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This article explores the importance of engaging a broad range of researchers and practitioners in the policy-making process. It discusses the key elements of dissemination strategies and provides examples of effective engagement methods.
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International Centre for Governance and DevelopmentUniversity of Saskatchewan, Canada Building Distributed Communities of Practice for Enhanced Research-Policy Interface 28-31 May, 2004
Enhancing the Value-Added fromVirtual Networks “Meeting the Needs of Future Researchers and Practitioners From a Population Health Perspective” Terry Gibson University of Saskatchewan, Canada
“Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing more than medicine in larger scale" (Rudolf Virchow quoted in Waitzkin 1983: 74).
Why is that Important? • For the most part Virchow was correct when he stated this because almost every social institution and policy realm has health implications • However, if they (the policy realms) are defined too broadly they become unwieldy and lose practical meaning, and yet, it remains important to gather input from a broad range of researchers and practitioners so as to not miss important considerations when developing policy
The same can be said when informing most policy or legislation, regardless of program • It is vital to have a broadly informed decision making process lest it lose all relevance to the people for whom it is being written. Grassroots stakeholders are important to the process • Enhanced Communities of Practice have an important role to play in informing the policy setting arena
To determine the key elements of dissemination strategies, three broad questions need to be posed: • WHOdo you engage? (target audience) • WHEN during the research process do you engage your audiences? (timing) • HOW do you engage them? (method)
Who should be at the table? policy think tanks government departments international organizations regional health boards professional organizations the public media community organizations business groups alumni universities clinicians, employees and other professionals (CPHI An Environmental Scan of Research Transfer Strategies)
Who to engage: • Wide variety of partners • Policy organizations should develop collaborative links • A wide range of government departments should be targeted • Links with international communities • Professional organizations both within and outside the health sector
Who to engage: • The broader public • Linkages with the media • Community organizations • The business community
Understanding the NetworkWho is at the Table? • It is vital to know who is at the other end of the computer • It is equally as important to have some broad understanding of the knowledge they wish to share or need to glean • It might be most important, (as far as this is possible), to be aware of their program and what one can offer that would most benefit /fit their program without unnecessary bulk (streamline yet not diminish)
WHEN Before the research begins: • environmental scanning • outreach program • policy review panels During the research process: • working groups After the research is completed: • study release strategies • parliamentary process • follow-up evaluation
When to engage: • Engage early on and be continuous • Survey the political, social and economic environments • Decision-makers should be involved early • Evaluate the impact of the research • Brief government officials
HOW • No single dissemination method will be effective in all situations • Use a variety of means to engage decision-makers • The examples below illustrate that the target audiences and the messages that need to be conveyed, generally shape the methods used to interact with decision-makers
HOW Electronic Products • web sites • computer models Tailored Products/Messages • accessible research products • integrated messages • student essay contests Specialized Personnel • charismatic spokesperson • research transfer officers Research, Collaboration and Capacity Building • training and review • joint projects • sub-specialized research centres • research on transfer strategies • transfer strategy requirements • capacity building (CPHI An Environmental Scan of Research Transfer Strategies)
How to engage: • Use working groups. • Produce a variety of outputs • Develop a concise, readable format • Build a research transfer strategies into each project • Establish formal links/partnerships • Employ research transfer specialists • Create easy-to-use computer models • Sponsor research • (CPHI An Environmental Scan of Research Transfer Strategies)
“Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Population Health Research and Practice” It was my good fortune to have been a Strategic Training Fellow for the The instructional framework was based on six substantive research areas: • globalization and health, • community/environment health determinants, • changing family and social roles, • work-related determinants of health, • determinants of early childhood development, and • Indigenous people’s health
The emphasis of the class included: • the formulation of a comprehensive conceptual and theoretical framework for guiding research, • using multiple research methods and analytical tools, • developing and implementing integrated and linkable databases for research, • and transferring research knowledge to health policy/decision making • involvement from a broad set of disciplines: i.e. psychologists, kinesiologists, epidemiologits, geographers, etc.
