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I wanted to post some notes I took during the GHIC in case they are useful to others / inspire discussion. Here I am including some notes I took during a Research Workshop by Tara Nutley from MEASURE Evaluation
Reason we need good research: Decisions are constantly being made in a data void”
Culture divide: Researchers vs Decision Markers:
Decision makers think that health researchers:
o lack responsiveness to priorities
o take too long to answer questions
o favor technical language over transparent communication
o Don’t commit to “yes” or ‘no” answers needed to make policy / design programs
And vice versa… researchers think that decision makers:
o value political considerations over evidence
o don’t distinguish good from bad research
o don’t understand what is a researchable question
o impose unrealistic timelines
Therefore => get breakdown in decision-making cycle:
• stakeholder are not involved throughout the research cycle
• data not fully relevant to decision making need
o data is not available, not accessible => therefore not used
To Fix this: “Begin with the End in Mind”
• Goals: think about how the research will influence program and policies
o Before starting always think: WHAT WILL MY RESULTS INFLUENCE? WHAT DO I WANT THEM TO INFLUENCE?
• involve stakeholders throughout research project
• by the end need to develop action-oriented recommendations and a plan to implement them
Framework to use: Policy-Program Continuum
Program formulation → program monitoring → program evaluation → advocacy and policy formulation
• your research should / will impact one of these areas at least, figure out which one and gear your research towards being most useful to be used in decision making in that area
ie. Program formulation:
o Research Question: program models, best practices, designing interventions
o Primary Audience: CBOs and NGO directors, donors
ie: Advocacy and Policy Formulation
o Research Question: Problem identification, making the case for action
o Primary audience: policy makers and advocacy groups
Case Example:
Question: Can injectable contraception be provided safely by paramedical workers (Ie CHWs) to increase contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR)?
• Area: Program formulation:
o what program models might work for this?
• Also thinking down the line… 2nd area = policy/advocacy → if this works, will have to do major work on this front to bring it into practice
o also might have to engage with this in order to even start the study (in order to get buy-in from those in charge)
Develop a Communication Plan:
• Remember: Different stake holder audiences each have different characteristics
• Do this from the beginning -> make sure it is budgeted in (communication isn’t free!)
Why do it?
o increase relevance of data, ownership / buy-in, appropriate dissemination, use of data
• ie. in this study they did regular briefings throughout the study w/ identified stakeholders
How to involve stakeholders:
Study planning
o Do a stakeholder analysis (formal) -- use a matrix
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/ms-11-46-e
Communication plan development
• ie. identify
Who (ie Gov’t, Medical Association, NGO, Political, Commercial, Civil, donors)
Potential role in activity / Use of results?
level of knowledge of research
Level of commitment to topic (positive and negative)
Constraints to participate in activity
Plan when to involve
Study question development
o Initial question ⇒ refined question ⇒ final question
• Initial: important/priority/actionable/data gap/not already underway
Important: could the answer to the answer to the question lead to a policy or a program change that would have a large effect to the population in question?
Priority: does the question address a current and pertinent issue?
Actionable: can the result of the research be used to identify clear policy or program recommendations?
Answerable? Are data available or can data be collected, to address the question?
• Final: answerable/method available/reasonable time period/reasonable cost
Protocol development
o Co-authorship of protocol (eventual co-authorship of any papers)
o Literature review- have your study partners help in literatures review phase
Data collection
o often can be trained as data collectors
o key stakeholders -> regular updates and briefing, site visits
• when stakeholders shadow / see the data being collected they are more likely to believe it when it’s through b/c they know where is came from
Data interpretation & recommendation development
o joint workshops to interpret results with stakeholder and develop recommendations
• provide context to allow for relevant interpretation
Data use action plan development
• action matrix
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/ms-11-46-b
make targeted recommendations
assign ownership, priorities
Dissemination
o appropriate channels of communication
Follow up to Assess effects
Reason we need good research: Decisions are constantly being made in a data void”
Culture divide: Researchers vs Decision Markers:
Decision makers think that health researchers:
o lack responsiveness to priorities
o take too long to answer questions
o favor technical language over transparent communication
o Don’t commit to “yes” or ‘no” answers needed to make policy / design programs
And vice versa… researchers think that decision makers:
o value political considerations over evidence
o don’t distinguish good from bad research
o don’t understand what is a researchable question
o impose unrealistic timelines
Therefore => get breakdown in decision-making cycle:
• stakeholder are not involved throughout the research cycle
• data not fully relevant to decision making need
o data is not available, not accessible => therefore not used
To Fix this: “Begin with the End in Mind”
• Goals: think about how the research will influence program and policies
o Before starting always think: WHAT WILL MY RESULTS INFLUENCE? WHAT DO I WANT THEM TO INFLUENCE?
• involve stakeholders throughout research project
• by the end need to develop action-oriented recommendations and a plan to implement them
Framework to use: Policy-Program Continuum
Program formulation → program monitoring → program evaluation → advocacy and policy formulation
• your research should / will impact one of these areas at least, figure out which one and gear your research towards being most useful to be used in decision making in that area
ie. Program formulation:
o Research Question: program models, best practices, designing interventions
o Primary Audience: CBOs and NGO directors, donors
ie: Advocacy and Policy Formulation
o Research Question: Problem identification, making the case for action
o Primary audience: policy makers and advocacy groups
Case Example:
Question: Can injectable contraception be provided safely by paramedical workers (Ie CHWs) to increase contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR)?
• Area: Program formulation:
o what program models might work for this?
• Also thinking down the line… 2nd area = policy/advocacy → if this works, will have to do major work on this front to bring it into practice
o also might have to engage with this in order to even start the study (in order to get buy-in from those in charge)
Develop a Communication Plan:
• Remember: Different stake holder audiences each have different characteristics
• Do this from the beginning -> make sure it is budgeted in (communication isn’t free!)
Why do it?
o increase relevance of data, ownership / buy-in, appropriate dissemination, use of data
• ie. in this study they did regular briefings throughout the study w/ identified stakeholders
How to involve stakeholders:
Study planning
o Do a stakeholder analysis (formal) -- use a matrix
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/ms-11-46-e
Communication plan development
• ie. identify
Who (ie Gov’t, Medical Association, NGO, Political, Commercial, Civil, donors)
Potential role in activity / Use of results?
level of knowledge of research
Level of commitment to topic (positive and negative)
Constraints to participate in activity
Plan when to involve
Study question development
o Initial question ⇒ refined question ⇒ final question
• Initial: important/priority/actionable/data gap/not already underway
Important: could the answer to the answer to the question lead to a policy or a program change that would have a large effect to the population in question?
Priority: does the question address a current and pertinent issue?
Actionable: can the result of the research be used to identify clear policy or program recommendations?
Answerable? Are data available or can data be collected, to address the question?
• Final: answerable/method available/reasonable time period/reasonable cost
Protocol development
o Co-authorship of protocol (eventual co-authorship of any papers)
o Literature review- have your study partners help in literatures review phase
Data collection
o often can be trained as data collectors
o key stakeholders -> regular updates and briefing, site visits
• when stakeholders shadow / see the data being collected they are more likely to believe it when it’s through b/c they know where is came from
Data interpretation & recommendation development
o joint workshops to interpret results with stakeholder and develop recommendations
• provide context to allow for relevant interpretation
Data use action plan development
• action matrix
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/ms-11-46-b
make targeted recommendations
assign ownership, priorities
Dissemination
o appropriate channels of communication
Follow up to Assess effects
