CGIAR facilitates communication for research uptake (ResUP) training in Nairobi symposium

Participants at a group session during a CGIAR-led training session at a ResUp Symposium and Training held in Nairobi 9-12 February 2015.

How do you explain your research work, share your opinion and give recommendations to important audience so that you can make a difference and get others, including policymakers, to take up your research?

This were some of the ‘research uptake’ issues addressed at a ResUp Meet Up Symposium and Training Exchange held 9-12 February 2015 in Nairobi, to explore emerging issues and advance skills and practice in research uptake.

A CGIAR-led half-day training session on ‘key messaging and pitching for impact and influencing decision makers to take up research’ was held on the last day of the training exchange. Staff from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Potato Center (CIP), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) joined the discussion and shared experiences.

Facilitated by Muthoni U Njiru, knowledge sharing and engagement officer at ILRI, the training focused on how to prepare and deliver a pitch to reach a specific audiences. A participatory agenda to stimulate debate, co-learning and new thinking was developed for the meeting. Pitching is an activity that every staff member does regularly – not always to donors – but, for example, in conversations with other staff members or with partners on topics like ‘what we do’ or ‘the benefits of a project’. It is important skill to have/develop and not just for those who represent organizations in formal meetings.

ILRI’s Muthoni U Njiru facilitating a session during the ResUp Meet Up Exchange in Nairobi

The day started with a keynote from Dennis Garrity, senior fellow at ICRAF on the purpose of pitching, its importance and benefits, and examples on different pitching experiences. He identified the following simple tips, equating them to ‘the art of seduction’.

1. Plan your talking points – talk about investments, instead of research. Aim to integrate your objectives with those of your audience to provide a beneficial interaction.
2. Build relationships – being too familiar with someone who you have not met before is not advisable. Know your audience and what they are looking for. Do not bombard them with information; one-pagers are more than enough to get the ball rolling.
3. Practice – research shows that a higher percentage of successful persuasion depends on the use of non-verbal cues. Have an opening, middle and a closing with an ‘ask’ that is not overly ambitious. For example, ask to have a meeting to discuss further and not a million dollars to build a school.

The keynote was followed by an interactive session on the  ‘good, bad and ugly’ where participants watched trainers Juliet Braslow (CIAT) and Daisy Ouya (ICRAF) role-play two types of pitches, a good pitch and bad pitch. The aim of this session was to help participants identify the do’s and don’ts of messaging and delivery.

Coupled with an informative presentation, this exercise provided a clear guide on the importance of a clear message and easy dos and don’ts to keep the participants on the right track.

Melissa Julian, head of communications at European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) pitching during a ‘Dragon’s Den’ session.

Groups of participants then developed pitches to deliver in a variation of the ‘Dragon’s Den’, a format loosely based on a popular TV series where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a group of investors. This exercise encouraged participants to build their capacity in communicating research, key messages and recommendations more effectively. They walked away with a better understanding of how to generate a short message about their work and clarify exactly what they are asking of their listener.

The demand for this kind of training is clear! The training room was packed full of 40 participants representing a wide range of research and development organizations who found the workshop extremely useful, with many saying it exceeded their expectations. Another common survey response was that the training should have been a full day.

This style of training is becoming a popular CGIAR offering (see links to past variations ‘The Art of Pitching webinar, Tips from previous Dragon’s Den events in Nairobi and Lima) and we look forward to offering it again soon. Get in touch if you would like more information or to partner on a future training.

An overview the ResUp conference discussions can be found on the ResUp Storify page.

Edited by ILRI’s Paul Karaimu, CIP’s Sara Quinn, ICRAF’s Daisy Ouya and CIAT’s Juliet Braslow.