Guiding Questions for Stakeholder Identification.

When assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion initiatives, a key consideration that needs to be addressed is who are the stakeholders. Bartholomew Eldridge et al. (2016) provide a comprehensive set of questions to consider when identifying and recruiting stakeholders. Utilizing these set of questions for decreasing vaping prevalence and uptake in adolescent teens and adolescent adults, I was able to generate the following information:

Health Promotion issue/opportunity: Decreasing Vaping prevalence and uptake in adolescent teens and adolescent adults.

Planning Group Need	Questions to Consider
Expertise in the health problem or its causes	Who has content knowledge relative to the health problem or its causes? Public health researchers, addiction specialists, epidemiologists, Respirologist, Respiratory Therapist, and youth behaviour experts. What disciplines can be most helpful in describing problems from an ecological perspective? Public health, behavioural science, health promotion, psychology, education, and social work. Who knows about similar problems? Tobacco prevention specialists, school health coordinators, healthcare workers and professionals involved in substance use prevention programs. Who is well respected for knowledge of this health problem or others like it? Canadian Lung Association, BC Lung Foundation, Health Canada’s Tobacco Control Directorate, BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). Who has worked on a similar needs assessment or program? Local public health authorities (e.g. Fraser Health), Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Lung Association (Quash and Crush the Crave), BC Lung Foundation (QuitNow) and provincial school-based prevention initiatives (e.g., Erase Vaping program).
Diverse perspectives and community participation	Who has needs and perspectives related to the problem? Adolescent teens, Adolescent adults, parents, educators, and community health workers. When programs are developed related to the needs and problems, who are the potential clients, participants, or beneficiaries? Adolescent teens and Adolescent adults aged 13–24, Adolescent teens in high school, young adults in post-secondary institutions, and families affected by vaping-related harms. Who already works with potential beneficiaries? School counsellors, youth mentors, primary care providers, community youth organizations, health organizations such as BC lung Foundation/Canadian Lung Association. Who can help the planning group clarify values related to the needs assessment and intervention development? Current Vapers, Youth advisory councils, Indigenous community representatives, LGBTQ2+ representatives, cultural liaison workers, and public health advisors. Who are the potential critics of the program or initiative? Vape retailers, industry lobby groups, and youth who perceive vaping as a socially acceptable or low-risk behaviour.
Responsibility and authority	Who will manage the needs assessment and program development? Regional health authorities in collaboration with schools and community partnerships. Who is the funder? Health Canada, BC Ministry of Health, and possibly community grants or foundations. Who can become a partner in the assessment and program development? Schools, parent advisory councils, local municipalities, non-profit health organizations, and Indigenous health bodies. Who can bring resources to the endeavor? Educational institutions, local media partners, health organizations such as BC Lung Foundation, and government-funded public health campaigns.
Influence	Who has served as a resource to community members for this problem or related ones? Public health nurses, Community Respiratory therapists, community wellness coordinators, and local harm reduction teams. What policy makers have worked on this type of problem? Health Canada regulatory staff, provincial MLAs on health committees, and municipal bylaw officers involved in vaping restrictions. Who are opinion leaders who might have an interest in this type of problem? School principals, youth advocates, social media influencers, healthcare professionals and community leaders. Who can help the planning team access expertise and other resources of the community? Local health units, recreation centres, and community service organizations. Who can garner support and buy-in to the project? Parent associations, student councils, local media, and respected healthcare providers.
Commitment to the issue	Who will want to help the needs assessment team develop and disseminate its conclusions? Public health agencies, school boards, and academic researchers Who might advocate for the assessment and intervention development? Health organizations, youth-led advocacy groups, and local governments. Who has been working on the problem from a practice perspective? School health programs, public health nurses, community Respiratory Therapists, and community addiction counsellors. Who has been working on the problem from a research perspective? BCCDC, academic researchers studying youth vaping trends and interventions. Who could bring creative energy to the project? Youth ambassadors, media specialists, communication specialists, and artists engaged in social media marketing campaigns.

 Answering these questions have helped guide my research and planning for this health promotion topic. By highlighting stakeholders, I am able to collaborate with these individuals/parties to create effective health promotion initiatives.

Thanks,

Vicky

References:

Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Fernández, M. E., Kok, G., & Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. John Wiley & Sons.