Planning

communication
into science
Deliver impact from your research

By Toss Gascoigne and Jenni Metcalfe

bringing science to life

 Published in Australia by Econnect Communication Pty Ltd, Kurilpa Studio, 14 Horan St,
West End, Brisbane, Australia

© Econnect Communication Pty Ltd 2012

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968,
no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the authors.

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AUTHORS
Toss Gascoigne is interested in the interaction between scientists, researchers and the policymaking process,
and the part the media can play in influencing this process. He is President of the International Network for
the Public Communication of Science and Technology, a life member of Australian Science Communicators,
and former executive director to the Federation of Australian Scientific & Technological Societies and the
Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Jenni Metcalfe is a science and environmental communication consultant and Director of Econnect
Communication Pty Ltd. She has worked as a science communicator for more than 20 years. She has
qualifications in both journalism and science, and is interested in the application of effective strategic
communication. She is a Foundation Member of Australian Science Communicators and was President for
two years (2006 and 2007). During her term as president, she convened the Fifth World Conference of
Science Journalists in Australia (Melbourne, April 2007).

Econnect Communication Pty Ltd

PO Box 734, South Brisbane BC, QLD 4101, Australia
Phone: +61 (0)7 3846 7111
www.econnect.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to Sarah Cole for editing.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS WORKSHOPS

Econnect Communication organises workshops, throughout Australia and internationally,
on presenting science, talking science with the media, communicating science, engaging the public
with science, managing media issues and crises, and writing for the reader.

Please direct all workshop enquiries to:

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Email: admin@econnect.com.au
www.econnect.com.au

i
Planning
communication
into science

bringing science to life

ii
 CONTENTS
PLANNING SCIENCE COMMUNICATION ..............................................................................1

Why communicate? ................................................................................................................. 2

What is a communication plan? ............................................................................................... 2

Why plan communication? ...................................................................................................... 2

When should you plan communication? .................................................................................. 4

THE SEVEN-STEP PROCESS ...................................................................................................5

Step 1. Define who ................................................................................................................. 7

Step 2. Determine why ........................................................................................................... 9

Step 3. Describe relationships .............................................................................................. 11

Step 4. Design messages ...................................................................................................... 14

Step 5. Decide on activities .................................................................................................. 16

Step 6. Detail evaluation ...................................................................................................... 18

Step 7. Delineate roles and responsibilities .......................................................................... 21

TROUBLESHOOT TO MAKE SURE YOUR PLAN WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ...........................23

ATTACHMENTS ...................................................................................................................27

Attachment 1: Planning forms ............................................................................................... 28

Attachment 2: Groups of individuals for environment/natural resource projects ...................... 32

Attachment 3: Risk communication........................................................................................ 37

Attachment 4: Message pre-testing questionnaire .................................................................. 39

Attachment 5: Communication skills audit ............................................................................. 41

Attachment 6: Tips for collaborative and multi-disciplinary teams ........................................... 43

iii
PLANNING SCIENCE
COMMUNICATION
 WHY
COMMUNICATE?
The best ideas will be lost if people never see them.
Ideas and research results can only create impact
if the intended users know about them. They
need to be communicated; published in journals,
on a website or in a newsletter; or discussed with
interested parties.
Not to communicate is to diminish the value of
a research project. People will not appreciate the
capacity of your organisation or research because
they have not heard about its work. Staff and
colleagues will lack a clear sense of the direction
and priorities of the research. Poor communication
causes ignorance and confusion.
Good communication adds value. It is a basic
measure of the effectiveness of an organisation:
how many of its ideas are adopted? Is it well-
known? How influential is it in setting new policy
directions? Communication can help people
adopt new approaches or consider new ideas. It
generates discussion and critical input which leads
to more workable solutions. It can attract funding
and support for an organisation.
Clear communication brings long-term benefits
to a research project—strong reputation, mutually
beneficial relationships, renewed funding. These
benefits do not happen by accident. They do not
automatically flow to research projects doing
quality work. Benefits often rely on the right
people within other organisations understanding
and appreciating what you are doing.
The best research projects have communication
planning entrenched in their processes.
2
WHAT IS A
COMMUNICATION
PLAN?
A communication plan sets out how you are
going to communicate the right messages to
the right people at the right time. It defines
your communication objectives, the groups or
individuals you want to communicate with most,
communication activities, and timeframes.
Communication planning is a crucial step in the
process of conducting research or writing policy.
You will see that we do not use words such as
‘target’, ‘stakeholder’ or ‘audience’ in this booklet.
This is a deliberate attempt to encourage you to
think of communication as a two-way process
between you and the people you would like to
communicate with.
WHY PLAN
COMMUNICATION?
Effective communication does not happen by
accident. It requires thoughtful planning and
proper resourcing. Many research groups get so
bound up in generating new ideas that they forget
about communication until the conclusion of the
project, when money is running low and timelines
are short.
“Funding [research] efforts generously while
scrimping on communication is false economy.
And putting communication towards the bottom
of every ‘to do’ list is a way to guarantee that
there is never enough time to communicate
effectively. Instead, communication must be part
of [achieving research outcomes] rather than
sugar-coating them.”
(Source: Chess, C 1992, ‘Attacking a problem with
the facts’, EPA Journal, vol. 46.)
INCREASING THE ADOPTION OF YOUR RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Much of your communication effort is probably directed at introducing new processes, changing behaviours
or influencing policies. You want your research to be used by those it was designed to help.

Having a well-designed and researched communication plan will increase adoption of your research outputs,
particularly if it is based on:

• understanding as much as you can about the people who could use or apply your research outputs (this
may require some research)
• finding out how people like to receive information, what they are concerned about, and what is
currently stopping them from adopting your research outputs
• delivering clear and consistent messages about the advantages and disadvantages of adopting your
research outputs
• supporting leaders or ‘champions’ from identified groups to promote the benefits of adoption to their peers.
Messages are most effectively conveyed by third parties—people seen as credible by the priority groups
• encouraging the participation of end users in the research and involving them in any decisions likely
to affect them
• providing incentives to people for adopting research outputs
• timing communication activities to suit the identified needs of people
• following up the initial adoption of research outputs to monitor how successful this has been,
and to look at ways to make it more successful.

3
 When should you plan communication?
Communication is ideally included within a research project from the beginning. Plan to replace last-minute,
poorly conceived communication efforts with thoughtful ones, where objectives, identified groups of people
and messages are all given proper consideration.

You can communicate about your research at any point throughout your research project—but always know
who you want to communicate with, and why.

RESEARCH STAGE WHY COMMUNICATE? TO REACH WHO?

Exploring the problem or need • Get support • General public

• Raise awareness • Colleagues, peers
• Gain input • Industry
• Identify collaborators • Funding agencies
• Politicians
Proposal-writing • Get funding • Funding agencies
• Politicians
Funding announced • Profile the funding agency • Funding agencies
• Raise awareness • General public
• Attract partners • Industry
Research carried out • Obtain local involvement and • Local communities
knowledge • Funding agencies
• Inform local community • Colleagues, peers
• Reassure funders they are
getting value for money
Outcomes achieved • Influence change, actions, • End users
policy, attitudes • Politicians
• Get support for new research • Funding agencies
• Attract partners • General public
• Profile the achievements
Uptake and adoption of research • Increase uptake • End users
outcomes • Attract partners • Politicians
• Profile the achievements • Funding agencies
• General public

4
THE SEVEN-STEP PROCESS
 THERE ARE SEVEN STEPS IN CREATING A COMMUNICATION PLAN.

These seven steps start with identifying who you want to communicate with—the individuals and groups
most important to your research. Once you have identified these people and organisations, you then need to
categorise them into groups.

