Developing guidance for a values-based approach to assessing the impact of public involvement

2012 Conference

Abstract:
The need to develop valid and reliable assessments of the impact of public involvement in research is well documented. Various approaches to this have been proposed. We are currently working on an MRC-funded study which aims to develop guidance that can be used to address this need. Our approach is distinctive in that we suggest that it is essential to take into account the different values that people bring to public involvement in research from the outset of designing an assessment strategy. In this workshop we will begin by providing a brief overview of the project and the development of the guidance. The guidance addresses the following areas: definitions of and approaches to public involvement in research, values associated with public involvement in research, contextual factors shaping the process of involvement and the assessment of its impact, methods for impact assessment and the design of an assessment plan.

Small group work will give participants the opportunity, using specific elements of the guidance, to explore the relationship between their own work and values and the issues involved in assessing impact. Participants will also have an early opportunity to see and comment on the guidance. Feedback from the session may be used by the project team to inform the subsequent development of the guidance as part of the iterative piloting process.

NB: This project has been funded by the MRC Methodology Research Programme. Grant ref: G0902155 ‘What are the impacts of public involvement in health and social care research and how can they be assessed? The workshop will be drawing upon the work of the whole project team and the Public Advisory Group.