#1993

Hi all
1. Discuss the link between formative research and community engagement for a trial. How are they alike? What are some differences between the two?

According to the GPP guidline, Formative research activities enable research teams to obtain an informed understanding of local populations, socio-cultural norms and practice local perceptions, chanel of communication and decision making. So, that is where slitely differ from the community engagement. The formative research would be involved before the study to enable research team to get an efficient community engagement; it would be done formally or informally. The best way to do the clinical research you have to know well your community in general. Your community includes, potential participants, potential stakeholders including those who make decisions etc. To achieve this, formative research activities should be conducted. The link or similarity is that, both have to work in collaboration  as they work for the community/society, they know each other well, so that why research team has to seek their experiences before to start the study for a better guidance and a better start.

I would say yes, my site has conducted formative research activities. Even though it seems that research center work closely with the community engagement from the begnning to the end of study, formative research maybe needed as our sociaty is not static it is dynamic, some changes might seek for formative research at any time before, during, and after study, it is depend on the situation.

2.  Has your site conducted formative research activities? How have you involved community stakeholders in formative research activities at your trial site? If not, how could you potentially involve them?

Before we start the study, we first ( I do not know if we could call it formative or informative formative research) but we first selected 15 institutions/organizations, in collaboration with Ministry of Health which is our line Ministry,  because we are doing clinical research. From those 15 we selected 6 considering what we needed from them. So to engage them, we provided them knowledge and skills on HIV prevention trough trainings, meeting every month, share documents that would help them to understand clinical research. We also engaged our different stakeholders from grassroots administration to the higher level, to help and facilitate research team to also grow in research smoothly, like I mentioned from beginning, Rwanda still needs to be more familiar with clinical research, the good news is that they are willing to support and also to learn, that why they are supportive and welcome any additional knowledge about HIV prevention.