At a recent UN Network of Evaluation Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNNESSA) learning event, we shared how FAO’s Office of Evaluation (OED) is striving to use communication to increase learning and use of our evaluations.
Discussions, started with our UNNESSA colleagues, continued in an internal OED all-staff workshop.
This blog shares some of the case studies presented, along with the key challenges and opportunities identified in those conversations.
At a recent UN Network of Evaluation Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNNESSA) learning event, we shared how FAO’s Office of Evaluation (OED) is striving to use communication to increase learning and use of our evaluations. Discussions, started with our UNNESSA colleagues, continued in an internal OED all-staff workshop.
This blog shares some of the case studies presented, along with the key challenges and opportunities identified in those conversations.
Embedding communication from the start
Traditionally, communication was an afterthought: something evaluation managers considered only at the end of the evaluation process: “We have the report, now how do we communicate it?” But this is changing.
In OED, we increasingly recognize the value of planning communication from the outset.
To support this shift, we have been creating tools and procedures that promote early engagement, tailor communication to audience needs, and enhance accessibility. At the evaluation design stage, the communication team reaches out to evaluation managers to co-develop a communication and engagement plan.©F
©FAO
Where possible, the plan is prepared in consultation with local communication staff. Combined with regular check-ins, this tool helps identify key users, understanding context-specific needs and preferences. It also maps out communication opportunities throughout the process.
Boosting Participation Through Visual Engagement
©FAO
Most meaningful learning doesn't happen by reading a report—it happens through dialogue, reflection and participation. By engaging stakeholders during the entire evaluation process, we create space for shared understanding, critical questioning and ultimately, ownership.
In the Uganda Country Programme Evaluation, we piloted the use of graphic facilitation in stakeholder workshops. This involved creating a visual representation of the preliminary findings to give a holistic overview and encourage engagement. Through their participation, stakeholders were able to shape the evaluation process, as the gaps they identified in our image were used to guide the final stage of the evaluation.
The approach enhanced stakeholder engagement and useful feedback, generating 150 comments and suggestions from 40 participants – far more than the three or four voices we might typically hear in a more formal gathering.
Although the evaluation is still ongoing and we do not have indicators to measure outcomes for this activity, we expect this kind of engagement to foster stronger ownership and use of findings.
The approach sparked strong interest in applying similar participatory methods more widely. Discussion groups were enthusiastic about introducing more participatory approaches, like graphic facilitation, into the evaluation process.
Tailoring Products and Channels to the Different Users
People tend to retain what is most useful to them, which makes it essential to understand how different stakeholder groups engage with information—and to adjust communication accordingly. Local staff play a key role in shaping communication strategies that resonate. Their context-specific knowledge of trusted media outlets, preferred languages, and community-specific formats helps ensure that communication products are not only accessible, but also meaningful. When messages and channels are aligned with audience preferences, they are more likely to be understood, trusted and used.
In the Togo Country Programme Evaluation, early discussions revealed that reaching younger audiences would require more dynamic and visual formats. We concluded that short videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok were the most effective option to reach to them.
The discussions highlighted the importance of developing a “layered approach” “concise briefs for decision-makers, visuals for technical clarity, and narratives for broader audiences.”
Making Lengthy Reports Digestible and Interactive
A common first step in shifting away from traditional evaluation communication is turning long, technical reports into shorter, more accessible summaries.
At OED, we create short briefs or infographics as a standard product for all our evaluations, often drafted into the local language.
For example, the final report of a project evaluation on Disposal of persistent organic pollutants and obsolete pesticides and strengthening sound pesticide management in Cameroon is an 118-page document. Our team created a two-page highlight document summarising the key findings in a more digestible way.
https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/4d66cd33-62e8-4dcc-a72c-22220e41819f
Stakeholder surveys show a high demand for accessible summary documents, and these have become a standard product in OED’s communication portfolio.
In addition to summaries, we are increasingly adopting interactive formats to share results in ways that are not only informative but also engaging. Interactivity encourages deeper engagement by turning passive reading into active exploration, which helps users better absorb key messages. One recent example is the interactive story created to share our descriptive analysis of evaluations conducted by our office in 2023 and 2024.
©FAO
https://www.fao.org/interactive/2025/evaluating-fao-work/en/
This visual, web-based product was well received by FAO staff and Member Nations, not only for its accessibility but also for helping raise the visibility of evaluation work within the Organization.
Telling the Story Through Videos
Videos are among the most powerful tools for evaluation communication. They combine imagery, voice, narrative and emotion—making complex findings more accessible and memorable. They also allow stakeholders to see and hear from real people in real places, helping ground evidence in lived experience.
The FAO programme in Somalia is one of FAO’s largest and longest running programmes. To support communication of the evaluation of this programme, OED commissioned a video to share the findings, including film footage and interviews recorded with the FAO country team. The video presented complex findings in an engaging, narrative-driven format. It anchored evidence in real environments, enhancing storytelling and adding authenticity, credibility and multiple viewpoints, helping create buy-in and use.
We are increasingly using videos and whiteboard animations to share findings in our Programme Committee meetings and with stakeholders through our YouTube channel.
Strengthening Institutional learning through Collaboration
Evaluation is too often seen as a stand-alone exercise. Breaking down this silo means working more intentionally across the Organization.
The recent evaluation of FAO’s support to One Health uncovered a wealth of historical insights - an invaluable resource for institutional learning. Recognizing that this information could serve a much broader purpose beyond the evaluation itself, OED partnered with the One Health division to develop an interactive timeline https://www.fao.org/one-health/highlights/one-health-timeline/en. The result was a dynamic visual designed to support knowledge and learning from FAO colleagues and partners. The collaboration was not just about validating content—it was about jointly shaping how the information would be communicated and used.
What are the challenges?
While our efforts to strengthen evaluation communication are gaining momentum, several persistent challenges remain—especially in lower-budget or time-constrained evaluations.
- A common challenge is finding a budget for communication services or products. Smaller evaluations, in particular, may not have the funds to develop tailored outputs, hire design support, or invest in video production.
- Evaluation managers often face tight deadlines, leaving a little to implement communication activities.
- The long gap between finalizing and publishing the evaluation can lead to a loss of momentum. Stakeholders may have moved on, and the window for influencing decisions may have passed.
- Once an evaluation is completed, team members often move on to new assignments. As a result, follow-up communication can fall through the cracks. Finally, we struggle with measuring effectiveness of our communications. We are exploring the use of web analytics to better understand our reach. However, capturing deeper forms of engagement and influence remains a challenge