicate with other actors in the coalition– To communicate this information within their own

organisations

• How to use communication to strengthen the innovation platforms

NOPS Analysis – Needs, Opportunities, Problems, Solutions

• Needs• What are the information needs of

my organisation?

• Who do we need to communicate with?

• What technologies do we need to communicate better?

• Opportunities• What groups do we have access

to?

• How could we improve communication to these groups?

• What tools could help us to do this?

• Problems• What problems does my

organisation face in contributing to an innovation platform?

• What problems do we face in terms of connectivity?

• Solutions• How could we collect and organise

the information demands within our organisation?

• What services could we offer to other members of the coalition in return for support in key areas?

Methodologies for the tool box

• Developing contents – language, format, messages....

• Strengthening our network – building social capital

• Lessons from Value chain analysis

• Information markets

• Skills training

• Innovation systems – an interactive experience

• Science writing skills

• Radio listening clubs (PANOS)

• Your suggestions and demands........

Thinking about communications technologies

Monitoring and Evaluation

•Communication needs to support user groups to articulate demand.

•M&E needs to measure demand to show that this has been enhanced

•How do we measure ‘into use’?•Knowledge management explores the explicit-tacit interface to show how user groups incorporate new knowledge into their existing skills set

RIU Blog

http://researchintouse.wordpress.com

•Questions???

•Feedback

•DEMANDS!!!

Entry points

•What are the strong and weak links?

•Environment for information and knowledge flows?

•Trust building at network, coalition and platform level

–More communication = more trust

Challenges

• What is new? New linkages, new contents, new tools

• What will it achieve? How does communication support purpose r-i-u

• What can we learn?– About creating linkages– About building trust?– About sharing knowledge and

experiences?