Kimberly Clarke

Editor, Research to Action

Background

Kimberly Clarke has worked in communications for development for 30 years. A Canadian/British dual citizen, she is currently living in Exeter, UK.

She had a dream job at IT Publications from 1988 to 2000, editing the Waterlines and Appropriate Technology Journal fieldworker magazines along with editing and managing the production of numerous books. Working with authors from around the world to help them get their message across to readers (many were not native English speakers) was both fun and rewarding. As each issue of Appropriate Technology focused on a different issue, she worked with people from all corners of the globe, learning about renewable energy one issue, the challenges of mountain communities the next, and then perhaps barefoot vets.

As Marketing and Publications Coordinator at IIED from 2001 to 2003 she learned a whole new side of development communications, drafting the communications strategy for IIED’s Business Plan and, as a member of a small team, supporting researchers and administrators to improve the impact of their work through better communications. She surveyed the information needs of both staff and IIED audiences, and produced guidelines for staff on publications production, marketing, and House Style. Kimberly produced annual publications catalogues and developed a monthly new publications e-bulletin that greatly increased downloads of publications. She organised successful exhibitions for IIED at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and the World Forestry Congress in Quebec City, both of which substantially increased visits to the website.

Since going freelance (1996-2001 and 2003-present) Kimberly has managed complex multi-language publications projects to strict budgets from conception to printing. She has reviewed the communications work of six of DFID’s Research Programme Consortia (in health, education, and poverty reduction) as part of their Mid-Term Reviews. Kimberly wrote and edited an ‘Impact Stories’ brochure for DFID Central America, including commissioning design and layout, liaising with NGOs in English and Spanish, and translating material into English. While living in Central America Kimberly visited WWF’s sustainable community forestry project in Darién, Panama, to document evidence of and write an article about change in the community. She met with WWF staff in Colombia and Panama, interviewed partners from UNDP, Ministry of Environment, and the government’s sustainable development unit among others, and stayed with and interviewed the indigenous community in Darién.