Transcript No Slide Title

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Quality and impact of Social
Science and Operations
Research
by the Special Programme in
Human Reproduction
Department of Reproductive
Health and Research
World Health Organization
Plan of presentation
• Background to reproductive health research
at WHO
• Social science and operations research
• Evaluating the impact of research
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• Review procedures for quality of research
Original (1971) goals of the
Programme
• Increase understanding of the human
reproductive process
• Develop a variety of safe, acceptable and
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effective methods for the regulation of
human fertility
Original objectives
•
•
•
•
quantity of multi-disciplinary research
Conduct collaborative clinical studies of
fertility regulating agents on a global basis
Organise multi-centred research teams
Improve communication and collaboration
among scientists
Increase the number of scientists in the
field of human reproduction
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• Improve the quality and expand the
66. The World Health Organization in cooperation with other relevant United Nations
bodies is urged to fulfil its leadership role
within the United Nations system in assisting
countries, in particular developing countries, to
put in place standards for the care and
treatment for women and girls…and to advise
on functions that health facilities should
perform to help guide the development of health
systems to reduce the risks associated with
pregnancy… (ICPD+5 Key actions)
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Current mandate
Objectives
• To promote, facilitate and conduct research to
improve reproductive health
• To support countries with knowledge and tools
• To strengthen the capacity for reproductive
health research in developing countries
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to formulate policies and strategies to
implement appropriate interventions to improve
reproductive health
Priority Areas of Work
RTIs/cervical cancer
Adolescent
reproductive health
Unsafe abortion
FGM / harmful
practices
Maternal health
Planning and programming
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Fertility regulation
The Programme’s Research
Type of research: Bio-medical; epidemiological
and social science and operations research
Coverage: Global and regional
Conducting research: Through collaborating
centres or individual national researchers
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Topics: Related to priorities in reproductive
health
Major Social Science research
initiatives since 1990
• Determinants & Consequences of Induced
Abortion [27 Projects ]
• Sexual Behaviour & Reproductive Health [38
• Reproductive Health in South Asia [14 projects]
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projects]
Major Social Science research
initiatives since 1990
• Role of Men in Reproductive Health [17 projects]
• Pregnancy Prevention in the era of HIV/STIs [7
projects]
• Adolescent sexual and reproductive health [31
• Quality of care in reproductive health [on-going]
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projects]
Number of projects, by topic,
1990-2000
STIs
3
Birth spacing
7
Maternal health
7
Gender
11
User's Perspectives
15
Role of men
19
Abortion
34
Contraceptive use
38
Adolescents
Sexual behaviour
49
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
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39
Guiding principles for support
• Research is to be of high relevance to
country needs with potential for impact
• Research in partnership with local
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institution(s) and the Government
Guiding principles for support
• By local researcher(s)
• Scientifically sound and ethically
acceptable
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• Focussed, in-depth and small scale
Procedures to ensure quality of
research proposals
• Scientific review by an independent Panel of
scientists
• Projects approved by the Panel are reviewed by
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an independent Scientific and Ethical Review
Group (SERG)
Monitoring the quality of the
research programme and
assessing progress
• An independent Scientific and Technical
Advisory Group (STAG)
– Regional Advisory Panels
– Gender Advisory Panel
• Occasional evaluation
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• Policy and Co-ordination Committee (PCC)
Impact evaluation 1989
• Review team: 6 internationally renowned
•
– Review of published material
– Interviews with “stake holders”
– Site-visits to selected countries
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•
scientists with no affiliation to the Programme
Criteria for evaluation: Relevance to developing
countries; impact of research; capacitybuilding
Procedures:
Impact evaluation 2001
• Criteria: Relevance to developing countries;
impact of research and capacity-building
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• Process: Open for bids
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Searching for the
impact!
The focus on “impact”
Who is asking?
•Donors to the Programme
•World Health Assembly
•Other “stake holders”
•Staff (from investigators)
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•Programme Committees/Panels
Review Form for proposals
•Overall assessment and feasibility:
Please comment on the overall quality of
this project.
•Other: objectives, study design, sampling,
conceptual framework, field procedures,
and analysis plans
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•Policy relevance: Does the project including its objectives and expected
outcomes - have potential policy relevance?
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Ethical considerations: Please comment
briefly on the ethical aspects of this
proposal, including any problem you foresee
with the informed consent procedures and
forms.
Mechanisms to promote impact of
Social Science & Operations
Research
•Support and encouragement to investigators
•“Policy briefs” & “Press release”
•Publication and dissemination
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•Developing guidelines, incorporating findings
Expectations & Process Indicators
•Policy formation and change (reference to
project or project findings)
•Changes in service provision
•Publication and dissemination of information
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•IEC material for local communities
When research is likely to produce
impact?
•Addressing a local issue of high priority with
involvement of Government agency/officials
(e.g., provision of IUDs by midwives in Turkey)
•Dealing with sensitive issues (e.g., abortion in
•When local investigator(s) is committed (e.g.,
in Argentina, Colombia, Kenya, Nepal)
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Mauritius and sexual behaviour in Argentina)
When research is likely to produce
impact?
•Part of a research initiative or of a
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collaborative research (e.g., abortion research
initiative and many epidemiological studies on
IUDs; DMPA; oral contraceptives)
Quality of research and the impact
of research
•Difficult to attribute the “impact” to
research, let alone to the quality of research
•Quality research is essential, but may have no
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bearing on policies/programmes
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Just tell me what is
the most important
factor in making an
impact!
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The INVESTIGATOR is by
far the most important in
the set of facilitating
factors.