Strengthening capacity for community and public engagement (CPE): a mixed-methods evaluation of the ‘DELTAS Africa CPE seed fund’ pilot

Wellcome Open Research

article

Leah Mwangi¹  Lillian Mutengu²  Evelyn Gitau¹  Imelda Bates³  Justin Pulford³ 

[1] African Population and Health Research Centre;Science for Africa Foundation;Centre for Capacity Research, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

关键词: public engagement;    capacity strengthening;    Africa;    early career researchers;    evaluation;   

DOI  :  10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17665.1

学科分类：内科医学

来源: Wellcome

【 摘 要 】

Background: The ‘DELTAS Africa CPE seed fund’ was a pilot scheme designed to strengthen capacity in community and public engagement (CPE) via a ‘learn by doing’ approach.   The scheme supported a total of 25 early career researchers and research support staff belonging to the DELTAS Africa network to design and implement a variety of CPE projects between August 2019 and February 2021.  We examine recipient experiences of the DELTAS Africa CPE seed fund initiative, changes in their CPE attitudes, knowledge and proficiency and their CPE practice and/or practice intentions post-award.Methods: A mixed-methods process and performance evaluation drawing on three data sources: An anonymous, online knowledge, attitude and practice survey completed by CPE seed fund awardees pre- and post-project implementation (N=23); semi-structured interviews completed with a sub-sample of awardees and programme implementors (N=9); and ‘end-of-project’ reports completed by all seed fund awardees (N=25). Results: All awardees described their seed fund experience in positive terms, despite invariably finding it more challenging than originally anticipated.  The combined survey, interview and end of project report data all uniformly revealed improvement in awardees’ self-reported CPE knowledge, attitudes and proficiency by completion of their respective projects.   Commitment to continued CPE activity post-award was evident in the survey data and all interviewees were adamant that they would integrate CPE within their respective research work going forward.Conclusion: The DELTAS Africa CPE seed fund appeared to work successfully as a CPE capacity strengthening platform and as a vehicle for fostering longer-term interest in CPE activities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY