Agency Roadmap - Building Strategic, Evidence-Based Communications Plans - 3ie Members Meeting - Washington DC - April 2019

Sep 23, 2026

Agency Roadmap outlines a structured approach for building strategic, evidence-based communications plans. It guides teams to assess communications infrastructure, approval procedures, goals, timelines, resources, and needed support, then define evaluation-driven success criteria and the specific evidence stories to share. The roadmap helps specify target audiences and stakeholder groups, craft compelling narratives with clear messages, and identify credible allies and message carriers. It also maps appropriate tools and channels by timing and audience access, and closes with practical tips for writing clear policy briefs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Understanding your communications infrastructure

Identifying your vision of success

Specifying target audiences and stakeholder groups

Creating compelling messages and engaging allies

Selecting tools and channels

Agency Roadmap: Building Strategic, Evidence-Based Communications Plans 3ie Members Meeting | Washington DC | April 2019 1. How does it work? Understanding your communications infrastructure Is there a team in your institution dedicated to communications? What capabilities do they have? Consider staff, time, and budget. What is the procedure for obtaining approval for a public-facing communications effort? Who is your point of contact? How do your goals, timelines, and resources align with those of the communications team? How do they differ? What concrete steps can you take to improve your understanding of your institution’s communications, and build a long-term partnership? ▪ In 2 weeks? ▪ In 1 month? ▪ In 3 months? What additional assistance do you need to reach your institution’s communications and policy goals? 2. What are your communications goals? Identifying your vision of success What are the evaluation findings or evidence-related stories you want to share in 2019? You may consider: ❏ Government policy priorities, including evidence that led to their prioritization ❏ Facts and statistics that reveal the scope of a problem or the need to act ❏ Budget or resources committed to a cause ❏ Design or implementation plan of a new policy or program ❏ Opportunities for citizens to share feedback or get involved ❏ Updates on implementation, including evidence of progress ❏ Results of a program evaluation-either positive or negative Why do you need to share the information? What are your goals? What does success look like? What do you want your target audience to: ▪ Think? ▪ Feel? ▪ Do? 3. Who do you need to communicate with? Specifying target audiences and stakeholder groups Who is your target audience for the evaluation findings? Think through targeted policy audiences in addition to key influencers on this issue – both potential champions and detractors of your approach. Who will support vs oppose you, and how much power do they have? What are the priorities of your target audience? What will they find most convincing? What do they need to know? Are these target audiences internal to your institution (e.g. leadership, civil servants, budget officers) or external (e.g. the media and other public influencers, a specific community or demographic, businesses or international partners)? How does that affect your strategy to engage with them? What additional information do you need to collect about your target audiences? 4. What’s the story? Creating compelling messages and engaging allies and message carriers Make sure your message is clear and consistent – what are the top three talking points that should be stressed and repeated? ▪ ▪ ▪ Can you convey the message in a compelling way? Think about the essential elements of a story and how they relate to your message. Who / what is the: ▪ Hero: ▪ Villain: ▪ Problem or conflict: ▪ Mission and journey: ▪ Twist / element of surprise: ▪ Killer statistics or emotional anecdote: ▪ Resolution and what comes next: What’s new about this story, and how is it relevant and urgent to your target audience? Why should they care? Why should the media publish the story? Who can help you tell your story and get the message out? For example, who are your best champions, spokespeople, and surrogates to reach out to the media or policymakers – including senior leaders, program participants, local or national allies, and high-profile political or community leaders who can effectively advocate or amplify your message? Who can help you make your message credible, and how can you add their voices to yours? 5. How can you communicate with the right audience at the right time? Selecting tools and channels Where do your target audiences and stakeholder groups get their information? Which channels do they find credible and easy to access and understand? Examples include: ❏ Official policy memos, press releases

FAQs

What capabilities and processes should a communications team have before planning public messaging?

Assess staffing, time, and budget, confirm who the point of contact is, and define the approval procedure for public-facing communications efforts. Align goals, timelines, and resources with the communications team’s work.

How should communications goals and success be defined in this roadmap?

Identify evaluation findings or evidence-related stories to share, including policy priorities, facts and statistics, committed resources, implementation updates, and evaluation results. Clarify why information must be shared and what the target audience should think, feel, and do.

How are target audiences matched to messages and communication channels?

Determine which audiences are internal or external, what they will find most convincing, and what additional information you need about them. Select credible tools and channels based on where audiences get information, prioritizing reach, depth, credibility, and available timing and resources.

Sep 23, 2026

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