Steps 2–6 then focus separately on each group to clarify communication objectives, understanding, messages,
activities and evaluation. This process reflects the importance of planning communication for specific groups.

Communication is most effective when it is designed for specific groups of people, and when you clearly
understand their perceptions, concerns and needs.

Step 7 brings everything together to develop an action plan that spans all the groups you want to
communicate with.

STEP 1. DEFINE WHO:

Identify the people you want to communicate with and categorise them.
Who uses your work, or collaborates with you or funds you?
Who do you want to influence? Whose behaviours or attitudes do you want to change?

STEP 2. DETERMINE OBJECTIVES:

Determine the need for communication with each group.
What do you want to achieve?
Why do you want to communicate with each group?

STEP 3. DESCRIBE DESIRED RELATIONSHIPS:

Understand the people you want to communicate with.
What are their perceptions of you? Their concerns? Their communication needs?
What relationship do you have with them now?
What sort of relationship do you want to have with them in the future?

STEP 4. DESIGN MESSAGES:

Design communication messages.
What are the points you want to get across?
What does each group want to know? What could they get wrong?

STEP 5. DECIDE ON ACTIVITIES:

Choose communication activities.
How will you communicate with them?
How do they like to receive information—website, personal meeting or newsletter?

STEP 6. DETAIL EVALUATION:

Build in evaluation.
How will you test the communication plan while it is still unfolding, and again when it is complete?

STEP 7. DELINEATE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Produce an action plan.
Who is responsible?
What resources are needed?
What is the timeline?

At their simplest, communication plans can be done on the back of an envelope.

A communication plan should not be a complex, bulky folder which gathers dust on the bookshelf.
6
It should be a live, working document, to be adapted with changing circumstances.
STEP 1. DEFINE WHO
Who uses your work, or collaborates, or funds
Choosing who
you? Who do you want to influence? Whose
behaviours or attitudes do you want to change? The following questions will help you determine
who you should communicate with:
The success of any communication effort
will hinge on identifying groups and specific 1. Who has previously been involved in your
individuals early. Identify the people who should activities?
be involved in a dialogue about the work you do.
Be specific! 2. Who is likely to be affected directly by your
activities—in research, policy or action?
It is not just people who might want to hear
3. Who is likely to be angry if you do not discuss
what you have to say. There are also people
relevant issues with them in advance?
who want to tell you things. For instance, they
could resent decisions made without their input. 4. Who might help you because they have
These people are likely to be your top priority to important information, ideas or opinions?
communicate with. If you’re in a multidisciplinary
team, Attachment 6 can give you some pointers 5. Who should you involve to make sure you
on communicating within the team. have a balanced range of opinions?

The groups or individuals on your ‘who’ list might
include:
• industry and other people who use your ideas
• internal staff and colleagues
6. Who needs to know what is happening (even
though they may not especially want to have
input)?
7. Which networks, particularly local, do you
need to involve in the communication?

• federal, state or regional bureaucrats and 8. Who in your own organisation needs to be
policymakers involved or informed because they are involved
in the communication process?
• funding bodies (e.g. Australian Research
Council)

• the public, which will ultimately benefit from

or be affected by your work

• researchers from other organisations in

a similar field

• interest groups and representative bodies

(e.g. environmental groups).

Work out who needs or

wants to hear what you
have to say, and who wants
to tell you something. 7
 Internal communication
One of your most important groups is internal:
the people involved in your project ororganisation.
They can be the most challenging to communicate
with.
Many research project teams are multidisciplinary,
multi-site and often also multi-organisational.
Each ‘multi’ adds to the challenge.
Prioritising your groups
Once you have divided people and organisations
into groups, you need to prioritise them.
Which are the most important groups? Use the
concentric ‘rings of influence’ at the bottom of
the page to choose the top three to five. Do not
choose too many—it will make your plan difficult
to manage and resource.

Grouping individuals and Reality check

organisations Make sure you have included:

Once you have identified people and • everyone who is likely to benefit from the
organisations, it is a good idea to group them so research
you can more easily work through the next steps
• everyone who could lose from the research
in planning.
outcomes
This can be done in two main ways, based on:
• people who could provide relevant expertise
1. Common institutional arrangements and information to the research process
For example: Commonwealth Government
• people who are important for cooperation in,
agencies, state government agencies, local
or funding of, the research activities
government agencies, regional natural
resource management groups, research • people you work with within the project.
funding agencies, non-government
If you work in natural resources or environmental
organisations
research projects, you may find the checklist in
2. Common roles Attachment 2 useful.
For example: data providers, data users, data
managers, policymakers, research funders and
supporters, project participants

You should divide people and organisations into

groups based on thinking about the commonalities
of each group which might influence your
communication objectives, messages and activities.

Inner circle Crucial. These groups are critical to the success of the project. If you aim to change
behaviours or influence policies, these are the most important people.

Second circle Significant. These groups will have specialist knowledge or be the end users likely to
act on your results.

Third circle Involved. They may have some input into your project or are users of the final
product, but will not be major contributors.

Fourth circle Interested. On the periphery, and possibly impacted.

Outside the circle Everyone else. That is, people or groups curious about the project, but unlikely to be
impacted in a significant way.

8 (Adapted from: Turbit, N 2012, Key stakeholder support, Project Perfect,

<www.projectperfect.com.au/info_key_stakeholder.php>.)
STEP 2. DETERMINE WHY
What are your objectives?
What do you want to achieve? A communication
plan should contain formal objectives for each
group or individual.
Possible objectives might be to:
• increase your profile and your chances of
gaining funding
• counter misinformation in a public debate
• promote discussion on a new and better way
of doing things
• improve awareness about the aims and
progress of a project for the people you
work with
• establish links with other researchers
• change behaviours
• attract a commercial partner
• raise public awareness of new technology or
impending changes
• influence policy discussions or gain political
support.
Communication costs time and money, so you
need a good reason.
A checklist of possible
objectives
RELATIONSHIP AND NETWORKS
OBJECTIVES
• to find out the perceptions, concerns and
communication needs of your groups
• to build and maintain your credibility
• to build a relationship (personal and/or professional)
• to identify and maintain informal and formal
networks
INFORMATION EXCHANGE OBJECTIVES
• to provide data that people need
• to tell people what the organisation or project
has done, is doing, or plans to do
• to tell people what the organisation or project
cannot do, and why
• to answer questions and respond to concerns
• to gain information and feedback from people
INVOLVEMENT AND EVALUATION
OBJECTIVES
• to give maximum opportunities for people to
give input, including—where appropriate—a
chance to help make and carry out key
decisions
• to coordinate actions with collaborators
• to involve people and benefit from their ideas
and support
ACTION OBJECTIVES
• to increase adoption of new practices
• to influence policy development
• to change specific behaviours, attitudes or
practices
FUNDING AND ORGANISATIONAL
OBJECTIVES
• to gain support to continue your organisation
• to gain funding
• to establish your organisation as a legitimate
voice in the discussion.
9

