Development of a knowledge broker group to support evidence-informed policy: lessons learned from Myanmar

Background Globally, policy-makers face challenges to using evidence in health decision-making, particularly lack of interaction between research and policy. Knowledge-brokering mechanisms can fill research–policy gaps and facilitate evidence-informed policy-making. In Myanmar, the need to promote evidence-informed policy is significant, and thus a mechanism was set up for this purpose. This paper discusses lessons learned from the development of the Knowledge Broker Group–Myanmar (KBG-M), supported by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Applied Mental Health Research Group (JHU) and Community Partners International (CPI). Methods Sixteen stakeholders were interviewed to explore challenges in formulating evidence-informed policy. Two workshops were held: the first to further understand the needs of policy-makers and discuss knowledge-brokering approaches, and the second to co-create the KBG-M structure and process. The KBG-M was then envisioned as an independent body, with former officials of the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS) and representatives from the nongovernmental sector actively engaging in the health sector, with an official collaboration with the MoHS. Results A development task force that served as an advisory committee was established. Then, steps were taken to establish the KBG-M and obtain official recognition from the MoHS. Finally, when the technical agreement with the MoHS was nearly complete, the process stopped because of the military coup on 1 February 2021, and is now on hold indefinitely. Conclusions Learning from this process may be helpful for future or current knowledge-brokering efforts, particularly in fragile, conflict-affected settings. Experienced and committed advisory committee members enhanced stakeholder relationships. Responsive coordination mechanisms allowed for adjustments to a changing bureaucratic landscape. Coordination with similar initiatives avoided overlap and identified areas needing technical support. Recommendations to continue the work of the KBG-M itself or similar platforms include the following: increase resilience to contextual changes by ensuring diverse partnerships, maintain advisory committee members experienced and influential in the policy-making process, ensure strong organizational and funding support for effective functioning and sustainability, have budget and timeline flexibility to allow sufficient time and resources for establishment, organize ongoing needs assessments to identify areas needing technical support and to develop responsive corrective approaches, and conduct information sharing and collaboration between stakeholders to ensure alignment.

A pragmatic evaluation of a Public Health Knowledge Broker mentoring education program: A convergent mixed methods study

Background: Public health professionals are expected to use the best available research and contextual evidence to inform decision making. The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools developed, implemented, and evaluated a Knowledge Broker mentoring program aimed at facilitating organization-wide evidence-informed decision making in ten public health units in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this study was to pragmatically assess the impact of the program.Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was used to interpret quantitative results in the context of the qualitative findings. Quantitatively, participants’ knowledge and skills for finding, interpreting, and using evidence were measured before and after program completion via multiple-choice tests. Changes in scores were assessed using paired t-tests. Qualitatively, program participants and management at enrolled public health units were interviewed to explore the effect of program participation. A secondary analysis of these interviews was conducted to determine whether organizations met their evidence use goals set at baseline, and to identify key factors related to implementation of EIDM within the organization.Results: Post-program scores for knowledge and skills for EIDM were higher compared to pre-program scores (mean difference = 14.0%, 95% CI 8.2%, 19.8%). Organizations met their goals for evidence use to varying degrees. Key themes identified that support an organizational shift to EIDM include definitive plans for participants to share knowledge during and after program completion, embedding evidence into decision making processes, and supportive leadership with organizational investment of time and resources. The location, setting or size of health units was not associated with attainment of EIDM goals; small, rural health units were not at a disadvantage compared to larger, urban health units.Conclusions: The Knowledge Broker mentoring program effectively increased participants’ knowledge and skill, allowing them to share their learning and support change at their health units. When paired with organizational supports such as supportive leadership and resource investment, this program holds promise as an innovative knowledge translation strategy for organization wide EIDM among public health organizations.

A Pragmatic Evaluation of a Public Health Knowledge Broker Mentoring Education Program: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study

