Course objectives

  • Focus, background and key concepts

    Understand the rationale, key terms and conceptual reference points for community engagement in research uptake from the humanitarian and research sectors.

  • Identifying community stakeholders

    Understand who 'the community' is, and consider how and why to engage them in research uptake.

  • Strategies and methods

    Learn the 5 key components of community engagement. See examples of different approaches used by researchers to deliver research uptake working with communities.

  • Sustaining, improving and monitoring

    Understand why capturing feedback and monitoring the impact of engagement is important. See examples of tools that can help researchers sustain and improve their engagement with communities.

  • Reading and resources

    Signposting materials and tools that can complement this course, including on the ethical dimensions of community engagement in research.

Course curriculum

    1. Before you take this course

    1. MODULE 1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    2. Introduction to the course

    3. Key Term and Concepts

    4. To Download: Glossary of Key Terms

    5. The Engagement Continuum: from Communication to Co-Creation

    6. Exercise: Assess your position on the continuum

    7. Focus on research uptake: how it fits in the research cycle

    8. Suggested Readings

    9. Module 1 Quiz

    10. ELRHA EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIELD: Highlighting Community Experiences to Advocate for Change

    1. MODULE 2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    2. Types of Communities

    3. Recognising Heterogeneity within Communities

    4. Exercise: Identify Your Community Groups

    5. Practical Tips for Identifying Community Representatives

    6. Introduction to Internews Information Ecosystem Approach

    7. Module 2 Quiz

    8. Suggested Readings

    1. MODULE 3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    2. Background

    3. What are the key components of community engagement?

    4. Build on existing relationships: example from Ethiopia

    5. Offer new resources & opportunities: example from Sierra Leone

    6. Strengthen leadership & capacity: example from Sierra Leone

    7. Share power & learning: example from Brazil

    8. Give voice to minoritised groups: example from Lebanon

    9. Further reading on the presented examples

    10. Optimising community engagement for research uptake: what is "restitution of findings"?

    11. Sharing research results

    12. Introduction to assigned reading

    13. ASSIGNED READING: Dissemination of research findings to research participants living with HIV in rural Uganda: Challenges and Rewards

    14. Module 3 Quiz

    15. ELRHA EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIELD: Sharing and Responding to Research Findings with Community Members

    1. MODULE 4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    2. Introduction

    3. Sustaining community engagement in the longer term: Importance of feedback mechanisms

    4. Improving community engagment in future research: Tracking progress

    5. Monitoring levels of community engagement: Participatory tools

    6. Suggested Readings

    7. Module 4 Quiz

    8. ELRHA EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIELD: Using the Community Perceptions Tracker to listen to communities

    1. Introduction to Course Resources

    2. Top 10 Readings

    3. Useful Websites and Resources

    4. Other Training Courses

    5. Course feedback form

About this course

  • Free
  • 47 lessons

Instructor(s)

Participatory research expert Joanna Busza

Joanna Busza is a social scientist with expertise in qualitative and participatory methods. Her research focuses on the design and evaluation of community-based health interventions, primarily in the fields of sexual and reproductive health, and HIV prevention and treatment. She divides her time between independent consulting and working as Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.