The Translating Evidence into Action (E2A) Thematic Working Group (TWG) focuses on the translation of health systems evidence into action through knowledge exchange on best practices, lessons learned, and practical guidance and tools. The overall aim is to decrease the current gap between what we know and what we do.
The need for strong evidence to support health systems strengthening efforts globally has gained increasing attention in past years. However, there continues to be a gap between the creation of new and solid evidence from health systems research efforts and the translation of that same evidence into policy action. Policymakers struggle to find, collect and understand context-specific evidence to support their own decision-making needs, despite existing knowledge. These challenges are not inevitable, and we propose that with the right level of support and interaction between researchers and decision-makers, the translation of research findings into actionable policy and programmatic guidance is an achievable goal.
Objectives
- Enable researchers to support the use of health systems research by policymakers and other stakeholders.
- Raise awareness among policymakers, program implementers, providers, citizens and the press/media about the need to value, demand and use evidence.
- Create opportunities for all Health Systems Global (HSG) members to dialogue and share best practices in evidence translation
- Collaborate with other HSG TWGs to promote evidence translation.
Activities
- Hosting webinars on evidence translation with selected experts to focus on key topics and questions, and engage in Q&A. The most recent webinars can be watched here:
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- Evolving evidence, fake news, and emerging contexts: researchers at the nexus of EIDM for COVID-19
- Institutionalizing Knowledge Translation: Characteristics, Cases, and Lessons
- How do We Manage the Delicate Balance Between ‘Technical’ and ‘Social’ in Translating Evidence to Action?
- Translating Evidence to Policy – UHC reforms in Francophone Africa (in French and English)
- Translating Evidence to Policy: It has been done! Learning from the Chilean Health Benefits Plan Development Process
- The Baseline Assessment/Inventory of Global Initiatives for Knowledge Translation serves as a ‘hub’ to collect and share information on knowledge translation platforms and initiatives. This work was conducted in collaboration with the SHAPES TWG.
- Co-organizing sessions at the Global Symposia on Health Systems Research, including decoding knowledge translation and engaging multiple perspectives when translating evidence into policy.
- Capturing knowledge translation experiences in the field. Member-driven blogs reflecting on the practice, influences and challenges to translating evidence into practice.
