Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Twenty Years Of Capacity Building Across The Cancer Prevention And Control Research Network, Mary Wangen, Cam Escoffery, Maria E Fernandez, Daniela B Friedman, Peggy Hannon, Linda K Ko, Annette E Maxwell, Courtney Petagna, Betsy Risendal, Catherine Rohweder, Jennifer Leeman

Student and Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: to improve population health, community members need capacity (i.e., knowledge, skills, and tools) to select and implement evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to fit the needs of their local settings. Since 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has funded the national Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) to accelerate the implementation of cancer prevention and control EBIs in communities. The CPCRN has developed multiple strategies to build community members' capacity to implement EBIs. This paper describes the history of CPCRN's experience developing and lessons learned through the use of five capacity-building strategies: (1) mini-grant programs, (2) training, (3) …

The Special Sauce Of The Cancer Prevention And Control Research Network: 20 Years Of Lessons Learned In Developing The Evidence Base, Building Community Capacity, And Translating Research Into Practice, Stephanie B Wheeler, Rebecca J Lee, Alexa L Young, Adam Dodd, Charlotte Ellis, Bryan J Weiner, Kurt M Ribisl, Prajakta Adsul, Sarah A Birken, María E Fernández, Peggy A Hannon, James R Hébert, Linda K Ko, Aaron Seaman, Thuy Vu, Heather M Brandt, Rebecca S Williams

Student and Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) is a national network focused on accelerating the translation of cancer prevention and control research evidence into practice through collaborative, multicenter projects in partnership with diverse communities. From 2003 to 2022, the CPCRN included 613 members.

METHODS: We: (1) characterize the extent and nature of collaborations through a bibliometric analysis of 20 years of Network publications; and (2) describe key features and functions of the CPCRN as related to organizational structure, productivity, impact, and focus on health equity, partnership development, and capacity building through analysis of 22 in-depth interviews and review …

Approaches To Research Utilization And Capacity Strengthening, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

Research plays a critical role in strengthening programming and policymaking. Donors and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on ensuring that their research investments yield positive health and development outcomes. Yet, there are many challenges in ensuring study findings are used by relevant decisionmakers to inform policies and programs. Recognizing the need to invest in research uptake efforts beyond dissemination of final findings, Project SOAR utilized an active approach to facilitating research utilization (RU) to fulfil the commitment of implementation science to promote the systematic uptake of research finding into routine practice. Project SOAR assembled and implemented a systematic and proactive …

Building Capacity In Dissemination And Implementation Science: A Systematic Review Of The Academic Literature On Teaching And Training Initiatives, Rachel E. Davis, Danielle D'Lima

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The field of dissemination and implementation (D&I) science has grown significantly over recent years. Alongside this, an increased demand for training in D&I from researchers and implementers has been seen. Research describing and evaluating D&I training opportunities, referred to here as 'capacity building initiatives' (CBIs), can help provide an understanding of different methods of training as well as training successes and challenges. However, to gain a more detailed understanding of the evidence-base and how D&I CBIs are being reported in publications, a field-wide examination of the academic literature is required. METHODS: Systematic review to identify the type and range …

Strengthening Capacity For Assessment Of Hiv-Related Data Needs Among Key Populations To Inform Evidence-Based Responses, Amrita Rao, Nikita Viswasam, Stefan Baral

HIV and AIDS

Defining the HIV prevention and treatment needs of key populations who have disproportionate HIV acquisition and transmission risks has been particularly difficult in the context of generalized HIV epidemics where less attention has historically been placed on the HIV prevention and treatment needs of these groups. There is a gap in our understanding of the specific needs of—and ultimately the investment case for the added value of supporting—disproportionately burdened key populations in these settings. In response to this gap, Johns Hopkins University under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Project SOAR implemented a project in partnership with collaborators, …

Population Council's Support For Nigeria's Third National Human Resources For Health Conference And Efforts To Institutionalize Hrh Conferences In Nigeria, Ekechi Okereke, Godwin Unumeri, Ibrahim Suleiman, Aisha Jibril

Reproductive Health

This project brief describes the Population Council's partnership efforts with public health stakeholders in Nigeria to plan and host a third national conference for provision of necessary and relevant information on critical health issues to health staff and stakeholders throughout Nigeria.