Similar Interdisciplinary Schools of thought share a similar theme: Knowledge must be shared in order to realize significant changes /growth in the area of informed policy development
“Such institutionalization is a necessary condition for leadership and for elevating the role of population health in health policy considerations.” (Mechanic)
I will be attending the CIHR et al Summer Institute “Negotiating the Shoals of Applied Research in Population and Public Health and Health Services and Policy Research” The Goals and Objectives of the Institute are: • We have, as our overarching objective, the provision of an intensive learning experience focusing on the challenges and synergies of academic-field research partnerships • A key goal is to learn to work within the environmental constraints often found in field research and • To learn new strategies for adapting to such constraints while striving to maintain the highest degree of research rigor. (An opportunity exists here for the broad dissemination of research results and to network with many disciplines with shared interests through the use of a distributed community of practice.)(CIHR Summer Institute 2004)
Summer Institute Cont’d • “Keeping it off the Shelf: Strategies and Best Practices” • “Getting to It: Implementation of the Research Plan”. • “Telling the Story”offers a way of identifying “opportunity windows”. This could be very helpful in getting research into the hands that can have an impact on providing the authority to implement the findings as policy. Another opportunity to utilize DCoPs exists here
Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) • The recent National Conference of the CES was entitled, “Evaluation A Cooperative Experience” • Collaborative methods including knowledge transfer techniques were shared • Emphasis was placed on gaining knowledge from across programs and sectors for use in evaluation and in using evaluation to inform policy • Various methods of knowledge sharing was encouraged • Distributed Communities of Practice (i.e. WebCT, I-tracks, Community Zero, etc) were suggested as ways of helping to inform an evaluation
Summary In order for Enhanced Distributed Communities of Practice to become a sustainable and worthwhile vehicle for knowledge transfer, it is vital that the academe recognize the work of those in the field, cherish(value) that work and create networks to build on the synergy between and among the various players.
Summary There is a lot of discussion about research-based evidence and evidence-based decision making. These concepts are of course important in the policy arena. There is another cog that needs to be explored that fits hand in hand with this thinking; the notion of practice-based evidence. Practitioners need researchers to accept their work as evidence. It is this type of participatory evidence that can provide the impetus for new types of research or galvanize the findings of recent discoveries.
ConclusionWhat is important to the graduate student/researcher/practitioner? For any of the previously mentioned networks or communities to be of value it is important: • To have the ability to identify and engage the proper mix of people to attend the various for a at the right time and through a variety of methods. • That the people involved at each table/network recognize and value the input from each other. • That researchers recognize the contribution from the frontline worker and grassroots stakeholder. • Distributed communities of practice embrace a broad perspective and utilize appreciative inquiry and similar knowledge acquiring strategies. • That members of the DCoP recognize and develop ways to identify and overcome competing priorities. • That networks are maintained and will remain in place throughout the duration of the research/knowledge transfer. There needs to be a champion or a leader of the community of practice to ensure its viability through the engagement of stakeholders. This can be someone with an interest to rise up from within the group or it can come from outside. (up for debate)
Finally, from the CPHI Knowledge Transfer Document comes this: • Just as important as creating new knowledge, however, is synthesizing the information and transferring it in a digestible form to those who shape policy and make decisions affecting health or any other program • One of CPHI’s aims is to support and create forums and vehicles for researchers and decision-makers to exchange information and build enduring linkages • All institutions, universities, health authorities, governments, and policy setting arenas would benefit from a similar posture
References • DavidMechanic Who Shall Lead: Is There a Future for Population Health?Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 28.2-3 (2003) 421-442 • http://webct.usask.ca:8900/SCRIPT/2003W_ch_ep_898_022003W/scripts/serve_home • Canadian Population Health Initiative: An Environmental Scan of Research Transfer Strategies, CPHI- ISPC. • CIHR Summer Institute 2004 • (CPHI An Environmental Scan of Research Transfer Strategies) • CADRE
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