MEASURING THE RESULTS OF COMMUNICATION EFFORTS HELPS INFORM FUTURE EVALUATION STRATEGIES

MEASURING THE RESULTS OF COMMUNICATION EFFORTS HELPS INFORM FUTURE EVALUATION STRATEGIES

“Methods can be deployed to measure the impact of communication efforts in the context of development evaluations, and these measurements can inform future strategies. The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) is already implementing such approaches to great effect”, affirmed Dr Alexander Voccia, IOE Senior Evaluation Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist, at a panel discussion during the African Development Bank Evaluation Week, on 17 September 2024.

The 2024 AfDB Development Evaluation Week took place from 17 to 19 September 2024, in hybrid modality. On the morning of the first day, Dr Voccia joined a group of esteemed communication experts from various multilateral development banks and international financial institutions for a panel discussion during the workshop titled ‘Cutting-Edge Approaches to Communicating Evaluative Insights’. Presenters featured Darlene Brady Christopher, Senior Knowledge & Learning Officer at the World Bank Group; Patrizia Cocca, Communications and KM Lead at the Global Evaluation Initiative; Saleha Waseem, Principal Communications & Outreach Specialist at the Asian Development Bank; and Jacqueline Nyagahima, Principal Knowledge Management Officer at the African Development Bank. Over 110 attendants joined the workshop online.

The session benefitted from a variety of perspective for communicating evaluative insights effectively to wider audiences. Discussions focused on engaging stakeholders through tailored messaging and leveraging different experiences from emerging techniques and technologies, like artificial intelligence, to identify target groups, tailor content and disseminate messages effectively. In addition, methods for measuring the impact of communication efforts were addressed to ensure that evaluative insights are not only shared but also effectively utilized by the targeted audience.

In his interventions, Dr Voccia underscored the importance of understanding and analysing the results of communication efforts and strategies, on an ongoing basis. To this end, two years ago, IOE launched its biannual Communication Trends report. The document presents the latest data, statistics and trends relative to the Office’s core products. These include the IOE website, latest evaluation reports, Independent Magazine, and social media. IOE carefully analyses these results and trends in order to continuously refine and adjust its outreach strategies, messaging, targeting and dissemination. The Trends Report also offers valuable insights into the extent to which different types of evaluations succeed in capturing the attention of key stakeholder groups across the world.

IOE’s Senior Communications Specialist also put the spotlight on how the Office’s communication plans are integrated into the evaluation process from the initial stages to ensure that findings and recommendations are accessible and actionable for all stakeholders. Furthermore, he shared experiences of some of the most effective strategies and techniques for communicating evaluative insights to different stakeholders, and explained how these can be adapted to suit the needs of diverse audiences within development institutions. Looking ahead, he discussed how IOE is planning to increasingly leverage emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to enhance the clarity and impact of its communication efforts during the evaluation process.

The theme of the 6th edition of the Evaluation Week was ‘Navigating rough seas towards a brighter horizon for Africa’. This set the stage for exploring how improving the acquisition and utilization of evaluative knowledge can trigger innovative responses. The event provided a platform for advocating and facilitating dialogue on the critical use of evaluative knowledge in Africa, with a specific focus on evidence needed for monitoring progress, enhancing accountability, promoting learning, guiding resource allocation, establishing partnerships, and fostering engagement.