Communicating livestock research at ILRI

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is one of a relatively small number of organizations making its communications strategy available online.

Particularly interesting is the 'strategic approach'that combines internal and external communications, library services, web services, public awareness, and knowledge management. The strategy also sets out 4 higher level outcomes and the various products and services used to achieve them.

The four outcomes are:

• Greater utility - Staff and partners are provided with state-of-the-art communication products, vehicles and services; classical library services are transformed ...; information is packaged in multiple formats ...
  
• Greater influence - ILRI’s sphere of influence is enlarged beyond the CGIAR; journalists and their editors are persuaded of the value of publishing livestock-oriented stories; public understanding is advanced ...; new constituencies, networks and momentum are built ...
  
• Greater engagement - Public awareness of, and participation in, livestock research for development is raised; more of our partners speak on our behalf ...; opinion makers, leaders and research end users are increasingly engaged in livestock discussions and feedback ...
  
• Greater impacts - Governments, donor organizations, think tanks, universities, international institutions, non-governmental- and civil society organizations, private industries and others are helped to make informed pro-poor decisions in livestock research and development.

The strategy gives a wealth of insight and food for thought, including a short piece on how ILRI disseminates its research findings giving concrete examples of a strategy to get information out through a wide range of channels.