Keep objectives achievable
To keep the communication plan manageable,
choose no more than three objectives for each
priority group. It is better to start a plan with
limited objectives, short time-horizons and
adequate resources, than to be overambitious.
Remember, you may have the same objectives for
a number of different groups.
Communication objectives are not the same as the
business objectives for a project. It is important
not to confuse the two.
The business objectives for a project could be to
introduce new crop rotation systems in a farming
system. The communication objectives for the
same project could be to explain to producers the
costs and benefits of adopting such a system.
The two objectives should work together.
10
One way to construct objectives is to use the
SMART approach:
• specific
• measurable
• achievable
• realistic
• time-focused.
This has some benefits, although if the objectives
are measurable and time-focused, they usually
meet the other criteria.
Your objectives may change as the project
progresses.
At the beginning you may wish to alert industry
and research groups to the aims of the project,
to invite their input or give them time to adjust
to possible outcomes. As results come in, you will
want to update the people most closely affected.
At the end of the project, your objective could be
to disseminate the full results and advise a wide
group of people of the implications of the work.
STEP 3. DESCRIBE RELATIONSHIPS
Understand your priority Perceptions, concerns, needs
groups In thinking about your priority groups, consider
the following questions:
Not all people have identical views. Some may
support your project, others may oppose it. Some 1. Perceptions What do they
may have a hidden agenda or be threatened by already know and
it, or see it as an opportunity to further their own understand about the
interests. Others could be hoping for a completely organisation/project?
different outcome.
2. Concerns What are their
Part of the planning process is to build up an concerns about the
understanding of your priority groups. What do organisation/project?
they think; what do they feel? 3. Communication What information do
needs they want?
You can gain a more complete picture by:
How do they want to
• asking them what they think be communicated with
• talking to them, informally or by phone (e.g. email, phone,
workshop, etc.)?
• inviting them to talk about their priorities at
a seminar How do they want to
interact with you and
• writing to them, inviting them to raise your team?
questions and concerns

• Googling the organisation and its leaders to Checklist of possible concerns

check what they are saying in public
In general, people’s concerns fall into four
• reading media clippings categories:
• reading surveys (remember that other people
1. Survival and lifestyle concerns: How will this
may have already surveyed them, so you can
affect me/my family? How does it affect my
easily review the results without conducting
environment?
another survey)
2. Data and information concerns: What is this
• running focus-group discussions.
stuff? Can I trust your information?

3. Process concerns: Am I being treated fairly?

4. Risk management concerns: What are you

going to do about this?

11
 The following list represents common issues you
might find when researching people’s concerns.
HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE CONCERNS
What is the danger to my health and that of
my family?
PROCESS CONCERNS
Although technical people tend to focus on data,
people may be very concerned with issues other
than the data.
How will we be involved in decision-making?

Can I drink the water; eat the vegetables in my
garden, etc.?
What can I do to find out if my health has
been affected?
What can I do to reduce the damage already
done?
How will you communicate with us?
Why should we trust you?
How and when can we reach you?
Who else are you talking with?
When will we hear from you?

What can I do to prevent further damage? RISK MANAGEMENT CONCERNS

What about my children? Concerns about how the issue or risk will be
We are already at risk because of X. Will Y handled are often more important to people than
increase our risk? details about the data.

How will this affect our quality of life or When will the problem be corrected?
property values: the stigma of X attached to
What are the other options? Why do you
our community, trucks on our local roads, bad
favour option X?
odours, etc.?
Why are you moving so slowly to correct the
How will this make our environment look?
problem?
DATA AND INFORMATION CONCERNS What kind of oversight will we have into
decisions to be made or actions to be taken?
How sure are you?
Will the government use this information to
What is the worst-case scenario?
legislate against us?
What do these numbers mean and how did
you get them?

How do we know your studies are correct?

What about other expert opinions on this

issue?

How does the level compare to international

standards?

You say X cannot happen. Why not?

12
Active listening Consider desired relationships
An important skill for eliciting concerns is active A relationship can be defined as a connection
listening. between people having dealings with one another.

Active listening means that you do not impose
your agenda or concerns upon others. Instead,
you listen to their concerns, clarify any points
they might be making, and then check back with
them to confirm you really understood what they
were telling you.
The most effective communication plan will
take into account the attitudes and needs of
people involved (even peripherally) with your
project. Understanding this will help you shape
your messages and the methods you use to
communicate.
Clarifying your desired relationships so they reflect
people’s concerns and needs will produce more
effective and realistic communication. These
relationships will be further defined through
experience.
However, an understanding of what is desired
from relationships at the beginning of the
communication process will help direct that
process.
For the communication process to be open and
accountable, it is important to consider what sort
of relationships you (or the project) currently have
with identified people, and what relationship you
desire throughout the communication process.

Mackay’s 10 Laws of Human Communication Does this involve qualities such as trust,
participation, understanding, empowerment,
1. It’s not what our message does to the empathy and respect?
listener, but what the listener does with our
message that determines our success as Examples of desired relationships:
communicators.
• mutual understanding and trust based on
2. Listeners generally interpret messages in ways knowledge and the opportunity for dialogue
that make them feel comfortable and secure.
• empathy for the needs of people in the
3. When people’s attitudes are attacked head-on, context of regional sustainability
they are likely to defend those attitudes and,
• confidence in, and understanding of, decision-
in the process, to reinforce them.
making processes and decisions made
4. People pay most attention to messages which
• effective skills, knowledge and capacity
are relevant to their own circumstances and
to participate in decision-making and in
point of view.
sustainable resource management.
5. People who are insecure in a relationship are
unlikely to be good listeners.

6. People are more likely to listen to us if we also

listen to them.

7. People are more likely to change in response

to a combination of new experience and
communication, rather than in response to
communication alone.

8. People are more likely to support a change

which affects them if they are consulted
before a change is made.

9. The message in what is said will be interpreted

in the light of how, when, where, and by
whom it is said.

10. Lack of self-knowledge and an unwillingness to

resolve our own internal conflicts makes it harder
for us to communicate with other people.

(Source: Mackay, H 1994, Why don’t people 13

listen?, Pan MacMillan Australia, Sydney.)
 STEP 4. DESIGN MESSAGES
What points do you want to
Messages should be reflected in the content of
get across? any communication products—written or verbal.

Clear, consistent messages are the foundation

of successful communication. These messages
need to be agreed upon and incorporated in all
communication, both internal and external.
The following risk communication process is a
useful process.
1. Your needs. What do you want to get across
to the group?
What do you want people to remember?
“If there was one thing you want people to
remember about your work, what would it be?
This doesn’t have to be written like a key message,
but it should capture the essence of what you’re
doing.

