Research Capacity‐building in Africa: Networks, Institutions and Local Ownership

Marjanovic, Sonja; Hanlin, Rebecca; Diepeveen, Stephanie; Chataway, Joanna

doi:10.1002/jid.2870

Cited by 46 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Whilst there was evidence of creeping bureaucratisation in the African context, probably a bigger problem was a lack of organisational knowledge on how to support academics to obtain research funding, and how to manage these grants effectively once obtained. By contrast, in the report on research capacity building in Africa written specifically about the Wellcome Trust’s African Institutions Initiative [19], the evaluators found that “ The degree to which guidelines exist on specific administrative processes varies widely across the region, and many aspects of research administration are implemented through improvisation and without consistent adherence ”. Nevertheless, it could certainly be argued that academic bureaucratisation is a problem that threatens to become endemic in Africa and, if so, could impair further growth in research capacity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Needs assessment to strengthen capacity in water and sanitation research in Africa: experiences of the African SNOWS consortium

Hunter

Abdelrahman

Antwi-Agyei

et al. 2014

Health Res Policy Sys

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BackgroundDespite its contribution to global disease burden, diarrhoeal disease is still a relatively neglected area for research funding, especially in low-income country settings. The SNOWS consortium (Scientists Networked for Outcomes from Water and Sanitation) is funded by the Wellcome Trust under an initiative to build the necessary research skills in Africa. This paper focuses on the research training needs of the consortium as identified during the first three years of the project.MethodsWe reviewed the reports of two needs assessments. The first was a detailed needs assessment led by one northern partner, with follow-up visits which included reciprocal representation from the African universities. The second assessment, led by another northern partner, focused primarily on training needs. The reports from both needs assessments were read and stated needs were extracted and summarised.ResultsKey common issues identified in both assessments were supervisory skills, applications for external research funding, research management, and writing for publication in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The bureaucratisation of university processes and inconsistencies through administration processes also caused problems. The lack of specialist laboratory equipment presented difficulties, particularly of inaccessibility through a lack of skilled staff for operation and maintenance, and of a budget provision for repairs and running costs. The lack of taught PhD modules and of research training methods also caused problems. Institutionally, there were often no mechanisms for identifying funding opportunities. On the other hand, grantees were often unable to understand or comply with the funders’ financial and reporting requirements and were not supported by their institution. Skills in staff recruitment, retention, and performance were poor, as were performance in proposal and paper writing. The requirements for ethical clearance were often not known and governance issues not understood, particularly those required by funders.ConclusionsSNOWS believes that working with African universities to develop networks that support African-led research driven by the local context is an effective approach to develop and retain research skills needed to change policy and practice in water, sanitation, and hygiene in Africa.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1478-4505-12-68) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the challenges in building a sustainable capacity strengthening programme are experienced by each of the seven consortia in the Wellcome Trust’s African Institutions Initiative programme [19]. SNOWS developed its own strategic plan in response to the needs assessments and, in so doing, adopted a number of capacity building models.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Needs assessment to strengthen capacity in water and sanitation research in Africa: experiences of the African SNOWS consortium

Hunter

Abdelrahman

Antwi-Agyei

et al. 2014

Health Res Policy Sys

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Our stakeholders support the lab and are supported by it rather than feeling competition. Their consultation in decision-making ensured their continued involvement in the RbCoLab [13]; these teams are now primed to support scale-up. Arguably, one of the most original contributions of the RbCoLab project was to create a culture shift in the retinoblastoma community that brought the importance of pathology for patient management to the forefront, and the consensus that application of evidence-based protocols was needed to improve care [3].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Implementation of the Retinoblastoma Collaborative Laboratory

