A 20-year journey

Overview

This document provides an overview of the history of the Alliance, its key achievements and the special qualities that have enabled the Alliance to realise these achievements.

The first section covers outputs that are more easily quantified than others, such as the number of research and programme grants that have been awarded and administered.

Section two provides insight into how the Alliance has shaped global thinking and practice on health policy and systems research through four key areas of work:

1. Promoting the adoption of systems thinking for health system strengthening.
2. Establishing an implementation research platform through which new partners – within and outside of WHO – have adopted implementation research.
3. Advancing the field of health systems research synthesis.
4. Pioneering embedded research.

In Section three, policy makers themselves bear testimony to the impact that the Alliance’s efforts to engage and support them have had in their respective countries. In their view, integrative thinking, and the priority that the Alliance gives to inclusivity, collaboration and listening, are the core values that make the partnership unique.