The following table is a descriptive summary of community and public engagement activities from a selection of Wellcome Trust linked programmes and projects in low- and middle-income countries that came out of an email discussion in 2014.
The table includes the groups of stakeholders that different engagement activities work with, the types of change they are aiming for, and examples of this type of work among the programmes and projects.
The table is not systematic, complete, or definitive, and activities and understandings have moved on since 2014, but they illustrate the diversity and scope of engagement activities going on.
The table may be useful for situating discussions of community and public engagement, even though it is selective and incomplete, and others may make different distinctions among the type of changes being worked towards.
Download the table here (PDF 198KB)
Do you have comments for the creators of this table? What would you change or add? Let them know in the comments section below.
| Engagement activities | Level/type of engagement (which groups of stakeholders?) | Types of changed aimed for | Examples |
| COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | |||
|
Community advisory Groups (CAGs) Additional activities to engage particular communities (Community dialogue meetings, ‘Roadshows’) |
Engagement with community affected by particular research or ongoing research activity |
CAGs are an effective mechanism for two-way dialogue between community members and researchers about research processes and priorities Community better understands research and research process. Community is able to express an independent perspective on research Community trusts that research institution will address any concerns raised Communities feel respected by research institutionRespectful dialogue and relationships between communities and researchers sustained over time CAG enables diverse participation across gender, cultural, language, political, religious…. differences Researchers better understand role and importance of community engagement Research practice and policy more responsive to community concerns and interests |
KEMRI Community Representatives Network TAK Province Border Ethics Advisory Board Africa Centre Community Advisory Boards |
| Community radio programmes on health | Engagement with radio listeners in local community settings and ‘radio listening clubs’ | Community radio is an effective medium for interactive dialogue on health research and health issues for the community and radio listening club | Health Talk Radio Malawi |
| and as a more diffuse ‘public’ audience | Community radio reaches a wide and diverse audience, involves a range of public contributions to its phone-in programmes and hosts dialogue on a range of relevant issues related to health and health research | ||
| Local radio slots for questions and answers on research projects | Radio listening audience phone in |
Unanswered questions on health issues like HIV answered Increased levels of hope about being able to address health issue Radio listeners able to understand types of research studies Increased awareness of available services and referrals for some callers |
Africa Centre, South Africa |
| Art co-creation projects - people from disadvantaged communities putting on art exhibitions | Engagement with disadvantaged communities |
Disadvantaged communities have skills and confidence to use artistic processes to speak about their lives and experience relating to health Disadvantaged communities able to highlight their priorities and needs around health Community members get to know about the health issues that experts are researching and recommending |
Dekha Undekha/Seen Unseen, Mumbai |
| Engagement with public ‘audience’ of art exhibition |
A diverse audience is ready to attend the exhibition and listen/attend to the art and the issues it raises The art produced is ‘quality art’ |
||
| ENGAGING HEALTH SERVICE USERS | |||
| Beyond the Hospital Using theatre, art and photography to stimulate dialogue between patients, carers, researchers and hospital staff | Stimulate dialogue between patients, carers researcher and hospital staff on factors hindering rehabilitation after treatment of central nervous system infections. |
Patients who have had CNS infection and their carers able to articulate barriers to rehabilition Greater understanding in hospital staff and researchers of issues hindering rehabilitation Greater awareness of rehabilitation resources available in patients, carers and hospital staff Accessible materials for training staff on rehabilitationGreater understanding of value of research for hospital staff NGOs and disability organisations |
‘Beyond the Hospital’, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit – OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| “Adherence Stories”Digital stories of personal experiences of adherence | Engaging with people attending clinics viewing of storiesUse of stories in adherence education sessions |
Changes in knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of ARV adherence in people attending primary care clinics Adherence education sessions more effective due to use of digital stories Changes in skills, confidence and advocacy in individuals producing their own stories |
‘Adherence Stories’, Africa Centre for Population Health (South Africa) |
| ENGAGING RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS | |||
| Feedback from research participants and potential research participants | Engagement with potential research participants about reasons to participate/not participate and about understandings of research |
Potential research participants aware of their right to participate/not participate and the potential benefits of participating Some misconceptions about research among potential participants are addressed by researchers Researchers have greater understanding of participants’ reasons for participating or not participating in research |
Africa Centre for Population Health (South Africa) |
| SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES ENGAGEMENT | |||
| Schools engagement programme | Engagement with school students |
Students show greater interest in health research and science educationStudents have higher educational aspirations Households where students live show a greater awareness and understanding of scientific research Schools engagement programme is responsive and able to adapt to changing context and circumstances |
Schools engagement programme (Kenya) |
| Facilitating links between students and researchers | Researchers show more positive attitudes to community and community engagement processes |