Background: Public health professionals are expected to use the best available research and contextual evidence to inform decision making. The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools developed, implemented, and evaluated a Knowledge Broker mentoring program aimed at facilitating organization-wide evidence-informed decision making in ten public health units in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this study was to pragmatically assess the impact of the program. Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was used to interpret quantitative results in the context of the qualitative findings. Quantitatively, participants’ knowledge and skills for finding, interpreting, and using evidence were measured before and after program completion via multiple-choice tests. Changes in scores were assessed using paired t-tests. Qualitatively, program participants and management at enrolled public health units were interviewed to explore the effect of program participation. A secondary analysis of these interviews was conducted to determine whether organizations met their evidence use goals set at baseline, and to identify key factors related to implementation of EIDM within the organization. Results: Post-program scores for knowledge and skills for EIDM were higher compared to pre-program scores (mean difference = 14.0%, 95% CI 8.2%, 19.8%). Organizations met their goals for evidence use to varying degrees. Key themes identified that support an organizational shift to EIDM include definitive plans for participants to share knowledge during and after program completion, embedding evidence into decision making processes, and supportive leadership with organizational investment of time and resources. The location, setting or size of health units was not associated with attainment of EIDM goals; small, rural health units were not at a disadvantage compared to larger, urban health units. Conclusions: The Knowledge Broker mentoring program effectively increased participants’ knowledge and skill, allowing them to share their learning and support change at their health units. When paired with organizational supports such as supportive leadership and resource investment, this program holds promise as an innovative knowledge translation strategy for organization wide EIDM among public health organizations.

Politikgestaltung im Dialog? Umweltgruppen und ihre Mitwirkung bei der Regulierung von Spurenstoffen in Gewässern

ZusammenfassungDie Belastung von Gewässern mit sogenannten Spurenstoffen wie etwa Medikamentenrückstände wird zunehmend als ein handlungsrelevantes Problem wahrgenommen. Inwiefern tragen Umweltgruppen als Knowledge Broker zwischen Wissenschaft und Politik zu einer evidenz-basierten Politikgestaltung in Hinblick auf die Regulierung von Spurenstoffen in Gewässern bei? Um diese Forschungsfrage zu beantworten, wird in diesem Beitrag der Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) und dessen Einfluss auf den Politikgestaltungsprozess untersucht. Spezifisch geht es in dieser Abhandlung um die Darlegung der Strategien des BUND hinsichtlich der Interessenvermittlung und dessen konkreter Mitwirkung an Stakeholder-Konsultationen sowie der Umsetzung eines Lösungsansatzes auf der lokalen Ebene. Hierbei wird aufgezeigt, dass der BUND durch seine fachliche Expertise als ein Knowledge Broker wahrgenommen wird. Die wissenschaftliche Fundierung der Positionen des BUND wird auch dadurch deutlich, dass dieser im Lichte neuer Erkenntnisse seine politischen Forderungen verändert hat. Diese Abhandlung argumentiert, dass die Darlegung von Unsicherheit in der Bewertung des Problems sowie die Bereitschaft, die politischen Forderungen zu ändern, dem BUND den Status als Knowledge Broker verleiht. Dadurch eröffnen sich der Organisation vielfältige Möglichkeiten der Teilnahme an Entscheidungsprozessen. Zudem wendet sich der BUND an die Öffentlichkeit und bedient sich einer Strategie der indirekten Interessenvertretung. Der zentrale Beitrag dieser Untersuchung besteht darin, dass dargelegt werden kann, dass beide Strategien – direkter Zugang zur Politik und indirekte Beeinflussung über die Medien und die Öffentlichkeit – komplementär angewandt werden, um den politischen Entscheidungsprozess effektiv zu beeinflussen. Dies bedeutet, dass selbst wenn Umweltorganisationen bei der Politikgestaltung mitwirken können, sie zusätzlich die Öffentlichkeit für ihr Anliegen aufsuchen, um ihre Verhandlungsposition zu stärken.

Investigating the role of public participation in wind energy project development in Ontario

the past several decades, the scope of decision-making in the public domain has changed from a focus on unilateral regulatory verdicts to a more comprehensive process that engages all stakeholders. Consequently, there has been a distinct increase in public participation in the environmental decision-making process. While the potential benefits of public engagement are substantial in terms of identifying synergies between public and industry stakeholders that encourage project development, this participation does not come without its challenges. To meet global energy demands and fulfill ambitious targets for greenhouse gas reduction, renewable energy has received increased attention as a feasible alternative to conventional sources of energy. However, current literature on renewable energy, particularly on wind power, highlights potential social barriers to renewable energy investment. This study investigates the role of public participation by reviewing two case studies of the Ontario wind power generation market to identify the facilitators and constrainers that affected public input into wind project development in Ontario and recommends a participatory framework in the hope of improving public engagement in the wind project development decision-making process. The recommended framework in this research requires all stakeholders to reconsider their current roles in the decision-making process. The public should engage in project planning and monitor the decision-making processes to ensure that their concerns have been addressed. Developers should address public concerns through a consensus building process initiated early in their planning process. Federal and provincial governments have to reclaim their role of ongoing leadership and provide better criteria for implementation and evaluation of the public participation processes. Finally, the process requires a third party who is not only an intermediary, but also plays the role of a knowledge-broker to connect with stakeholders, share and exchange knowledge, and work on overcoming barriers. The knowledge-broker helps to fulfill the main requirement of the collaborative decision-making, which is effective communication.

