Evaluating consumer and community involvement in health research is essential for several reasons, all of which contribute to improving the quality, relevance, and impact of research. Here are the key reasons why evaluation is important:
- Demonstrating Impact – evaluation helps to measure the value and outcomes of consumer involvement.
- Building the Evidence Base – systematically evaluating involvement can identify what works and what doesn’t and enable sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
- Ensuring Meaningful Involvement – evaluation helps distinguish genuine from tokenistic engagement.
- Improving Processes – feedback from evaluations can lead to more inclusive and accessible involvement strategies.
- Accountability and Transparency – evaluation provides a way to demonstrate how consumer input is used.
- Aligning with Ethical and Policy Expectations – evaluation ensures compliance with NHMRC and international ethical guidelines, funding body requirements and community expectations.
It is important to evaluate from the perspective of all people involved in a project, for example, consumer, consumer organisation leads, community leaders, and researchers.
For more information, please refer to ‘Frameworks for Evaluation of Consumer and Community Involvement’ in the Resources section.
The WAHTN ‘Involving Consumers in Health and Medical Research Handbook’ has a template for measuring the involvement experience of each stakeholder.
Common pitfalls to avoid in consumer and community involvement
To ensure meaningful and sustainable involvement, it’s important to be aware of common challenges that can undermine success. Below are key pitfalls to avoid:
- Inadequate preparation – Lack of readiness in processes, policies, and people.
- Rushing the process – Skipping foundational steps or pushing timelines too quickly.
- Unsupportive culture – Organisational culture that doesn’t understand or value involvement.
- No involvement agreement – Absence of a clear, shared understanding of roles and expectations.
- Poor communication – Internal and external stakeholders receiving information second-hand or too late.
- Over-focus on long-term goals – Neglecting immediate needs and actions.
- Initial enthusiasm with no follow-through – Grand launches followed by little or no sustained activity.
- Weak or absent leadership – Lack of visible, committed leadership to champion involvement.
- Excluding key voices – Not involving the right people at the right time.
- Insufficient resourcing – Failing to allocate time, budget, or support for involvement activities.
- Process-heavy approach – Prioritising systems over relationships and human connection.
- Ignoring resistance or cynicism – Not addressing concerns or scepticism among stakeholders.
- Assuming shared perspectives – Expecting all stakeholders to view issues the same way.
- Straying from agreed terms – Deviating from the Involvement Agreement without consultation.
- Mismatch between words and actions – Saying one thing but doing another.
- Front-loaded communication – Strong initial engagement followed by poor ongoing communication.
- Lack of flexibility – Not adapting to changing circumstances or having a Plan B.
Source: WAHTN CCI Handbook
Even with careful planning there may be times when things go wrong. While many issues can be resolved through informal discussions, it is important to act promptly if you sense something is going wrong. Unresolved problems can escalate and affect more members of the team or organisation. Depending on the nature of the issue, consider the following steps:
Steps to Take
- Acknowledge the issue – Recognise that a problem exists and be open to addressing it.
- Listen and discuss openly – Create space for all involved to share concerns, including your own, in a respectful and transparent way.
- Allow time for reflection – Recognise that public involvement is a learning process and reflection is key to growth.
- Refer to guiding documents – Use existing resources such as meeting ground rules, complaints policies, or confidentiality agreements to support resolution.
- Set a clear timeline for change – Agree on a timeframe for implementing solutions or improvements.
- Communicate outcomes – Keep everyone informed about decisions, actions, and changes.
- Provide support – Ensure appropriate support is available for those affected or involved.
- Consider external facilitation – Engage a skilled, independent facilitator to support reflection and resolution if needed.
If these strategies do not resolve the issue – or if either party feels an independent review is necessary – a more formal approach should be considered. It’s good practice to outline procedures for complaints and conflict resolution during the planning phase, so everyone knows what to expect from the beginning.