Table 4.

Activities used to link research to action, facilitators, challenges, and lessons learned

Themes	Results
Climate
Activities	• No systematic activities identified although a range of ad hoc activities were undertaken
Facilitators	• Policymakers’ and stakeholders’ support
	• International funding support
Challenges	• Lack of skilled human resources to undertake knowledge translation (KT) activities
	• Gaps in infrastructure (e.g., lack of a functional internet connection)
Lessons learned	• Increase awareness among policymakers and stakeholders including those outside the health sector
	• Increase financial and technical support from funders
Research production
Activities	• Three Knowledge Translation Platforms (KTPs) built their capacity for conducting systematic reviews and undertaking priority-setting exercises
	• Six KTPs conducted priority-setting exercises with policymakers to identify high priority policy issues prior to pursuing EIHP activities
	• Two KTPs produced systematic reviews
Facilitators	• None identified
Challenges	• Lag in or lack of local research production
Lessons learned	• Build the production of local evidence
Push efforts
Activities	• All KTPs built their capacity to develop evidence briefs for policy
	• All KTPs developed evidence briefs
Facilitators	• None identified
Challenges	• Lack of skilled human resources to pursue push efforts
	• Poor quality of local information
Lessons learned	• Build capacity within KTPs for push efforts
	• Build capacity of researchers to align research with policy and disseminate research on policy-relevant topics
Facilitate user-pull
Activities	• Four KTPs are in the process of implementing rapid response services (RRS)
	• Five KTPs are in the process of creating online clearinghouses
Facilitators	• None identified
Challenges	• Lack of highly skilled and dedicated personnel to provide RRS and one-stop shopping
	• Difficulty in accessing and finding local evidence
Lessons learned	• Build capacity of KTPs to undertake such activities
	• Increase financial support to pursue capacity building for such activities
User-pull
Activities	• One KTP engaged in efforts to assess and enhance the capacity of research users to acquire, assess, adapt, and apply research
Facilitators	• Strong leadership and political will
Challenges	• High turnover in top level policymakers in government
	• Resistance to change and strong political influences
Lessons learned	• Assess and build capacity among research users to acquire, assess, adapt, and apply research
	• Establish institutional structures and routine processes to support evidence-informed health policymaking (EIHP)
Exchange
Activities	• All KTPs engaged in organizing deliberative dialogues informed by evidence briefs
Facilitators	• Skilled human resources to moderate deliberative processes
	• Support of policymakers and stakeholders
	• Location within the Ministry of Health brings KTPs closer to policymakers and stakeholders
Challenges	• Difficulty in convincing policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers to interact
	• High turnover in top level policymakers in government
Lessons learned	• Build the capacity of researchers and KTPs to engage in exchange efforts
	• Extend interactions to community members, donors, international community, and the media
	• Provide incentives for the participation of policymakers and researchers
	• Interact with other KTPs to share experience and best practice
Evaluation
Activities	• Four KTPs had evaluated evidence briefs, deliberative dialogues, and capacity building sessions through pre/post intervention questionnaires
	• None of the KTPs had yet begun to assess the long-term impact of their activities in policymaking
Outcomes	• Seven KTPs reported increased awareness of the importance of EIHP initiatives among policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers
	• Eight KTPs reported strengthened relationships among policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers
	• Six KTPs reported that their evidence briefs helped inform policymaking at the government level
	• Six KTPs reported increased demand for KT products by policymakers
	• Three KTPs reported enhanced capacity among KTP members for developing evidence briefs and deliberative dialogues
	• One KTP reported enhanced capacity among policymakers for accessing, assessing, and using research evidence
Facilitators	• Strong leadership support particularly from policymakers at the government level to achieve outcomes
Challenges	• Perception that monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities were challenging
	• Lack of capacity within KTPs to conduct M&E activities
Lessons learned	• Intensify M&E efforts to build the case for sustainability
Sustainability
Views	• Six KTPs viewed their work as a long-term initiative
Facilitators	• None identified
Challenges	• Difficulty in ensuring the sustainability of EIHP initiatives
	• Difficulty in identifying long-term sources of funding
Lessons learned	• Institutionalize KTPs within the structures (or processes) of the government
	• Build and retain capacity within KTPs and similar organizations
	• Apply for funding from international and governmental sources or conduct revenue-generating activities such as RRS