) What is your experience with stakeholder mapping? How do you use stakeholder maps at your site? Discuss how you (and your colleagues) determine the importance of involving one stakeholder versus another. For example, how do you determine who constitutes your CAB?
I have minimum experience with mapping and have used the techniques of conducting a situational analysis and community profile to understand the community. We have used information from various resources to understand the community and develop our referral structures and network contacts. We ensure that all health and social development members are part of the stakeholders and that the CAB is made up of volunteers from our recruitment areas, health services, traditional leaders and social development services. I like the idea of critical thinking of developing CABs and using the mapping techniques explained in this module. We have used a system of asking members to complete biosketches and we assessed their eligibility to be CAB members using a few criteria indicators such as willingness to be part of HIV prevention, experience in an organisation, ability to participate and contribute to discussions, have had health education and outreach exposure. This has helped to a limited extent.
2) Stakeholder engagement is not easy and multiple partnerships can be hard to manage. How can you partner with stakeholders to create a community of sustained engagement? How can you get members of your research team to “buy-in” to sustained or longer-term stakeholder partnerships?
Sustainability is not easy in an environment with high unemployment and high expectations for monetary rewards or compensation. But we have now been working with our communities for over a decade and built trust as we have always been open and honest to our stakeholders of the research process, outcomes and study closures. We have also provided support for capacity development of community members who have attended conferences and scientific events sharing their voice about final results. Long term partnerships may be achieved using the GPP principles and applying this in partnership with the community. Developing capacity of the community members to access employment and improve technical skills like using a computer, chairing sessions, presenting at meetings, writing minutes has helped with sustainability to a limited extent. This is work in progress for me personally but very important to strengthen my skills in sustaining CABS.