Investigating the role of public participation in wind energy project development in Ontario

the past several decades, the scope of decision-making in the public domain has changed from a focus on unilateral regulatory verdicts to a more comprehensive process that engages all stakeholders. Consequently, there has been a distinct increase in public participation in the environmental decision-making process. While the potential benefits of public engagement are substantial in terms of identifying synergies between public and industry stakeholders that encourage project development, this participation does not come without its challenges. To meet global energy demands and fulfill ambitious targets for greenhouse gas reduction, renewable energy has received increased attention as a feasible alternative to conventional sources of energy. However, current literature on renewable energy, particularly on wind power, highlights potential social barriers to renewable energy investment. This study investigates the role of public participation by reviewing two case studies of the Ontario wind power generation market to identify the facilitators and constrainers that affected public input into wind project development in Ontario and recommends a participatory framework in the hope of improving public engagement in the wind project development decision-making process. The recommended framework in this research requires all stakeholders to reconsider their current roles in the decision-making process. The public should engage in project planning and monitor the decision-making processes to ensure that their concerns have been addressed. Developers should address public concerns through a consensus building process initiated early in their planning process. Federal and provincial governments have to reclaim their role of ongoing leadership and provide better criteria for implementation and evaluation of the public participation processes. Finally, the process requires a third party who is not only an intermediary, but also plays the role of a knowledge-broker to connect with stakeholders, share and exchange knowledge, and work on overcoming barriers. The knowledge-broker helps to fulfill the main requirement of the collaborative decision-making, which is effective communication.

Wind Power Deployment: The Role of Public Participation in the Decision-Making Process in Ontario, Canada

A wider use of renewable energy is emerging as a viable solution to meet the increasing demand for global energy while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, current literature on renewable energy, particularly on wind power, highlights the social barriers and public opposition to renewable energy investment. One solution to overcome the public opposition, which is recommended by scholars, is to deploy a collaborative approach. Relatively little research has specifically focused on the role of effective communication and the use of a knowledge-broker in collaborative decision-making. This study attempts to fill this gap through the proposition of a participatory framework that highlights the role of the knowledge-broker in a wind project decision-making process. In this paper, five illustrative wind projects in Ontario are used to highlight the current situation with public participation and to address how the proposed framework could have improved the process. Based on the recommended collaborative framework, perception must shift from the dominant view of the public as “a risk to be managed” towards “a resource that can be tapped”. The developers need to improve sharing what they know and foster co-learning around questions and concerns.

Wind Power Deployment: The Role of Public Participation in the Decision-Making Process in Ontario, Canada

A wider use of renewable energy is emerging as a viable solution to meet the increasing demand for global energy while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, current literature on renewable energy, particularly on wind power, highlights the social barriers and public opposition to renewable energy investment. One solution to overcome the public opposition, which is recommended by scholars, is to deploy a collaborative approach. Relatively little research has specifically focused on the role of effective communication and the use of a knowledge-broker in collaborative decision-making. This study attempts to fill this gap through the proposition of a participatory framework that highlights the role of the knowledge-broker in a wind project decision-making process. In this paper, five illustrative wind projects in Ontario are used to highlight the current situation with public participation and to address how the proposed framework could have improved the process. Based on the recommended collaborative framework, perception must shift from the dominant view of the public as “a risk to be managed” towards “a resource that can be tapped”. The developers need to improve sharing what they know and foster co-learning around questions and concerns.

The role of equity crowdfunding company as a knowledge broker in supporting digital transformation of smes through knowledge sharing and dissemination process

This study aims to understand how Knowledge Brokers can drive digital transformation in SMEs through the process of sharing and disseminating knowledge, thereby increasing digital literacy in their business processes. This study used a multiple case study design with qualitative analysis to examine the data obtained from interviews, observation, and field visits to achieve the objective. The findings highlight that Santara acts as a Knowledge Broker and as a source of knowledge that gives rise to a digital transformation process that can increase digital literacy for SMEs. Research on knowledge sharing and digital transformation has focused on SMEs. The qualitative case study method allows us to carry out an in-depth analysis of a case but it has limited generalizability. To overcome this limitation, further research is expected to use a survey covering various industries to test the theoretical proposals that have been generated from this study, so that they can be generalized.