We're now delving into participatory, qualitative data collection methods and specifically participatory stakeholder and community engagement as a data collection tool. By the end of this video, you'll have a better understanding of the concept and value of stakeholder in community engagement as a qualitative data source. A big part of applying a gender lens is asking different questions and obtaining different perspectives. One way to do this is through stakeholder or community engagement and that's what I'm going to explore with you over the next few videos. The art of meaningful community engagement. Collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from under-represented groups is an essential step towards inclusive and equitable program, product, service, and policy design. Qualitative research is most likely to provide answers to questions such as why and how? It provides supporting narrative to better understand the issues, challenges, and needs of people and groups and is expressed in a more descriptive and narrative form. It's generally not measurable and mostly aims to ensure a greater depth of understanding. Qualitative data collection methods are most likely to consist of open-ended questions and descriptive answers, and usually do not involve numbers and mathematical calculations. But are rather concerned with words, experiences, thoughts, feelings, and other non-quantifiable data. It is an excellent way to gain insight into your audience's thoughts and behaviors. Maybe the ones you identified using quantitative research, but were not able to analyze in greater detail. A fulsome gender analytics process will incorporate both qualitative and quantitative insights. Each type of data can inform inquiries using the other type of data and each can fill the gaps and provide clarity that exist in the other. When we speak about stakeholder engagement or community engagement, it is important to note that there is no universal or commonly agreed to definition of these terms. The use of these terms varies widely and is often interchangeable, relating to notions of consultation, participation, collaboration, public engagement, and public participation. In general, stakeholder engagement is understood as processes that bring a diversity of stakeholders together to address issues that impact them. An underlying principle of stakeholder engagement is at stake holders have an opportunity to share in the problem identification and problem-solving and influence the decision-making process. Likewise, community engagement, a term that is often used in the public and non-profit sectors, is based on the idea that everyone who is affected by an issue that impacts their community should have a say in the solution and decision-making around it. You can see the similarities with the two concepts. One distinction is that the concept of community engagement includes in its meaning and its process, the value of the lived experiences of community members and mutual decision-making. For governments and organizations is often about working with and listening to communities to build long-term relationships and develop meaningful solutions to complex issues. In recognizing the needs and aspirations of all participants. Community engagement promotes the idea that through intentional participatory engagement with community members, you can influence and inform [inaudible] policy-making and enhance program and service delivery. This is where I think the learnings from community engagement principals and practices can inform what is traditionally considered as stakeholder engagement. Thus helping private sector companies to obtain insights and inform action towards inclusive and equity-based design. Through in my videos, you will note that I'm using stakeholder engagement and community engagement interchangeably. What you'll see as we delve into the principles and practices of community engagement, is that it is not associated with any one methodology, but rather represents a set of underlying values and principles about the research process. Ultimately, it is an approach that values diversity of lived experiences and emphasizes collaboration, participation and partnership towards equitable and inclusive design of products, policies and the delivery of programs and services. Community engagement can shed light on what isn't commonly known. The lived experiences of unserved and under-represented groups of people. It is an approach and methodology of disrupting default thinking, group think and top-down decision-making. It is a way to center and focus on the experiences of those most affected, the end-user, of those that are not currently at decision-making tables. At the end of the day, it is about connection. Stakeholder and community engagement offers the following four benefits. Number 1, it provides for innovative insights and solutions related to products, services, and policies. Number 2, participatory processes create the conditions for information exchange, sharing of lived experiences, and opportunity for mutual learning. Number 3, it's an approach that challenges the default way of thinking. It gets you out of your comfort zone, helps to solve problems from new angles and you perspectives and Number 4, it can fuel your team with useful and relevant ideas that can spark innovation. It is an approach that helps you to check your blind spots and a way for you to stay responsive, relevant, and informed. Ultimately, applying stakeholder engagement and participatory practices can result in increased understanding of different lived experiences and the creation of more [inaudible] products, services and programs. Stakeholder engagement and qualitative data collection can be used at every stage of the planning and design process and you are likely to get the best results and insights if it's used throughout the entire process. It can be used for solving complex problems or when you are working on multifaceted and cross-cutting issues. Likewise, if you are open to experimentation and want you dismantle or change existing systems, processes and policies. Insights from community engagement initiatives can spark that innovation. In addition, when you realize you are not obtaining the outcomes or results you expected in terms of equity and supporting a diversity of populations and groups, stakeholder engagement can help you get back on track.
