Building knowledge broker capacities during the regional research project: lessons learnt from the West African Health Organisation

Abstract

The aim of the article was to understand how its project entitled "moving maternal, newborn and child evidence into policy in West Africa" funded under the Canadian initiative has helped the West African Health Organisation to better build its role as a knowledge broker in West Africa. A case study approach was adopted to allow for the validation or otherwise of stated hypotheses using context, actor, process, and outcome data. WAHO as a HPRO has been able through the Moving Maternal Newborn and Child Health Evidence into policy in West Africa project to play the role of KB through strengthening collaboration between policy makers and researchers, generating knowledge for a better understanding of the evidence use environment in the field of maternal and child health, and finally through the implementation of actions to create an enabling environment for the use of evidence to influence health policy and practice. Weaknesses were noted and mostly corrected in the implementation process. The commitment of senior management and other stakeholders, the implementation of the project using the strengths of the institution, the collaboration with regional experts, the provision of additional human resources and the use of evidence in planning project activities facilitate this capacity building. The experience gained enabled the organisation during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue to facilitate the use of evidence for decision making by policy makers in West Africa.