Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) has been central to ensuring meaningful and inclusive health research at the Centre for IMPACT.
This journey began with the establishment of Community Advisory Panels (CAPs), which provided a structured platform for community representatives to engage with research teams and contribute to research processes and outcomes.
The Value of CAPs
Over the past two years, CAPs have played a significant role in strengthening trust between researchers and communities, improving the cultural relevance of interventions, and enhancing communication across projects in Pakistan and Afghanistan. By incorporating local perspectives, CAPs have fostered community ownership and improved the acceptability and responsiveness of health programs.
Despite these achievements, CAPs have certain limitations. Their engagement is often linked to specific projects, making it challenging to sustain involvement once project funding ends. In addition, CAPs may not fully capture the broader range of stakeholders needed to support large-scale and long-term change.
How can we reach a sustainable method of engagement?
To address these challenges, the CEI team is transitioning from CAPs to a coalition model, creating a more sustainable and collaborative approach that strengthens partnerships, enhances community ownership, and supports long-term impact. The shift is driven by the need for sustainability and scalability.
This transition was agreed upon during a CEI workshop held on 10th December 2025, where partner organizations, including:
- Health Promotion Foundation (HPF)
- Khyber Medical University (KMU)
- SINA Healthcare
- The Initiative
- Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi
- HealthNet TPO (HNTPO) team
contributed to discussions on coalition development. Subsequently, it was agreed that SINA would continue implementing the CAPs approach, while AKU would adopt the coalition model exclusively for C2 and C3 not for the entire CVD-theme.
Importantly, the coalition is designed to build upon, not replace, the existing CAP structure. CAP members will continue to play a central role in the new model.
The model is guided by the 9C’s framework that groups stakeholders into: Commissioners, Customers, Collaborators, Contributors, Channels, Commentators, Consumers, Champions, and Competitors, with a particular focus on the 7C’s from Commissioners–Consumers that represent the core strengths and opportunities for coalition functioning.
The initiative will broaden engagement by bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, including policymakers, government officials, researchers, public health experts, practitioners, youth representatives, media professionals, and partner organizations. By fostering ongoing partnerships, shared decision-making, and institutional collaboration, the coalition aims to maintain momentum and continue addressing community priorities over the long term.
Unlike CAPs, which are often limited by project timelines, the coalition model is intended to function beyond individual projects and funding timelines.
This evolution marks a critical step toward more inclusive, scalable, and long-term community engagement. It represents a shift from short-term engagement to sustained partnerships that can continue to evolve beyond the life of individual projects.
Written by Kubra Rind (AKU) on behalf of the CEI-Team.
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