Communicating the Value of Transportation Research (2009)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

Guidebook Planning & Evaluating Your Research Communication 25 Embarking on a program to establish value and infl uence perceptions requires careful planning, diligence, and patience. It is not a one-shot eff ort, nor can it be executed at the last minute when funding decisions are about to be made. Therefore, your entire program should adopt a principle of continual communication as part of your research process. Before you can successfully merge communication into the research process and begin establishing value, you should have a good understanding of the processes of communication planning and evaluation. This chapter provides sound advice on the best ways to proceed in incorporating communication planning into your overall research process and options for evaluating the impact of your communication. It provides details on: Who should be involved in the process and when to involve them, How to use a plan to structure your communication, and What options you can use to evaluate your communication eff orts. We refer to your research communication planning and evaluation eff orts as a “communication eff ort.” We recognize that while some communication eff orts tied to a research program may indeed be equivalent to a full- blown media campaign, most will typically be on a smaller, more conservative scale. Nonetheless, we use the term communication eff ort to mean any activity tied to communicating your research project or program.    Communication Planning Transportation researchers are recognizing the importance of communication throughout the research process and that doing so includes more than disseminating research fi ndings in a report when they complete a project. A well-designed communication process and structure can improve outcomes. This means that strategic planning needs to start at the onset of your research project to ensure that purposeful communication links your research to the appropriate audience during the design and conduct of the research. Doing so captures, involves, and retains their interest. A key to this is bringing the right people into the research process at the planning stage. Typically, at the onset of a research study, a technical team forms to direct and monitor its progress. At a minimum, these technical teams include a research division manager and a technical liaison or principal investigator from the division’s or research program’s functional area. Broadening your research team to include input from trained and experienced communication professionals off ers several benefi ts. These specialists can assist with the planning for the “Adopt a principle of continual communication as part of your research process.” Planning & Evaluating Your Research Communication3Chapter

26 GuidebookCommunicating the Value of Transportation Research eventual dissemination of results, especially if the results may attract public attention. But more importantly, these experts keep their ear on the ongoing public and political dialogue and can communicate with key public audiences throughout the research process. Seriously considering communication during the research process means strengthening your communication skills, through guides such as this one, and seeking the help of communication professionals. Strategic communication decisions made early in the research process provide the basis for a successful communication plan and implementation eff ort. Think strategically rather than tactically at the onset of planning. High- impact communication is typically the result of strategy-driven tactics—not the other way around. You can use a communication plan to guide your strategic thinking and document decisions about how to communicate the value of your research. This easy-to-use tool, familiar to every communication professional, will help your communication stay on target, create strong outcomes, and ensure you use resources eff ectively. Include Communication Professionals on Your Research Team A research team member frequently overlooked is the communication professional. The most important time to include the communication professional is during the proposal stage, when the research outcomes are being discussed. This person may be drawn from within your organization’s public aff airs or communications offi ce or may be an outside consultant specializing in communicating transportation issues.

Guidebook Planning & Evaluating Your Research Communication 27 Prepare a Communication Plan TITLE Executive Summary [Write this summary fi rst, and then develop detailed pages as appropriate. Come back to the summary each time you edit or add to the document to ensure it remains accurate.] Research/Situation Analysis [Briefl y cover any supporting research, historical background, and the current situation from which the communication need arises.] Goal [Describe the overall goals for this communication plan. If part of a broader initiative, indicate that.] Target Audiences [List whom you want to reach, their primary interests, and your call to action (your objective in reaching them). Group people if they will be regarded as the same and segment into separate groups if you will diff erentiate the objective, communication activities, and collateral materials. Typical target markets include other researchers, decision makers, the news media, current and prospective donors, and the public at large.] Key Messages and Key Message Testing [List key messages to be delivered in this communication eff ort and indicate when and how the messages will be tested.] Strategies and Tactics [Briefl y list the activities to be undertaken in delivering the messages to the target audiences. Include the channels, people involved, materials required, and other assets that you need to have for this eff ort.] Implementation [Indicate the lead person/group and other people involved in planning and carrying out the plan, including champions. Defi ne their roles and responsibilities.] Evaluation [Identify how and when the communication eff orts will be measured.] Timeline [Create a schedule for each discrete strategy or tactic.] Budget [Outline every element requiring funding, including evaluation, development of materials, media placement, and staffi ng resources.] Plan Authorship Planning process started: [m/d/yy] Plan authored by: [Name(s)] Audience Primary Interests Objective

