Community Engagement Principles

"Community engagement is about relationships between and among communities, researchers, and research institutions."

Nine Principles of Community Engagement

Before Starting....

• Be clear about the population/communities to be engaged and the goals of effort.
• Know the community, including its norms, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

For Engagement to Occur...

• Build trust and relationships and get commitments from formal and informal leadership.
• Collective self-determination is the responsibility and right of all community members.

For Engagement to Succeed...

• Partnering with the community is necessary to create change and improve health.
• Recognize and respect community cultures and other factors affecting diversity in designing and implementing approaches.
• Sustainability results from mobilizing community assets and developing capacities and resources.
• Be prepared to release control to the community and be flexible enough to meet its changing needs.
• Community collaboration requires long-term commitment.