Success is built on good practice

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) refers to the fair and balanced inclusion of people with different backgrounds, experiences, and identities in research projects or initiatives involving data about people and communities. This standard supports an environment where anyone, including underrepresented and underserved groups, can participate in public involvement and engagement activities and inform change.

This could be achieved by:

• Adopting a jargon-free, flexible, and creative approach to talking about data, to help ensure anyone can participate without being excluded by methods used or inaccessible information.
• Developing targeted and adaptable public involvement and engagement plans, which incorporate equality impact assessments and follow relevant guidance to address the specific needs of different people, groups or communities.
• Collaborating with a variety of groups and organisations to build and maintain relationships with underrepresented and underserved communities, ensuring their voices are heard.
• Seeking contributions from a broad range of public members, including those who may be unfamiliar or have questions or concerns about the topic at hand.
• Celebrating and embracing the unique skills, knowledge, and real-world experiences that members of the public bring.
• Reimbursing costs associated with taking part in public involvement and engagement activities to help ensure everyone has access to the tools, support, and opportunities to participate.
• Working with others to find solutions to funding challenges or areas where there is a lack of EDI knowledge.

The ability to read, understand, and communicate data—known as data literacy—empowers people to engage in data research and statistics, which can often be complex and challenging to navigate. By embedding training in public involvement and engagement activities, it is possible to better understand the unique aspects of research projects or initiatives involving data about people and communities, contributing to a more informed and inclusive community.

This could be achieved by:

• Exploring what public members already know and what they wish to learn about the topic at hand, while managing expectations.
• Personally seeking data training and offering it to public members, ensuring that these opportunities are tailored to individual needs and the specific context of the research project or initiative.
• Defining commonly used terms, such as anonymisation, de-identification, data access processes, and privacy safeguards, to support public participation in conversations about data.
• Ensuring public members have the time and support necessary to build their confidence in understanding data, where needed.
• Providing real-world examples in discussions with the public about data to make them more relatable.
• Sharing any training materials developed for public involvement and engagement activities widely, so that they are available and accessible to all those interested.

Data research and statistics often includes complex terms and abstract information. As such, two-way communication is essential to promote an active exchange of information between parties, allowing both to share and receive insights. This approach can help all parties to better understand each other’s views and contribute effectively to the conversation.

This could be achieved by:

• Increasing awareness of how data is used in people’s daily lives.
• Ensuring conversations are engaging, culturally sensitive, and relatable for members of the public from all educational backgrounds.
• Listening, acknowledging, and responding to public views and concerns, demonstrating their opinions are valued.
• Investigating communication preferences of various audiences to meet diverse needs, including non-native English speakers, neurodivergent people, or people living with disabilities.
• Using jargon-free language, limiting or avoiding the use of abbreviations where possible, and unpacking abstract information by co-creating summaries and glossaries.
• Increasing accessibility by using a range of channels of communication and formats, such as large print documents, videos, images, and diagrams, to invite feedback and ensure clarity.
• Being mindful of reading age when developing materials for public involvement and engagement activities, encouraging understanding and open dialogue.
• Acknowledging the barrier of digital exclusion, seeking ways to overcome it where possible.
• Anticipating the likelihood of uncomfortable conversations and planning for trained facilitators to address them, or to signpost to relevant information and support.
• Providing varied opportunities for the open and constructive exchange of views and ideas.
• Recognising that consensus may not always be possible but ensuring that all perspectives are heard and considered.

Transparency refers to an approach to Public Involvement and Engagement that involves making information freely available and easily accessible while fostering a safe space for open and honest conversations with the public. This approach can help create an inclusive environment, allowing all parties to contribute comfortably and effectively to discussions.

