NRF Hosts 2nd HSRC-NRF Policy Brief Writing Workshop

On 04 December 2024, the DSTI-NRF Postdoctoral Policy Fellows participated in a training workshop entitled Dissemination and Engagement Planning for Policy Briefs. This interactive session forms part of the HSRC-NRF joint programming in the second phase of the policy writing training, which provided participants with valuable skills for creative and effective policy brief dissemination and stakeholder engagement.

The session provided an opportunity for the Fellows to prepare for their policy brief presentations for a wider, targeted audience. Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Dr Sepo Hachigonta, NRF Acting Executive Director: Business Advancement, said, “There is a growing need for evidence-based policies to address societal issues and it is, therefore, important to build the capacity of researchers to effectively play a role in policy-making processes.”

The training was facilitated by Dr Konosoang Sobane, who is based at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Key highlights included:

• Antonio Erasmus, Moses Kas, and Nonkululeko Dlamini (HSRC) led a session on creative dissemination formats such as infographics, videos, and podcasts. Participants worked in groups to design innovative policy brief outputs and received peer feedback on their storyboards and ideas.
• Samantha Coert and Yoliswa Sikhosana guided the group through the identification and mapping of stakeholders; development tailored engagement strategies; and exploration of tools for sustaining meaningful connections with key players in the policy field.
• Dr Konosoang Sobane led a session on best practices to showcase policy briefs at high-impact events to prepare participants for their upcoming presentations at the Africa Young Graduates and Scholars Conference hosted by the HSRC’s Africa Institute for South Africa. In interactive group sessions, participants outlined their strategies for strategically communicating their policy brief at the launch.

The event concluded with an action planning session, where participants developed next steps for the completion of their policy briefs and the finalisation of their policy brief stakeholder engagement plans. Feedback from participants underscored the session’s value in equipping them with actionable strategies for impactful policy dissemination.