16B COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Health security can only be achieved when health systems work with resilient communities. Resilient communities have the capacity to report all available essential information to the appropriate level of healthcare response, rapidly implement preliminary control measures, coordinate with health systems and co-create solutions as the emergency evolves.

Community engagement develops relationships and structures for stakeholders to work together to promote well-being, achieve positive health outcomes and empower communities to lead, plan and implement initiatives. Community engagement builds resilient communities by implementing relevant policies, enabling legislation, providing resources, providing quality services, mobilizing expertise and maximizing community capacities with long-term commitment and investment. Sustained community engagement with the health system co-develops solutions and adapts and localizes health emergency programmes by working collaboratively with groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, identity, ways of communication, shared interest or similar situations, or health conditions. National emergency preparedness, readiness and response structures should be designed with community-centred approaches integrated within national coordination mechanisms. Community engagement includes additional benchmarks 16B.2 and 16B.3.

IMPACT:

Community engagement supports two-way communication for localized and effective preparedness initiatives and response operations and encourages individual and population behaviour change. Community engagement contributes to raising and maintaining trust towards local authorities, health providers, public health measures and response actors. Community engagement across the health emergency cycle enables the design of solutions that are owned by communities, underpinned by local practices, values and norms, and strengthen local health systems to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

(1) Community engagement is integrated in the development and implementation of national and local health emergency management plans.
(2) Local actors including government, primary health care, community organizations and partners play an active role in community engagement for health emergency management and provision of EHS. (3) Capacity of local officials and community volunteers to contribute to planning, implementation and monitoring of health preparedness and response efforts.

Benchmark 16B.1

Community engagement is integrated and prioritized within management of health emergencies and unusual events

Objective To systemically integrate and prioritize community engagement into relevant policies, programmes, frameworks and infrastructure, and actively involve communities in the codesign and implementation of interventions for management of health emergencies

01 NO CAPACITY

  1. Mechanisms for community engagement in health emergencies, including policies, plans, guidelines, programmes and/or SOPs, are in development.
  2. Community engagement activities are largely one way information sharing activities and limited to disease control programmes.
  3. Community engagement efforts are not systematically linked to the emergency response.

02 LIMITED CAPACITY

  1. Identify unit/focal point within the health emergency management office or health ministry equivalent, with ToRs to coordinate efforts for community engagement in health emergencies with relevant units/departments, programmes and sectors and for social mobilization, health promotion or community engagement for emergency response. *
  2. Form a multisectoral and multiagency national working group/steering committee to streamline and prioritize community engagement efforts for health emergencies across relevant sectors. *
  3. Review available policies, legislation, plans, guidelines and frameworks relevant to health emergencies across relevant sectors to identify the level of inclusion of community engagement, and to identify and document gaps. *
  4. Conduct contextual analysis considering cultural, political, social, economic and geographic factors to develop/update community engagement strategy/guidelines/SOPs for health emergencies. *
  5. Identify and list trusted community engagement advocates, influencers and key stakeholder groups at the national level for health emergencies across relevant sectors. *
  6. Define and integrate the roles of communities and civil society in health emergency strategies/plans and establish a mechanism for community participation in decision making and actions to prepare for and respond to health emergencies. *
  7. Conduct baseline surveys to provide information on a population`s risk or ability to withstand common hazards. *
  8. Identify focal points in relevant sectors for consultation and coordination during emergencies to support community engagement activities.

03 DEVELOPED CAPACITY

  1. Develop, test and disseminate national protocol for community mobilization for health emergencies along with an identified mechanism for dedicated community engagement teams to reach out to affected or at risk populations during emergencies. *
  2. Integrate community engagement mechanisms into existing national DRR and emergency response frameworks.
  3. Identify focal points and define the roles of subnational and local governments and primary health care staff to ensure community engagement in health emergencies, including for community level detection, early warning, logistics management, etc. *
  4. Map key stakeholders such as community leaders, faith based organizations and civil society to contribute to the development and implementation of health emergency preparedness and response plans. *
  5. Conduct participatory community risk assessment, context analysis, hazard mapping, health profiling, vulnerability mapping, capacity assessment, context analysis and readiness planning in priority communities through inclusive approaches with involvement of NGOs, CSOs and community based organizations (CBOs) and networks. *
  6. Develop and test a mechanism for communities to be actively involved in emergency response and codesign of emergency response initiatives. *
  7. Establish formal/informal, ongoing feedback mechanisms before, during and after emergencies between at risk or affected populations and response authorities with special reference to vulnerable and marginalized groups. *
  8. Integrate community engagement in the M&E framework for health emergencies and outbreak response at all levels (including SimEx/AAR/IAR, as relevant). *
  9. Train community engagement teams, including volunteers, regularly on community engagement before, during and after emergencies and establish surge capacity mechanisms for community engagement. *
  10. Advocate and practice community engagement and public-private-people partnership mechanisms with CSOs, CBOs and NGO networks for emergency response at the national level. *

