Engaging Key Stakeholders When Designing Community-Based Efforts
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Saunji D. Fyffe
August 29, 2019
Across the country, government and nonprofit agencies are leading community-based efforts to help address and solve a range of problems. For instance, agencies are engaging communities to address underage drinking, the opioid crises, ways to reduce recidivism in ex-offenders and more. Although it may require the sharing and blending of resources and competencies of multiple organizations to effectively address complex community issues, the success of any community-based effort depends to a large extent on the level of support received by different stakeholders.
When building support for a new or ongoing community-based effort, having a participatory process that involves the stakeholders who may be affected by or have an interest in the initiative or intervention is more likely to lead to successful implementation, and ultimately more positive outcomes. In particular, involving stakeholders from the target population or beneficiaries of the particular effort is not just key to identifying the best strategies to meet their needs, but also enhances understanding of and by those who stand to benefit most. While involving stakeholders from the target population may seem intuitive, it does not always happen in meaningful and informative ways. There are many reasons to involve beneficiaries and stakeholders from the target population at all stages of a community-based effort. However, three key reasons are:
- Greater understanding of community context.
- Increased support and buy-in.
- Enhanced information and insight into factors that may facilitate or derail an initiative.
Greater understanding of community context. Involving a range of stakeholders is more likely to provide greater insight into community contextual issues and factors. Community-based efforts have unique contextual issues and factors (internal and external) that influence their ability to achieve (or contribute to) transformative community change. Moreover, contextual factors can affect the outcomes of the initiative or intervention. For example, political decisions can heavily influence community-based efforts. Engaging stakeholders can help navigate the political landscape and position the initiative or intervention so that it is perceived to be useful, relevant and more likely to achieve what it was intended to do. This is especially important in the event changes in political circumstances require the effort to be adapted or modified.
The beneficiaries of community-based efforts are stakeholders that can provide unique insights into the community context. While public and nonprofit agencies may have expertise and experience dealing with the particular problem on which the effort is focused, stakeholders from the target population have an intimate understanding of cultural and other factors that can make or break an intervention. For example, a job training program that worked well in one community may not achieve the same results, be slower in progressing towards more positive outcomes or fail in another because of certain community dynamics. Proactively involving stakeholders from the target community early in the planning process may help agencies avoid pitfalls and roadblocks that could be detrimental to the effort’s success.
Increased support and buy-in. Involving beneficiaries and stakeholders from the target community can garner greater community support and buy-in. Agencies can potentially avoid misunderstanding by taking steps to gain a better understanding of and sensitivity to community concerns, which can help agencies design efforts that are more likely to meet community needs. In the long run, considering community needs will likely enhance community confidence and support. Increased support and buy-in for a community-based effort tends to be higher when stakeholders believe the initiative or intervention is capable of meeting their needs.
Improved information and insight. The insights gained by eliciting diverse stakeholder perspectives can introduce new and different ideas as well as increase awareness of potential stumbling blocks. These insights can also raise concerns that agencies may not have considered without such input. Engaging stakeholders from the target population with diverse perspectives and interests, especially those with opposing views, can ensure that a variety of issues and concerns are taken into account, and can be informative should the need for compromise arise. This is especially important when designing community-based efforts that target diverse groups to ensure the intervention is culturally, and in many cases linguistically, appropriate.
Agencies leading community-based efforts should first identify and make a list of all potential stakeholders involved in, or affected by, the community initiative or intervention. The list of stakeholders should include those with a direct or even indirect interest in the initiative or intervention. Because it may not be feasible, or wise, to engage all potential stakeholders from the target group or beneficiaries, devising a system to prioritize this list of stakeholders is highly recommended. When prioritizing stakeholders, agencies should think about how different stakeholders can be engaged for different purposes and at different stages. Engaging stakeholders, especially from the target population, is more than a one-time activity and may not be easy; but is sure to pay off in the end.
Author: Saunji D. Fyffe, Ph.D., is a consultant specializing in program monitoring and evaluation. This article is based on her experience working with government and nonprofit agencies to build capacity and implement performance measurement and management. For additional information, email [email protected].
