Partnerships for policymaking

Goering, P., Butterill, D., Jacobson, N., & Sturtevant, D. (2003). Linkage and exchange at the organizational level: A model of collaboration between research and policy. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 8(S2), 14-19.

Description

This approach illustrates key recommendations and lessons learned through the process of establishing formal and arm's length relationships between researchers and policy-makers. This is seen as a useful way to approach knowledge exchange at the organizational level. The concept of 'linkage and exchange' is central to this framework. Creating opportunities for researchers and policy-makers to link and exchange with one another has the potential to drive both timely and relevant research. Encouraging interactions between policy-makers and researchers diminishes the cultural divide between the two communities and increases the probability of evidence-informed policy making.

The developers of this framework offer four steps to knowledge transfer and exchange to advance the knowledge translation process: developing and maintaining an inter-organizational partnership working on interactive research projects disseminating research findings developing evidence-informed policy.

Steps for Using Method/Tool

This method consists of a four-step approach to linkage and exchange to advance interactive evidence-informed policy development. The steps to inform the application of this knowledge transfer and exchange process include the following:

1. Develop and maintain an inter-organizational partnership:

This ongoing step is foundational and reflects the process for creating formal opportunities for regular linkage and exchange between researchers and policy-makers. The developers suggest the following strategies to build and sustain these formal partnerships:

  • Conduct an independent needs assessment (each organization separately).
  • Create a joint workplan for the new partnership.
  • Build trust by explicitly discussing cultural and procedural differences.
  • Facilitate communication by defining working concepts and terms of engagement.
  • Define the partners' roles, responsibilities and expectations.

2. Ensure credibility while working interactively on relevant research projects:

This step highlights several points to consider when research organizations and policy-making agencies/bodies partner to work on specific projects. For instance, it is important to maintain appropriate ethical and scientific boundaries while working closely on projects so that neither group is subjected to undue influence or bias. Although it is beneficial to have closer working relations between these groups, the following actions are recommended to preserve the objectivity and credibility of both parties:

  • Establish an advisory board that represents multiple stakeholders.
  • Develop clear terms of reference (roles, responsibilities and accountabilities).
  • Involve an independent granting agency to issue proposals and award funds.
  • Ensure adherence to peer-review processes.
  • Collaborate on publications and presentations to allow the partners to work together to meet individual organizational objectives while maintaining their independence.
  • Establish explicit practices to manage real or perceived conflicts of interest.

3. Disseminate the research findings widely:

There are several points to consider when disseminating research findings resulting from collaborative partnerships between researchers and decision-makers:

  • Identify appropriate opportunities to disseminate research findings and solicit feedback. For example, policy forums are dissemination opportunities that serve different functions and objectives for the partners involved. Policy-makers may view this as an opportunity for stakeholder consultation to inform their policy decisions. On the other hand, researchers may see policy forums as opportunities to receive feedback from policy-makers in their present and other jurisdictions.
  • Frame these sessions as opportunities for decision-makers and policy-makers to hear about the research directly, share their perspectives on what they have heard and determine whether or not it would be useful for their purposes.
  • Present consistent and salient messages using key partners to establish clear priorities and policy implications.
  • Take deliberative steps to discuss ownership of the final product.
  • Provide government policy agencies with official notification prior to the release of research publications. It is important to afford policy-makers sufficient time to prepare for their public release.

4. Contribute to a process that supports evidenced-informed policy development:

Researchers and decision-makers often collaborate on relevant projects and engage one another in a participatory discourse in pursuit of mutually desired outcomes. This paper illustrates how each group can benefit in different and meaningful ways from the knowledge exchange process. By working in close proximity, researchers and decision-makers are exposed to the practical realities (cultural norms, challenges) inherent within each environment. This process, coupled with a shared commitment to develop timely and relevant policy alternatives, sets the stage for the advancement of policy that is informed by multiple sources of knowledge.

These summaries are written by the NCCMT to condense and to provide an overview of the resources listed in the Registry of Methods and Tools and to give suggestions for their use in a public health context. For more information on individual methods and tools included in the review, please consult the authors/developers of the original resources.

We have provided the resources and links as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by McMaster University of any of the products, services or opinions of the external organizations, nor have the external organizations endorsed their resources and links as provided by McMaster University. McMaster University bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external sites.

Have you used this resource? Share your story!