04 DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY

  1. Implement national protocol for community mobilization for health emergencies at all levels. *
  2. Involve communities to codesign and implement emergency management initiatives. *
  3. Allocate a dedicated budget for community engagement for health emergencies, including outbreak preparedness and response, at all levels. *
  4. Monitor community engagement with target communities before, during and after emergencies and community trust related indicators as part of M&E for health emergencies and outbreak response at all levels. *

05 SUSTAINABLE CAPACITY

  1. Update existing plans, guidelines and SOPs for community engagement based on lessons learned and best practices from SimEx/AAR/IAR (as relevant). *
  2. Revise legal frameworks and policies on how local governments can engage with CSOs/CBOs for community engagement at the community/local level to support emergency preparedness and response. *
  3. Include community stakeholders in the planning and conduct of SimEx/AAR/IAR (as relevant) for local emergencies. *
  4. Share experiences and best practices on community engagement in health emergencies through peer-to-peer learning programmes at the subnational, national and international levels. *
  5. Document and publish research to reflect experiences and lessons learned in community engagement throughout the health emergency cycle. *

Benchmark 16B.2

Inclusive community-centred governance and management of health emergencies is in place

Objective To ensure communities and civil societies participate in decision making, priority setting and resource allocation and to apply community engagement approaches in risk assessment, health emergency planning, prevention, preparedness, readiness, case detection, early warning, response and services to build community ownership, trust, accountability and resilience

01 NO CAPACITY

  1. Community engagement efforts are not systematically linked to the emergency response.

02 LIMITED CAPACITY

  1. Identify and map major CSOs, NGOs, community networks and other sector stakeholders working in health emergency related areas at national and subnational levels. *
  2. Codevelop, with communities, frameworks, guidance and tools for community engagement, social mobilization and health promotion teams to connect with affected or at risk populations during health emergencies. *
  3. Identify priority communities for preparedness, readiness and response capacity-building based on national risk assessment, readiness assessment, programme reviews and other information *

03 DEVELOPED CAPACITY

  1. Map the capacities of community partners and networks existing at the subnational and local levels in health and other relevant sectors for community management of health emergencies. *
  2. Conduct participatory community risk assessment, context analysis, hazard mapping, health profiling, vulnerability mapping, capacity assessment and readiness planning in priority communities through inclusive approaches with involvement from NGOs, CSOs, CBOs and other relevant community networks. *
  3. Co develop, with communities, and disseminate local guidelines, SOPs, tools and templates for community mapping, assessments, planning (such as contingency plans), case detection, early warning and response coordination in health emergencies. *
  4. Train community stakeholders, along with CSOs, CBOs and NGOs in case detection, early warning and response coordination for health emergencies. *
  5. Plan and conduct pilot activities for local level health emergency SimEx (including drills and other exercises), with participation from community stakeholders and actors. *
  6. Develop, test and implement local models and pilot projects on community knowledge management including identification of health priorities, resource mapping, community based surveillance and local response coordination and governance using community engagement approaches. *

04 DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY

  1. Conduct nationwide participatory community risk assessment, vulnerability mapping, capacity assessment, context analysis and readiness planning at the local level and in communities. *
  2. Identify and register individuals in situations of vulnerability, such as patients needing long term care, children without vaccination, elderly and persons with disabilities. *
  3. Conduct risks assessments and community planning on a regular schedule. *
  4. Conduct, plan and implement community level drills, SimEx/AAR/IAR (as relevant) with participation from community actors. *
  5. Allocate resources to local governments, communities and CBOs according to local plans for community management of health emergencies. *
  6. Implement countrywide programmes for communities to build local emergency response systems aligned to community structures, such as community stockpiling of essential supplies (first aid kits, health emergency kits, PPE). *
  7. Implement countrywide systems on community knowledge management including community case detection, early warning and local response coordination and governance. *
  8. Identify research needs to address knowledge gaps on community management of health emergencies in vulnerable situations. *
  9. Involve local/community institutions (including schools, workplaces, private entities, NGOs, etc.) in health sector emergency planning and preparedness activities. *
  10. Establish a multisectoral body for health emergencies (preparedness and response) at the local level including nontraditionally involved community stakeholders and networks such as employers/unions, faith based community, etc. *