et al. 2016

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Purpose: The purpose of this work was to describe the design and implementation of a digital pathology laboratory, the Retinoblastoma Collaborative Laboratory (RbCoLab) in Kenya. Method: The RbCoLab is a central lab in Nairobi that receives retinoblastoma specimens from all over Kenya. Specimens were processed using evidence-based standard operating procedures. Images were produced by a digital scanner, and pathology reports were disseminated online. Results: The lab implemented standard operating procedures aimed at improving the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of pathology reports, enhancing the care of Kenyan retinoblastoma patients. Integration of digital technology to support pathology services supported knowledge transfer and skills transfer. A bidirectional educational network of local pathologists and other clinicians in the circle of care of the patients emerged and served to emphasize the clinical importance of cancer pathology at multiple levels of care. A ‘Robin Hood' business model of health care service delivery was developed to support sustainability and scale-up of cancer pathology services. Discussion: The application of evidence-based protocols, comprehensive training, and collaboration were essential to bring improvements to the care of retinoblastoma patients in Kenya. When embraced as an integrated component of retinoblastoma care, digital pathology offers the opportunity for frequent connection and consultation for development of expertise over time.

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“…Success will also depend on those associated networks and partnerships that an organisation maintains. (Marjanovic, Hanlin, Diepeveen, & Chataway, 2012).…”

Section: Capability Maturity Model (Cmm)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying a Capability Maturity Model (CMM) to evaluate global health security-related research programmes in under-resourced areas

Yeh

Adams

Marshall

et al. 2017

Global Security: Health, Science and Policy

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drain), inability to maintain equipment through service contracts and difficulty in obtaining new state-of-the-art equipment, research kits and technologies. Lacking these resources, research quality will stagnate then regress and, thus, the ability to competitively apply for grant funding will diminish, exacerbating the problem. To maintain an upward cycle, a mechanism to assess and plan for success in obtaining and administering grant funding must be instituted early on, so that mitigation processes can be initiated as challenges are identified.The current lack of an overall strategy and programme structure to assess and evaluate the success of securing and administering research funding will hinder Organisations in under-resourced areas that achieve long-term research sustainability by successfully competing for research funding will not only build their reputation for conducting quality science but also develop their human resources in a manner that reduces the risk of becoming a future security threat. Major challenges to these organisations include identifying and prioritising funding opportunities, securing and administering external grant awards and publishing both the outcomes of research and relevant surveillance data. Lack of a standardised evaluation technique to assess institutional research capabilities poses challenges for identifying and targeting specific, repeatable processes that lead to organisational improvements. Short-and long-term goals, which are challenged by research quality, funding and human resources, need to be established in order to achieve complex missions such as reducing global health security threats. Once baseline capabilities are established, a consistent evaluation technique provides an objective view to complement other steps that enhance capabilities. The capability maturity model, which is often used in business and technology sectors for establishing life cycle and planning sustainment, is a technique that enhances performance by defining three levels of capability (initial, managed and optimised). An organisation can assess its current state of capability ('as is') and develop an actionable strategy for its next progression ('to be'). In addition, application of a CMM aids creation of a strategy for realising a more repeatable and optimised process. Research programmes frequently rely on basic metrics such as the number of peer-reviewed publications and grant funding awards to measure their quality. Our analysis suggests an approach that includes references and tools, especially those that are risk-based, which can be used to establish initial best practices, define metrics, measure outputs and rates of success in a stepwise manner. In addition, we provide a pilot example from a survey of research institutes in under-resourced areas. KEYWORDScapability Maturity Model (cMM); global health security; research ARTICLE HISTORY

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Research Capacity‐building in Africa: Networks, Institutions and Local Ownership

Cited by 46 publications

References 10 publications

Needs assessment to strengthen capacity in water and sanitation research in Africa: experiences of the African SNOWS consortium

Needs assessment to strengthen capacity in water and sanitation research in Africa: experiences of the African SNOWS consortium

Design and Implementation of the Retinoblastoma Collaborative Laboratory

Applying a Capability Maturity Model (CMM) to evaluate global health security-related research programmes in under-resourced areas

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