The Stakeholder Engaged Real-Time Delphi Method: A Method for Empirically Identifying Stakeholder-Driven Recommendations

BRYAN R. GARNER, PhD
RTI International

The Delphi method has been used since the 1950s as a method for collecting and synthesizing “expert” judgments. To increase the “efficiency of the process” and decrease “the time to perform such studies” Gordon and Pease (2006) introduced the Real-Time Delphi (RTD) method. The RTD method produces results similar to conventional Delphi studies, but more quickly and efficiently due to the feedback being provided immediately (i.e., in real time). To date, the conventional Delphi method and the RTD method have been limited to use with small group of “experts.” According to the Kotter Change Framework, successful change efforts result from building a guiding coalition of stakeholders that can lead the identification of specific recommendations. Guided by this framework, the Substance-Treatment-Strategies for HIV (STS4HIV) Project developed the Stakeholder Engaged RTD (SE-RTD) as a method to engage a large group of key stakeholders and empirically identify stakeholder-driven recommendations for improving the integration of evidence-based treatment interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs) within HIV service settings. This presentation will describe the SE-RTD method, as well as illustrate how it has been successfully used as part of the STS4HIV Project.

The stakeholder groups of interest for the STS4HIV Project include: 1) people with HIV, 2) staff from HIV service organizations, 3) members of HIV planning councils/bodies, and 4) staff from AIDS and Education Training Centers (AETCs).

The RTD web-program developed by Gordon and Pease (2006) was used for our project’s first SE-RTD, which was focused on identifying and comparing stakeholder groups perceptions regarding the prevalence and negative impacts of five different SUDs for people with HIV. For the project’s second SE-RTD, which was focused on identifying stakeholder perceptions regarding the innovation-practice fit of nine evidence-based SUD treatment interventions, we developed a new and improved RTD web-program that addressed key limitations of the original web-program. Our latest RTD web-program is being customized for use as part of the project’s third and final SE-RTD, which is focused on identifying stakeholder perceptions regarding strategy-purveyor fit of 10 strategies AETCs may consider using to help improve the integration of evidence-based SUD treatment interventions within HIV service organizations.

Of the 805 individual stakeholders invited to participate in the first SE-RTD, 643 (80%) engaged and completed participation. Of these 643, 109 (17%) were people with HIV, 419 (65%) were staff from HIV service organizations, and 115 (18%) were members of a HIV planning council/body. Of the 253 HIV service organizations invited to participate, 203 (80%) engaged and completed participation.

The SE-RTD is a new method for both engaging stakeholders and empirically identifying stakeholder-driven recommendations.