Communication and Dissemination, not only project results but the learning and process in achieving our results is a key objective of Work Package 7. This work package is led by Denise Callan from Momentum Innovate and Educate in Ireland. A graduate of English Literature and History, Denise has more than twenty years of experience in communications working in both the public and private sectors. With a keen interest in global current affairs, she brings her skills as a historian, and senior communications executive for national and international organisations to tell the story of ARENAS.
Work Package 7 is responsible for the Communications, Dissemination and Exploitation of the ARENAS project. It is about strategically telling the story of ARENAS so we reach the right audience with information they will find valuable and prompt action. Each objective demands specific tasks and activities:
Communication
This is about raising the visibility of the project with selected target audiences and the wider public. The Communications strategy informs identified stakeholders of the project and its objectives to help them recognise its value in helping them reach their goals.
Dissemination
Dissemination activities tell the story of the project results and the process of achieving those results. We reach and engage with stakeholders to establish a dialogue to facilitate use and upscale the project results.
Exploitation
Exploiting the project results focuses on the actual use of the project results. Exploitation activities set the pathway to the replication of results and activity to ensure their continued use in the future. They ensure the sustainability of the project and its activities by policymakers, communities and civil society beyond the lifetime of the ARENAS project.
To ensure effective Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation we first created a strong brand identity and developed a suite of templates for use online and in printed media. Then we set out the target audiences we wanted to reach with ARENAS information. Next, we identified the communications channels that would reach those target audiences most effectively. We have built a website that is regularly updated with news about the project and which will host the project results as they are published. We have also set up ARENAS social media channels on LinkedIn, X and Instagram which are updated several times each week. A video introducing the project has been widely circulated and we publish an ARENAS newsletter biannually. Furthermore, we support each partner in promoting the various events they host both online and in person to disseminate ARENAS results and activity.
Momentum has a multidisciplinary team working on ARENAS. Our experienced team of graphic designers, videographers and website designers collaborated to develop a strong visual identity for ARENAS. The creation of written content is led by Denise Callan and the experienced team of EU project officers at Momentum who work with partners to support the creation of blogposts, ezines, project reports and any other materials required.
After working on Work Package 7 for almost a year, Callan reports that the branding has been very favourably received and that website visitor numbers have exceeded expectations while the project’s social media channels continue to see steady growth with a highly engaged audience that regularly shares the published content with their own networks, further expanding the reach of ARENAS.
For Denise Callan, leading WP7 has been a very positive experience. She sees the strong commitment to collaboration and supporting the collective effort to achieve project goals as a hugely positive aspect of ARENAS. “The mutual respect shown by each member of the consortium and their willingness to help and support colleagues to ensure deliverables are achieved to the highest standards has been key to success to date. Partners are working in the spirit of the project, collaborating to support a more inclusive society”.
