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Knowledge translation : a Research Matters toolkit|Bridging the 'know-do' gap : a resource for researchers

CAMPBELL, Sandy
et al
November 2008

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Knowledge Translation (KT) works to knit together research and action. "An intensely social process, KT depends upon relationships....[It has] three core principles: - Knowledge. KT efforts at any level depend upon a robust, accessible and contextualized knowledge base. - Dialogue. The relationships at the heart of KT can only be sustained through regular, two-way dialogue and exchange. - Capacity. Researchers, decision-makers and other research-users require a strengthened skill-base to create and respond to KT opportunities." The introduction is also available in French

Safeguarding the health sector in times of macroeconomic instability : policy lessons for low- and middle-income countries

HADDAD, Slim
BARIS, Enis
NARAYANA, Delampady
2008

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This publication presents the results of an international initiative to document the effects of how health systems in the developing world have responded to macroeconomic austerity and adjustment measures. Are these systems flexible and resilient to changes or are they rigid? In which circumstances and under which conditions do health systems respond favourably or unfavourably? What are the success stories? Country studies from Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand, Mexico, and Colombia discuss lessons learned and identify policy measures for safeguarding the health sector

Internet and society in Latin America and the Caribbean

BONILLA, Marcelo
CLICHE, Gilles
Eds
2004

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The research contained in this book is designed to foster discussion about the policies and actions that must be promoted for building an Internet culture in Latin America and the Caribbean based on the principles of social and cultural equity. The book also includes the results of development work on two information tools: the first is designed to facilitate mediation of the Internet's social impacts, and the second to develop a citizen habitus among children

Involving the community : a guide to participatory development communication

BESSETTE, Guy
2004

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This manual argues that communication facilitates the development process. It conceptualises communication as interaction between and among the people whose development is being considered. In this way, communication becomes the development process itself, and the stakeholders - community members or their supporters who share an interest in the outcome - are development communicators as well. Using examples from environmental and natural resource management to illustrate participatory development communication, the manual is adaptable to other development areas, including health. It describes the root concepts of participatory development communication, a ten-step methodology for its application, and suggests communication tools appropriate to the approach. In an annex appended to the book, the author presents a summary of the changing perception of the relationship between the twin processes of communication and development. This adds a theoretical background to the material that gives it more depth for development researchers and practitioners for whom the book is intended, and will also be useful for development communication students

Health : an ecosystem approach

LEBEL, Jean
2003

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Can people remain healthy in a world that is sick? Many ecological disasters can be directly traced to careless exploitation of the environment, with human beings as first perpetrator and then victim. Our health closely mirrors the health of our surroundings: this is the basis of the Ecohealth approach. It recognizes the links between humans and their biophysical, social, and economic environments, and that these links are reflected in the population's state of health. This is a new area of research, requiring input from scientists, community and interest groups, and decision-makers. This book describes this new approach, providing lessons and recommendations from various IDRC-supported research activities. It demonstrates how decision-makers, in particular, can use the ecohealth approach to formulate policies and solutions that are both immediately visible and sustainable over the long term

TIC y reducción de la pobreza en América Latina y el Caribe|[ICTs and poverty reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean]

FINQUELIEVICH, Susana
2003

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This research analyzes the impacts of ICT on poverty reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean and proposes strategies to plan policies for sustainable development and poverty reduction using IS, with a view to reduce social and gender inequalities. It presents a diagnosis of ICTs use in poverty reduction based on research developed from 1995 (year of introduction of Internet in most of the region) to June of 2003. A short version is available in English

A dialogue on ICTs and poverty : the Harvard Forum

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
2003

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In September 2003, 30 experts from around the world gathered at Harvard University to discuss how ICTs can help to reduce poverty. These multimedia files give a brief survey of their discussions, concerns and conclusions

Outcome mapping : building learning and reflection into development programmes

EARL, Sarah
CARDEN, Fred
SMUTYLO, Terry
2002

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Assessing the impact of the efforts of a single external development agency is problematic because changes in the well-being of beneficiaries occur as a result of a ‘confluence of events’. Outcome mapping is a dynamic methodology that looks at the contribution an agency has made at project, programme or organisational level to influence the processes leading to changes in the behaviour, relationships, actions and activities of people and organisations. According to the authors, development is about people relating to each other and their environment. Outcome mapping is therefore a monitoring and evaluation system for current and completed activities and provides a framework and vocabulary for understanding changes and assessing efforts. It is based on principles of participation, iterative learning and evaluative thinking throughout.
This book includes a thorough explanation of the outcome mapping approach, and provides detailed information on workshop design and facilitation, as well as numerous worksheets and examples

ICTs and poverty : a literature review

ADEYA, Catherine Nyaki
2002

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This literature review explores the concepts of ICTs and poverty, and their implications on development. It is divided into the following sections: Section 2 examines the concepts of poverty and ICTs, as well as some related issues, while the next section evaluates the relationship between ICTs and poverty in some detail; Section 4 then presents some case study literature on ICTs and poverty. This section is followed by an assessment of literature on ICTs and poverty reduction from the perspective of development in Section 5. The focus of Section 6 is ICTs and a selection of thematic areas that include agriculture, culture, education, health and gender. Section 7 has some concluding remarks and the last section gives recommendations for further research

