14 January 2018 – Implementation research is conducted within routine systems and real-life settings, removed from the controlled settings associated with other types of scientific research. With development of the TDR Implementation Research Toolkit, a series of successful workshops were held for grantees, in coordination with the TDR Regional Training Centre: Pasteur Institute, Tunis.
A workshop was conducted from 25 to 27 October 2017 in Hammamet, Tunisia, aimed at:
- introducing IR concepts (as applies to tropical diseases);
- understanding different study designs for specific TDR topics under community settings; applying basic statistical analytical techniques, interpretation and presentation of results;
- understanding and observing ethical principles in conduct of research on human subjects;
- and preparing a plan for actively disseminating and fostering the utilization of the research outcomes/generated evidence for policy-makers.
The workshop included 14 participants from 9 countries – Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. During the course, the TDR toolkit was used and has been designed to:
- identify barriers to implementation and formulate the research question;
- set up a study design and appropriate methodologies;
- plan the project (budget, personnel, timelines, monitoring and evaluation);
- collect, analyse and present research information; develop a dissemination plan;
- monitor and evaluate the research project.
Workshop facilitators were from Pasteur Institute of Tunis, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf University, and experts in implementation research.
By the end of the workshop, participants were able to:
- understand the main philosophical and ethical issues involved in conducting and interpreting tropical disease implementation research;
- further develop a TDR research proposal, using most suitable methods for selected topics (TB, malaria, neglected tropical diseases);
- and apply ethical considerations to their research proposals.