EnSpark’s Stakeholder Engagement Process: A Lesson in Gathering and Reflecting All Voices
Last year (2023), EnSpark Consulting was chosen to support the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on Examining the Working Definition of Long Covid in developing and implementing a stakeholder engagement process. The goal of the stakeholder engagement process was to solicit input on the US Government's working definition on Long Covid from patients, caregivers, researchers, practitioners, health agencies, health policy and advocacy organizations, payors, and health industry businesses. Our team channeled our expertise in designing, facilitating, and documenting effective and equitable engagement processes. We were also charged with analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to provide a clear reflection of the wide-ranging stakeholder voices. The analysis of the data from the engagement process can be found in our report, What We Heard: Engagement Report on the Working Definition of Long Covid.
In June of this year, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Committee on Examining the Working Definition of Long Covid released a report with a comprehensive definition of Long Covid. Their report outlines the development of the definition including the stakeholder voices and the engagement process.
A core value of EnSpark is ensuring all voices are heard. We believe strongly (and have the science to back it up) that when all voices are heard, especially in public or community processes, outcomes are significantly improved.
Most people have experienced poorly planned and executed meetings where you leave feeling like your precious time was wasted; the microphone is being passed around, but no one is really listening to what is being said, and are instead anxiously waiting for their turn to talk (if there even is time for their voice to be heard at all). The stakeholder engagement process needs to start with ensuring all people are able to fully participate in conversations about meaningful topics impacting their communities and their quality of life.
EnSpark’s Stakeholder Engagement Process:
Allows as many people as possible to participate in the meeting from different stakeholder groups.
Ensures everyone has an equitable seat at the table to contribute their thoughts and ideas.
Sets up an active listening environment where everyone engages in meaningful dialogue.
Captures and reflects all ideas back to the participants and leaders.
In addition to the strategy behind creating successful, All Voices Heard events, we help clients identify meeting design tools that are most valuable to their specific size and scope of the meeting, such as Brainstorming Technology and Graphic Facilitation.
Taking the necessary pre-planning steps to ensure your meeting creates effective dialogue and equitable conversations will eliminate the risk of “ground hog day” meetings that, to be frank, simply waste time and increase frustration. If you would like to explore partnering with EnSpark, REACH OUT TO OUR TEAM TODAY.