Workshop on Communicating Environmental Research to Policymakers: Exploring Population, Health, and Environment Linkages

Antananarivo, Madagascar, 25 February – 1 March, 2002

Sponsored by MEASURE Communication in collaboration with the Environmental Health Project and Voahary Salama

Many scientific groups and environmental scientists agree that aspects of a population's growth, composition, and distribution can lead to environmental changes that affect the health of humans and ecosystems. Audiences that are influential in setting national policy agendas, such as the media and government officials, often inadequately reflect these linkages in their reports and policy decisions. At the same time, every year valuable human and financial resources are spent to produce environment research results that fail to reach policymakers and, consequently, are not used to shape policies and programs.

The Population Reference Bureau, through its MEASURE Communication project is offering an intensive workshop to help bridge the gap between researchers and policymakers. Sessions help participants understand the challenges of communicating results from integrated population, health, and environment research; identify the policy implications of survey data and research studies; understand how research can influence the policy process; and communicate research findings in simple and compelling formats.

Objective
The objective of the workshop is to learn how to maximize policymakers' and planners' use of research results that illustrate the interaction of population, health, and environment variables. Specifically, participants learn how to:

• Address problems policymakers face with integrated research
• Understand how research findings enter and influence the policy process
• Develop a policy-level communication strategy and action plan
• Design a media strategy and write press releases
• Prepare and present short policy documents such as policy memoranda and fact sheets

At the end of the workshop, and over one year, participants:

• Develop an action plan to use the workshop knowledge and skills over one year
• Communicate and seek advice on implementing the action plan through regular correspondence with fellow participants and workshop organizers
• Report on progress on their action plan

Who should attend?
The workshop is designed for researchers, program managers, and others responsible for formulating and implementing integrated population, health, and environment programs. The workshop is targeted primarily to Malagasy, but is open to others in the region, provided they are able to cover their own costs. Participants should have a strong background in research and data analysis. The workshop will be conducted in French.

Sessions
The workshop consists of a combination of plenary and small working-group sessions, emphasizing a hands-on, participatory approach. Sessions cover five areas, each with a corresponding output:

Exploring population-health-environment integration
In a roundtable discussion and presentation, participants explore examples and case studies of different aspects of integrated work. These include research design, organizational priorities, programmatic challengers, funding perspectives, policy implications, and monitoring and evaluation tools. Participants develop a list of challenges for communicating results from integrated research.

Exploring the research-to-policy gap and designing policy-relevant research Participants examine contradictory ideas about the research process, and differing roles of researchers and policymakers. Interactive exercises use case studies illustrating the design of policy-relevant research and participatory approaches to the research process.

Developing strategies for the communication of research results
Each participant develops a comprehensive communication strategy that answers: What are the key communication or advocacy objectives? Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are the most important messages for these audiences? What are the most appropriate channels for delivering the messages? And what are the audiences expected to do with the information they receive? Discussion covers how to identify key communication constraints and opportunities, carry out an action plan, manage controversy, and evaluate performance.

Communicating research results through the media
A comprehensive policy-communication strategy requires an understanding of how to work effectively with the media. Participants examine strategies to communicate their research results to policymakers through newspapers, radio and television through press releases and interviews.

Preparing policy documents and briefings
Policy audiences are individuals and groups who have the power to enact laws, make regulations, and set policies, or to influence these processes. Although these groups are often difficult to reach, presentation techniques designed for such audiences can enhance communication efforts significantly. Participants draft a fact sheet and prepare a briefing for a high-level government official based on issues in their country. In a role-play exercise, participants conduct policy briefings based on their factsheet.

Application procedure and deadlines
Persons who wish to take part in the workshop should send the completed application form (available only in French) and other application documents as soon as possible to by fax or email to:

PRB's office in Madagascar:
MEASURE Communication
22-202-04, Immeuble Santa Bloc II,
1ère étage
Antanimena
Madagascar
Fax: 261 (20) 22-344-09
E-mail: [email protected]

Or to: Justine Sass
MEASURE Communication
Population Reference Bureau
1875 Connecticut Ave., N.W. #520
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel: (202) 939-5459; Fax: (202) 328-3937
E-mail: [email protected]

Application materials should arrive no later than 1 February 2002.

Prospective applicants are expected to seek funding from their home organizations or from national or international agencies. Copies of application materials should be submitted directly to those agencies. Evidence that support is available should be forwarded to the Population Reference Bureau as soon as it is known.

Applicants who are seeking funding should submit their application forms to meet the deadline. Information of funding can then be forwarded to PRB as soon as it is obtained. Interested candidates who obtain funding after the February 1 deadline are encouraged to submit late applications, as space may still be available for participants who are fully funded.

PRB can provide funding to a limited number of candidates. Apart from these limited sources, applicants are expected to seek their own financial support.

Accommodation
The workshop will be held at the Solimotel in Antanarivo.

Sponsor
The Population Reference Bureau (PRB), founded in 1929, is the leader in providing timely and objective information on U.S. and international population trends and their implications. PRB informs policy makers, educators, the media, and concerned citizens working in the public interest around the world through a broad range of activities. These include publications, information services, seminars and workshops, and technical support. PRB is a nonprofit, nonadvocacy, educational organization supported by government contracts, foundation grants, individual and corporate contributions, and the sale of publications. PRB is governed by a Board of Trustees representing diverse community and professional interests.

PRB's Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Program improves people's lives around the world by increasing awareness of critical PHE linkages and by promoting a better understanding of their causes, consequences and the ways they can be addressed.

Support for this workshop is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the MEASURE Communication project and by the Turner Foundation.