User Engagement for Sustaining Services

AbstractIn the first phase of SERVIR-HKH, there was disconnect between the cutting-edge technology products that were developed and the specific needs of the users. Thus, the service planning approach shifted the focus from products to comprehensive services that put the users’ need first. User engagement improved the quality of the services by addressing user feedback and also building sustainability into the services from the very beginning. This chapter aims to introduce the concept of user engagement in the context of SERVIR-HKH and its execution within the service planning framework; it also dwells on the lessons that have been learnt. The chapter also gives prominence to examples of user engagement case studies as well as to the tools and techniques that have been adopted for successful user engagement. It also describes the insights, achievements, and experiences during the implementation process of the user engagement module in the HKH region.