05 SUSTAINABLE CAPACITY

  1. Evaluate/review community management of health emergencies, including the participation of community stakeholders. *
  2. Allocate resources at subnational and/or local level for risk assessment, community health emergency planning, SimEx/IAR/AAR (as relevant) with participation from community stakeholders. *
  3. Develop reports and case studies on effective management of health emergencies from a community perspective at the subnational/local level. *
  4. Share country experiences in community health emergency management and participatory public health and engage in peer-to-peer learning programmes at the subnational level (between regions) and/or international level. *
  5. Implement dynamic data and evidence generation by communities to inform research and support programmes for health emergency management, outbreak preparedness and response, DRR, risk assessment and programme implementation. *
  6. Disseminate, promote and support evidence-based interventions among stakeholders in developing and implementing community engagement programmes in health emergency management. *

Benchmark 16B.3

Capacity building mechanisms for multisectoral community health workforce and community engagement in the management of health emergencies and resilience building are well established

Objective To develop capacity-building mechanisms to improve community engagement for the management of health emergencies and to empower communities with necessary resources and tools to take timely actions to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies in their communities

01 NO CAPACITY

  1. Capacity-building mechanisms for engaging and empowering communities for health emergency preparedness and response are fragmented and without national strategy and support.

02 LIMITED CAPACITY

  1. Identify key national experts to develop minimum standards, capacity development frameworks/plans for community health workforce capacity-building for community engagement in health emergencies. *
  2. Map existing national community engagement capacity-building programmes and tools in DRR and other relevant sectors. *
  3. Establish a national network of experts/practitioners who can support community engagement for health emergency management. *
  4. Develop and test minimum standards, capacity development frameworks/plans for community health workforce as well as competencies for the health workforce at all levels on community engagement for health emergencies. *
  5. Establish a platform for disseminating learning opportunities for national focal point(s) for community engagement and social mobilization in health emergencies and outbreak response and develop trainings and knowledge products on topics such as community level health emergency management, engagement with populations in situations of vulnerability and community engagement skills. *

03 DEVELOPED CAPACITY

  1. Disseminate minimum standards, capacity development frameworks/plans for community health workforce as well as competencies for the health workforce on community engagement for health emergencies. *
  2. Develop and disseminate training packages on minimum standards, capacity development frameworks/plans for community health workforce and competencies on community engagement in health emergencies at the national level. *
  3. Implement mechanism to support community engagement in health emergency design, programming, advocacy, emergency response planning, M&E, research, training activities and implementation. *
  4. Develop and test capacity-building packages on community engagement for health emergency preparedness and response for multidisciplinary actors in health including private sector, health professionals in workplaces and schools, traditional healers, burial attendants, etc. *
  5. Develop and test SOPs for surge capacity for the rapid deployment of officers and staff trained in community engagement during health emergencies. *

04 DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY

  1. Review the functionality of national network of experts/practitioners who can support on community engagement for health emergency management before, during and after an emergency. *
  2. Implement SOPs for surge capacity for the rapid deployment of officers and staff trained in community engagement during health emergencies. *
  3. Develop and maintain a roster of health and community workers trained in community engagement in health emergency management for rapid deployment to target communities. *
  4. Established mechanisms to provide insurance, indemnification and compensation to staff and volunteers injured or sickened during community engagement work. *
  5. Utilize the learning platform for refresher training at the national and subnational levels. *
  6. Conduct M&E to review coordination, interoperability and readiness for emergency response required for community engagement. *

05 SUSTAINABLE CAPACITY

  1. Update the SOPs, minimum standards, capacity development frameworks/plans for community engagement for health emergency management before, during and after emergencies based on M&E results and update training packages as needed. *
  2. Review and update mechanisms to provide insurance, indemnification and compensation to staff and volunteers injured or sickened during community engagement work. *
  3. Review and update capacity-building programmes, including the learning platform to disseminate training and knowledge for community engagement. *
  4. Document and disseminate best practices and lessons learned of community engagement before, during and after emergencies. *

* Participation and contribution of other sectors to action.

Tools