This is the easy bit—thinking about the key
points you would like to make. But you should
not stop there. All effective communication
also considers the needs of the specific group.
2. Relevance. What does this group want to
know about your work?
3. Clarity. What could this group get wrong
unless you stress the correct information? This
may mean you need to discover the current
perceptions and concerns of the group about
you or your organisation.
You should use the answers to questions two
and three to modify the answer to question
one. This will shape your final messages.
Message examples:
The ‘lasting impression’ idea forces you to boil
down what you’re doing to one or two sentences
that the ‘average’ person can understand. It’s a
great way to let the plan’s reader know, in simple
terms, what’s going on.
That’s an important thing to remember
throughout your plan. You’re writing this to
help you plan an appropriate approach to this
communication activity but you’re also writing it
to help others understand (and approve of) what
you’re planning.
As an added benefit of doing this, you’ll learn how
to explain the gist of your initiative simply. This is
an essential skill for communicators.”
(Source: Fleet, D 2008, Strategic communications
planning, ebook.)

• Climate variability means that the traditional

crops are increasingly risky for farmers. Our
group can advise on new varieties for planting
earlier in the season to take full advantage of
higher soil moisture content.

• We have rainfall, temperature and wind-speed

data for Queensland over the last 30 years.
These data are available to land managers and
industry groups for a modest fee.

• The training programs we offer include short

courses, internships and distance education.
They are highly regarded by industry and can
be taken at diploma or certificate level. All
courses are credentialed by the University of
Ballarat.

• We want to get your feedback on our draft

research products to make sure they meet
your needs.

14
Risk messages
Scientific and technical communication often
means communication about uncertainty.
Much of the information generated by research is
not absolute and may change with new research.
This makes it difficult for scientists to
communicate with people other than peers
or colleagues. This is especially true for
communication about sensitive environmental
and/or health information. Scientists want to give
foolproof information to maintain their credibility,
so may hesitate to voice an opinion until all the
data are checked and re-checked.
In being cautious in voicing opinions, science can
appear hesitant or uncertain to non-scientific
groups. Scientists have to balance the preference
of most people for information expressed in black
and white terms, with the knowledge that they
are providing views based on the best currently
available knowledge.
It is not only the public that wants clear-cut advice.
Policymakers, for instance, need to make decisions
on the best available information even if it is
incomplete.
Tips for communicating about risk are included in
Attachment 3.
“Messages which emphasise losses that occur as a
result of inaction are consistently more persuasive
than are messages that emphasise savings as a
result of taking action.”
(Source: McKenzie-Mohr, D 2012, Fostering
sustainable behaviour: an introduction to
community-based social marketing, ebook.)
Communicating cross-group
messages
Messages often revolve around simple questions:
what you are doing, why, and what will change
as a result. Some of these messages, particularly
those about what your project is doing and why,
will be generic to all groups you have prioritised
for your communication.
“For instance, in the case of a project team,
the key messages may be the:
Project status: Whether the project is currently
operating within the agreed schedule and budget
Project issues: The impact of the issues currently
affecting the project and the actions taken to
resolve them
Project risks: The high-level risks which may
affect the project and the actions taken to
mitigate, avoid or reduce them
Project deliverables: The deliverables completed
to-date and the items scheduled for completion
within the next reporting period
Project resources: Any resource constraints
currently affecting the project.”
(Source: Method123 2003, Project management
guidebook, ebook.)
15
 STEP 5. DECIDE ON ACTIVITIES
How will you communicate
with each group?
The most important consideration when choosing
a method of communication is to use whatever
method each specific group prefers. Always select
methods to communicate which are comfortable
and familiar to your priority groups.
This will differ from group to group. Priority
groups and individuals will prefer to hear about
significant changes at a personal meeting, rather
than read about them in the media. A workshop
or a seminar will be the best strategy for some
people, such as scientific or technical colleagues.
For others, media coverage supported by more
detailed information on your website will be the
most effective way of spreading your message.
Work out who needs or
wants to hear what you
have to say, and who wants
to tell you something.
16
When choosing activities, here are eight things to
consider:
1. Involve people in communication design—
negotiate with them about how they want
to be informed and involved (within the
limitations of your communication plan).
2. Use a mix of activities in your communication
mix—people receive information and provide
their views in different ways, and tactics suited
to one group may not suit another.
3. Maximise participation by tapping into existing
networks.
4. Change the activities, if needed, as the
communication process and relationships
evolve, as the project develops, as new groups
emerge, as interests decline, if a conflict
develops, or the scope of the communication
widens.
5. Shape activities to reflect the communication
messages you have designed.
6. Aim to get feedback on at least some
activities, and encourage people to provide
comment or advice.
7. Experiment with creative and new approaches
to engage a wider range of people.
8. Consider the resources available for
communication—including your and other
people’s time.
 Consultation activities
Look at the options
• questionnaire
Many options are available, and they need to be
selected on the basis of effectiveness, cost and • interviews
speed, as well as the preference of the priority
group. • survey

Mass communication activities • focus group

• workshop.
• website

• media liaison and promotion

The more controversial or sensitive an issue is,
• new media—blogs, Twitter, social networking the more you will need to use personal and
face-to-face approaches.
Personal communication activities

• personal briefing, face-to-face or by phone

• seminar, workshop, conference

Prioritising your activities
You will have to prioritise proposed activities on
• social event
the grounds of cost and available time. Prioritising
• field day activities will keep the communication manageable
and within a realistic budget. For example, is an
• display, exhibition (only works if someone is
emailed newsletter more cost-effective than a
there to talk to people face-to-face)
hard-copy newsletter? How often should you
• email strive to hold networking or communication
events?
Publication activities
You could prioritise the activities by writing
• formal scientific paper them down and then separating them into
• newsletter activities that you:

• fact sheet, brochure • must do

• briefing paper • should do

Networking activities • would like to do.

• establish a network

• link to established network

• support ‘champions’ to communicate with

peers

• link with formal education networks/providers

17
 STEP 6. DETAIL EVALUATION
How will you test the plan?
Evaluate the communication plan while it is still
in progress, and again when it is finished. A
running evaluation allows you to tweak and adjust
your activities, mid-plan. For instance, you may
discover that information posted to your website
is ambiguous.
Project priorities will change and people’s
communication needs are dynamic, so you
may need to make changes to meet new
circumstances. What you want to say at the
beginning of a project will be different to
publicising the results at the end.
It is important that communication plans are
flexible and remain relevant for your priority
groups.
Evaluate at the end
Evaluate at the end to measure the success of the
communication effort. Was it worthwhile?
Establishing the criteria for success and
identifying how you will measure success (the
performance indicators) are basic components of
a communication plan, and should be in place
before you put the plan into operation.
You need performance indicators for each
objective. They can be divided into two groups:
quantitative and qualitative.
Quantitative measures
• How many people attended a public meeting?
• What was the increase in your website traffic?

Evaluation after the plan will help improve your
planning processes for next time, and give a basis
to justify further spending on communication.
It should also demonstrate the benefits of
planning communication.
Evaluation can be a tough area to tackle and
finding the right tools to measure changes in
community or industry attitudes is challenging. But
some simple methods can work well.
• A survey of Y group indicates that X% of
respondents were satisfied with services
provided by your project.
Qualitative measures
• the positive coverage of organisation in
the media
• the number of positive themes emerging
from focus-group discussions.

