Communications Must Be Embedded Early in Project Design, Consultant Says

LAGOS — Strategic communications expert and gender consultant Tolulope Olorundero has emphasized the importance of integrating communications into the earliest stages of project design, arguing that it should not be treated as an afterthought but as a core component of planning and decision-making.

In a recent reflection on her experience participating in a multi-day project commencement meeting, Olorundero noted that early involvement in project design significantly improves the quality and relevance of communications outputs. The meeting, which brought together multiple implementing institutions, featured detailed presentations on workplans, expected outputs, outcomes, and evidence-based approaches.

She observed that being part of the process from the beginning enabled communications professionals to better understand the logic behind project design, align messaging with actual evidence, and anticipate potential gaps before they become challenges.

According to her, communications should be viewed as an integral function that helps translate technical work into clear, accessible, and actionable information for stakeholders, rather than a final layer added after implementation decisions have already been made.

Olorundero also highlighted the growing importance of communications in complex, multi-country and consortium-led projects, where consistency, clarity, and gender-responsive framing require deliberate planning rather than assumption.

She further stressed that effective communications require adequate funding, noting that including communications specialists in a project without allocating a corresponding budget limits their ability to deliver meaningful impact. She advocated for communications to be treated as a formal line item in project proposals, alongside staffing and operational costs.

Her remarks underscore a broader shift toward evidence-informed decision-making across sectors, where communications plays a key role in ensuring that data, insights, and project outcomes are effectively shared with relevant audiences.

Olorundero concluded by encouraging greater dialogue among professionals in the field on how communications is integrated into project design and implementation, particularly in initiatives aimed at achieving long-term and measurable impact.