Strengthening partnerships in CBPR: An evaluation of a community capacity-building training program

Engaging community stakeholders is central to building trust and equalizing power in community-based participatory research partnerships. However, levels of community engagement vary, as does the level of influence that community stakeholders have over the research process. In an effort to increase community stakeholder capacity and readiness to engage in and influence the research process, three Boston-area medical institutions with Clinical Translational Science Awards in collaboration with community partners designed and implemented a curriculum to prepare community stakeholders to be active research collaborators. Building your capacity: Advancing research through community engagement (BYC) aims to build the capacity of community-based organizations to participate in research partnerships. The training aims specifically to provide participants with a basic understanding of the academic research process, familiarize them with research terminology and concepts, and increase their overall level of confidence engaging with academic researchers. This presentation describes the formative evaluation methodology employed to capture the BYC process and to determine outcomes. Outcomes to date associated with two cohorts of Fellows (n=30 fellows) are described. Outcome measures included structured interviews with fellows at baseline, as well as at one and three months after the final session. Interviews examined participant experience with conducting and collaborating in research, perceptions of research to address community issues, expectations as well as skills and knowledge they wished to gain from the program, and comfort in approaching and being approached by academic researchers.