Preparation Exploration Negotiation Implementation
Researcher: The more individuals you keep encouraging me to involve, the longer the research takes and the more expensive it is. I am worried about the donor organization or other stakeholders trying to bias, bury, or otherwise shape the results and conclusions.
Practitioner: We need to consult the local officials, regional representatives, government ministries, donor representatives, and the marginalized communities. We want to be involved in the design of research so it is useful and the production of results so that we know how to use them. We need to discuss findings and results with key stakeholders, because transparency is key to keep all doors open to implement programs.
Convergence: Stakeholder involvement is critical for research uptake and scale up and ensures that the research questions and research process are context specific. Carry out stakeholder mapping as a team to identify who to engage at what times and to what level of involvement. Discuss ways to preserve the integrity of the findings while also engaging the stakeholders meaningfully. This step in the process could also identify power dynamics and areas of marginalization that could be critical for both Academics and Practitioners to consider.
Questions Researchers Can Ask:
How do we manage our budget and (at the same time) ensure we have a diversified pool of engaged stakeholders?
Who will select the stakeholders and how do we determine where they will come from?
Is the stakeholder group representative of needs to the project?
How do we limit stakeholder bias, and ensure everyone has their voices heard and their opinions shared?
What is the audience for the research findings?
Questions Practitioners Can Ask:
How can stakeholders be involved in the design of research so it is useful to them? How can we ensure that stakeholders will know how to use the results?
How will you ensure transparency with stakeholders? How will you communicate project updates to stakeholders?
How will we create an inclusive environment for stakeholders? How do we decide each stakeholder’s level of involvement, and at what stage of the project timeline?
How can we manage stakeholder expectations throughout the project cycle and maintain a positive working relationship with them?
How do you plan to share research findings to key stakeholders and other relevant audiences? How can we help reach a broader/ more diverse audience?