C40 Cities Network Training
C40 Cities is a global network of mayors taking urgent action to confront the climate crisis. C40's mission is to halve the emissions of its member cities within a decade, while improving equity, building resilience, and creating the conditions for everyone, everywhere to thrive. C40 works with the mayors and city administrations to help develop strategies and plans for adaptation to and mitigation of the effects of climate change, to scale up the implementation of those plans, to influence the global agenda and build a global movement. C40 has advisory staff based in over 30 countries supported by a small research, knowledge translation and communications team.
The course was designed to help the research, knowledge translation and communications team to review and revise how they use their research and knowledge products which include guides, case studies, articles, diplomacy briefs and research reports and their online platform to influence decisions and drive impact. The ultimate aim was to increase the impact of their work.
The course was been designed so that a wide number of C40 staff could attend training presentations and Q&A, and a smaller number of staff could participate in practical sessions introducing tools and approaches which they could immediately apply to their own work and then embed into organisational practice.
The course was in six modules:
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Introduction: Introducing the whole course including some examples of where research-based evidence and other forms of knowledge has influenced policy and practice, some theoretical frameworks for improving the impact of research and knowledge, and some approaches and tools to understand the context for policy engagement.
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Designing for impact: Building on the context mapping work in the first session this session will introduce some specific tools and approaches to clarify policy objectives and tools for designing research and knowledge work for maximum impact.
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Engaging with political policymakers and public advocacy: This session will explore how policy decisions get made and the implications for targeting recommendations, it will introduce the concept of knowledge brokering, and how to do it effectively.
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Communicating with key audiences: Some research-based strategies and tools for communication and knowledge transfer including how multiple types of knowledge in multiple formats for multiple audiences is often necessary to achieve change.
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Combining digital and other communication tools: How to get the right mix of digital and other communication products and activities to influence policy and practice and designing an evidence-informed digital communication strategy for impact.
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Coordination and tracking impact: Building on the previous 5 sessions this session will explore how to assess the impact of C40s research and knowledge translation work and how it could be better integrated into the overall programme.
The course was delivered by John Young, Louise Shaxson, and Jonathan Breckon with technical support from Tabitha Buchner, and special guest expert presentations by Sam Bickersteth, Shehnaaz Moosa and Liz Carlisle.
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