Strategic planning and evaluation for effective public engagement
by
Xinnan Du,
Karen Peterman,
John Besley
and
Allison Black-Maier
Assessing the impact of public engagement with science (PES) programs has been a long-standing challenge due to the lack of explicit, audience-specific goals and a related lack of evaluation against goal-relevant outcomes. In this practice insight, we present the strategic planning and evaluation process for PES at KIPAC, detailing the steps of setting and assessing long-term behavioral goals, short-term objectives, and tactics. We provide examples to demonstrate the implementation of the strategic plan, and make recommendations for practitioners at the individual, program, and institutional levels to strategize, conduct, and sustain their PES efforts with intention.
Volume 23 • Issue 07 • 2024 • Special Issue: Communicating Discovery Science