Strengthening In-Service Training And Continuing Education (Ist/Ce) For Frontline Health Workers For Bauchi And Cross River States, Ekechi Okereke, Godwin Unumeri, Ibrahim Suleiman, Aisha Jibril

Reproductive Health

This brief details Council efforts to develop effective, and costed, in-service training and continuing education modules for frontline health workers in Bauchi and Cross River states in Nigeria. This project was funded by WHO to aid the training and development of Nigeria's public health worker sector.

Project Yes! Youth Engaging For Success: A Peer Mentoring Program To Transition Youth To Hiv Self-Management In Zambia, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

This activity brief describes an operational study that responds to challenges and evidence gaps in Zambia about how to support adolescents and young adults living with HIV (YLHIV) in having a greater and more effective role in the management of their own care. The study aimed to refine and test a peer-mentoring strategy in Zambia to strengthen the capacity of health systems and families to support youth as they transition to, and engage in, self-management and adult HIV care and treatment. This approach builds on previous Ministry of Health–approved research at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital with YLHIV and their families. …

Peer Mentoring: An Effective Strategy For Integrating Hiv And Srh Services, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

Mentoring is an innovative approach to improving provider skills without compromising service delivery by harnessing the potential of existing providers. In Kenya, a peer-mentorship approach was designed and tested to improve service providers’ skills, knowledge, and capacity to provide high-quality integrated HIV and SRH services. A central component was to understand providers’ opinions on mentoring, so as to build a practical and sustainable mentorship model. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London …

Comprendre Les Grossesses Non Désirées Au Sénégal : Rapport Du Profil Pays [Compte Rendu De L’Atelier De Dissémination Des Résultats Auprès Des Parlementaires], Babacar Mane, Bocar Mamadou Daff, Marie-Jesus Buabey, Abdelylah Lakssir

Reproductive Health

En partenariat avec le Ministère de la Santé et de l'Action Sociale et l’initiative Partners in Population and Development, le bureau du Population Council—Sénégal a organisé une rencontre avec des membres de l’Assemblée Nationale et d’autres acteurs locaux clés pour diffuser les résultats du rapport de l’étude sur le profil pays menée dans le cadre du projet de recherche "Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy” plus connu sous l’acronyme “STEP UP.” A l’issue de la réunion, les recommandations ont été formulées concernant la législation, le renforcement des capacités et la prise en charge des problèmes de santé de la …

Integration Of Sexual And Reproductive Health And Hiv Services, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a high rate of unintended pregnancy, particularly among HIV-positive women, and the majority of HIV infections are sexually transmitted or transmitted as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Yet many health facilities do not provide integrated HIV and SRH services. Integration has the potential to increase access and uptake of health services, increase job satisfaction among providers, more effectively distribute facility workloads, and reduce facility costs. The Integra Initiative represents an effort to respond to the need for high-quality evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness, cost, and impact of different models for delivering integrated HIV …

Measuring The Impact Of Contraceptive Use On Unintended Pregnancy And Other Health Outcomes, Step Up Research Programme Consortium

Reproductive Health

This brief describes several statistical models that have been developed to estimate the number of health outcomes that will be averted because of contraceptive use. Concerns have been expressed that this range of approaches—which overlap in the impacts they estimate, but sometimes use different inputs, mathematical algorithms, and assumptions, and may produce different results—may be confusing for policymakers, managers, and donors who want to measure or evaluate these impacts. To address these concerns, the STEP UP consortium convened two expert meetings to review the estimation methods used; come to consensus on methodologies and assumptions, where possible; and provide guidance to …

