Table 2.
Synthesis capacity development framework that informed intervention design
| Increase individual capacity | Improve institutional capacity | Enhance organisational capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increase supply of policy-relevant research | Support development of policy briefs, systematic reviews |
Provide policy briefs, systematic reviews in an ‘easy-to-access’ online databases Promote joint research priority-setting exercises |
Build health research capacity in, or close to policy organisations (establish health systems research units in health ministries or in organisations with links to ministries) |
| Enhance capacity of policy-makers to source and use research |
Provide training or mentoring in use of research evidence, commissioning of research studies and briefs Create stronger incentives for evidence use (e.g. through performance assessments, staff appraisals and leadership programmes) |
Secure funding or raise government revenues to support development of policy analysis units, or perhaps research units within government bodies Improve access to research resources through improved Internet access, development of low-cost databases of research evidence (such as Hinari) Enhance leadership for demand and use of evidence |
Develop and support knowledge broker capacity (establish knowledge broker organisations and networks) |
| Increase networking among policy-makers and researchers |
Conduct special events or meetings that bring key actors together Require policy-maker participation in research (i.e. co-production of research)a |
Establish institutional mechanisms that promote exchange between research and policy worlds Establish norms and regulations for research use (e.g. support legislation that requires publication of evidence base for new policies, integrate operational research and evaluation into existing processes and programmes) |
Encourage mechanisms that bring technical expertise into government |