Updates from the Social Media Workshop (II)

The workshop started with the basic question: What are our communication goals? Incredibly basic, but it triggered a more then 80 post thread! I played around with participant’s answers and offer the following list with some examples of what has been said.

What do you think about those goals?

1. Create a two-way communication

• Moving towards the model of ‘conversations’ with our networks of contacts.
• Connect people to ideas and information across my network.
• Tapping into my online network as a way to think together, do tasks together and solve problems – communications for collaboration.
• Connect people and show that YES, there IS a way to break silos among disciplines, between projects and Centers.
• Strengthening of lateral connections in a network
• Make communications more innovative and engaging by mastering new tools
• How we can engage in a more continuous and participatory communication process with our target groups?
• Take actually the time to LISTEN. What are our next and end users saying about us, about their needs, issues and achievements?

2. Overcome the internal and external limiting factors

• Target audience not online; Target audience not familiar with and comfortable with (trust) social media; Organization not supportive of our use of new tools
• Limited bandwidth, so Skype, video streaming, etc. are out of bounds unless we make special arrangements
• The intersection of technology and communications.
• Exploring how to help these people overcome that fear of loosing control and make use of social media tools to enhance both our institutional and personal communications.
• How to introduce/persuade others to try social media!
• Finding ways to communicate via web2.0 and use social media in challenging conditions such as Ethiopia.

3. Disseminate outputs

• Significantly build up the number of people the CGIAR is reaching.
• Active, rapid and widespread dissemination of our research outputs.
• Make the community of donors, policymakers and investors fully aware of the high impact our scientific accomplishments through a program of public awareness activities.

4. Understand audiences and needs

• Clear understanding of the information needs of our primary audiences
• Audiences: Research scientist, Research partners, Policymakers , CIP’s external community and associates, Donors and investors, The CGIAR Consortium, The media and the general public, students.
• Learn more about what the communication needs are across the system to get a better idea of how we can support each other and work together to meet our goals.

3. Raise profile and resource mobilization

• Rebuild image after financial and governance crisis
• Public – Increase the perception of our center as a global center of excellence
• Ensure efficient communication in the context of major organizational change
• Corporate communications: How do we build the profile globally for better partnerships and fundraising?
• To enhance the awareness, understanding and appreciation our work by partners, stakeholders and staff members

4. Strengthen the role of communications within the research cycle

• How to integrate communication tool, web2.0, and social media methods into the research process
• Assist Centre scientists to proactively think about effectively communicating their research outputs to achieve better outcomes and impacts
• Help integrate communications into the planning, budgeting and implementation of research projects
• How to use such tools to enhance our work with partners and stakeholders.

7. Learn and innovate

• Explore what has worked best, and how can we make it happen more often.
• Identify the common elements and propose a comprehensive set of objectives to the Transition Management Team for the new CGIAR
• Bring my own communications practices in line with such approaches through networking and the acquisition of new tools and skills.
• Take the opportunity to explore the power of social media as a personal networking tool.

8. Improve internal processes

• Management – Increase recognition of the essential contributions form communication and information professionals
• How to engage with the technical programs/the scientists on communications issues
• Create a culture of sharing and transparency within the CGIAR so information flows freely and there’s a “meritocracy” for information/knowledge.
• Understand CGIAR’s institutional culture, which provide important background for this workshop on social media.
• Promoting these new approaches in the CGIAR
• Organize internal resources / data better
• Internal Communications Strategy: What Culture are we going to build and how is information being shared and communicated?

Photo Credit: Faria