Part of our daily work is to analyse problems and research solutions. Most of the time this represents the first stage of a communications projects. In certain instances we conduct research and produce research papers, which can range from a website accessibility report to digital communications strategy such as the one that we wrote for the Bretton Woods Project.

Case Study: Bretton Woods Project

The Bretton Woods Project works as a networker, information-provider, media informant and watchdog to scrutinise and influence the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The network consists of an extremely diverse and disparate group of civil society groups who monitor the International Financial Institutions (IFIs).

The aim was to produce a coherent communications strategy that would help the group of organisations to achieve and communicate their aims more effectively.

We consulted a wide array of organisations by organising workshops, discussions, interviews and a global survey to determine their different aims, resouces and set-ups. And to understand how the different IFI watchers communicate with each other. Combined with desk based reseach we then set out some new options to allow resource-sharing and closer collaboration on a global level. In the long-term, we hope to help them develop a knowledge network using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Of course, there will always be barriers -- connectivity and accessibility, language and cultural differences, information overload, information vacuum, and many more, which all have be analysed as part of our work.

The resulting strategy has been discussed by the IFI-watchers at the annual meeting of the World Bank in Washington; BWP has hired new staff to monitor and facilitate the network; and the first tools -- such as a shared calendar and a search engine -- are now being implemented. Furthermore the IFIwatchnet site has been set-up to incorporate and showcase the digital communication related recommendations.

You can find out more about the latest developments and read the report at the BWP strategy page.