Who do you need to communicate with as you design, carry out and disseminate your research? [your ‘stakeholders’]
Stakeholder mapping is the process of identifying the people who might do something differently if they know and understand your work and who you need to learn from. Check in with Lucy Lloyd (the Unit’s Communications Manager) to get help mapping your stakeholders and reaching them. It often helps to consider your stakeholders using a matrix to sort them into priority groups. Don’t try to reach everyone! You can decide on priority groups by assessing their power and influence to deliver what you want, the level of interest they have in your topic and the effort required to reach them.
Identify named people in the organisations that might act on your messages, or who have an interest in exchanging learning with you. You might need to reach two named people working on your topic in Whitehall or you might want to explore the case for all GPs in England to alter a practice, say, an action related to early diagnosis of a certain cancer.
Research groups and PIs will have well developed relationships with key stakeholders and the Primary Care Unit has access to large networks and named contacts across the University, CUHP, the region and our national clinical and policy partners, to help us connect.
Rule of no surprises: work with your PI and keep in touch with your funder, noting any requirements they have for communications