ABSTRACT

1. Stakeholders Analysis as an Innovative Methodology for Building Health Research Capacity in Saskatchewan Ben Daniel, Beth Horsburgh, Jim Thornhill, and Alana Ferguson Office of the Associate Vice-President Research - Health (University of Saskatchewan)/Vice-President Research and Innovation (Saskatoon Health Region) Room B527 Health Sciences Building 107 Wiggins RoadSaskatoon, SK S7N 5E5Phone: (306) 966-8745Fax: (306) 966-4737 Contact Email:ben.daniel@usask.ca ABSTRACT In 2007 the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatoon Health Region, with support from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, pooled resources to create a new Office of the Associate Vice-President Research Health (AVPR-H), University of Saskatchewan/Vice-President Research and Innovation (VPR&I), Saskatoon Health Region. The main goal of the Office is to initiate and support excellence in health research and innovation and to identify and catalyze synergies across the two partner organizations and other strategic partners and groups involved in Saskatchewan health research. In order to develop its business plan, researchers from the Office undertook a bottom-up approach, a broad-based, qualitative, stakeholder consultative process to determine how best the Office can achieve its mandate and better serve the needs its diverse stakeholders. 1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2. KEY FINDINGS The study employed an eclectic and multistage stakeholder approach embedded within the domains of conventional qualitative methods and grounded theory. Interviews and focus group meetings were used for data collection. A stakeholders’ analysis (Jepsen & Eskerod, 2009) is a rigorous emergent research methodology often used to understand and address the diverse needs of patrons. The study involved consulting with stakeholders (N = 150) through a series of interviews and focus group meetings. Though the main objective of the study was to gain insights that could be used to develop the Office’s Business Plan, other findings included the following: determining additional ways to engage health researchers and enhance provincial health research capacity; understanding and managing divergent stakeholders’ needs; articulation of current systemic barriers to health research and innovation in Saskatchewan; and determining potential indicators for measuring the performance of health research and innovation in the province. Figure 1.1. Research Methodology Figure 2.1. Office Roles Figure 2.3. Expected Outcomes Figure 2.2. Office Scope 3. CONCLUSIONS 4.MEASURING HEALTH RESEARCH Health research is primarily conducted to discover and develop better methods, procedures and practices for maintaining and achieving a greater quality of life in a population through improved health care. Health research and innovation are critical ingredients necessary for continuous improvement of our health knowledge and understanding, and to improve the delivery of health services. The study reported in this poster was conducted to build a foundation for an office established to promote health research and innovation in Saskatchewan. Figure 2.5. Systemic Challenges Figure 2.6. Office Challenges Figure 2.4. Relationships Emphasized 5. POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE This presentation highlights key findings from the study, emphasizing the methodology employed as a new and innovative approach to engage health researchers, as well as a process for building health research capacity in Saskatchewan. The poster also presents a summary of current systemic barriers to health research and innovation; potential indicators for measuring the impact of health research, and possible challenges the Office is likely to face in executing its mandate. * Some of the indicators were based on the literature. 7. REFERENCES 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS *Canadian Health Service Research Foundation (CHSRF). Measuring the Impact of Research: What Do We know? Insight and Action, 48(10), 2008 *Dash , P. & Traynor, M. (2003). Increasing the impact of health services research. BMJ. December 6; 327(7427): 1339–1341. Retrieved May 11 2009 from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=286330 Jepsen, A.L. & Eskerod. P (2009). Stakeholder analysis in projects: Challenges in using current guidelines in the real world. International Journal of Project Management 27 (2009) 335–343. *Making an Impact. A Framework and Indicators to Measure Returns on Investment in Health Research. Report of the Panel on Investment in Health Research. Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Report, January, 2009. This project was commissioned by the office of the Associate Vice-President Research-Health (University of Saskatchewan)/Vice-President of Research and Innovation (Saskatoon Health Region). We would like to thank our sponsors: the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Health Region and Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, as well as those who participated in the study, along with our office staff, and many other individuals and organizations who provided support and assistance.