Stake Holder Retention

[Zoleka]

I usually have a challenge in drafting and implementing strategies for stake holder retention or the activities that may enable me to retain my Community Stake Holders.
Any help will highly be appreciated.

Topic

[Kelvin]

Stakeholder retention for me ties in within a broader strategic plan of the CRS, which also relates to the
Very difficult to maintain stakeholder engagement within a environment where there is constant flux with studies coming in and closing down. It would benefit larger CRS sites which have multiple studies, but for a small site with say one or two studies, its a tall order. Also the institutional costs of maintaining a stakeholder retention, is higher to maintain in relation to one study, where the revenue stream is already burdenede, as opposed to a multiple site where institutional costs can be cross subsidised.

[Maurice]

If the stakholder do not respond to their rule, the result will be vain. Then their rule can be effective if only if we consider these as a part of our actors and important local, national or international partners. So each part have to give its almost it can to the community work: e.g.: advices, guidance, fund, strategies, workshop, tools, in order to get success under our all activities. Brief, everyone is needed as attendee, because together we’re strong going to the main objective.

[Dominic]

I agree with Phaleda that stakeholder retention strategies differ from place to place. but what I have been doing in our organization is keeping communication and feedback going even when there is no activity, for study participants its about having a good rapport and getting to know how they are doing. this from my experience has improve retention though getting 100% retention is still a challenge.

[Phaleda]

Far much it is necessary to engage community in older to have a good stakeholder strategy one need to keep in mind that this is a process and this varies from place to place.
I also have a challenge having stakeholder retention in a sitiuation where there a change in positions of stakeholder members hence having challenges in re-debriefing for them to know what we are doing.So sometimes have stakeholder retention challenges is enevitable.

[Phinda]

Retention is Vital, engage your stake holders in simple staff idea and planning it will make them not to feel but be part on any Research study and stakeholders. Community engagement it means be part, know what’s happening within your community What help can they offer knowing the needs of their communities face daily how can Retention take place bring back control.

[Alicia]

An important factor in stakeholder retention is continuous communication even when study activities are in a maintenance phase. Also, ensure that your study team (including Medical Lead) are involved in this communication or schedule dialog.

[JORGE]

Probably there is not enough stakeholder retention, or participation, because there was not enough engagement. This sounds like obvious but I think it’s more frequent than we think, specially when it’s related with community.

Some research teams do the theory at the beginning, even gathering some of the right stakeholders, but maybe not enough of them, not enough involved in the process and maybe not the right people, so sometimes community leaders are ongoing for a long period (and always the same people) so we can think we have a good community representation but also community based organizations sometimes are apart of the real leaders and community needs.

I think it’s important to map stakeholders deeply, going further of the usual faces / representatives. It’s better to consider any posible stakeholder and then not having it in the final process than realize along it that it was missed. I guess the most difficult challenge is the own engagement, but I believe that if the research team develop the whole research beside those stakeholders mapped (planning, developing, implementing and evaluating, and information dissemination) the engagement will be easier and meaningful.

Plan with them, check their arguments and experience since the beginning and continue the comunication frequently, not just communicating outcomes but also work together in the whole process. In my experience another useful thing working with stakeholders is to mix them and make them to cooperate together. Networking is one of the most engaging experience for any stakeholder.

[JORGE]

Ah! And also something easy and basic, ask their opinion and how they feel with the process!

[Mmapule]

Researchers and trial sponsors should consult stakeholders through a transparent and meaningful participatory process which involves them in an early and sustained manner in the design,development,implementation,monitoring and distribution of results of biomedical HIV prevention trials,and participation of individuals should be voluntary and selection of participating communities and individuals must be fair and justified in terms of the scientific goals of the research.

[JOYCE]

Joyce
February 13, 2017 at 10:15 am

Community stakeholders should feel part and parcel of the clinical trials. This can only be possible by planning of engaging them throughout the trial life circle, keeping in touch with them regularly. They should be encouraged to visit the trial site at anytime, this activity will enable them to establish ongoing relationship with the clinic staff. This strategy can help to retain the community stakeholders.

[Jessica]

One thing to think about is that retention is a metric of strong engagement but is not engagement itself. Thinking about activities that will build trust, increase transparency and increase participation in the process of research should lead to increase retention as a metric of success. Have you had a focus group with stakeholders asking why they are not continuing to participate? What about putting a survey into the field asking why some have never come to a CAB meeting or town hall etc. This is a first step in helping you develop mechanisms that may be useful in retaining stakeholders.

[Cale]

Thanks for mentioning this point about retention not being engagement in of itself. I’ve been examining the various network evaluations related to engagement lately, and many of the networks do evaluate CAB retention (for example) on an annual basis. It’s important to remember that simply retaining CAB members is not sufficient to conclude that sufficient community engagement is taking place.

[María del Rosario]

training events is a good strategy to retain community stakeholders. These trainning sessions have to combine your and their interest.
MaR

[Greer]

Would this be training specific to the study underway (so whether it is to be trained on the details of the specific research underway) ? Or would the training be of a more general nature with study specific information included as a complimentary focus ?

[Thandi Marry]

Informed and engaged your stakeholders it is make it easy to attract collaborators at the beginning of your project but if they don’t have frequent update about the progress and activities, lack of communication is always a major problem in sustaining good relationship with stakeholders and become difficult to retain them back make sure that you keep your stakeholders in the loop

[Pamela]

Retention will be achieved when stakeholders are involved from the initial stages of trial, constant communication and transparency are key, I have also found out that getting stakeholders input in planning my community engagement activities improves retention.

[Author]

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