GCM Community Involvement Tool Kit Glenburn Lodge, Muldersdrift, South Africa November 27-28, 2007

Background for Community Involvement Toolkit In 2004, GCM described new framework for conceptualizing community involvement Result of conversations, consultations and dialogue (2003) Reflects many of the emerging ideas and experiences

GCM Model of Community Involvement Partnership and Mobilization Research implementation exists alongside specific process goals that strengthen the role and capacity of community to articulate and address its own development needs including future research priorities. Historical No involvement of community except as pool from which to draw research participants Advisory Community representatives provide input into specific areas of the study as requested by the research team Collaborative Community representatives and research team cooperate in developing and implementing the research Evolution of Norms for Community Involvement in Research

Community Involvement Toolkit Primary audience - community facilitators interested in forming partnerships between community and researchers Envision

Toolkit Structure Section one –Defines community –Explains framework –Outlines components of community-research plan Section two –Tools, activities, and examples to illustrate the components

Framework for Community Involvement Framework does two things One: De-links “community involvement” from the CAB model Two: Articulates a vision of community involvement that promotes increasing engagement and empowerment of communities

Community-Research Partnership: Overarching Assumptions Community involvement in research is not an outcome but a process Community involvement in research has both instrumentalist and partnership goals

Community-Research Plan Preparation: to create a conducive environment for a community-research partnership Communication: to ensure ongoing two-way information exchange, feedback and dialogue between the community and the research team Implementation: to enhance scientific validity and ethical integrity throughout the trial Mobilization: to strengthen community mechanisms for locally relevant health and development initiatives

Preparation Purpose: To Create a conducive environment for a Community-Research Partnership Tasks 1.Identify and orient community facilitators 2.Establish relationships and build trust among research staff, facilitators and community 3.Document community resources 4.Set goals and create opportunities for mutual learning 5.Create a monitoring, evaluation and documentation plan

Communication Purpose: Ensure ongoing two-way information exchange, feedback and dialogue between community and research team Tasks 1.Build linkages and collaboration with civil society and other external stakeholders 2.Maintain two-way communication with the local community 3.Identify and address misinformation or concerns

Implementation Purpose: to enhance scientific validity and ethical integrity throughout the trial Tasks 1.Create strategies to protect ethical integrity and participant and community rights 2.Create strategies for maintaining scientific validity 3.Understand participants behavior and beliefs about microbicides, educate 4.Facilitate participant retention

Mobilization Purpose: to strengthen community capacity to articulate and address their own social and development needs Tasks 1.Create strategies for strengthening community capacity 2.Create strategies for preparing for access

Examples Task: Document Community Resources Instrumentalist Goal Partnership Goal How:  Together with stakeholders or key informants, develop a community mapping process. Examples/Tools/Skills:  Cognitive mapping Techniques and resources: Participatory community mapping techniques (such as cognitive mapping), “mystery client,” participatory evaluation Goal: Preparation

Questions Have we captured the right tasks and how-to’s? How could they be amended? What concrete examples/tools can you recommend of provide?