Evaluate as you go
Evaluation during the operation of the plan helps
you to check progress. Are you achieving your
objectives and meeting the needs of identified
groups and individuals?

• Ask people to complete feedback

questionnaires at the end of an activity.

• Pre-test the messages and design of written

documents (see Attachment 4).

• Collect media clippings and review coverage.

What messages are coming through?

• Monitor web use; for example, track the

number of visitors each month and the pages
they visit.

• Hold a team meeting to discuss progress.

• Conduct a short online survey, for example,

using www.surveymonkey.com.

• Interview people.

18
Baseline data
Obviously if you want to measure how much something has changed from the start to the end of your
communication plan, you will need initial baseline information. For example, the current level of web use,
or the current level of satisfaction with publications produced by your project.

The following table shows an example of performance indicators against objectives and how these might be
measured. This was part of a climate change communication plan developed for the Grains Research
& Development Corporation.

COMMUNICATION WHO? PERFORMANCE INDICATORS EVALUATION TOOLS

OBJECTIVE

Awareness: Raise Growers Level of awareness of climate GRDC survey tool

awareness about change impacts or another
the impacts of Advisors commissioned survey
climate change on Level of knowledge of
regional climates adaptation and mitigation
and grain businesses, initiatives and best practices
and the benefits
Level of support for GRDC
of adaptation and
climate change projects and
mitigation practices.
activities

Knowledge: Integrate Growers Number of requests for advice Internal records

and disseminate and information
knowledge generated Advisors Feedback sheets
from relevant climate Satisfaction with quality and
accessibility of information GRDC survey tool
change research.
or another
Level of climate change commissioned survey
knowledge and understanding
Focus groups

Adoption: Increase Growers Level of stated, identified GRDC survey tool

adoption of best-practice behaviours or another
practices and tools Advisors commissioned survey
for adapting to
climate change
and mitigating
greenhouse gas
emissions.

19
 CHECKING FOR SUCCESS

Information exchange

You know you are succeeding when you:

• provide information at the right time and in the preferred format of your priority groups

• write and speak using language that is appropriate for your priority groups

• use a variety of methods to communicate, rather than relying on one method; for example,
a brochure or website

• personally meet as many individuals from identified groups as you can at seminars, workshops,
field days, and other activities

• design information products that reflect a good understanding of the individual needs of
identified groups.

Relationships and networks

You know you are succeeding when you:

• understand the environment, perceptions, concerns and communication needs of the people you want
to communicate with

• focus on relationships and the quality of those relationships, rather than the mere transfer of information

• seek to build and maintain long-term, credible relationships

• develop and support local partnerships and networks

• accept that informal personal networks are vital.

Involvement and evaluation

You know you are succeeding when you:

• allocate budget and resources to monitor and evaluate communication activities

• acknowledge people’s opinions and ideas so that they feel confident about giving input into
decision-making processes

• develop a communication plan in collaboration with relevant people

• make it easy for people to participate in your activities (e.g. policy development,
change in management practices, research, etc.).

20
STEP 7. DELINEATE ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
In this step, you will look at all your plans for each Draw up a table in Word or Excel.
priority group and bring them together
to create an action plan. You can use this as an action plan. It should
include the following headings:

Creating an action plan • activity (newsletter, seminar, web update, etc.)

A communication plan can be quite simple, • who

contained on a single sheet. If you have worked
• objectives met
through the first six steps, your plan is largely
complete. • responsibility

It now needs to be translated into action. First, • others involved

discuss the outline with your colleagues and get
• deadline
general agreement. Then decisions have to be
made: What resources are needed? Who will be • time needed
responsible for carrying out the various actions?
What is the timeline? • budget needed.

An action plan with identified milestones and
performance measures can be a useful way of
formalising this process.
The best action plans are simple and direct.
A good action plan will:
1. Nominate a person to be in charge. Someone
needs to drive the plan as a whole.
2. Have a limited time period before it is
reviewed. Three to six months is a good time.
3. Outline achievable activities. Do not try to
do too much at once; pick two or three key
things to achieve for each priority group.
You will probably find it useful for your team to
brainstorm what could go wrong as the plan is
implemented, and discuss how you might manage
any problems.
Remember that your team likely has people with
a variety of communication skills. Identify them
and make the most of the talents available.
Attachment 5 provides a communication skills
audit that you can use with members of your
team.
If you are having resource, time, legal, or support
issues with creating and implementing a good
action plan, see the troubleshooting tips later in
this booklet.

4. Be specific about who does what and when.

5. Include evaluation activities.

6. Be adequately resourced. Remember, people’s

time is also a resource.

7. Be flexible. Make it a working document

and update it regularly as things change.
Plans need to be adapted as new needs,
issues or groups emerge.

Choose someone to
drive your action plan 21
22
SAMPLE ACTION PLAN

Activity Which priority Objectives Evaluation Who’s responsible? Others Deadline Time needed Costs
group? met involved

Re-design Researchers 1,3,5 Web traffic. Bruce (compile Carla (web All done by 1 Bruce 3 days Admin—phone,
section of working in Informal results, oversee) design); Robert Feb website
website; put up similar areas feedback. (simplify
latest results at universities, Phone calls format)
other to check back
departments, with selected
CSIRO researchers.

Workshop to Policy 2 Number of Communication Head of Planning to Carla 3 days $100

announce and people with attendees. manager (organise Monitoring be complete
discuss latest Department. Evaluation venue, program, to advise on 14 Aug; event
monitoring Collaborating form food, invitations) program). scheduling
results researchers completed by Researcher/s 16 Sep
all at end of (speaking)
workshop.

Issue media Urban people 4 Count number Communication Project Release Robert 1 day Catering venue
release on in north of outlets manager manager approved 12 costs
workshop Queensland release went Sep; issued 15
to. Monitor Sep
media
coverage, web
hits.

Use Attachment 1 to plan your own communication effort.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
 TROUBLESHOOT TO MAKE SURE YOUR
PLAN WILL BE IMPLEMENTED
The best way to ensure that your communication plan will be implemented is to anticipate problems
and find ways to avoid them.

It is easier to plan how you will cope with potential problems than to deal with them in emergency
circumstances that could derail your communication effort.

Below are five areas that may pose obstacles, and some ways to overcome them. They are not meant
to be all-inclusive, but rather to trigger your thinking.

