30 March 2022 – To enhance the development and use of policy briefs in policy-making processes in the Region, the Regional Office held a virtual interactive workshop on March 29 and 30 for researchers and policy developers. Over 60 participants from countries in the Region attended the workshop, including members of the Network of Institutions for Evidence and Data to Policy (NEDtP) and relevant staff from ministries of health and WHO.
The workshop provided advanced training of trainers and followed a previous workshop on the general principles of policy brief development that took place in October 2021. The workshop series is part of the Regional Office’s efforts to strengthen and institutionalize national capacity in the Region in the use of evidence for policy development for health, as requested by resolution EM/RC66/R.5 in 2019.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Arash Rashidian, Director of Science, Information and Dissemination at the WHO Regional Office, and covered different components of the policy brief development cycle, including the use of systematic reviews of effects and relevant tools, the use of cost and economic evaluation evidence in policy brief development, qualitative evidence and qualitative synthesis, the use of national data and surveys, organizing and facilitating policy dialogues, identifying and addressing barriers to implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. During the sessions, participants were given opportunities to interact with the speakers, look at real-life examples and share their experiences and perspectives.
The meeting concluded with the identification of priority topics for policy brief development in the Region and an outline of the Regional Office’s next steps in enhancing national capacity for the use of evidence in health policy-making.
Related links
Use of systematic reviews of effects in policy brief development
Qualitative evidence and qualitative synthesis in policy briefs
Use of cost and economic evaluation evidence in policy brief development
National data and surveys for policy brief development
Organizing and facilitating policy dialogues
Identifying and addressing barriers to implementation
Developing the monitoring and evaluation section for a policy brief
Sample of qualitative findings from Glenton et al. 2013 (LHW Review)
Summary of previous workshop general principles of policy brief development
Report
Summary report on the Workshop for capacity-building for the development of policy briefs: general principles for NEDtP members
Virtual meeting, 25–26 October 2021