Unit 3: The Communications Package
Overview
Quality research, such as the development of a policy brief, becomes valuable when it is shared. Research should not be left on a shelf but used strategically to increase knowledge and, in many cases, to persuade others to act. This is how the advocacy potential of a policy brief is fully realized.
The material covered in this unit will support the development of a communications package designed to disseminate the advocacy messages of the policy brief. The communications package will include a simplified strategic communication plan, as well as three communication documents: a presentation, an infographic, and a professional blog posting.
Principles and best practices of knowledge mobilization, as an element of strategic communication planning, are explored. In addition, to support the development of a communications package, we will cover skills and techniques related to the development of communication materials across multiple modalities.
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
-
Shape strategic messages pulled from a larger knowledge project.
-
Develop a communication plan that links message, audience, and channel in strategic and effective ways for a communication goal.
-
Develop communication materials that effectively and professionally use and balance multimodal forms of communication.
-
Develop communication materials that use the connective community potential of social media to make an impact.
Topics
-
3.1 Preparing for Knowledge Mobilization
-
3.2 Leveraging Principles of Visual Literacy
-
3.3 Playing Speech off Text in Effective Presentations
-
3.4 Leveraging Community for the Cause
Consider each section of this unit as the close equivalent to a standard week of work in a 3-credit, 13-week course. Plan to spend about 3–4 hours working the course material in each section, plus additional time to apply the information to work on your course project.
Here is a visual reminder of how the course assignments build on each other:
