Communications and stakeholder engagement

Context

A communication and stakeholder engagement plan is valuable in organizing and maintaining positive visibility for your node. As with strategic plans, not all nodes will have communication and stakeholder engagement plans, but might be mentioned in their host institution’s plans. Some nodes' host institutions may have communications teams that could help in crafting and delivering messages to engage their audiences. The GBIF communications strategy identifies key audiences, their information needs, and some key messages, which can be helpful for considering communications at the node level. We will use this document and some examples from nodes to practice designing communications approaches for key stakeholders during this module.

These materials were developed as part of the 2019 Global Nodes training in Leiden, Netherlands.

Learning objectives

After completing this module, you should be able to perform the following:

  • Describe the different types of audiences that GBIF needs to engage on the global level

  • Understand that in developing a communication strategy, you need to adapt key messages to the specific audience you are engaging and select the appropriate medium

  • Describe different communication means (media) that nodes can use to engage their network

  • Adapt messages and media to different audiences

  • Develop communication strategies tailored to specific audiences

Trainers

The following trainers have developed the content for this topic:

  • Anabela Plos, Argentina

  • Carole Sinou, Canadensys

  • Pierre Radji, Togo

with additional contributions from:

  • Cristina Villaverde, Spain

  • Dairo Escobar, Colombia

  • Luke Jimu, Zimbabwe

GBIF staff consultant: Mélianie Raymond, Community and Capacity Manager

GBIF’s communication strategy

An introduction to the key audiences, communication needs and key messages in the GBIF communication strategy.

 

 

Communication and stakeholder engagement at the node level

Nodes managers present on how to develop communications plans to assist them in engaging their key audiences.

 

 

Experiences from Spain and Zimbabwe

 

 

Experiences from Togo

 

 

Experiences from Colombia

 

 

Exercises

Engaging key audiences exercise

For this activity, Nodes will collect success stories on engaging key audiences across the nodes community.

 

 

Communication for stakeholder engagement exercise

For this activity, you will work in pairs to design a communications approach for engaging a specific audience and practice delivering your key messages in sharing your approach back to your group.