Ethics and the Internet in west Africa : toward an ethical model of integration|Les enjeux éthiques d’Internet en Afrique de l’Ouest : vers un modèle éthique d’intégration

BRUNET, Patrick
TIEMTORE, Oumarou
VETTRAINO-SOULARD, Marie-Claude
2002

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This book focuses on ethical questions related to the use of the Internet in west Africa. It examines the manner in which the spread of the Internet in Africa raises serious ethical issues; issues that should be identified to ensure that, in the future, the adaptation and integration of Internet technology will be compatible with the development of Africa's nations. The book is based on field suveys in five west African countries, two anglophone and three francophone. For each country, a portrait of Internet users' ethical behaviours was created. The book demonstrates how the Internet, by virtue of its content and how the technology is uses, is creating upheaval in the practices and modes of communication within African communities. The book culminates with a proposed ethical model for the assimilation of the Internet that could serve as a reference for development policies in each of the respective countries and, more broadly, throughout Africa

The TEHIP 'spark' leads to better health

DALE, Stephen
2001

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This brief based on a case study attempts to explore the linkage between research and policy formation. Looking at some of the achievements of the Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project (TEHIP), it makes the case that research can contribute to make the health system more cost-effective and help allocate resources according to local needs. The project supported collection of data and developed key tools for planning and organisational changes. Focusing on health systems, health-seeking behaviour and health outcomes, research findings were able to indicate new directions and support the decision making process

Patronage or partnership : local capacity building in humanitarian crises

SMILIE, Ian
Ed
2001

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This book reviews recent experiences in strengthening local institutions, governmental and non-governmental alike, in six countries on five continents. It examines various aspects of the tensions between international initiatives to save lives or to reconstruct the fabric of societies, and the parallel and sometimes competing international commitment to "capacitation" - to building longer term skills locally. The last chapter reviews the case studies and attempts to draw out the learning in terms of conceptual, operational, political and motivational issues

Crouching impact, hidden attribution : overcoming threats to learning in development programs

SMUTYLO, Terry
2001

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This paper outlines a methodology developed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for use in assessing its support of applied research in developing countries. Entitled 'Outcome Mapping', this methodology can be used to create planning, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms enabling organizations to document, learn from, and report on, their achievements. It is designed to assist in understanding an organization's results while recognizing that contributions by other actors are essential to achieving sustainable, large scale improvements

Assessing community telecentres : guidelines for researchers

WHYTE, Anne
2000

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This guidebook will assist researchers as they assess and evaluate the role and impact of community telecentres. It provides an introduction to some of the key research issues, a framework for telecentre evaluation, and an impetus for research teams to share ideas, instruments, and methods. Assessing Community Telecentres will interest researchers, practitioners, and academics in information science, communications, international development, and evaluation, including telecentre operators, telecentre managers, and community leaders. [Publisher's abstract]

Reshaping health care in Latin America : a comparative analysis of health care reform in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico

FLEURY, Sonia
BELMARTINO, Susana
BARIS, Enis
Eds
2000

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This book assesses the health care reforms of the past decade in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The authors are in agreement that reform in the governance, management and financing of the provision of health services was essential. However, they criticize the outcomes of the reform process not only for the anticipated exacerbation of social and economic inequalities, but also because of inattention paid to human resources as well as much-needed development of science and technology

Enhancing organizational performance : a toolbox for self-assessment

LUSTHAUS, Charles
et al
1999

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This guidebook presents a model for organisational self-assessment. The tools and tips both measure the impact of programmes, products, and services, and integrate techniques of formative assessment, in which the assessment team becomes involved in helping its organisation become more effective in meeting its goals. The tools and techniques are flexible, and the model can be adapted to any type or size of organisation. Worksheets and hands-on exercises are included. This guide will be of use to organisations that are initiating a process of self-assessment, internal change, or strategic planning. It will particularly appeal to heads and staff of research organisations, university administrators, staff of research-granting agencies, and academics and professionals in organisational development and evaluation

Knowledge shared : participatory evaluation in development cooperation

JACKSON, Edward T
KASSAM, Yusang
Eds
1998

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This book presents leading-edge analysis on the theory and practice of participatory evaluation around the world. With its instructive case studies from Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, and St Vincent, the book is a guide to a community-based approach to evaluation that is at once a learning process, a means of taking action, and a catalyst for empowerment. It is intended primarily as a tool for practitioners and policymakers in all segments of development cooperation, but will equally appeal to students, professors, scholars, and researchers in development studies, development administration, evaluation, environmental studies, social work, community development, rural development, international public health, and other disciplines related to sustainable and equitable development

Working with indigenous knowledge : a guide for researchers

GRENIER, Louise
1998

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This book provides an examination of indigenous knowledge and what it can offer a sustainable development strategy, and offers a guide to collecting, using, and assessing indigenous knowledge. Includes a review of case studies in Indonesia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Venezuela

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