The Georgia Health Policy Center presented this poster at the HIA of the Americas Conference in Oakland, CA in October 2011.
Stakeholder engagement is crucial to Health Impact Assessments (HIA). Valuable information for each step of HIA can be obtained through stakeholder meetings
and important relationships can be developed among diverse participants. For stakeholder engagement to be most effective, meetings should utilize adult
learning principles to enhance varied learning styles and an active information exchange.
Purpose-Driven Meeting Design and Facilitation for Stakeholder Engagement
1. Purpose-Driven Meeting Design and Facilitation
for Stakeholder Engagement For more information, please contact the Georgia Health Policy Center at
Elizabeth Fuller, DrPH, MSPH; Holly Avey, PhD, MPH.; and Naima Wong, PhD, MPH 404.413.0314 or visit us online at www.gsu.edu/ghpc.
BACKGROUND Time Management: Adults will attend a meeting because they Engagement: Adults come to the meeting with much life
want to learn. They are often giving up personal time with experience. Draw on this knowledge and experience.
Health Impact Assessments should include, at minimum,
“meaningful and inclusive stakeholder participation in each stage family and/or time which could be spent on other projects in Make sure everyone has been engaged in conversation at the
of the HIA”.1 Purpose-driven meeting design and facilitation is a order to be present. beginning of the day
critical HIA tool to use when engaging stakeholder groups. HIA Start and end the meeting on time Spend time on introductions to connect everyone
practitioners can serve in a neutral role to convene stakeholders, Do not provide detailed times on the participant agenda, as in the room. If there is not enough time, have small table
facilitate the sharing of trustworthy information, and assist in it can set up unrealistic expectations introductions
complex decision-making processes. Utilizing in-depth meeting
design and adult learning principles can support meaningful Instead, provide start and end times for the day, and time Use visual imagery as a way to access visual learners and/or
stakeholder participation. for lunch engage learners in a di erent way
Manage discussion by circulating facilitators with hand-held Give participants the opportunity to provide feedback and
microphones that they control evaluation throughout the meeting
Room Set-Up: The learning environment is important to adults.
It can enhance the learning experience and adults’ Standing microphones are likely to only attract extroverts Address feedback as soon as possible
engagement in the materials. in the room, limiting the diversity of opinions Be exible! In a multi-day meeting, the second day agenda
Set up the meeting room with small round tables to promote Give information “just in time” may need to be modi ed
discussion among participants If information is given in advance, it can be a distraction Engage in small group discussions that solicit practical
Make sure all tables have an unimpaired view of the Give handouts at the time participants need examples and allow participants to share and bene t from the
speaker’s podium the information knowledge in the room
Ensure the use of a good sound system which clearly projects Only use handouts when there is detailed information
to all parts of the room to convey
Provide microphones to capture questions from the learners
Assign a logistics person to attend to room set up issues Design with a Purpose: Adults want to know why they are
throughout the meeting learning something. Design the meeting around a central
purpose that will convince them to attend.
Be exible! If there is a problem with the room set up, take Source: Whole-Scale Change, Dannemiller Tyson Associates
time to address it. Otherwise, it could negatively impact State the overall purpose for the meeting and the expected
the productivity of the meeting. outcomes
Alternate between large group presentations of high-level
Design break-out and table discussions by utilizing information and small group discussions to re ect and answer
Create the Right Mix: Adults learn from non-confrontational questions speci cally crafted to achieve desired meeting questions on the topic
opportunities to be exposed to others’ perspectives. outcomes
Have a recorder at each table record comments on
Design the maximum mixture of stakeholder sectors Create a very detailed facilitator guide with speci c times, poster paper. This captures high-level notes which can
people responsible, supplies needed, description/goal of the be displayed in the room
Create a spreadsheet with all meeting invitees session, etc. Participants will not be able to see this guide, it is
Have a reporter at each table to report ndings to the
Categorize participants according to their for planning and facilitation purposes only.
larger group
stakeholder sector
When time is limited, have roaming room facilitators
Assign seats so that each table has a mixture of all sectors
solicit reports from a few select tables
Use table tents or dots on nametags to inform participants
of their seating assignments
Health Impact Assessment
Sample Participant Meeting Agenda
October XX, 201X
SUMMARY
14 Marietta Street, Ste 221
9:00am-1:00pm Stakeholder engagement is crucial to HIA. Valuable information for
Desired Outcome:
Solicit and obtain stakeholder perspectives on draft recommendations
each step of HIA can be obtained through stakeholder meetings
and important relationships can be developed among diverse
stakeholders. For stakeholder engagement to be most e ective,
Agenda:
1. Welcome & Introductions 9:00am
meetings should utilize adult learning principles to enhance
2. HIA Overview
3. Scoping & Assessment Steps
4. Draft Recommendations Presentation
5. Break
diverse learning styles and an active information exchange.
6. Large & Small Group Facilitated Discussion
7. Lunch 12:00pm
Strategies of “max-mix”, which purposefully mixes stakeholders
8. Next Steps & Wrap Up
9. Adjourn 1:00pm
from di erent sectors, and “converge-diverge”, which provides
large group presentations followed by small group discussions, are
e ective in increasing stakeholder engagement and fostering
learning.
ANDREW YOUNG SCHOOL
OF POLICY STUDIES 1. Minimum Elements and Practice Standards for Health Impact Assessment.
North American HIA Practice Standards Working Group. November, 2010.