28 GuidebookCommunicating the Value of Transportation Research The components or structure of your communication plan will vary according to the communication objectives of your research program. Well-defi ned objectives are the cornerstone of a good communication plan. If the objectives are too broad, the decisions will be diffi cult to make. You might have more than one objective, requiring diff erent strategies. It is likely that the decision makers, audience, and message for each objective will be quite diff erent. Having diff erent strategies is acceptable, as long as they do not contradict each other. Your objective in communicating the value of your research may be to aff ect a policy decision or to infl uence the adoption and use of new technology. To help you craft your own communication objectives, refer to Table 1, which highlights the communication objective or issue to sell for each of the case studies examined for this project. With a strong research team purposefully formed and a clear objective in hand, you are well positioned for scoping out how you will make your research goals a reality. Case Study Research Value to Sell Communication Objective Adaptive Control Software Lite Public–private partnerships that advance signal software development. Build public–private partnerships to develop new signal software. Northwestern University New Bridge Steel Benefi cial properties of a new steel. Convince decision makers to use new steel for bridge design. California Seismic Bridge Retrofi t Program The life safety benefi ts from incremental research on seismic retrofi t methods. Divert funds from existing capital projects to retrofi t bridges. Virginia Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bridge Deck The cost and performance advantages of the application of fi ber-reinforced polymer bridge materials. Deploy fi ber-reinforced polymer and other materials where appropriate in bridge repairs across the state. Missouri Statewide Installation of Median Cable Barriers A statewide solution to prevent a specifi c crash type. Install median cable barriers statewide. Oregon Mileage Fee Concept and Road User Fee Pilot Program A more equitable and effi cient way to collect road user fees to maintain, preserve, and improve Oregon’s highways that is acceptable to the public. Implement a substantial fi eld test of the mileage fee system in Oregon. National Cooperative Freight Research Program The productivity and safety benefi ts derived from a national freight research program. Establish a national freight research program funded under SAFETEA-LU. Table 1: Communication Objectives of the NCHRP 20-78 Case Studies Crafting Communication Objectives Consider the following tips in crafting your communication objectives: Multiple objectives. A separate communication plan may be required for each objective. It is likely that the target audiences and messages for each objective will be very diff erent. Specifi c objectives. Avoid vague objectives like “raising awareness.” Ask yourself why you want to raise awareness. Do you want to infl uence a behavior change or shape an opinion, infl uence the funding allocated to transportation research, or convince a highway engineer to adopt your new roadway construction technology? State a specifi c objective and decide how you will measure progress—i.e., “increasing the amount of funding for seismic research by $800,000.”  

Guidebook Planning & Evaluating Your Research Communication 29 Evaluation and Feedback What Are Evaluation and Feedback? Evaluation and feedback are additional and important ways for you to ensure that your communication relates to the audience’s needs and values, makes the best use of channels, and, above all, is eff ective. Most transportation researchers have limited budgets, so getting the most from those dollars for any communication is extremely important. By seeking feedback and evaluating your communication eff ort at every step of the research process, not only will you stick to your budget, but you will also make the strongest impact on your audience. Formal evaluation methods often use surveys or focus groups to determine important issues for the target audience. Large organizations employ these methods through nationwide phone surveys or focus groups to test a product and provide feedback. They may also test audience awareness or beliefs before and after reading, seeing, or hearing a communication campaign. This method of pre- and post-tests is valuable because it gives a baseline for audience knowledge or beliefs before exposure to the campaign, such that changes in beliefs or values can be tied to the campaign. Each method reveals information about the eff ectiveness of the campaign, but informal evaluation and feedback can be just as eff ective—and they are budget friendly. Regardless of the formality of the evaluation and feedback methods, establish your communication goals up front. Goals provide targets for which audience you want to reach, what channels you should use, and how often you should communicate with that audience. Goals also direct communication toward a focal point, such as gaining acceptance for a new policy or procedure. Without a specifi c goal, you may inadvertently design a fantastic communication plan that accomplishes very little. While your communication eff orts may be visually appealing and reach a large audience, the point of the communication may be lost without direction. Conduct Budget-friendly Informal Evaluations In the planning stages of your research, when you are determining the context in which to present the study, look for current trends in the fi eld and the events of target communities and audiences. This provides a strong foundation for your communication planning, based on the values of the target audience. Once you have moved from planning to creating the communication plan, schedule time to pretest your messages. Pretesting by audience members and technical experts is emphasized in the earlier discussion of content. Although formal focus groups can help improve your message, a cost- eff ective alternative is to ask fi ve or six representatives from your target audience to review your materials. Ask communication and subject matter experts and audience members for feedback on the content and style of your communication messages and materials. This feedback can alert you to distracting type and color choices and the emotions they evoke, as well as any part of the message that is unclear. Finally, conducting brief surveys or conversations with audience members at the conclusion of the research eff ort will alert you to the overall eff ectiveness of the communication and can inspire new ideas.    

