From: Increasing the capacity of policy agencies to use research findings: a stepped-wedge trial
Agency A | Agency B | Agency C | Agency D | Agency E | Agency F |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Data showed: - 46% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 29% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes | Data showed: - 58% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 42% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes | Data showed: - 20% thought agency had well-developed relationships with external researchers, 40% felt confident in partnering with researchers - 20% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes | Data showed: - 35% confident in their ability to access research - 31% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 15% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes | Data showed: - 19% believe X has well-developed processes for programme development that provide guidance on research use - 56% confident in their ability to access research, 39% confident in their ability to appraise research evidence - 35% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes | Data showed: - 47% confident in their ability to access research, 32% in ability to appraise research evidence - 11% confident in their ability to commission research - 42% confident in their ability to interpret the results of research, 53% confident in their ability to apply research in policy and programme work - 37% confident in their ability to evaluate policies or programmes |
Goals selected as: - Increase appraisal capacity - Strengthen capacity to support programme evaluation - Develop capacity for some staff in the use of research findings in policy work | Goals selected as: - Develop capacity in appraising the quality and relevance of research - Supporting programme evaluation - Skills development in less experienced staff | Goals selected as: - Increase agency capacity to work with external researchers - Supporting programme evaluation, e.g. what additional information would increase the usefulness of evaluations? | Goals selected as: - Increase staff capacity in accessing research - Increase appraisal capacity - Increase staff capacity in supporting evaluation of policies and programmes | Goals selected as: - Embedding use of research into X’s systems and processes, to ensure its sustainability - Improve staff capacity to access and appraise research - Support staff capacity in programme evaluation | Goals selected as: Enhance skills amongst some staff in: - Accessing and appraising research - Commissioning research - Applying research in practice - Evaluating policies and programmes |
Value | |||||
 Leaders forums with previous head of Australian Public Service and with international leader in capacity | |||||
 All staff symposia on the value of research evidence in policy | |||||
 Email from Chief Executive or other agency leader highlighting value of research Ă— 4 | |||||
Skill development | |||||
 Skill development sessions on (1 topic fixed, 2 selected by agency): Appraisal of research evidence; evaluation (foci varied between agencies, key topics selected included overview of basic and advanced concepts; process evaluation and the use of routinely collected data; embedding evaluation in programme rollout, scaling and communication in evaluation); assessing and appraising systematic reviews; introduction to research | |||||
 Practice exchanging with researchers on (3 selected per agency): Clinical network; screening; social media messaging; smoke-free policies in XXX; using broader (‘soft’) practice evidence; engaging with health professionals; implementing sustainable change | |||||
 Tested a system for analysing locally relevant data OR commissioning an evaluation framework OR rapid review of evidence on a policy-relevant topic |