Let’s Get EngagedLet’s Get Engaged
Active Community Active Community EngagementEngagement (ACE)(ACE)
Nancy Russell
The ACQUIRE Project
Global Health Council Auxiliary Meeting May 28, 2008
You will learn about the different levels of community engagement for health
You will be familiar with the ACE continuum to aide you in your project work
You will come to understand that empowerment influences health outcomes….
And more!!!
Session Objectives
Community Engagement Defined
Active Community Engagement (ACE) continuum
ACQUIRE Lessons Learned
Program implications
Moving Forward
ACE Game
Presentation Content
Community Engagement Defined
“The process of working collaboratively with groups of people who are affiliated by geographic proximity, special interests, or similar situations with respect to issues affecting their well-being.”
CDC, “Principles of Community Engagement”, 1997
Community Engagement
“Are we there yet?” Why do we ask this question?– Lack information– Lack control
When we are engaged in the process we have– More information– More choice– More decision making– More often
As communities are more engaged, communication moves from vertical to horizontal – From messages to dialogue to decision making
What is the ACE continuum?
A framework based on ACQUIRE experience and literature
Shows empowerment increases with each level of engagement
Shows all community engagement is valid - and levels depend on multiple factors (time, $, expectations)
ACE builds joint vision and indicators for success
Overview of ACE Continuum
Framework for planning and assessing community engagement
Three levels of Engagement
5 characteristics of Empowerment*
– Community involvement in assessment
– Access to information
– Inclusion in decision making
– Local organizational capacity to advocate
– Accountability of institutions to public
*Narayn, D, World Bank, 2oo2 and Dr. Michael Hatcher, CDC, 2007
Need to value partnerships
Be clear about the purpose of community engagement
Define terms
Collaboration and flexibility
Determine level of engagement from beginning
Clear indicators and expected outcomes
Engage and re engage
Budget for maintaining community engagement
Principles of Community Engagement
Quality client-provider
interaction
Quality client-provider
interaction
• Leadership and champions fostered • Supportive service policies promoted• Human and financial resources allocated
• Leadership and champions fostered • Supportive service policies promoted• Human and financial resources allocated
• Service sites readied
• Staff performance improved
• Training, supervision, referral, and logistics systems strengthened
• Service sites readied
• Staff performance improved
• Training, supervision, referral, and logistics systems strengthened
• Accurate informationshared
• Image of services enhanced
• Communities engaged
• Accurate informationshared
• Image of services enhanced
• Communities engaged
Fundamentalsof Care
StakeholderParticipation
““More More MoreMore More More Services People Places”Services People Places”
to into in
Data for Decision Making
Increased knowledge Increased knowledge + acceptability+ acceptability
Increased availabilityIncreased availability
Improved policy + program environmentImproved policy + program environment
DemandSupply
Advocacy
Increased Access, Quality and UseIncreased Access, Quality and Use
Gender Equity
Communities engaged
ACQUIRE Lessons Learned
Engagement moves from passive to active at each level.
Power sharing increases with each level of engagement.
ACQUIRE Lessons Learned
One, two or three levels of ACE can exist in one project.
Adopting shared language and expectations critical to partnerships
Champions are critical.
Project Lessons Learned
Empowerment outcomes emerge with health outcomes
Use of participatory processes and tools important
Moving Forward
FP/RH service delivery programs define community engagement along a continuum
Time of reduced resources can build on community linkages
Decentralization is opportunity to become less vertical in planning community interventions
The ACE framework is used to initiate discussion and build a way forward with a common vision
Let the Games the Begin!!!
ACE cards will be distributed
Each table will work as a team – or divide into teams
Review the outcomes for each level and each category of ACE on one side of the card
Choose activities from the set of labels – place a label where you think it belongs – forming an A, C or E with the filled spaces on the card
First group to form a letter will get a prize.
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