Second Consultation On Developing Standards For Identifying Evidence-Based Practices In Reproductive Health, Step Up Research Programme Consortium

Reproductive Health

The STEP UP consortium and the High Impact Practices initiative, together with other partners, supported three consultation meetings to inform the use of appropriate standards of evidence for recommending best practices in reproductive health (RH). The second consultation, reported here, brought together researchers and funders to review the research designs and methodologies that can be used to generate evidence on the impact of FP/RH interventions and on their implementation; the mechanisms and structures through which such evidence is reviewed and translated into recommendations; and the implications for organizing and funding evidence generation to maximize its quality and utility. Drawing from …

Implementing Incentive-Based Hiv Interventions In Zambia: The Compact Model, Sam Kalibala, Waimar Tun, Chabu Kangale, Jill Keesbury, Ray Handema, Mwaka Monze

HIV and AIDS

The Population Council received a cooperative agreement from USAID to implement the Community Mobilization for Preventive Action (COMPACT) project, to develop and determine the feasibility of “community compacts” as an innovative approach to prevent HIV in Zambian communities. The aim is to mobilize the communities through a capacity-building process that enables them to identify HIV prevention targets, develop interventions to achieve those targets, and measure the results. This study determined baseline levels of key indicators related to HIV, sexual behaviors, gender-based violence, alcohol abuse, and reproductive health. These baseline measures will be compared with midline and endline levels to assess …

The Community Mobilization For Preventive Action (Compact) Project In Zambia: A Midline Evaluation, Waimar Tun, Chabu Kangale, Scott Geibel, Meredith Sheehy, Ray Handema, Mwaka Monze

HIV and AIDS

The Population Council and its partner, Project Concern International, implemented the Community Mobilization for Preventive Action (COMPACT) HIV-prevention program in Zambia. The program works with communities to develop “compacts” through a participatory, community-led process, and assists them in working toward reaching HIV-related “benchmarks,” intended to result in a reduction in HIV-related risk behaviors and harmful norms and ultimately contribute over time to the reduction of HIV incidence. This mid-term evaluation in four of six COMPACT communities indicates that COMPACT is improving some HIV-related behaviors and attitudes, particularly those related to gender norms, multiple sex partnerships, and alcohol abuse. The report …

Health Research For Development Initiative In Vietnam (Hrdi): Impact Evaluation Results, Katherine Williams, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan

Reproductive Health

The Population Council Viet Nam joined the Hanoi School of Public Health and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy – Faculty of Public Health to create fellowships to increase research skills, provide competitive awards, and develop a network to link fellows to various national and international institutes and conferences. The core target population of the project is Vietnamese health professionals who have studied overseas and have obtained recent master’s degrees in public health or health social sciences under three programs managed by the Population Council. This evaluation report provides information from baseline and endline surveys of returned …

Capacity Building: Creating A Culture Of Evidence-Based Decisionmaking, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

For research to have significant impact, it is important to have not only trained individuals and institutions capable of conducting research, but also program managers and donors who believe in making decisions based on evidence. The focus on fostering research utilization through capacity building has been a major contribution of the FRONTIERS legacy. The FRONTIERS capacity-building initiative began in 1999 in response to the need for developing-country partners and institutions to conduct research, understand study findings, and develop policies and programs based on evidence. This is one of eight Legacy Papers synthesizing major lessons learned in research conducted under the …

Adolescent Girls Programming And Capacity-Building Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, November 10-14, 2008: Workshop Report, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Around the world, adolescent girls are disadvantaged by age and gender. Many are denied the skills and resources to protect and advance themselves. Adolescent girls are even more vulnerable to exploitive work, abuse, and limiting life options if they are poor. Adolescent girls are marginalized or entirely invisible in development policy, yet their role in communities and populations make them a critical asset to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). International donors and development partners have started to recognize the critical role adolescent girls play in achieving the MDGs. The purpose of the Adolescent Girls Programming and Capacity-building Workshop was …

Manual For Building Capacity Of Trainers And Program Managers In Emergency Contraception, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan, Mary Philip Sebastian, Sohini Roychowdhury

Reproductive Health

This manual equips trainers with appropriate knowledge on emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs). Emergency contraception (EC) refers to any method of contraception that can be used by a woman to prevent an unwanted pregnancy within three days of unprotected intercourse or a contraceptive accident such as condom leakage. This manual discusses ECPs and the provision of related services. After a day’s training, trainers have the knowledge and skills necessary to train service providers and workers on ECPs. The manual is divided into four sessions. The first provides an overview of the demographic and reproductive health (RH) situation in South and South …

Sharing Experiences With Comprehensive Responses To Adolescent Reproductive Health Needs In Africa, Nafissatou J. Diop, Anta Fall Diagne

Reproductive Health

In 1999, the Population Council’s USAID-funded Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) project, began a three-year collaboration in Senegal on an adolescent reproductive health (ARH) pilot project that showed that a multisectoral, multidisciplinary approach can increase knowledge, enhance attitudes, and foster positive behaviors for reproductive health. Following requests from several neighboring countries, and given the long collaboration with WHO, FRONTIERS initiated efforts in 2007 to enable utilization of these findings in other African countries. The purpose of this report is to promote the utilization of multisectoral approaches for improving ARH programming by governments, donors, and national and international agencies in francophone …

Financial Capacity Building For Ngo Sustainability, John H. Bratt, Rick Homan, Barbara Janowitz, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

While demand for family planning and reproductive health services is increasing worldwide, a number of recent trends threaten the financial sustainability of donor-supported NGOs that provide these services. First, the U.S. Agency for International Development has seen its funding for population assistance decline since 1995. A second reason is the growth of government-funded programs that provide these services for low-income clients, which reduced the need for NGOs to focus programs entirely on the poor. Health-sector reform has created opportunities for NGOs via public–private partnerships in some countries, but sustained public-sector support is unlikely given limited economic growth in domestic economies …

Strengthening Emergency Contraception In Nepal, Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

A national workshop on emergency contraception was organized in Nepal by the Family Health Division within the Ministry of Health in 2004, with technical assistance provided by the FRONTIERS program of the Population Council. Among many conclusions from the workshop, one recommendation was that emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) should be introduced through the government family planning program to assist in reducing unwanted pregnancies. Based on the Population Council’s past experiences with introducing and mainstreaming ECP services in Bangladesh and India, a phase-wise introduction of ECP in Nepal was recommended. The project findings suggest that Nepalese women continue to face an …

Institutionalization Of Quality Assurance Within District Health Management: Experiences From Maharashtra And Karnataka, M.E. Khan, Anurag Mishra, Vivek Sharma, Jaleel Ahmad, Jose Joseph, Venkatesh Srinivasan, K.M. Sathyanarayana, Viji Vargees, K.D. Maiti, Rashmi Sharma

Reproductive Health

The Population Council, with financial support from UNFPA, provided technical assistance to the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, India in implementing a quality assurance (QA) program and helped its institutionalization in the district level of health management. An analysis of all the facilities covered as of December 2007 revealed substantial gaps in the infrastructure and human resources available to provide good-quality services, as well as adherence to standards for providing the services. To build the capacity to undertake QA visits, the Population Council and state authorities organized a series of events to orient and train state and district officials, facility-level …

Developing Regional Operations Research Training Capacity In South Asia, M.E. Khan, James R. Foreit, Sohini Roychowdhury, F. Ram, Chander Shekhar

Reproductive Health

This project’s overall objective was to create a self-sustaining regional operations research (OR) training and research center for South Asia at the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), in Mumbai, India. The goal was to institutionalize operations research (OR) in IIPS by building the teaching and research capabilities of the faculty and research team. Capacity building was accomplished through a training of trainers that included an OR workshop in Nepal, two four-day OR workshops for program managers, one ten-day OR workshop for researchers, and a four-day scientific-writing course for researchers and program managers to provide guidelines for preparing research articles …

Assessment: Frontiers Small Grants Program, Koli Banik

Reproductive Health

This report reviews the Small Grants Program (SGP) implemented by FRONTIERS. It assesses the SGP’s areas of achievements and challenges, and explores the feasibility of using this approach to build capacity in operations research. The report provides ideas for implementing a successful SGP that can deliver high-quality, relevant, and timely information for program design. Although capacity building was not an objective in the FRONTIERS SGP, it did produce some increased capacity after two years. As was found with other small grants programs, the FRONTIERS experience suggests that considerable resources are required to produce good quality research and final products. Program …

Building The Capacity Of Faith-Based Organizations To Promote Mutual Monogamy In South Africa, Waimar Tun, Nathi Sohaba, Unathi Malinzi, Matthew Nqono, Osborne Mzilikazi, Bonisiwa Mgujulwa, Moses Madywabe, Mbulelo Fatyeni, Christine Fontecchio

HIV and AIDS

In South Africa, where sex partnerships outside primary relationships are common even among church members, HIV-prevention programs focusing on mutual monogamy (MM) are needed. Church leaders, highly regarded by the community, may be effective in reaching congregation members with HIV-prevention messages. However, implementing programs that promote faithfulness pose several challenges. In response to a lack of research on effective strategies to promote MM, the Horizons Program, in partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches and the South African Council of Churches, piloted an intervention to promote MM. A curriculum was developed covering topics including HIV transmission, personal relationships, …

Developing Regional Capacity In Operations Research And Economic Evaluation In South Asia, M.E. Khan, Sohini Roychowdhury, James R. Foreit, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Geetha Vaithyanathan

Reproductive Health

This project contributed significantly to the capacity-building of regional professionals in planning, implementing, and monitoring of reproductive health programs in South Asia. During 2001–05, professionals from 17 countries received training in various aspects of reproductive health in nine workshops, including operations research, economic evaluation, qualitative research methods, proposal writing, and process documentation and enhancing the utilization of research findings in reproductive health programs. Forty-three percent of workshop participants were program managers from government health programs and nongovernmental organizations. Success in leveraging resources from other collaborating agencies and other donors helped the project to organize more workshops than originally planned and …

Building Capacity To Utilize Operations Research: Strategies And Lessons Learned, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

The effectiveness of development assistance depends on good decision-making. Many donors and international health agencies such as USAID, DFID, and WHO are placing more emphasis on the utilization of research results for policy and program development. Yet, while there is a long tradition of training researchers to produce research, there are few lessons on how to teach managers to request and use research results for making program decisions. Addressing this gap has been a major strategy of the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program (FRONTIERS). Since its inception in 1998, FRONTIERS has complemented its support for operations research (OR) …

Tulane University Final Report, M. Celeste Marin, Anastasia J. Gage, Suhaila Khan

Reproductive Health

The Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program is a 10-year cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Population Council in partnership with Family Health International and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. This report summarizes the main activities undertaken by Tulane University under its subagreement with the Population Council on the FRONTIERS project from 1998–2004. As a partner, Tulane furthered progress toward all three of the program’s intermediate results: contributing innovative interventions tested to improve reproductive health through the small grants program; helping research staff take a more proactive approach to …

Frontiers Capacity Building: An Overview, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program is a cooperative agreement with USAID to improve family planning and reproductive health service delivery through operations research (OR). Frontiers builds on more than 20 years of research to improve family planning service delivery programs. A major goal of Frontiers is to transfer skills in OR so that public and private agencies in developing countries can conduct OR and apply research findings to reproductive health programs and policies. OR addresses problems in operational effectiveness, access, quality, and efficiency by investigating facets of programs that managers can control and change. As concluded in …