Engaging with the public: A review of the practices and experience of SEI and its peers

This report evaluates the public engagement practices of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and its peers to identify best practices for communicating scientific research on climate change. It combines an internal staff survey, a workshop, and a desk study of 10 peer organizations and three in-depth case studies to provide recommendations on improving research impact and institutional learning.

• A survey of SEI staff revealed a wide range of engagement frequencies and targets, with government entities and agencies being the most frequently mentioned groups. While 38 staff reported public engagement around climate change, there is a noted discrepancy in how staff define 'the public', as some exclude 'stakeholders' and 'climate negotiators' from this category.
• SEI staff utilize a spectrum of engagement methods, ranging from one-way information extraction to participatory action research. Face-to-face methods such as workshops, interviews, and meetings are cited far more often than passive tools like social media or policy briefs.
• Evaluation of engagement activities at SEI is inconsistent; only 58% of responding staff reported evaluating their projects, and many described these evaluations as informal. This is despite the existence of the internal Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Communication (PMEC) system.
• A review of 10 peer organizations indicates that most target a professional, well-educated global elite in influential locations. There is a trend toward shorter, graphical, and audio-visual web-based materials, although face-to-face engagement remains critical for effectiveness.
• The AfriCAN Climate Portal case study highlights that web-based tools are most effective when integrated into a broader suite of platforms, including face-to-face dialogues and personal relationships with decision-makers. The project found that attracting external contributions to the platform was challenging, while recruiting young volunteers was more successful.
• The BBC Media Action’s Climate Asia project, which surveyed over 33,500 people across seven countries, demonstrated that audience segmentation is essential. The project avoided branding products as BBC Media Action or DfID to encourage wider uptake and ownership by other organizations.
• The report concludes that effective research communication requires understanding the specific stages of policy processes, as scientific knowledge is only one of many factors influencing outcomes. It emphasizes that web-based tools must be supported by face-to-face engagement to build trust.
• To accurately measure research impact, the report recommends a hybrid approach combining quantitative metrics (such as page views and downloads) with qualitative narratives that explain how different stakeholder groups actually apply the information.

APA

West, S., Taylor, A., Dyke, A., & Rudnicki, R. (n.d.). Engaging with the public: A review of the practices and experience of SEI and its peers. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2014-Public-engagement-review.pdf

Chicago

West, Sarah, Anna Taylor, Alison Dyke, and Radek Rudnicki. Engaging with the public: A review of the practices and experience of SEI and its peers. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2014-Public-engagement-review.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=West |first1=Sarah |last2=Taylor |first2=Anna |last3=Dyke |first3=Alison |last4=Rudnicki |first4=Radek |title=Engaging with the public: A review of the practices and experience of SEI and its peers |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2014-Public-engagement-review.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{westndengaging, author = {West, Sarah and Taylor, Anna and Dyke, Alison and Rudnicki, Radek}, title = {{Engaging with the public: A review of the practices and experience of SEI and its peers}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2014-Public-engagement-review.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }