Engagement
Including patients, policy makers, community organizations or other partners to work with you in the phases of design, implementation, and/or sharing of results for your study/project
Tips to Engagement
What is partner engagement?
Engagement is working with partners in the phases of design, implementation, and sharing of results for your study/project. Engagement should occur throughout the project.
Partners can include patients, caregivers, policy makers, supervisors, implementation staff, community organizations or other people/organizations with an invested interest in a project.
Why is this component important?
Engaging partners informs the questions, goals, and products produced (e.g., decision aid, exercise program, etc.) and makes your intervention more likely to be used and sustained.
What are the goals of this step? - Timing!
Ideally, convene partners early in the project/study (e.g., focus groups, key informant interviews)
Engage partners throughout, especially at the beginning, middle, and end of a project
Be sure to assess the success of engagement throughout – this can be a simple check in or more formal comprehensive assessment (should align with project goals)
Common Pit Falls
- Late engagement – Bringing partners in after key decisions have already been made, which limits their ability to shape the project.
- Poor communication – Failing to provide updates, explain decisions, or close the feedback loop.
- Logistic barriers – Not addressing access needs, scheduling conflicts, or language barriers.
- Unclear roles – Not defining whether someone is an advisor, collaborator, or partner, leading to confusion about expectations.