Pathways to Impact

Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder analysis is crucial for understanding who might be affected by or interested in your research. This process involves: 

1. Identifying stakeholders: List all individuals, groups, organisations, and communities with an interest in the research or who will be affected by it.
2. Assessing influence and interest: Evaluate each stakeholder's level of influence and interest in the research to prioritise engagement efforts.
3. Understanding needs and concerns: Engage with stakeholders through interviews, surveys, or workshops to comprehend their expectations and concerns.
4. Mapping relationships: Create a stakeholder map to visualise relationships and influences between different stakeholders, aiding in effective engagement strategies.
5. Distinguishing between next users (or end users) and beneficiaries: Identify who will directly use the research outputs versus who will benefit from the outcomes.
6. Considering context: Understand the language, culture, and demographics of different stakeholder groups when analysing their needs and preferences.

This analysis helps in effectively engaging stakeholders and understanding their relationships, motivations, and needs. It's a dynamic process that requires periodic updates to capture changing interests and alliances among stakeholders. Map out potential users, outcomes, and impacts using our Partway to Impact model approach. 

Developing Engagement Plans 

Engagement plans should be developed collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure their needs and priorities are genuinely met. Key aspects of developing effective engagement plans include: 

1. Early engagement: Involve stakeholders early in the research process to build trust and shape the research direction.
2. Tailored approaches: Use various engagement methods suited to different stakeholders, such as workshops, public talks, social media, and collaborative platforms.
3. Feedback mechanisms: Establish regular channels for stakeholder input and adapt the research process based on their feedback.
4. Clear communication: Ensure that information is accessible and relevant to the audience, using appropriate formats and channels.
5. Multi-directional communication: Plan for two-way dialogue rather than just one-way dissemination.
6. Timing considerations: Think about when to engage stakeholders throughout the research process.
7. Ongoing collaboration: Plan for sustained interactions rather than one-off engagements.

 This collaborative approach increases the likelihood of shared ownership and commitment to the research, making stakeholders more supportive and willing to contribute resources. 

The Engagement Spectrum 

The engagement spectrum represents various levels of stakeholder involvement in research projects. It ranges from basic information dissemination to active collaboration throughout the research process. Key levels include:  

1. Informing: Providing objective information to stakeholders to help them understand the research
2. Consulting: Obtaining feedback on analysis and decisions
3. Involving: Working directly with stakeholders to address their concerns
4. Collaborating: Partnering with stakeholders in all aspects of the decision-making
5. Empowering: Placing final decisions in the hands of the stakeholders 

Early and continuous engagement ensures stakeholder interest and ownership of research outcomes. This can involve co-designing research plans, joint data collection and interpretation, and collaborative dissemination efforts. 

Stakeholder Engagement

Effective stakeholder engagement is crucial for successful research projects. Key aspects include: 

- Identifying and representing all relevant stakeholders 

- Managing power dynamics with professional facilitation 

- Empowering stakeholders with information and decision-making authority 

- Building trust and fostering learning among participants 

- Achieving consensus, especially in contentious research areas 

- Ensuring research legitimacy through early and continuous engagement 

When planning stakeholder engagement: 

- Understand the context and preferences of different groups 

- Consider language, culture, and demographics 

- Develop collaborative partnerships with relevant parties 

- Assign clear roles and responsibilities to partners 

Engagement Across a Research Cycle 

Engagement should be planned and executed throughout the entire research cycle: 

1. Idea Development/Proposal Stage:

   - Conduct stakeholder consultation and market research 

   - Plan for translation and impact 

   - Involve collaborators and consumers 

   - Consider intellectual property and commercialisation 

2. Research Process:

   - Collaborate with stakeholders 

   - Manage relationships 

   - Build strategic networks 

 

3. Outputs Stage:

   - Produce tangible and intangible outputs 

   - Address intellectual property, copyright, and permissions 

4. Dissemination and Implementation:

   - Organise workshops, industry meetings, and conferences 

   - Work closely with users or stakeholders 

   - Provide training 

   - Engage through social and mainstream media 

5. Outcomes and Impacts:

      - Capture external use and uptake of work 

    - Engage with end users continuously to monitor and evaluate the impact of the research 

This continuous interaction helps in refining research through stakeholder feedback and ensures that the research remains relevant and impactful. 

Communication for Engagement 

Effective communication with stakeholders involves: 

- Co-designing communication materials for relevance and understandability 

- Use multi-directional communication approaches with stakeholders to allow feedback and foster dialogue   

- Tailoring messages to different audiences, both academic and non-academic 

- Employing clear language summaries for wider accessibility 

- Leveraging social media and policy networks to amplify messages 

- Directly engaging the policy community 

Public Engagement Strategies 

Public engagement involves offering opportunities for the public to interact with the research at various stages. Engaging the public early and often can help in building trust and ensuring that the research is relevant and impactful. When communicating your research to the public, consider the following: 

- Making research accessible and interesting to non-specialists. 

- Using media such as blogs, podcasts, public lectures, and exhibitions. 

- Collaborating with community organisations, schools, and other public bodies. 

- Encouraging public participation in the research process where possible. 

- Arrange workshops events to connect researchers and potential partners 

- Co-design research aspects with public input 

- Build trust and ensure research relevance through early and frequent engagement 

Choosing Communication Channels to Support Engagement 

Selecting appropriate communication channels is crucial for effective engagement and this choice should be strategic. When choosing your communication channels, consider the following: 

- Audience: Understanding who the stakeholders are and their preferred ways of receiving information. 

- Purpose: Defining what you want to achieve with the communication (e.g., inform, consult, involve). 

- Message: Crafting a clear and concise message tailored to the audience. 

- Medium: Selecting appropriate channels such as social media, emails, reports, and face-to-face meetings to effectively reach the audience  

- Consider both physical/offline and online channels 

  - Physical: Library displays, signs, campus monitors, flyers, posters 

  - Online: Website, email lists, social media, blogs 

Navigating Engagement Channels 

Effectively navigating engagement channels requires: 

- Understanding the strengths and limitations of different communication channels. 

- Combining multiple channels to enhance reach and impact. 

- Continuously evaluating the effectiveness of chosen channels and making adjustments based on feedback. 

- Ensuring that the communication strategy aligns with the overall goals and objectives of the research. 

These strategies help in building robust relationships with stakeholders, ensuring that the research is relevant, accessible, and has a meaningful impact. 

The impact plan should be regularly revisited and updated to reflect new insights and changing circumstances. This approach helps researchers stay focused, track their progress, and ensure their efforts align with their impact goals. 

References

From strategy to impact: - Matter of Focus  

Homepage - Designing For Social Impact 

Impact and the impact pathway — Impact Management Platform 

How to evaluate public engagement projects and programmes | NCCPE 

Introducing Public Engagement | NCCPE 

How to Perform a Stakeholder Analysis | Lucidchart 

Quality Practice | NCCPE 

Research Impact Academy: Boost Your Research Success 

AAMRI_Impact_Report-2021_WEB.pdf 

An approach to measuring and encouraging research translation and research impact - PubMed 

What is good practice engagement and impact? 

Media Impact Toolkit | Fast Track Impact 

handout-ex-ante-workshop-procedure.pdf