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Table 1 Use of the knowledge translation (KT) planning framework to develop tailored products or activities

From: Knowledge translation for realist reviews: a participatory approach for a review on scaling up complex interventions

TARGET AUDIENCE (who, as well as key characteristics and contextual considerations)

KEY MESSAGES (source and focus of messages)

KT ACTIVITIES (products, processes, events, strategic communications, etc.)

OUTCOMES (desired results)

Programme staff/teams within knowledge user organisations

Concrete examples of how to support activation of the four mechanisms (i.e. findings of facilitators/barriers)

Relate examples to organisational experience (i.e. how to scale-up knowledge gained from past complex initiatives)

Practical implications of findings (e.g. how findings can support evaluation of scale-up activities)

Findings related to complex elements of the three case studies

(General: avoid jargon, clarify main concepts, align with current language, avoid directive language)

Facilitated group discussions that encourage learning among participants

Short visually appealing materials (e.g. infographics, evidence brief)

Stories that illustrate key findings Relevance of the results for the health sector

Use of findings in funding decisions

Improved communication with grant applicants

Strengthened grant applications

Senior management staff within knowledge user organisations

Focus on policy relevance not implementation

Acknowledge that scaling up complex initiatives is challenging, but that working with many partners in different sectors is necessary to impact policy and deliver interventions to individuals in communities

Use examples that demonstrate impact and why findings are important in order to raise their significance amongst competing issues

Situate findings among other current studies that may be known to staff

Identify and use champion to deliver messages

Have ‘ready to go’ information about results that can be adapted in order to respond to requests for information in relation to emerging issues

Short written materials (e.g. policy brief or high-level synthesis of the findings)

Short visually appealing materials (e.g. infographics)

Requests for additional information about scaling up

Findings used to provide justification for programmatic or policy decisions

Policy-makers external to knowledge user organisations

Understanding of what scaling up means and how it gets operationalised, what the challenges are

(General: avoid jargon, clear take-home messages)

Short written materials (e.g. policy brief or high-level synthesis of the findings)

Requests for additional information about scaling up

Findings used to provide justification for programmatic or policy decisions