Capacity strengthening has been a key objective of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research since its beginning. Over its 25-year history, the Alliance has supported initiatives to improve capacities for evidence-informed policy-making, notably, in its 2007 flagship report, Sound choices. While the Alliance has invested much in strengthening the capacities of individual researchers, increasingly, the Alliance is taking an institutional perspective to capacity strengthening – integrating more systemic approaches towards building the needed organizational structures and cultures. This is based on a decade’s worth of work developing Nodal Institutes for evidence synthesis, embedding rapid review platforms in health systems decision-making, fostering institutional mentorship models, and strengthening research evidence uptake within government.
Recent literature shows that the dominant paradigms of knowledge translation, integration and brokering still continue to focus efforts on individuals instead of institutions; research generation instead of the political economy of evidence and knowledge; and that the scholarship from low- and middle-income countries remains lean. To help break down these false dichotomies, the Alliance is promoting a shift in its approach to strengthening in-country knowledge ecosystems. In mid-September, we kicked off a new initiative, Partnerships for stronger knowledge systems in Africa (KNOSA) at an inception workshop held from 18-21 September in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop brought together teams from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda to share approaches, refine workplans, and co-create a theory of change of how to monitor and measure systems change.
Fostering collaboration to bridge research and policy
Despite the wealth of research generated in these countries, integration of this evidence into policy could be accelerated. KNOSA seeks to overcome these challenges by strengthening institutional partnerships and fostering a sustainable culture of evidence-informed policy-making. Additionally, there is limited documentation from countries in Africa about what it takes to sustainably strengthen these knowledge ecosystems.
KNOSA will support collaborations between research and policy institutions across these four east African countries, with a focus on strengthening capacity and formalizing networks that enhance the generation and use of locally relevant evidence in policy-making processes. It will also document the process and share learning across countries.
Key outcomes from the inception workshop
The four-day inception workshop brought together representatives from the selected country partnerships, global experts, and the Alliance Secretariat to collectively deliberate on and refine the programme’s objectives and strategies. Participants engaged in discussions that scoped the current state of knowledge systems, identified capacity gaps and considered objectives and strategies to strengthen national knowledge systems with an eye to sustainability.
During the workshop, country partnerships presented their proposals, which include supporting the roll out of a new roadmap for the national health research agenda in Ethiopia, improving maternal and child health in western Kenya, strengthening the collaborative network of local and national organizations in generating and using evidence in Somalia, and moving beyond health sector structures in Uganda. The country projects emphasize the importance of building sustainable networks, enhancing institutional capacities, and fostering a culture of collaboration between researchers and policy-makers. External experts were invited to reflect on their experiences building institutions, coordination national evidence ecosystems, and working in non-health sectors.
Dr Abdi Gele, the principal investigator from the Somalia Institute of Health Research reflected on the workshop: “We have created the proposal, but the difficult part of any project is getting going. This can take one to three months of thinking. But this workshop really helped us to move from proposal stage to implementation. It saved us those three months.”
Looking ahead: KNOSA’s vision for impact
As the KNOSA initiative moves forward, the participating country partnerships will adapt their proposed activities and begin implementing their projects. The outcomes of these efforts will be closely monitored, with the aim of documenting and disseminating best practices for strengthening knowledge systems across the region.
Dr Aku Kwamie, the Alliance’s lead for Strengthening Institutions and Methods, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “The KNOSA programme is a unique opportunity to test new approaches to improve evidence-informed policy-making for health. By strengthening institutional partnerships and fostering a culture of evidence use, we can ensure that health policies are informed by robust, local research. This is essential for addressing the complex health challenges faced by countries in the region.”
KNOSA is set to be a transformative programme, contributing to the advancement of health systems in Africa and ensuring that research evidence plays a central role in shaping policies that improve health outcomes for all.