RESOURCES TIME
POTENTIAL CONSTRAINTS Although some people feel that there is
insufficient time to communicate with various
• insufficient staff groups, failure to communicate can threaten the
• insufficient funding for printing, success of a project.
subcontracting, etc.
POTENTIAL CONSTRAINTS
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
• pressure from inside or outside the project to
• Plan more rather than less. Rushed planning act quickly
will often result in increased implementation
• mandated deadlines
costs and time.
• lots of needed to communicate (e.g. groups
• Set clear objectives and priorities. It is easier
widely dispersed).
to decide how to reduce your effort when you
are very clear on what you want to do. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

• Plan the development of written materials in
advance, rather than at the last minute, so
that key items can serve several functions.
• Train technical staff so that aspects of
communication are integrated into their day-
to-day work.
• Involve leaders of your key groups in
communication efforts to their members.
• Remind management that a communication
effort in time ‘saves nine’; proactive attempts
to communicate are usually less labour-
intensive than ‘putting out fires’ later on.
• Give management reports of success,
preferably from an independent and respected
source.
• Plan communication efforts early so they can
be integrated into other timelines. It is easier
to involve people in decision-making as part of
the project’s processes, rather than arranging
it afterwards.
• Develop streamlined processes. Instead of
redrafting materials many times, involve key
people in planning the materials. Consider
having editing meetings rather than circulating
and recirculating drafts.
• Consider informal, smaller scale
communication efforts rather than large-scale
events that need a great deal of lead time.
• Recycle your efforts. Keeping organised lists of
contacts; files of previous materials can speed
your work tremendously.

24
LEGAL ATTITUDES OF
Legal or commercial-in-confidence concerns may THOSE OUTSIDE
be a constraint but too often are an excuse for
failing to communicate. Some people use these THE PROJECT/
‘issues’ as barriers to hide behind.
ORGANISATION
POTENTIAL CONSTRAINTS
Project staff are sometimes concerned that those
• liability, confidentiality outside their group, determined to stir up conflict,
will ‘sabotage’ any communication effort.
• unwieldy procedures.

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS POTENTIAL CONSTRAINTS

• Explore the boundaries of what you can • political agendas

say without breaching legal or commercial
boundaries.
• Examine statutory language rather than
assuming that barriers exist.
• Explain your plans and ask legal staff for help
to overcome any potential problems.
• Understand from the outset that there will be
some things that cannot be discussed because
of legal or commercial constraints.
• lack of knowledge about technical processes,
issues, risk, etc.
• demands for certainty
• failure to appreciate limitations of resources,
science, etc.
• hidden agendas.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
• Involve people in decision-making. It is
particularly important to involve those who are
most likely to be angry or affected.

MANAGEMENT • Listen to people outside your project.

• Give people background on the issues so they

SUPPORT can understand.

The success of communication efforts can hinge

on support from management.

POTENTIAL CONSTRAINTS

• senior staff paying lip-service to

communication but not following it up with a
commitment to recruit, train and reward staff
for such skills

• failure to approve or support communication

plans and materials, or delays in approvals

• failure to allocate sufficient resources.

Potential solutions

• Develop well-articulated plans, with rationales

in terms that management can respond to.

• Document people’s feedback and build models

of success.

• Build alliances inside and outside the project.

• Keep your supervisors informed.

25
 NOTES

26
ATTACHMENTS
 ATTACHMENT 1: PLANNING FORMS
Feel free to photocopy these and use.

The communication plan—one for each priority group

Draw up a list of your priority groups. These might include the industry you work with, the broad community,
politicians and bureaucrats responsible for policy, partners in the project, and an internal group.

You need a plan for each separate priority group because each group has unique features. Although you will
have a separate sheet for each priority group, some sections may be common.

1. Who

Write down the name

of the first priority
group. If there are
any particularly
important
organisations and
individuals in your
selected group, list
them here.

2. Objectives 1.

Why do you want to

communicate with
this group? What do
you aim to achieve?
2.
List your objectives.

Try to limit them to

three for each group.
3.

3. Relationships

Understand them.
What are their
perceptions of you?

Do they have any

concerns? What are
they?

What do they want

from you?

28
4. Messages 1.

What are your key

messages for this
group?

Again, try to limit 2.

them to three.

3.

5. Activities Personal communication activities Publication activities

What is the best way ❏ personal briefing, ❏ formal scientific paper

to communicate with face-to-face or by phone
this group? ❏ newsletter, fact sheet, brochure
❏ seminar, workshop,
❏ briefing paper
You need to balance conference
their preferences
with your capacity. ❏ social event ❏ other:

What is their
❏ field day

preferred ❏ display, exhibition

communication
method—web, ❏ email correspondence
personal meeting,
❏ other:
Networking activities
email, seminar?
❏ establish a network
What is the best way
for you, in terms of
❏ link to established network

time and cost? ❏ support ‘champions’ to

communicate

❏ link with formal education

networks

Consultation activities
❏ other:

❏ questionnaire

❏ interviews

❏ survey
Mass communication activities
❏ focus group
❏ website
❏ workshop
❏ media liaison and promotion
❏ other:
❏ new media—blogs, Twitter,
social networking

❏ other:

29
 6. Evaluation
❏ use feedback questionnaires
How will you test the
plan while it is still ❏ test the effectiveness of written documents
unfolding? ❏ check media coverage

How will you ❏ monitor web use

evaluate the whole
plan once it is ❏ hold a team meeting to discuss progress
finished?
❏ conduct a short online survey

❏ interview individuals

❏ other:

❏ other:

7. Roles, There is an action plan form on the next page.

responsibilities
Start by listing priority activities (step 5) and evaluation actions (step 6).
Produce an action Remember some of your activities will be useful for more than one group.
plan.

Who is responsible?
What resources are
needed? What is
the timeline?

30
 ACTION PLAN

Activity Who? Objectives Evaluation Responsibility Others Deadline Time needed Costs
description met methods involved

31
 ATTACHMENT 2: CHECKLIST OF
POSSIBLE GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS
FOR ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL
RESOURCE PROJECTS
The following list is meant to trigger your thinking rather than to be exhaustive.

As you go through the list, it may help to put a ‘1’ next to those groups or individuals that are top priority for
communication, and a ‘2’ next to lower priority groups or individuals. Use the spaces below each listing to
write down names of specific people.

The list has been grouped according to how groups and individuals are involved in environment and natural
resource issues. In considering priorities from this list, think about what impact these groups or individuals
may have on your project. Feel free to photocopy and use this sheet with your team.

RESOURCE MANAGERS OR USERS

Those who directly use or manage the resource issue that is being researched:

special user groups

❏ (e.g. Landcare, integrated catchment groups, Indigenous people, etc.)

❏ individuals who manage land, water or other natural resources

❏ communities who use the resource in question, such as water users

federal government departments/agencies/committees who directly manage the

❏ resource

❏ state government departments/agencies/committees who directly manage the resource

❏ local government/municipal authorities/committees who directly manage the resource

local council authorities with direct responsibility for the resource

❏ (but who may not manage the resource)

quasi-government agencies overseeing specific functions

❏ (e.g. water authorities, regional planning commissions, environmental commissions)

industry associations or bodies that may be subject to

❏ (a) regulation, (b) modification to access, or (c) subject to charge for resource use

32 ❏ other
RESOURCE-USE REGULATORS OR POLICYMAKERS
Those with a responsibility for regulating the environment or natural resource, developing strategies
or policies about the resource, or developing legislation:

federal government departments/agencies/committees involved in regulation, policy

❏ or legislation

state government departments/agencies/committees involved in regulation, policy

❏ or legislation

local government/municipal authorities/committees involved in regulation, policy

❏ or legislation

inter-agency or issues-based statutory committees whose findings or deliberations

❏ impact on the quality of the resource or people’s use of the resource

❏ other

RESOURCE-USE ADVISORS
Including both private and government providers of advice about impacts on, or use of,
the environment or natural resource:

