Stakeholder Engagement Report - London Councils

3. methodology
Stakeholder engagement and/or participatory practice, is increasingly recognised as a
key tool for implementing changes in service design and delivery, and is becoming a
mainstream practice central to public policy making and service delivery.
Stakeholders for the FCLHPS needs assessment were identified as those with experience
of providing HIV prevention services, those who are commissioning services, those
involved in providing help and support to people living with HIV, professional bodies,
and other relevant organisations such as the Department of Health and PHE. Stakeholder
organisations to be involved were suggested by members of the project steering group.
In addition, the project team used their extensive knowledge of the HIV sector in London
to contact organisations to invite them to participate.
Stakeholders were contacted, initially by email, and invited to participate. A snowball
effect was used to reach more widely, with stakeholders asked to cascade information
about the engagement process through their networks. In addition HIV commissioners in
London were asked to share information about the stakeholder engagement locally. The
project team were able identify a broad range of stakeholders who were able to engage in
the process.
At each stage of the stakeholder engagement process briefings were sent out to those
stakeholders identified and also posted on the London Councils website. In addition, a
feedback proforma was created and posted on the London Councils website, together
with an email address to which stakeholders were able to submit responses. This
proforma was also sent to all stakeholders identified before the deadline for responses to
the Call for Evidence.
The following activities were undertaken to endeavour to gain views from the widest
range of stakeholders feasible within the timeframe allocated:
• A series of one-to-one and small group stakeholder interviews
• A series of telephone stakeholder interviews
• An online questionnaire which was distributed
across all London HIV commissioners
• Presentations to the London sexual health commissioners meeting
and at the Safer Partnership evaluation report launch event
• A seminar organised by the South West London Network lead
• Use of the London Councils website and newsletter email list
which encouraged wider participation and feedback
• A Call for Evidence
• A large scale stakeholder engagement event
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This activity was all delivered between 17 th June and 11 th September 2013.
To help frame the wider engagement, meetings were sought early on in the process
with strategic experts. This included those who had been involved in commissioning
London wide, those involved in national HIV prevention programmes, and a selection of
London based internationally recognised experts in public health and HIV prevention.
The purpose of these meetings was to ensure that the project team was aware of any
external factors, such as clinical and other developments, which may have had a bearing
on HIV prevention in the future. It also helped them to understand the challenges of
commissioning London wide and through national programmes and to help frame the