In 2020, over 155 million people listened to a podcast every week. Academics and research organisations, encouraged by the potential of this large audience, have started to pay attention to this new channel of communication. CommsConsult is a huge fan of audio. So we … Continued
Evaluations – the process of collecting and synthesising information or evidence – have become the standard currency of development. But while evaluations are conducted on programmes largely carried out in the global south, the evaluators who carry them out tend … Continued
Working with organisations to evaluate the impact of their communication and media initiatives is at the core of what we do at CommsConsult. In 2018, Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) commissioned CommsConsult to carry out an evaluation of the ‘Advancing Media … Continued
Written by CommsConsult Director, Megan Lloyd-Laney. Transitions to new years/decades/centuries are a little like being on a playground seesaw: one minute you’re high up on one side enjoying the view and the very next minute, the switch has been made and the … Continued
In 2018, CommsConsult was selected by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to be communication partners on its flagship Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) programme. More than 100 individuals from 30 institutions attended the Knowledge Forum in Yangon, Myanmar, from July 4-12, 2019. CommsConsult ran … Continued
In November 2016 CommsConsult was asked by SciDev.Net to deliver a one day training course on science communications for the International Science Council, as part of a larger five-day Transdisciplinary Research Training Programme. The International Science Council (ISC) is … Continued
CommsConsult Director and co-founder Megan Lloyd-Laney was delighted to go back to her professional roots as a science journalist in March 2018. Megan was asked by the Global Development Network to cover their 2018 Annual Conference which took as its … Continued
The Fojo Media Institute in Sweden works to strengthen free, independent and professional journalism to uphold democracy and respect for human rights at a global level. In 2017 CommsConsult was commissioned to design a series of communication and visibility strategies … Continued
By Nyasha Musandu Let’s face it, social media can be overwhelming. The pressure to engage, connect and share is intense. As researchers, communication professionals, content curators, you are not exempt from this endless need to share, share, share. To make … Continued
It seems aeons ago that the Nobel prize winning political activist Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were swept to power in Myanmar’s national elections in 2015. The surprise win was supposed to … Continued
CommsConsult was happy to support another IDRC research programme with a ‘rapid assessment’ of its research uptake approach. Our collaboration on the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) programme was especially resonant for a company founded and run by two … Continued
CommsConsult’s Director, Megan Lloyd-Laney, has her bags packed and will be travelling to Kenya this week – abandoning the usual train journey ‘up country’ across the picturesque but vulnerable Dawlish stretch of track and choosing instead the short plane hop … Continued
CommsConsult, as part of a consultancy team contracted by IMC has successfully won the contract to evaluate DFID’s portfolio of programmes to end violence against women and girls (VAWG). ‘What Works’, an ambitious attempt to combat the pervasive problem of violence … Continued
Last month CommsConsult was asked once again to provide communication training to the Japanese awards finalists at the annual GDN conference. This year the conference was held in Lima, Peru, and Nyasha, our training unit manager, winged her way over … Continued
Our Training Unit Manager, Nyasha Musandu, is in Ethiopia this week facilitating the December Biannual Research Workshop for the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). The workshop, held in Addis Ababa in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa … Continued
Time for another cuppa and a chat with our Training Unit Manager, Nyasha Musandu. How did you get into International Development? It was a bit of a career stumble. I had finished my studies in Philosophy and was able to … Continued
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a supremely organised individual to work for us here at CommsConsult; a growing and professional communications company working in the field of international development based at the lovely new Jubilee Warehouse building in Penryn, … Continued
This month the XVth World Water Congress is taking place in Edinburgh. From the 25th to the 29th May, scientists, practitioners and policymakers from around the globe will gather to discuss the challenges posed to water resources in an increasingly complex world. CommsConsult … Continued
It’s been a busy start to 2015 for the CommsConsult team, between projects, events and travels, we’ve moved our UK office down the hill to a new creative hub in Penryn (Cornwall) at Jubilee Warehouse. Converted from old storage units, … Continued
I write this as I sit on the train, on my way home from an inspiring few days in snow-covered Istanbul. Providing the social reporting at this year’s TTI exchange, CommsConsult and Research to Action worked together to facilitate digital … Continued
Recently I attended a very interesting event hosted by The University of the West of England (UWE) called ‘Increasing the Impact of Research through Policy Engagement’: A Parliamentary Workshop’. It was a brilliant afternoon for many reasons, not least because … Continued
This week, CommsConsult has been part of a global group of research uptake professionals who attended the first ever Res Up Meet Up at the Southern Sun Mayfair in Nairobi Kenya. With close to 150 participants in attendance, the meeting … Continued
In the first of our quick Q&As we grab a cup of something hot and have a chat with Andrew Clappison, M&E specialist and Research to Action Pioneer. If you could be a colour what would it be and why? … Continued
So where did last year take us? It’s nice to take time in January to look back through all the photos gathered here and there throughout the past year. Here is our digital photo album of 2014, providing a whirlwind … Continued
