Table 2.

How the SPIRIT intervention was implemented in practice

Agency A	Agency B	Agency C	Agency D	Agency E	Agency F
Data showed: - 46% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 29% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes	Data showed: - 58% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 42% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes	Data showed: - 20% thought agency had well-developed relationships with external researchers, 40% felt confident in partnering with researchers - 20% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes	Data showed: - 35% confident in their ability to access research - 31% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 15% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes	Data showed: - 19% believe X has well-developed processes for programme development that provide guidance on research use - 56% confident in their ability to access research, 39% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 35% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes	Data showed: - 47% confident in their ability to access research, 32% in ability to appraise research evidence - 11% confident in their ability to commission research - 42% confident in their ability to interpret the results of research, 53% confident in their ability to apply research in policy and programme work - 37% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes
Goals selected as: - Increase appraisal capacity - Strengthen capacity to support programme evaluation - Develop capacity for some staff in the use of research findings in policy work	Goals selected as: - Develop capacity in appraising the quality and relevance of research - Supporting programme evaluation - Skills development in less experienced staff	Goals selected as: - Increase agency capacity to work with external researchers - Supporting programme evaluation, e.g. what additional information would increase the usefulness of evaluations?	Goals selected as: - Increase staff capacity in accessing research - Increase appraisal capacity - Increase staff capacity in supporting evaluation of policies and programmes	Goals selected as: - Embedding use of research into X’s systems and processes, to ensure its sustainability - Improve staff capacity to access and appraise research - Support staff capacity in programme evaluation	Goals selected as: Enhance skills amongst some staff in: - Accessing and appraising research - Commissioning research - Applying research in practice - Evaluating policies and programmes
Value
Leaders forums with previous head of Australian Public Service and with international leader in capacity
All staff symposia on the value of research evidence in policy
Email from Chief Executive or other agency leader highlighting value of research × 4
Skill development
Skill development sessions on (1 topic fixed, 2 selected by agency): Appraisal of research evidence; evaluation (foci varied between agencies, key topics selected included overview of basic and advanced concepts; process evaluation and the use of routinely collected data; embedding evaluation in programme rollout, scaling and communication in evaluation); assessing and appraising systematic reviews; introduction to research
Practice exchanging with researchers on (3 selected per agency): Clinical network; screening; social media messaging; smoke-free policies in XXX; using broader (‘soft’) practice evidence; engaging with health professionals; implementing sustainable change
Tested a system for analysing locally relevant data OR commissioning an evaluation framework OR rapid review of evidence on a policy-relevant topic