||
| Schools science road shows Vietnam Events at annual youth science festivals Vietnam |
Students show greater interest in science and health research Students understand scientific process better Researchers and university student volunteers are given opportunity to interact and understand the community better |
OUCRU (Vietnam) | |
| Science theatre for school children |
Science and health messages delivered through entertaining theatre.School children, teachers and carers Shows are filmed and shown on TV for a wider national audience |
Young people hear health messages in a memorable and engaging manner Young people are introduced to scientific concepts Researchers can be involved by developing scripts and attending shows to meet young people |
OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| University student engagement programme | Students are involved in the schools programme and also are introduced to OUCRU |
University students have opportunity to develop their science by teaching to school children Students are introduced to OUCRU health research and gain a better understanding of scientific process |
OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| Science cafes in universities and for young doctors | Monthly science cafes are run in local science universities |
Students are introduced to new scientific subjects in a fun manner to encourage an interest in science Students are encouraged to debate and develop critical thinking Researchers gain experience presenting their work in a concise and engaging manner |
OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| Science page in a weekly children’s magazine | Weekly articles about science in a national magazine for young people (12-16yo) |
Young people are exposed to science in engaging and fun articlesYoung people are encouraged to write to contributers with questions, thereby building links with scientists Young people are encouraged to have scientific careers Scientists are trained and gain experience of writing for a lay audience. |
OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| ENGAGEMENT ‘INTERMEDIARIES’ | |||
| Training media personnel to write about science | Informs and trains science and health journalists to better representation of science to the public |
Journalists are able to clearly present science in ways that are accessible and engagingJournalists are able to clearly present science in ways that are accurate Journalists build links and trust with health workers |
OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| Researchers trained in communication skills | Support researchers to better communicate research with public and media |
Researchers are able to clearly present their work in ways that are accessible and engaging Researchers have effective links with journalists and media |
OUCRU Training for scientists to write for young people (Vietnam) |
| Training frontline health workers (HW) in communication and management of emotions | Frontline health workers trained in communication skills and management of emotions (e.g. on the job participatory processbasedtraining, Kilifi) |
Improving HW-patient communication and management of emotions to support service provision, facilitate uptake of services, improve job satisfaction for nurses, and strengthen professional relationships at work (between peers, supervisors and students, research HW and Ministry of Health HW). Where research and health care are provided alongside each other, strengthen capacity of HW to explain the differences between these to patients and participants |
OUCRU (Vietnam)KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (Kenya) SNEHA (Society for |
| Interface staff training (Fieldworkers, drivers) | Communication skills training for staff working in the community |
Enhanced awareness of need for good relations between research institution and community Staff able to confidently talk to community about research institution’s roles including specific studies |
KEMRI Community Engagement Programme (Kenya) SNEHA (India) |
| Training of NGOs on research processes and on TB research | Working with NGOs to improve their understanding and use of research |
NGOs are better able to use scientific research to inform their own work and to develop and assess community responses to TB NGOs are able to draw on an established network of trained researchers in their work on TB and health |
Tamil Nadu – building research skills (India) |
| Training Community Health Workers on research processes and on TB research | Working with Community Health workers to improve their understanding of research | Community Health Workers are more able to understand scientific research | |
| LOCAL AUTHORITY INTERMEDIARIES | |||
| Engagement with local and district government forums – e.g., LAC and DAC forums in South Africa | A variety of policy stakeholders and government departments get update on research findings |
Local and district municipality aware of findings from completed and on-going studies Improved collaboration between Community Engagement Unit and local governance bodies for improved HIV pandemic response |
Africa Centre for Population Health, (South Africa) SNEHA (India) |
| PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT | |||
| Art & photography/video installation: Temporary public photo booth in Kilifi town to ‘pose as a scientist’ | Engagement of local residents and scientists in Kilifi and wider public in Nairobi and London. |
Researchers gain new insights into public perceptions of sciencede-mystifying science for the public Enjoyment as facilitator of these processes Promoting positive relationships between scientists and the public/community |
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme – Art in Global Health project (Kenya) |
| Art and Science event | An evening of public lectures from scientists and artists |
Exposure for scientists and artists to another form of examination and creativity The public were invited into OUCRU; gain a better understanding of how the institute works |
OUCRU (Vietnam) |
| Science Cafes for the public | Short fun events for the public |
The public are introduced to new scientific subjects in a fun manner to encourage an interest in science Members of the public are encouraged to debate scientific topics and develop critical thinking |
Wellcome TrustMahidol UniversityOxford Tropical Medicine Research Programme (Thailand) |
This work, unless stated otherwise, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Please Sign in (or Register) to view further.