❏ local businesses (e.g. agribusiness, banks, etc.) who provide advice about the resource

❏ consultants

extension personnel from state department agencies, Landcare and catchment

❏ management groups, etc.

research organisations (e.g. cooperative research centres, state departments, universities,

❏ CSIRO, and other research organisations)

❏ trade associations (e.g. Commercial Fisheries Association)

❏ professional scientific or technical associations (e.g. Ecological Society of Australia)

❏ other

33
 RESOURCE-USE FUNDERS
Those who provide funds for research or on-ground management actions:

❏ research and development funding organisations

❏ government funding arrangements/bodies (e.g. Caring for Country funds)

❏ other

BUSINESS GROUPS

❏ manufacturing industries (e.g. food processing)

❏ export agents/companies

❏ real estate

❏ chambers of commerce

❏ industrial groups

❏ other

34
BROADER AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY
Those with an interest in the resource issue through either their general interest in environmental or
sustainability issues and/or through their involvement through recreation, tourism or using the products
of the resources (food and fibre):

❏ local residents’ or community groups

❏ Country Women's Association (CWA)

❏ associations such as Lions, Rotary, etc.

❏ associations of senior citizens

❏ Aboriginal groups

❏ ethnic groups

other organisations or individuals who have stature in the community and influence
❏ opinion

❏ environment groups

❏ national groups (e.g. Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace, etc.)

❏ statewide groups

❏ local groups

❏ groups related to specific issues (e.g. rainforest protection, biodiversity, limnology, etc.)

❏ other

35
 EDUCATION

❏ colleges and universities

❏ primary and high schools

❏ other

INTERNAL
Those within your organisation or in collaborating organisations/projects who may need to be
involved in the communication:

❏ project staff

❏ links with other projects in organisation

❏ management

❏ other organisations or projects

❏ advisory committees

❏ organisational

❏ community reference groups or panels

❏ other

36
ATTACHMENT 3: RISK COMMUNICATION
Scientific and technical communication often
means communication about ‘uncertainty’. Much
of the information generated by research is not
absolute and may change with new information
Problems of communicating
‘uncertainty’
COMPLEXITY OF TECHNICAL DATA
Usually scientific research related to areas such as
risk assessment is complex and difficult to simplify.
For example, it often involves probabilities or
management options which may be difficult to
interpret in terms of risk.
SCIENCE DOES NOT PROGRESS
WITHOUT DISAGREEMENTS AND FIERCE
ARGUMENTS
When there is scientific uncertainty or ‘risk’, there
is usually also disagreement about the level of risk
or the interpretation of the data.
This problem is heightened by the general
perception of people that science is ‘always right’.
Most people (including politicians) want simple
answers from scientists, and not long, detailed
papers, but scientists cannot always provide a
simple, unqualified answer. People find qualified
answers frustrating.
And when scientists appear to disagree on science,
this adds confusion to their frustration. They do
not appreciate the scientific method, the vigorous
debates scientists have on new theories and ideas
in order to test their validity and establish the truth
of the matter.
PROCESS OF PEER REVIEW
The traditional process of peer review means that
scientists are generally unwilling to communicate
their research without the data being accepted
by accredited colleagues. This can delay the
communication of important data and increase
the level of frustration and conflict for people.
How to communicate
‘uncertain’ technical
information
1. Find out what people want to know.
What you think is important, and what
others think is important may differ greatly.
While it is important to communicate
information you consider critical, you need
to consider the concerns of affected or
interested groups.
2. Acknowledge uncertainties. This will help
your long-term credibility as well as help
educate people about the nature of scientific
research.
3. Put information into perspective. It is
important not to raise expectations beyond
what can be delivered, or to minimise risks.
People require enough information to enable
them to make their own decisions.
4. Release information early. Delays in
releasing critical information can lead to:
o uninformed decision-making by
affected groups and individuals
o claims of ‘cover-up’ and subsequent
loss of credibility
o the build-up of prejudiced attitudes or
emotions
o reactive communication strategies
5. Take care when simplifying information.
A fine balance needs to be maintained
between providing too much information of
a complex nature, and providing too little.
6. LISTEN. It is as important to listen to people as
it is to inform them.
7. Interact. Avoiding interaction with interested
and/or affected people is a recipe for trouble.
They need to be involved early and consulted
regularly.
37
 USE CONSENSUS APPROACHES
Principles of risk communication
Consensus groups work on the principle that all
INVOLVE PEOPLE EARLY
viewpoints are considered.
Early involvement shows commitment to the
They avoid compromise decisions in favour of a
needs and concerns of people involved in the
shared vision and are particularly powerful when:
issue. It demonstrates that the research is relevant
to them. Be proactive in communication efforts. • local groups/communities are involved

SEGMENT PEOPLE • there is shared commitment

By dividing people into groups, it is easier to • an external facilitator is used to start the process
understand their particular needs and concerns
• all the groups/individuals involved are willing
while identifying specific communication
and able to commit a large amount of time to
approaches for each group.
the process.
CLARIFY ROLES AT THE BEGINNING
USE CONFLICT AS A TOOL
Do not promise people the opportunity to make
Resist trying to reach consensus on all issues.
input if you will only ask them to ratify your
Conflict can open up dialogue and raise the profile
proposals or research results. Roles should be
of an important issue.
jointly and clearly defined with each group.
RECOGNISE VALUES AND FEELINGS
CLARIFY INVOLVEMENT PREFERENCES
It is important to recognise that people’s values
Find out what type of involvement they would
and feelings are a legitimate aspect of any issue,
prefer. It is best to work with people to develop
and that such concerns could tell you valuable
a process for their participation that they are
information such as:
comfortable with.
• what is important to people
DEAL WITH INTERNAL CONCERNS
• concerns or confusion about technical aspects
Participation programs can lead to increased
of the issue
tension because of internal political sensitivities.
Internal concerns should be dealt with before they • creative approaches for resolving the issue.
become a major stumbling block to the process.
SURVEY PEOPLE
DEVELOP PERSONAL CONTACTS
Surveys can be used as both a research and
Developing personal contacts and using face-to- participation tool. You can use them to:
face communication tactics are essential to the
• actively seek input
success of any participation program.
• find out about public opinion
USE PEOPLE’S EXPERTISE
• explain decisions (based on survey results) to
Treat people as equals in decision-making.
special interest groups
Encourage and actively use community/industry
• explain decisions (based on survey results) to
advisory and study groups to bring them into the
the public through the mass media.
decision-making process. Your focus should be on
people with special expertise. BE LESS BUREAUCRATIC

DEVELOP A TEAM APPROACH Informal meetings and clearly written materials

No one individual or group can manage all the
aspects of an issue or problem. Recognise and
encourage input from all sectors.
will help to convey a sense of openness which will
help with the participation process.
RESPOND TO INPUT

KEEP PROCESSES OPEN Organisations which solicit input should be

Secret decisions or research can create negative
feelings and lead to loss of credibility. Every
effort should be made to create an ‘us’ and ‘our’
approach to research and policy development,
which avoids a ‘us’ and ‘them’ division.
38
It is important to be honest. If you do not know
something, say so and why.
prepared to respond to that input and to explain
their response.
BE PREPARED TO MAKE DECISIONS
Feedback will often produce conflicting advice.
The communication task is to be open to advice
but then to respond decisively. You may need to
explain your reasons.
ATTACHMENT 4:
MESSAGE PRE-TESTING QUESTIONNAIRE
The difficulty everyone has in designing material is that we know too much about the subject.

