STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT NAVIGATOR
DICEmethods.org | Dissemination, Implementation, Communication, and Engagement
A guide for health researchers

GLOSSARY
Data Science to Patient Value Program (D2V)
Multidisciplinary research initiative that focuses on Big Data methods, their applications to medicine and health care delivery, and ultimately, the achievement of high value, patient-centered health care.
Engagement
A bi-directional relationship between the stakeholder and researcher that results in informed decision-making about the selection, conduct, and use of research.
Stakeholder
An individual or group who is responsible for or affected by health- and healthcare-related decisions that can be informed by research evidence. Health research stakeholders include groups like payers, practitioners and policy makers as well as patients, families and communities.
Stakeholder Engagement
Practice of interacting with, and influencing project stakeholders to the overall benefit of the project and its advocates. Stakeholder engagement is a longitudinal activity, which means engaging at least some of the same stakeholders more than once during the engagement period (e.g., from planning to dissemination/implementation or throughout one or more phases of a study).
Approach
Often an organizing framework in grant proposals used to establish with your stakeholders at the outset their role in decision-making, as well as their role in the conceptualization, conduct, and dissemination of research. Stakeholder engagement approaches include:
Method
A set of tools, techniques, and processes that are used to enact all of the “high-level” purposes of engagement: Identify and convene stakeholders, create reciprocal relationships (level the playing field), engage in bi-directional communication, elicit perspectives, and make decisions over time and in partnership. You may select a pre-existing package (e.g. Boot Camp Translation, Citizen Juries, Community Engagement Studio, etc.) or customize a package of discrete tools and techniques that match your own needs and resources. Stakeholder engagement methods include:
Tool
A means for gathering information, informing decision-making, facilitating group discussion and brainstorming, etc. Tools are often used in tandem or to complement other methods for specific purposes. Stakeholder engagement tools include:
Strategy
A general term used to refer to engagement approaches, methods, or tools without differentiating between them.
Fact Sheet
A document with information on a particular engagement strategy. Fact sheets are designed to provide concise and easy-to-digest information to help users determine if the strategy is well-suited to their particular research scenario and how to conduct the strategy. Each sheet contains links to examples and references for users looking for more in-depth information.
Planning
The phase of research in which the research question is developed and is used to inform the study design. When designing the study, ethical implications should be taken into consideration. Logistical aspects such as cost, time, and the availability of participants should also be thought out during this phase. Finally, investigators should consider the potential benefits and expected outcomes of the study to determine the value of conducting the research.
Implementing
The phase of research in which the study design is carried out. This phase includes outreach and recruitment of study participants as well as the collection and analysis of data. Implementing a study can be an iterative process in which stakeholders are consulted on various aspects of implementation to provide real-time feedback to the investigators.
Disseminating
The phase of research in which research findings are shared with stakeholders and other target audiences to maximize the benefits of the research. Dissemination of research findings requires determining the most effective way to reach the intended audiences and describing the findings in a way that these audiences can understand and use them.
Bi-directional
A relationship in which two parties are able to provide mutual benefit to each other.
Multi-directional
A relationship with more than two parties in which all parties are able to provide mutual benefit to each other.
Uni-directional
A relationship in which only one party benefits, sometimes at the expense of other parties.
Key characteristics
Criteria associated with each strategy that help to differentiate one strategy from another. Each strategy was ranked in terms of these criteria through a formal review process.
Workload
An estimate of the amount of work required by each strategy in terms of the time required combined with the level of difficulty of the work required.