Implementing and evaluating knowledge exchange: Insights from practitioners at the Canadian Forest Service

Abstract

While there is a growing body of work on the barriers to knowledge exchange (KE) and the development of actionable science, what remains more elusive is an understanding of what strategies and conditions lead to effective KE, how it is operationalized, or how different practitioners define successful exchange of scientific knowledge. We interviewed nine KE practitioners at the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), a national agency, to understand: (1) who at CFS is involved in KE and how they perceive their roles, (2) the strategies for KE used in the CFS and its distribution in a KE typology framework, (3) how KE practitioners define a “successful” exchange of knowledge and KE bright spots, and (4) what conditions enable KE within the CFS. We identified CFS KE practitioners roles as knowledge brokers. They use a cyclical KE strategy that integrates concepts of co-design in operationalizing KE. The CFS KE practitioners engage in a variety of KE activities, but outreach was the most frequently cited. We suggest organizations work closely with intermediary individuals as they hold unique positions of building and maintaining relationships with knowledge users. They can also provide valuable insights in evaluating research impacts such as through contribution stories. The KE typology was a useful tool to inform decisions about KE strategies. Finally, our study emphasizes the need for organizations to adopt more qualitative evaluations to assess the full scope and impact of KE work, and recognizes the integral role of relationships and trust in all aspects of KE work.