It is very easy to make assumptions that the intended audience will know things, such as the background to
the issue, the basic science behind the work, or the jargon and acronyms commonly used in this area.

For this reason it is always useful to pre-test material designed for use in fact sheets, websites, video scripts
and brochures.

Ideally the people you survey should represent your priority groups, and not colleagues or other people with
expert knowledge of the project.

Feel free to photocopy and use the following sample test.

Sample test
The following test can be applied to material such as brochures or fact sheets. The questions may need to be
revised to suit the material at hand.

MAIN IDEA

• What was the main idea this document [or presentation, video clip, fact sheet, etc.] is trying to get
across to you?

• What does this document ask you to do?

• What action, if any, is the document recommending that people take?

• In your opinion, is there anything in the document that is confusing?

• Which of the statements below best describes this document:

❏ generally easy and clear to understand

❏ needs some revision to improve detail

❏ needs substantial revision because it is confusing or muddled

❏ content is ok but format and appearance are unattractive

❏ concept and approach are wrong for the intended audience—start again

❏ other—please detail:

LIKES AND DISLIKES

• Is there anything in particular worth remembering about the document?

• What do you particularly like about it?

• Is there anything you particularly disliked or that bothered you? If yes, what?

39
 BELIEVABILITY

• Is there anything you found hard to believe? If yes, what?

• Which of these words or phrases best describes how you feel about the message?

❏ credible and authoritative

❏ of limited value—too simple

❏ of limited value—only tells part of the story

❏ heavily flawed by biased or incorrect information

❏ dull and unattractive to read

❏ other—please detail:

PERSONAL RELEVANCE AND INTEREST

• Was it talking to:

❏ all people

❏ all people but especially [insert specific group]

❏ only [insert specific group]

• Is this document:

❏ informative

❏ somewhat informative

❏ not informative

• Is this document:

❏ interesting

❏ somewhat interesting

❏ not interesting

• Did you learn anything new about the [insert issue] from the document? If yes, what?

40
ATTACHMENT 5:
COMMUNICATION SKILLS AUDIT
The following questionnaire will help you to identify the interests, skills and training needs of the project
team involved in the communication.

Feel free to photocopy and use.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Are you presently involved in any external communication activities?

If yes, please describe. If no, would you like to be more involved?

What skills/interests do you have that could assist in external communication?

Please tick the appropriate boxes:

❏ I can explain complex/technical things clearly.

❏ I can write about complex/technical things clearly.

❏ I like talking with people.

❏ I like giving presentations.

❏ I am experienced in dealing with the media.

❏ I enjoy managing systems and keeping records.

❏ I like organising events.

❏ I am an experienced facilitator and chair.

❏ I have negotiation skills.

❏ I have conflict management skills.

❏ I enjoy developing and setting up displays.

❏ I enjoy preparing computer graphics and/or illustrations.

❏ I like writing for the Internet.

❏ I can generate blogs, tweets, and like new media.

❏ I have skills developing PowerPoint presentations.

❏ I enjoy designing web pages.

❏ other:

Any other comments you would like to make about external communication?

41
 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Do you assist with internal communication?

If yes, how? If no, would you like to be more involved?

Tick the activities you would like to be involved in:

❏ organising internal social activities

❏ facilitating group or team meetings and workshops

❏ writing e-newsletters

❏ being involved in conflict-resolution processes

❏ developing clear guidelines for acknowledging contributions

❏ managing information about people’s movements

❏ organising professional development sessions or training

❏ identifying speakers to come and speak with the team

❏ other:

Any other comments you would like to make about external communication?

COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Where you would like further communication training? Please tick appropriate boxes.

❏ liaison skills ❏ facilitation skills

❏ database management ❏ negotiation skills

❏ writing in plain English ❏ team facilitation

❏ presentation skills ❏ team leadership

❏ media skills ❏ web writing

❏ listening skills ❏ web development

❏ conflict management ❏ new media

❏ other:

42
ATTACHMENT 6: TIPS FOR COLLABORATIVE
AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS
Creating a collaborative
environment
• Time—it takes time to develop relationships
and trust, so be patient.
• Scale—servicing various scales of collaboration
(eight or 8000) takes different mechanisms
and this needs to be acknowledged.
• Passion—encourage, support and kindle the
passions of the people involved.
• Regulatory and institutional frameworks
—make these transparent so everyone knows
how these frameworks support (or hinder)
collaboration.
• Language—overcome language barriers
(including jargon) by creating shared stories
and symbols. The same story may need to
be told differently so people from different
backgrounds can appreciate it.
• Place—a shared sense of place (real or
constructed) is important for establishing
commonality between all collaborators.
• Funding—discuss how funding can be
harnessed for developing a collaborative
environment.
• Power structures—the best collaborations
begin with a frank recognition of existing
power structures.
• Expectations—be prepared to discuss and
negotiate the expectations of groups involved.
• Credibility—the acceptance of information is
based on trust and respect.
• Skills—identify and encourage the
development of essential skills, so that
collaboration becomes part of the culture;
for example, negotiation or interpersonal skills.
• Initiation—ensure all partners come to the
table at the same time and with the same
status so that relationships are equitable.
“Some of the most exciting research and
education today have little regard for traditional
disciplinary boundaries. For example, research to
help Australia’s ageing population brings together
medical science, basic biology, engineering, social
science and arts and humanities.
The world is turning to multidisciplinary collaborations
to deal with the big issues we face, critical problems
such as water shortages, global climate change
and threats to national security, human health and
economic sustainability. No single discipline has all
the answers: we need to provide the flexibility to
ensure that the research and education community
can pursue investigations across the whole landscape,
regardless of discipline or approach”
(Source: Metcalfe et al. 2006, ‘Collaborating
across the sectors. The relationships between the
humanities, arts and social science (HASS) and
science, technology, engineering and medicine
(STEM) sectors’, CHASS.)
Improving multidisciplinary
communication: 10 tips
1. During meetings, focus on sharing ideas to
meet project objectives. It is too easy to get
bogged down in ‘administrivia’.
2. Encourage members to promote the team effort,
rather than their individual role or area of expertise.
3. Understand that collaborative research projects
may need more time for internal and external
communication.
4. Clearly define and document the roles for
members within the project.
5. Reward project members for joint papers and
research outcomes, rather than individual
achievements.
6. Provide clear lines of communication within
the project.
7. Promote interaction within the team and with key
partners on a direct, regular and personal basis.
8. Expect, recognise and reward team members
for participating in non-research activities,
such as communication.
9. Ensure all project members know how and
why project resources are distributed.
43
10. Include conflict resolution strategies in project
set-up and coordination.
For more hot tips, check out our website
www.econnect.com.au
email admin@econnect.com.au
or phone 07 3846 7111

© Econnect Communication 2011