Section 3: Guiding Principles of CEnR for Research and Education Teams

Becoming familiarized with and implementing guiding principles of engagement will cultivate community partnerships that are based on confidence, integrity and mutual respect.¹⁷ CEnR is viewed as a shared experience of learning that empowers all participants.^9,21

Guiding Principles of Engagement

Collaborative Partnerships

• Collaboration is the foundation of CEnR. Partnerships are a shared experience of creating knowledge that empowers all participants.

• For CEnR to be successful, the process should be a mutually beneficial experience for all stakeholders involved.

• CEnR is a cooperative, recurring process.

• Researchers recognize their unique power when working in CEnR partnerships, but understand their responsibility to address power differentials and support an environment in which all stakeholders feel heard and seen.

• Respect, compromise, flexibility and transparent, frequent communication are paramount skills for researchers involved in CEnR.

Prioritization of Community

• The community’s needs matter.

• The community is viewed as an extension of the identity of its members.

• Each community has a unique history, set of concerns, hopes and resources that are as valuable to the research process as formal training and education.

• It is the responsibility of the research team to learn about the community with which they wish to collaborate.

Bi-directional Communication

• Successful relationships between stakeholders and the research team are the result of transparent, honest communication.

• The roles and boundaries of all stakeholders are communicated clearly and established early in the research process.

• Stakeholders should feel comfortable to mutually share knowledge that contributes to the project and its outcomes.

• Researchers communicate technical concepts in lay terminology to assure understanding among community partners.

• Findings and knowledge gained are disseminated in a timely manner to community partners.

• Regular evaluations of project progress (or lack thereof) should be communicated with stakeholders.

• All participants are made aware of their rights to privacy and confidentiality. ^11,17,22,23

Appendix Tip!

For concrete examples of how to create partnerships that will enhance engagement in the planning, conduct, and dissemination phases of your project, consider:

• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Foundational Expectations for Partnerships in Research (Appendix A)

• PCORI’s Additional Guiding Engagement Principles (Appendix B)