30 GuidebookCommunicating the Value of Transportation Research Decide on the end goal for the communication plan, and seek evaluation and feedback to ensure that the campaign strategy, messaging, and materials work toward and can achieve that goal. Why Are Evaluation and Feedback Important? Just as transportation researchers evaluate new materials for the eff ectiveness of structure designs, you will need to evaluate the success of your communication eff orts for several reasons. First, it will help you become a more successful communicator. By documenting the strengths and weaknesses of your communication eff orts, you can incorporate strong elements into future eff orts while improving upon weaker areas. Second, evaluation and feedback help ensure that the audience receives the intended message, demonstrates a new level of knowledge, and/ or takes the actions encouraged. In essence, evaluation and feedback can show that you met the research communication goals. Finally, evaluation and feedback are important because they document your success and show communities, political leaders, and granting institutions that you spent their money wisely. They may be more likely to give additional time and money to programs and projects headed by a team with demonstrated success. By evaluating and documenting their communication eff orts, researchers can provide strong evidence for the value of their projects. Because developing communication concepts, strategies, and materials is an art, evaluation and feedback can also play a role during communication planning. Individuals have backgrounds and experiences that infl uence how they see the world and, thus, how they perceive your research as communicated to them. Because of these diff erent points of view, testing messages with stakeholders and members of the target audience takes on practical importance. Pretesting the concept or themes of the campaigns, the specifi c messages you plan to use, and the packaging of the campaign with actual members of your audience accomplishes several tasks: Pretests can make certain that messages are understood and memorable. It is often benefi cial to have fresh eyes review your materials, because after spending large amounts of time looking at and thinking about a document or a presentation, you may see more in the message than is actually there. Asking new and relevant audiences to provide feedback can focus attention to unclear or unmemorable messages. Pretests help ensure the cultural and social acceptability of the content, channel, and style of the message. This cultural consideration directly impacts the communication channels that you will use. Pretesting can help you navigate the cultural and social complexities found in all target audiences. It is important to show sensitivity to racial, gender, and ethnic stereotypes, because these factors may all infl uence the choice of language and images that are incorporated into diff erent messages. Also show sensitivity for social factors and contexts. While September 11, 2001, was a signifi cant day in the entire United States, images of the World Trade Center may play diff erently in New York City and Washington, D.C. than in other parts of the country.    “Evaluation and feedback are important because they document your success and show communities, political leaders, and granting institutions that you spent their money wisely.”

Guidebook Planning & Evaluating Your Research Communication 31 Asking the intended audience to provide feedback on communication eff orts at the conclusion of research helps researchers and program managers evaluate how well the program achieved its overall objectives. Knowing what worked well and what did not informs researchers which goals were accomplished and which areas may need to be readdressed. Evaluation is also important for learning, so in the future you can target your audience better and avoid the pitfalls of current communication eff orts. Finally, evaluation and feedback allow you to document and share your best practices. Keeping track of lessons learned is valuable for your future eff orts, and it also allows you to be a resource for other transportation researchers. Using Evaluation Eff ectively Have clear and realistic goals. These goals will guide your communication campaign and will help you determine what kind of evaluation and feedback you need to collect. Informal feedback may be appropriate in some cases, but more formal methods are necessary to measure the knowledge or intentions of your audience. Get feedback throughout the process. Get opinions and insight before you begin the campaign, at several points throughout the campaign, and after the campaign has concluded. Take pictures. Pictures of researchers in the fi eld or interacting with audience members can be integrated into eff ective and personalized campaigns. Make use of existing relationships. Local champions and governmental leaders have insight into audiences’ needs and values. They can help gauge whether or not your strategy is appropriate for the audiences. Collect case studies. Stories about a product or process from an audience member give campaigns a more personal touch.     