Last week saw the meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Peru. The event followed the release last month of the Synthesis Report, which provides the most comprehensive assessment of climate change ever undertaken- bringing together the … Continued
It’s important to explore different ways of telling a story. At CommsConsult we often use the online tool Prezi to create interesting and dynamic visual aids for learning or presentations. This photo blog is an experiment in visual storytelling and … Continued
Last month CommsConsult was very excited to hear that Kailash Satyarthi had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Malala Yousafzay. Satyarthi is the founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a children’s rights organisation which works in India to eradicate … Continued
OFFICE MANAGER 20 Hours per week £18,000-£20,000 pa pro rata Interested in becoming part of CommsConsult? A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a supremely organised individual to work for CommsConsult in our office based at Tremough Innovation Centre, … Continued
This week R2A is full of the perks and pitfalls of the Policy Brief. Policy Brief Week runs from October the 27th to the 31st and is providing a wealth of tips and tricks around actionable recommendations, infographics and how … Continued
As part of our efforts to keep up with the trends in strategic communication, my wonderful organisation allowed me the pleasure of spending 3 fantastic days in beautiful Nairobi, Kenya for the first ever Net-Map Training held in Africa. Hosted … Continued
There are many (brilliant and essential) initiatives around better linking academic research and policy such as 3ie*, DRUSSA and Research Impact. However it is not just research-generated ‘knowledge’ that does and should inform development policy. According to Harry Jones et … Continued
The buzz around social media training in Zimbabwe has definitely caught my attention. A combination of global organisations such as Web2forDev and Mercy Corps and local organisations such as; GetSocial and Techzim all have innovative social media training for people … Continued
As a millennial, I have grown up surrounded by technology, but I also remember what the world was like before smartphones, tablets and computers. I am part of a generation that has watched an incredible technological evolution take place in … Continued
My dad went through this crazy phase where he randomly used to say ‘mind the gap’ then laugh. Being rather young during this odd period, I never really paid much attention to it, something about baby boomers and generation x… … Continued
Commsconsult was invited by ILO recently to facilitate a policy panel at a recent Symposium that brought together 93 policy makers, practitioners, academics, and researchers to present and discuss the evidence base for “What Works” and what doesn’t in addressing … Continued
Last month, I was in Egypt at the Economic Research Forum’s 20th Annual Conference. The CommsConsult team had decided to mark this special anniversary event with a few added extras to our usual social reporting suite. On top of the … Continued
“When an opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”: When I came across this saying earlier today, written on a street poster, I just smiled. It gave me an understanding of how and why one should appreciate opportunities that present themselves … Continued
CommsConsult recently said bon-voyage to Emma Clunie, who has gone to work for Polgoon, a Cornish vineyard run by her family. Emma has been a key member of the team working on Research to Action over the last two years, … Continued
CommsConsult are in Cairo for the weekend as part of the social reporting team for the Economic Research Forum’s 20th Anniversary Conference. Whilst focusing on many of the pertinent issues currently effecting the Middle East, with a theme of ‘Social … Continued
This blog was originally published on James Harvey’s personal blog ‘Impact Futures: pathways to influence’. James is CommsConsult’s Project Manager and has developed our in-house expertise in research impact, public engagement and professional development training for researchers. People love telling … Continued
Here in waterlogged Cornwall my lovely new colleagues @commsconsultltd are now into the final year of work on the 3-year 3ie Policy Influence Monitoring (PIM) project they’ve been working on, where their focus has recently shifted to some of the … Continued
In a world of 24/7 rolling news and a constant demand for multimedia content, how do you make sure the human story is not forgotten? On Wednesday 5th February 2014, Emma and I attended a One World Media workshop run … Continued
Last year was a great one for CommsConsult. But, boy, it was exhausting! We carried out over a dozen projects including our first for a UK academic market; worked in contexts both familiar (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Egypt) and new (Pakistan, Indonesia, … Continued
Here at CommsConsult, at least one of us has a conference call nearly every day of the week. We all have our stories of disastrous and frustrating calls and are always on the look-out for smart alternatives. So I was … Continued
As 2013 comes to a close, we are taking a few moments to reflect on what we’ve been up to in the last year. Here’s a quick look at our 2013 in pictures…we’re looking forward to what 2014 brings! … Continued
When I was initially tasked with writing the Winter Newsletter 2013 for CommsConsult, it seemed like a daunting project, how do you refine all of the numerous activities and projects that the company has achieved in the past six months? … Continued
CommsConsult has worked with GDNet and Euforic Services for nearly four years to deliver a suite of policy engagement workshops for Africa Economic Research Consortium (AERC) researchers. Currently in Nairobi, the team met a new cadre of African economics researchers from … Continued
In October this year CommsConsult ran an Impact Training Workshop at the Academy of Innovation and Research building at Penryn Campus. This video provides a summary of what proved to be an exciting and very interesting day.
