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Table 1 Potential use of the RSTUVW framework for N–S collaborations and health systems interventions

From: A framework for sustainable capacity-building for collaborative North–South translational health research and training in a resource-constrained setting

Area

Room

Skills

Tools

Understanding

Voice

Will

Research capacity-building

- Availability of physical space to conduct research

--Suitability of the space according to applicable standards

- Availability of potential space from strategic partners

- Qualified personnel to conduct the research

- Portfolio of skills addresses priority policy needs

- Skills attained can be transferred to other professionals

- Existence of a mentorship programme between the North and South collaborators

-Facilitate reverse mentorship where the collaborators from the South transfer local knowledge to their counterparts from the North

- Availability of relevant equipment and supplies for research

- Availability of reference material and guidelines to conduct the research

- Exchange of relevant tools between the collaborators

- Availability of personnel that fully understand the rationale for the research

- Awareness amongst researchers of their role in shaping policy

- An understanding of how the research mentorship fulfils personal career goals

- An understanding of the local priorities amongst the collaborators from the North

- Presence of individuals who can champion the programme

- Presence of individuals who can articulate the programme in a way that resonates with multiple stakeholders

- Presence of individuals with the know-how to navigate the local political and technical context

- Presence of parallel individual champions from the North to advocate for the sustenance of the collaboration

- Willingness at technical and policy level to implement the programme

- Budgetary allocation and other enabling support for the programme

- Alignment of the capacity-building programme with broader developmental priorities

- Framing of the capacity-building programme within the context of addressing a pressing societal problem

- Alignment of N-S interests at the institutional level to secure long-term will that does not solely rely on individuals

Health systems strengthening

- Availability of space to support the crosscutting needs for key health system areas (e.g. health systems delivery, medicines and other health products)

- Capacity to modify (e.g. expand, upgrade) relevant space to align with evolving health system needs

- Capacity to diagnose health system problems and put in place a course of action to strengthen the health system

- Capacity for strategic thinking, operations management, resource management (financial, physical, material, intellectual)

- Capacity for stakeholder engagement and intersectoral collaboration

- Capacity to monitor and evaluate progress towards HSS

- Capacity to diagnose gaps in HSS efforts and put in place corrective measures

- Access to relevant policies and guidelines for HSS

- Capacity to translate policy and guidelines into locally adapted action plan to respond to own priorities

- Capacity to generate local data and document experience to inform policies and guidelines

- Capacity to articulate the rationale for HSS

- An understanding of a health system as a complex adaptive system that requires a holistic approach in addressing problems

- An understanding of the political dimensions of HSS

- Political awareness to anticipate contextual factors that affect HSS efforts

- An understanding of the political feasibility of proposed HSS efforts

- Availability of individuals who can champion HSS

- Capacity to articulate HSS in a manner that resonates with local and national leaders

- Political will (as demonstrated by the provision of financial, technical and human resources) to support HSS efforts

- Willingness of implementers to cope with the challenges of the reform process (e.g. resistance to change amongst other stakeholders, lack of resources, slow progress, fluctuating interest from leaders)

Feasibility of health system intervention

- Availability of space to carry out the intervention

- The space can be used for an intervention for a predefined period

- Personnel with skills to implement the intervention

- Existence of a programme to refresh the skills to align with evolving priorities

- Potential use of the skills to be adapted to other health system area

- Availability of equipment and supplies to conduct the programme

- Existence of communication technologies to carry out the programme

- Existence of communication tools that are compatible with the needs or circumstance of the stakeholders

- An understanding of how the intervention contributes to the broader health goals

- An understanding of how the intervention addresses immediate problems

- An understanding of the resources required to implement the intervention

- Presence of individuals who can champion the intervention

- Presence of an individual with recognized credentials to lead the programme

- The ability to frame the intervention within the context of addressing a pressing health system problem

- Willingness to implement the programme amongst key stakeholders

- Budgetary allocation and other enabling support for the programme

- Alignment of the intervention with the priorities of key stakeholders

Evaluation of health system intervention

- Was space available to carry out the intervention?

- Was there space provided for the intervention for a predefined period?

- Were there personnel with skills to implement the intervention?

- Was there existence of a programme to refresh the skills to align with evolving priorities?

- Was there an opportunity to use the skills to other health system areas?

- Was there availability of equipment and supplies to conduct the programme?

- Was there existence of communication technologies to carry out the programme?

- Was there existence of communication tools compatible with the needs or circumstances of the stakeholders?

- Was there an understanding of how the intervention contributes to the broader health goals?

- Was there an understanding of how the intervention addresses priority problems?

- Was there an understanding of the resources required to implement the intervention?

- Were there individuals who championed the intervention?

- Was there an individual with recognized credentials to lead the intervention?

- Was the intervention framed within the context of addressing a pressing health system problem?

- Was there willingness to implement the programme amongst key stakeholders?

- Was there a budgetary allocation and other enabling support for the programme?

- Was the intervention aligned with the priorities of key stakeholders?

  1. HSS health systems strengthening, N–S North–South