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Engaging Key Stakeholders When Designing Community-Based Efforts
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Saunji D. Fyffe
August 29, 2019
Across the country, government and nonprofit agencies are leading community-based efforts to help address and solve a range of problems. For instance, agencies are engaging communities to address underage drinking, the opioid crises, ways to reduce recidivism in ex-offenders and more. Although it may require the sharing and blending of resources and competencies of multiple organizations to effectively address complex community issues, the success of any community-based effort depends to a large extent on the level of support received by different stakeholders.
When building support for a new or ongoing community-based effort, having a participatory process that involves the stakeholders who may be affected by or have an interest in the initiative or intervention is more likely to lead to successful implementation, and ultimately more positive outcomes. In particular, involving stakeholders from the target population or beneficiaries of the particular effort is not just key to identifying the best strategies to meet their needs, but also enhances understanding of and by those who stand to benefit most. While involving stakeholders from the target population may seem intuitive, it does not always happen in meaningful and informative ways. There are many reasons to involve beneficiaries and stakeholders from the target population at all stages of a community-based effort. However, three key reasons are:
Greater understanding of community context. Involving a range of stakeholders is more likely to provide greater insight into community contextual issues and factors. Community-based efforts have unique contextual issues and factors (internal and external) that influence their ability to achieve (or contribute to) transformative community change. Moreover, contextual factors can affect the outcomes of the initiative or intervention. For example, political decisions can heavily influence community-based efforts. Engaging stakeholders can help navigate the political landscape and position the initiative or intervention so that it is perceived to be useful, relevant and more likely to achieve what it was intended to do. This is especially important in the event changes in political circumstances require the effort to be adapted or modified.
The beneficiaries of community-based efforts are stakeholders that can provide unique insights into the community context. While public and nonprofit agencies may have expertise and experience dealing with the particular problem on which the effort is focused, stakeholders from the target population have an intimate understanding of cultural and other factors that can make or break an intervention. For example, a job training program that worked well in one community may not achieve the same results, be slower in progressing towards more positive outcomes or fail in another because of certain community dynamics. Proactively involving stakeholders from the target community early in the planning process may help agencies avoid pitfalls and roadblocks that could be detrimental to the effort’s success.
Increased support and buy-in. Involving beneficiaries and stakeholders from the target community can garner greater community support and buy-in. Agencies can potentially avoid misunderstanding by taking steps to gain a better understanding of and sensitivity to community concerns, which can help agencies design efforts that are more likely to meet community needs. In the long run, considering community needs will likely enhance community confidence and support. Increased support and buy-in for a community-based effort tends to be higher when stakeholders believe the initiative or intervention is capable of meeting their needs.
Improved information and insight. The insights gained by eliciting diverse stakeholder perspectives can introduce new and different ideas as well as increase awareness of potential stumbling blocks. These insights can also raise concerns that agencies may not have considered without such input. Engaging stakeholders from the target population with diverse perspectives and interests, especially those with opposing views, can ensure that a variety of issues and concerns are taken into account, and can be informative should the need for compromise arise. This is especially important when designing community-based efforts that target diverse groups to ensure the intervention is culturally, and in many cases linguistically, appropriate.
Agencies leading community-based efforts should first identify and make a list of all potential stakeholders involved in, or affected by, the community initiative or intervention. The list of stakeholders should include those with a direct or even indirect interest in the initiative or intervention. Because it may not be feasible, or wise, to engage all potential stakeholders from the target group or beneficiaries, devising a system to prioritize this list of stakeholders is highly recommended. When prioritizing stakeholders, agencies should think about how different stakeholders can be engaged for different purposes and at different stages. Engaging stakeholders, especially from the target population, is more than a one-time activity and may not be easy; but is sure to pay off in the end.
Author: Saunji D. Fyffe, Ph.D., is a consultant specializing in program monitoring and evaluation. This article is based on her experience working with government and nonprofit agencies to build capacity and implement performance measurement and management. For additional information, email [email protected].
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