You have created an online presence with your research, you communicate regularly and engage frequently, you’ve built up a following on social media platforms and generate good traffic to your website…All fantastic stuff, but how do you report this back … Continued
Social media is allowing us to reach new audiences, disseminate research and information and ultimately connect with anyone anywhere at the drop of a hat. Is that to say though, that we are using this ever increasing phenomenon to it’s … Continued
At the end of a journey you should always pause and look back over the distance you have travelled. And a journey of nine years certainly warrants a period of reflection. Last month saw the end of our management of … Continued
At CommsConsult, we have found that creating short film trailers can be an effective and relatively low-cost way of spreading the word about the events that we cover. A two-minute trailer can sum up the themes and issues being addressed … Continued
So I have a daily routine which involves using my twenty minute drive to work to collect my thoughts and finalise my plan for the day. It is very simple really, I just turn my radio on, focus on the … Continued
Great news this week for the CommsConsult team in Zimbabwe! The final sale agreements have gone through for their new expansive office, with plenty of space to get the creative dialogue flowing. Located in the heart of Avondale, close to … Continued
Fanfare please! The CommsConsult website has undergone a bit of an overhaul…we have updated it with the intention of making it clearer, cleaner and more user-friendly. You can now find all of our case studies and news stories on the … Continued
Today, CommsConsult facilitated a one-day training workshop on Increasing the influence of your research in partnership with Falmouth University and the University of Exeter. Held in the Sandpit room of the AIR (Academy of Innovation and Research) Studio, a group … Continued
On Tuesday the 15th October, CommsConsult, alongside Falmouth University and the University of Exeter, is inviting researchers to participate in a one day workshop to explore tactics and strategies for maximising the impact and influence of research. This practically focused … Continued
Beyond its publicised use in the Research Excellence Framework, James Harvey considers the wider role of the case study as a research method and underlines its often overlooked function as a tool for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders. The case … Continued
In 2012, the Egyptian division of the Global Development Network (GDNet) launched a new campaign “Connect South” to encourage members of the development research and policy communities to adopt a more inclusive approach to southern researchers’ knowledge. CommsConsult worked with … Continued
Getting my hair braided is a tedious process that I dread; however, it is an essential procedure to keep my kinky fro under control. Armed with two packs of braids and determination, I proceed to the Chikurubi Maximum Prison in … Continued
It’s a beautiful morning in Harare; there is a definite chill in the air heralding the advent of winter. As I sit in a cozy cafe, indulging in a cappuccino and perusing the morning papers, I can’t help but giggle … Continued
We seem to be witnessing a social phenomenon that could indeed come to define the kind of world we live in. Climate Change is a real and pressing problem. However, as a global society, we seem to be talking about it a … Continued
I love workshops that begin with people telling me that they don’t really have the time to be there, and finish with them asking me to ‘make it longer next time please’. I’m on my way home from New Delhi, where … Continued
Last week, I was dismayed as I went through the headlines in our daily press. Particularly distressing was a story in the NewsDay of November 10, which reported that according to a report by Plan International, sixty-seven percent of Zimbabwean … Continued
When developing online research resource portals, databases and community groups it is often difficult to assess how people will be using a platform as it grows. As online resources for research in international development are often put together without a commercial business … Continued
Facilitating workshops can be both exhausting and challenging. It’s often difficult to keep participants engaged and energised as an individual or as part of a small team. On the flip side, participants can often find it frustrating if a meeting or … Continued
Here at CommsConsult, we’re game to take on most challenges…For the second year in a row, we were asked to run a Simulation Exercise for keen first-year journalism students at our local University*. The purpose of the exercise is to introduce rookie journalists … Continued
Many years ago, I was part of a team of evaluators tasked with assessing the efficacy, impact and sustainability of a community radio station. One of the things we had to do was to measure whether the radio station had … Continued