Table 13. Developing a dissemination strategy

Dissemination component	Description	How to operationalize
Objectives	What the team hopes will be achieved by disseminating the IR results	As a research team, identify what you hope to achieve by sharing IR results and engaging with key stakeholders and decision-makers. Why does the team wish to communicate specific processes or findings to particular audiences? Is it to increase awareness, understanding, to encourage action or to inform policy or programmatic change? Identifying motives will help to develop a targeted and action-oriented dissemination plan.
Target audiences	The targets of the dissemination efforts	Identify the target audiences: how do they prefer to absorb information(including, but not exclusively, research evidence)? What are their specific needs, ortypical timelines, etc.? Every IR project typically has multiple audiences with unique abilities and needs. Acknowledging this is critical to developing communication approachesand messagesthat are appropriatelytailoredtotheseconsiderations.
Content	The specific information to be disseminated	The content of messages should capturetheresearchapproach,thesolutions generated by the research,theparticularimplicationsof the researchfindings,andwhatmightbeexpectedof differentaudiencesasaconsequenceof thosefindings. Messagesshouldbeaudience-orientedandfocusedexclusivelyononetargetaudience,bearingin mindaudience’sneeds andliteracycapacities.
Channels and tools	The channels or tools that will be used to disseminate the information	Determine which dissemination/communication channel or tool is appropriate, keeping in mind this may differ across audiences. Some specific dissemination channels are presented in the text following this table. No matter how well messages or information products have been developed and refined, their impact will be compromised if they are not disseminated via the most relevant and effective channels. For example, a well-written paper is unlikely to be read by a high-level decision-maker unless it is succinct and to the point, and unless an adviser has already read and been impressed by it. A beautifully produced video that captures the detail and magnitude of a research project’s impact will not be viewed if members of the intended audience are unable to view it.