Stigma Conversations: Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluating Stigma Conversations

Facilitators of the Stigma Conversations should ensure there is an effective evaluation of the stigma conversation to improve on future meetings. This can be as simple as asking participants to fill in a short survey at the end of the meeting or an email to participants afterward. An example of a Stigma Conversation evaluation is below and can be adapted to fit the context of your event:

Evaluation Sheet

Health department staffers should act as general facilitators for the action plans developed and ensure open communication with participants on their implementation post the Stigma Conversation. This requires leadership in ensuring all actors who should be implementing activities are doing so, that they are following up and reporting successes, and adapting action plans based on changes in the overall community context or in implementation. Identifying a lead (or leads in cases where a team is necessary) will promote accountability of the health department in achieving the goals outlined during the meeting. If possible, the health department should agree to convene a meeting at a certain time interval from the Stigma Conversation to discuss follow-up and gather feedback on the progress of the action plans from the Stigma Conversation. These progress meetings should also include community leaders to ensure that implementation of action plans is done using culturally competent procedures.

Stigma Conversations can play an important role in reducing stigma and discrimination in the HIV response. Yet, it is the first stage in the process of promoting future work by all community members to reduce stigma and ensure welcoming spaces for all. Only through continued oversight, and leadership by health departments in combatting stigma and discrimination, will we see the true end to the HIV epidemic.