Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Policy Briefs
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that valuable data and insights in Syria are underutilized due to inefficient communication and lengthy production processes. This limits their potential for timely advocacy, resource mobilization, and stakeholder engagement, reducing the overall impact of our strategic communication efforts.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
Key Drivers:
Fragmented Data Sharing: Internal data flows inefficiently across units, limiting its reach and utility.
Lack of Timely Analysis: Over-analysis delays the production of knowledge products, leading to missed advocacy opportunities.
Inadequate External Communication: Existing insights are not effectively repurposed for external stakeholders, including donors and partners.
Resource Constraints: Limited capacity for creating concise, engaging, and timely communication materials such as visual fact sheets.
Stakeholders Involved:
UNDP Internal Units: SPU, Risk Management Unit, Communications Unit, and programmatic teams.
Donors and Partners: Rely on timely insights to make informed funding and collaboration decisions.
General Public: Beneficiaries of clear, accessible information on UNDP’s impact.
Current Situation:
Inefficient Internal Communication: Data remains siloed within specific units.
Missed Advocacy Opportunities: Delayed and outdated insights weaken the impact of advocacy campaigns.
Limited Stakeholder Engagement: External partners and the public lack access to timely, visually engaging knowledge products.
Undesired Effects:
Reduced Credibility: Inefficient communication affects UNDP’s ability to demonstrate impact effectively.
Missed Funding Opportunities: Lack of timely data insights undermines resource mobilization efforts.
Under-informed Decision-Making: Internal and external stakeholders operate with limited access to actionable data.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
Expertise in Rapid Knowledge Product Development:
We specialize in quick turnaround for data-driven insights, ensuring that factsheets and infographics are produced in a timely manner, without sacrificing quality or relevance.
Innovation in Data Storytelling:
Our Lab integrates narrative techniques with data visualization to create compelling, easily digestible knowledge products. This enhances the impact of advocacy efforts by making complex data accessible to a wider audience.
Cross-Unit Collaboration:
We excel at breaking silos within organizations, coordinating between the SPU, Risk Management Unit, and Communications Unit to streamline data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
Agility in Responding to Emerging Needs:
Unlike other actors, the Accelerator Lab can quickly adapt to emerging priorities and external developments, ensuring factsheets remain relevant and aligned with strategic advocacy goals.
Why Invest?
Enhanced Advocacy Impact: Timely and engaging factsheets will strengthen UNDP Syria’s advocacy, ensuring critical messages reach stakeholders effectively.
Resource Mobilization: Improved communication of UNDP’s impact will help secure funding and attract new partners.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Providing stakeholders with regular, clear insights ensures better programmatic decisions and strategic alignment.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
We’re transforming data into action! 📊💡 Through engaging fact sheets and visuals, we’re enhancing advocacy, resource mobilization, and public awareness for UNDP Syria’s impact. Timely insights, stronger partnerships, and better decisions. #DataDriven #UNDPAcceleratorLab
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
UNCT
What sector does our partner belong to?
United Nations
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Collaborating with the UN Country Team (UNCT) ensures alignment with broader UN strategies, enhances data-sharing across agencies, and amplifies advocacy efforts. This partnership strengthens collective impact and resource mobilization for shared goals in Syria.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
How can we streamline the production and dissemination of visually engaging, data-driven factsheets to ensure timely advocacy, enhance stakeholder engagement, and support resource mobilization for UNDP Syria’s strategic goals?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Sense, Explore, Test, Grow
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Co-Creation:
Collaborate with internal units (SPU, Risk Management, Communications) and external stakeholders to design factsheets that meet diverse needs.
Value: Ensures the final products are user-centered, relevant, and widely accepted.
Data Analysis:
Extract key insights from internal reports, government data, and open sources to inform the content of factsheets.
Value: Provides a solid evidence base for advocacy and decision-making.
Data Visualization:
Transform complex data into clear, engaging infographics and charts for the factsheets.
Value: Enhances understanding and retention of key messages, making data accessible to diverse audiences.
Social Media Analysis:
Analyze engagement trends and stakeholder feedback to tailor factsheet dissemination strategies.
Value: Optimizes outreach, ensuring factsheets reach and resonate with the intended audiences.
Storytelling:
Combine data with compelling narratives to contextualize insights and humanize the issues being addressed.
Value: Increases emotional engagement and advocacy impact, driving action and support.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Lack of Timely Data for Advocacy:
Existing data is often outdated by the time it’s analyzed and shared.
Value: Data Analysis addresses this by streamlining the extraction of actionable insights for quicker decision-making and advocacy.
Ineffective Data Presentation:
Current reports are dense and not easily digestible for diverse stakeholders.
Value: Data Visualization transforms complex information into clear, impactful visuals, enhancing stakeholder engagement and understanding.
Limited Audience Feedback:
There’s a gap in understanding how stakeholders engage with and perceive knowledge products.
Value: Social Media Analysis provides real-time feedback, allowing for adaptive dissemination strategies and content improvement.
Disconnected Narratives:
Data lacks contextual storytelling, which diminishes its emotional and persuasive impact.
Value: Storytelling bridges this gap by humanizing data, increasing its advocacy power and relevance.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
UN Country Team (UNCT):
Benefit: Access to shared data and enhanced coordination for advocacy.
Role: Champions for aligning factsheets with broader UN strategies and amplifying their reach.
Donors and Partners:
Benefit: Timely insights to inform funding decisions and strategic planning.
Role: Key users of factsheets to assess UNDP’s impact and identify engagement opportunities.
Government Entities:
Benefit: Data-driven insights to support policy development and program alignment.
Role: Advocates for integrating factsheets into national planning and decision-making.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and INGOs:
Benefit: Information for program design and collaborative initiatives.
Role: Partners in disseminating factsheets and leveraging insights for joint advocacy efforts.
Media and Influencers:
Benefit: Ready-to-use data and narratives to support public communication.
Role: Amplifiers of key messages, reaching broader audiences.
END OF ACTION LEARNING PLAN: Thank you! The form saves automatically and your submission has been recorded. You may now exit this window.
1No poverty
2Zero hunger
3Good health and well-being
4Quality education
5Gender equality
6Clean water and sanitation
7Affordable and clean energy
8Decent work and economic growth
9Industry, innovation and infrastructure
10Reduced innequalities
11Sustainable cities and communities
12Responsible consumption and production
13Climate action
14Life below water
15Life on land
16Peace, justice and strong institutions
17Partnerships for the goals
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