Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review

Abstract Background Knowledge translation (KT) is currently endorsed by global health policy actors as a means to improve outcomes by institutionalising evidence-informed policy-making. Organisational knowledge brokers, comprised of researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders, are increasingly...

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Main Authors: Julia Scarlett, Birger C. Forsberg, Olivia Biermann, Tanja Kuchenmüller, Ziad El-Khatib
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2020-08-01
Series:Health Research Policy and Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-020-00607-8
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spelling doaj-2b62589ae518473191ff83f7fa49e4fe2020-11-25T03:34:51ZengBMCHealth Research Policy and Systems1478-45052020-08-0118111310.1186/s12961-020-00607-8Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping reviewJulia Scarlett0Birger C. Forsberg1Olivia Biermann2Tanja Kuchenmüller3Ziad El-Khatib4Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska InstitutetDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska InstitutetDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska InstitutetWorld Health Organization Regional Office for EuropeDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska InstitutetAbstract Background Knowledge translation (KT) is currently endorsed by global health policy actors as a means to improve outcomes by institutionalising evidence-informed policy-making. Organisational knowledge brokers, comprised of researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders, are increasingly being used to undertake and promote KT at all levels of health policy-making, though few resources exist to guide the evaluation of these efforts. Using a scoping review methodology, we identified, synthesised and assessed indicators that have been used to evaluate KT infrastructure and capacity-building activities in a health policy context in order to inform the evaluation of organisational knowledge brokers. Methods A scoping review methodology was used. This included the search of Medline, Global Health and the WHO Library databases for studies regarding the evaluation of KT infrastructure and capacity-building activities between health research and policy, published in English from 2005 to 2016. Data on study characteristics, outputs and outcomes measured, related indicators, mode of verification, duration and/or frequency of collection, indicator methods, KT model, and targeted capacity level were extracted and charted for analysis. Results A total of 1073 unique articles were obtained and 176 articles were qualified to be screened in full-text; 32 articles were included in the analysis. Of a total 213 indicators extracted, we identified 174 (174/213; 81.7%) indicators to evaluate the KT infrastructure and capacity-building that have been developed using methods beyond expert opinion. Four validated instruments were identified. The 174 indicators are presented in 8 domains based on an adaptation of the domains of the Lavis et al. framework of linking research to action – general climate, production of research, push efforts, pull efforts, exchange efforts, integrated efforts, evaluation and capacity-building. Conclusion This review presents a total of 174 method-based indicators to evaluate KT infrastructure and capacity-building. The presented indicators can be used or adapted globally by organisational knowledge brokers and other stakeholders in their monitoring and evaluation work.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-020-00607-8Knowledge translationPolicy-makingCapacity-buildingProgramme evaluationIndicators
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Julia Scarlett
Birger C. Forsberg
Olivia Biermann
Tanja Kuchenmüller
Ziad El-Khatib
spellingShingle Julia Scarlett
Birger C. Forsberg
Olivia Biermann
Tanja Kuchenmüller
Ziad El-Khatib
Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
Health Research Policy and Systems
Knowledge translation
Policy-making
Capacity-building
Programme evaluation
Indicators
author_facet Julia Scarlett
Birger C. Forsberg
Olivia Biermann
Tanja Kuchenmüller
Ziad El-Khatib
author_sort Julia Scarlett
title Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
title_short Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
title_full Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
title_fullStr Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
title_sort indicators to evaluate organisational knowledge brokers: a scoping review
publisher BMC
series Health Research Policy and Systems
issn 1478-4505
publishDate 2020-08-01
description Abstract Background Knowledge translation (KT) is currently endorsed by global health policy actors as a means to improve outcomes by institutionalising evidence-informed policy-making. Organisational knowledge brokers, comprised of researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders, are increasingly being used to undertake and promote KT at all levels of health policy-making, though few resources exist to guide the evaluation of these efforts. Using a scoping review methodology, we identified, synthesised and assessed indicators that have been used to evaluate KT infrastructure and capacity-building activities in a health policy context in order to inform the evaluation of organisational knowledge brokers. Methods A scoping review methodology was used. This included the search of Medline, Global Health and the WHO Library databases for studies regarding the evaluation of KT infrastructure and capacity-building activities between health research and policy, published in English from 2005 to 2016. Data on study characteristics, outputs and outcomes measured, related indicators, mode of verification, duration and/or frequency of collection, indicator methods, KT model, and targeted capacity level were extracted and charted for analysis. Results A total of 1073 unique articles were obtained and 176 articles were qualified to be screened in full-text; 32 articles were included in the analysis. Of a total 213 indicators extracted, we identified 174 (174/213; 81.7%) indicators to evaluate the KT infrastructure and capacity-building that have been developed using methods beyond expert opinion. Four validated instruments were identified. The 174 indicators are presented in 8 domains based on an adaptation of the domains of the Lavis et al. framework of linking research to action – general climate, production of research, push efforts, pull efforts, exchange efforts, integrated efforts, evaluation and capacity-building. Conclusion This review presents a total of 174 method-based indicators to evaluate KT infrastructure and capacity-building. The presented indicators can be used or adapted globally by organisational knowledge brokers and other stakeholders in their monitoring and evaluation work.
topic Knowledge translation
Policy-making
Capacity-building
Programme evaluation
Indicators
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-020-00607-8
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