RSS

Uptake Strategy

An Uptake Strategy is a planning tool that will help you to meet your goals and objectives. It should complement your project strategy, and use the objectives and indicators that you identified in your logframe or theory of change. It is not a dissemination checklist. The key elements of your uptake strategy are similar to any other strategy: What do you want to accomplish (objective)? Who do you need to communicate with in order to achieve those objectives (audience)? What do you want that audience to do (or know, etc.)? What do they do/know now (your baseline)? How will you measure your progress (indicators)? What resources do you have or need? Once you agree those basics, you can choose the tools that you can use, and tailor your information for each audience, starting with those who are most able to make happen the change that you seek.

Have a look below at some of the key resources available on R2A. There are a great many guides and toolkits for creating uptake (or communications) strategies. Choose the elements that are most appropriate for your project, and that are within your ability to use given your resources. Large projects or programmes should have a team of communications professionals – if you work on a smaller project that cannot afford communications staff then consider hiring someone to help you with your strategy. At very least seek out other DFID research projects that work in a similar area to your project and look at their strategies and interim and annual reports. Contact the projects and see if their communications staff are willing to help you learn, so that you can benefit from existing experience and networks. Your research staff will also be vital to members of your uptake team.

More Information