Communication and Knowledge Sharing
Sharing is a versatile component, as its role changes and adapts in each of the five components. Sharing in the context of restoration can appear in a variety of ways, including information and benefit sharing. This sharing of knowledge is required across a range of individuals to make restoration successful, including policymakers, the public, other practitioners, and beyond 1. One of the aspects that links them together is their shared goal of developing ocean literacy, which is an individual’s understanding of the ocean’s influence on individuals as well as an individual’s influence on the ocean 2. Sharing is critical to restoration projects’ current and future successes.
Benefit Sharing
Ensures equitable distribution
Should be transparently shared with stakeholders and community members
Shows how positive outcomes are impacting individuals and organizations
Information Sharing
Idea that all information around the project should be shared with stakeholders
Examples of what to share: Decisions, data, methods, etc.
Examples of when to share: before, throughout, at the end
Results of benefit and information sharing
Provides clear understanding on distribution of outcomes
Ensures longevity of the project
Makes stakeholders feel valued
Communicating your Project
To successfully engage stakeholders, target groups, and community members in information sharing, it is critical that projects are communicated effectively. It is important to commit to proper planning and consideration of your communication goals and how your message and tactics change with different stakeholders.
Policymakers and selling restoration
Message dissemination to local, sub-national, and national policymakers is distinct from other types of communication, considering their support may be crucial for multiple facets of the project, such as funding, upkeep, or project legitimacy. Steps 1-3 should follow the same path as with other stakeholders, but disseminating the message to policymakers requires specially tailored approaches.
General guidelines to consider when communicating with policymakers
Factors of policymaking
Remember that policymaking is influenced by many factors, and scientific advice is just one piece of the puzzle 7. The figure to the left shows the many overlapping factors that policymakers will take into consideration when creating legislation and policies.
The policymaking cycle
Since policymaking is cyclical, it is possible to engage at every point of the cycle to communicate relevant information 8. The most opportune times to influence policymakers will be in an informal capacity at the idea gathering stage or in a formal capacity as green and white papers are being prepared by ministries or relevant government institutions 7.
Four key components for good science-policy communication