This could be achieved by:

• Being open and clear throughout the research project or initiative, including the public in decision-making around planning, partnerships, access to data, public involvement and engagement activities, budget, and timelines.
• Clarifying the purpose of public involvement and engagement activities activities at all times, highlighting the value and purpose of public participation.
• Encouraging a dialogue that meets public expectations for transparency, allowing enough time for questions and answers.
• Providing up-to-date research materials in accessible formats, including summaries and user-friendly channels of communication.
• Ensuring timely follow-up with people involved in public involvement and engagement activities activities to share their impact and outline the next steps.
• Sharing all outcomes of the research project or initiative (including successes and lessons learned) with those involved in public involvement and engagement activities activities.
• Recognising public members’ contributions and inviting them to assist in broader communication of information where possible.

To maximise the benefits of public involvement and engagement activities, it is important to adopt an ongoing, dialogue-based approach that encourages benefits for all parties involved, including public members, professionals, and the wider population. This approach can help achieve valuable insights and ideas that generate impactful research informed by public views.

This could be achieved by:

• Explaining to public members why they have been invited to participate in public involvement and engagement activities.
• Highlighting the broader benefits of the research project or initiative and clarifying what the public would gain by participating and contributing to public involvement and engagement activities.
• Setting realistic expectations for public involvement and engagement together, agreeing on ways of working, and preparing to navigate any disagreements that may arise.
• Acknowledging the contributions of public members by offering payments and or other agreed forms of appreciation.
• Ensuring ongoing evaluation of the public involvement and engagement impact on all parties involved, while providing updates on any changes made and the rationale behind them.
• Promoting knowledge exchange among all parties involved, ensuring that dialogue is driven by active listening and responsive behaviour.

Public involvement and engagement practices should be led by clear objectives, purpose, outcomes, and a strategy for integrating public input into the project. What constitutes ‘effective’ public involvement and engagement may vary depending on the specific context of involvement and engagement, but it ultimately rests on the genuine intention for collaboration. This approach can help ensure that public involvement and engagement plans and the projects they support are informed by and shaped through public input.

This could be achieved by:

• Collaboratively developing public involvement and engagement plans, using shared decision-making approaches, such as co-creation, co-development, and co-production.
• Setting realistic objectives for public involvement and engagement activities, including how public input will be integrated into the relevant projects.
• Creating an environment where everyone feels able to contribute throughout the project.
• Continually monitoring public involvement and engagement progress and public’s needs, making necessary adjustments based on real-time feedback.
• Ensuring adequate time and budget is allocated to public involvement and engagement activities, as insufficient resources can limit the achievements of desired results.
• Evaluating the impact of public involvement and engagement activities by agreeing on indicators of success and clarifying the characteristics that make public involvement and engagement effective in each specific context.
• Capturing lessons learned and sharing strategies for promoting positive change.

Creating a culture of involvement and engagement in an organisation means embedding public involvement and engagement at every level, ensuring adequate resources and ongoing support while also encouraging an environment where public members’ contributions are valued and integrated throughout research projects or initiatives. This approach can support a seamless partnership between the data research community, public involvement and engagement professionals, and the public.

This could be achieved by:

• Championing public involvement and engagement at all organisational levels, recognising the added value of public members’ contributions to strategic thinking and forward planning.
• Promoting senior leaders’ accountability and commitment to adequately resource public involvement and engagement, ensuring they actively support and take responsibility for the success of public involvement and engagement efforts.
• Resourcing public involvement and engagement throughout the entirety of a research project or initiative, ensuring adequate funding, staff, training, and other relevant resources that are necessary to align to good practice standards.
• Promoting the value of public involvement and engagement across the data research and statistics community to ensure outcomes remain relevant and can be implemented in real-world contexts.
• Offering ongoing and updated public involvement and engagement training extended to the wider data research and statistics community, beyond just public involvement and engagement professionals.
• Embedding public involvement and engagement throughout any research project or initiative, while being mindful of the differences across the four nations, and always prioritising public benefit.
• Sharing and exchanging knowledge on good practices, especially with those new to public involvement and engagement.
• Continually improving approaches to public involvement and engagement, including evaluation methods and evidence of impact.