PLEX engagement is integrated across everything we do at Praxis. It ensures that those directly impacted by policies and research are actively involved in shaping outcomes, leading to more relevant and impactful results.
Meaningful and effective engagement occurs when PLEX have an active role in decision-making, setting priorities, conducting research, and translating research knowledge. This requires an inclusive environment with supports that allow PLEX to fully contribute and be part of mutually respectful teams from the start of projects.
Developed by a multidisciplinary group including PLEX, SCI researchers, clinicians, and others, the Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Guiding Principles emphasize that inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility are essential to achieving positive change. Tools and resources support the adoption of PLEX engagement and IKT Guiding Principles and can be found here .
Knowledge Translation (KT) refers to moving knowledge into action through a dynamic, iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange, and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve health and health services. IKT goes a step further by integrating research users or end-users throughout the research, innovation and design process, involving the meaningful engagement of the right research users at the right time throughout the SCI research process.
Engagement varies in levels and is valuable in different scenarios, with no ‘ideal’ level of participation, as different people at different stages of projects may be engaged in various ways. For instance, a PLEX team member might collaborate on the design of a new wheelchair, but only be kept informed during the manufacturing phase. Effective engagement requires using each team member’s expertise at the right time, place, and level, necessitating good communication among team members.
The IAP2 framework emphasizes two-way engagement with appropriate promises made to stakeholders as outlined below: (https://i2insights.org/2020/01/07/research-modified-iap2-spectrum/).
Inform promise:
We will keep you informed.
Consult promise:
We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge your concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how your input influenced the research.
Involve promise:
We will work with you to ensure your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the research and we will provide feedback on how your input influenced the research.
Collaborate promise:
We will look to you for advice and innovation in designing and conducting the research and incorporate your advice and recommendations to the maximum extent possible.
Empower promise:
We will provide advice and assistance as requested in line with your decisions for designing and conducting your research, as well as for implementing the findings.
In moving from ‘inform’ to ‘empower’ stakeholders have increasing influence on the research. The spectrum works for different kinds of stakeholder involvement in different projects, as well as for developing a relationship with the same group of stakeholders over time.
