Table 3 Participants’ response on organisational capacity needs for support of the use of evidence in policymaking relevant to maternal, newborn and child health

(1) Ethical/regulatory guidelines

(2) Proper documentation of research, including data inventory

(3) Improved monitoring and evaluation

(4) Having a stakeholder forum for dissemination of research findings

(5) Improved funding for policy-relevant research

(6) Political will for implementation of National Health Act, national health policy and national health research policy

(7) Having a resource centre or well-managed library with focal staff, who circulate research/reports and evidence to staff

(8) Enact laws/regulations on the utilisation of research evidence

(1) Website for storing and giving access to research works

(2) Provision of a national database

(3) Joint appointment between academia (research institutions) and health ministry (e.g. sabbaticals/secondment)

(4) Functional health management information system/database

(5) Accountability mechanisms at state and national levels

(6) Provision of access to internet connectivity and online library

(7) Availability of platforms for interactions between policymakers and research institutions regularly

(8) Use of policy briefs, factsheets, etc.

(1) Policy change

(2) Proposal writing and report writing

(3) Monitoring and evaluation of activities

(4) Making use of best practice and evaluation of their use to provide feedback and raise further research questions

(5) Planning of programmes and implementation of activities

(6) Decision-making and policy development

(1) Effective communication plan/strategy to disseminate research/evidence (including professional bodies)

(2) Networking and collaboration

(3) Physical infrastructure –conducive working environment

(4) Funding and availability of evidence-based tools and resources to implement

(5) Financial resources to carry out research, etc.

(6) Human resources –technical support, statistical skills

(7) Information communication technology

(8) Logistics such as means of transportation, etc.

(9) Opportunities to attend conferences and seminars