Capacity Building Strategies Research Articles

A Scoping Review of Capacity-Building Efforts to Address Environmental Justice Concerns.

Environmental justice (EJ) efforts aimed at capacity building are essential to addressing environmental health disparities; however, limited attention has been given to describing these efforts. This study reports findings from a scoping review of community–academic partnerships and community-led efforts to address environmental inequities related to air, water, and land pollution in the United States. Literature published in peer-reviewed journals from January 1986 through March 2018 were included, and community capacity theory was applied as a framework for understanding the scope of capacity-building and community change strategies to address EJ concerns. Paired teams of independent analysts conducted a search for relevant articles (n = 8452 citations identified), filtered records for content abstraction and possible inclusion (n = 163) and characterized selected studies (n = 58). Most articles implemented activities that were aligned with community capacity dimensions of citizen participation (96.4%, n = 53), community power (78%, n = 45), leadership (78%, n = 45), and networks (81%, n = 47); few articles identified a direct policy change (22%, n = 13), and many articles discussed the policy implications of findings for future work (62%, n = 36). This review synthesizes three decades of efforts to reduce environmental inequities and identifies strategic approaches used for strengthening community capacity.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries.

Five billion people worldwide do not have access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care. The burden of inadequate access to safe and affordable surgical care falls heaviest on individuals living in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC), where 9 out of 10 people do not have access to basic surgical care. Global oral and maxillofacial surgical care is included in the global burden of surgical disease, and increased awareness of the need for global oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), with the initiation, support, and funding of research on the need to develop a global OMS capacity-building strategy is imperative.

Building capacity for the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services: Activities, fellows, outcomes, and neglected capacity building needs

Capacity building has been identified as being of importance for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). As the IPBES is becoming an influential expert organization, it is essential to examine what capacity building means in its context, what capacities it has built, and what implications these capacities have. This study explores these issues by focusing on the IPBES's general strategy for capacity building, the IPBES's fellowship programme and to what extent there are additional capacity building needs that can be addressed. The study shows that the IPBES has focused its capacity building efforts on the science side of the science-policy interface while, thus far, it has neglected to build capacities on the policy side of the interface. The study provides insight into how capacity building for the science-policy interface sets preconditions for science-policy relations at different levels and scales within biodiversity and ecosystem services and beyond.

Readiness to build capacity in community sport organizations

ABSTRACT Rationale/Purpose: Capacity building as a tool to address sector-wide challenges has received increasing attention in research and practice. This study examines the strength and impact of readiness to build capacity on the outcomes of those efforts. Design/methodology/approach: Environmental stimuli, readiness for capacity building (organizational readiness, congruence, existing capacity), and capacity building outcomes were analyzed from 144 cases within community sport organizations (CSO). Findings: Results indicate that congruence of the capacity building strategy with CSOs’ values and operations was the strongest indicator of readiness, followed by members’ willingness and commitment, and the CSOs’ existing capacity. The model of readiness significantly impacted capacity building outcomes, with existing capacity as the most impactful in achieving outcomes. Practical Implications: Given increasing demands and pressures placed on CSOs, this research highlights the importance of readiness as CSOs address environmental stimuli. Research Contribution: Understanding the impact of readiness provides theoretical clarity regarding capacity building as a strategic approach to addressing organizational challenges.

Barriers and strategies for implementing community-based interventions with minority elders: positive minds-strong bodies

BackgroundBy 2040, one out of three older adults in the USA are expected to belong to a racial/ethnic minority group. This population has an increased risk of mental and physical disability with significant barriers to access care. Community-based organizations (CBOs) often provide programming to serve minority and immigrant elders. Limited resources and other barriers such as lack of trained staff make it difficult to implement evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in CBOs for long-term adoption. Yet little is known about what factors can facilitate adoption of EBIs in CBOs serving minority elders.MethodsPositive-Minds–Strong Bodies (PM-SB), an evidence-based intervention offered in four languages, aims to reduce mental and physical disability for minority and immigrant elders through the efforts of community health workers and exercise trainers. The intervention consists of cognitive behavior therapy and exercise training sessions delivered over 6 months. During a recent clinical trial of this intervention, we elicited feedback from CBO staff to determine how best to facilitate the implementation and long-term sustainability of PM-SB within their agencies. We surveyed 30 CBO staff members, held four focus groups, and conducted 20 in-depth interviews to examine staff perspectives and to reveal factors or changes needed to facilitate long-term adoption in prospective CBOs.ResultsParticipants reported that staff motivation and implementation could be improved through the following changes: increasing patient compensation for treatment sessions, decreasing levels of organizational accountability, and reducing staff demands embedded in the intervention. Although most staff perceived that PM-SB improved their agency’s ability to address the health and well-being of elders, capacity-building strategies such as a “train-the-trainer” initiative were identified as priorities to address staff turnover for sustainability. Adapting the intervention to get financial reimbursement also emerged as vital.ConclusionsAugmenting financial incentives, streamlining procedures, and simplifying staff accountability were suggested strategies for facilitating the transition from a disability prevention clinical trial in minority and immigrant elders to a scalable implementation in routine services at CBOs.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02317432.

Embedding inquiry‐based practices in schools: The strategic role of school leaders

The context of this study were research and development projects in Dutch secondary education, particularly funded by government to combine practice-based research with school development goals for inquiry-based culture. Aiming at better understanding of the strategic role that school leaders play in embedding inquiry-based practices in schools, the research question of this study was to explore to what extent and how do school leaders use the opportunity of participating in funded research and development projects for encouraging and integrating inquiry-based practices in their schools? Differences concerning the integration of inquiry-based working in the school as professional learning community were examined, distinguishing between school leaders’ strategies of capacity building. Twenty-eight school leaders of Dutch secondary schools, involved in nineteen projects, were interviewed retrospectively. Analyses showed the majority of the school leaders to be convinced that inquiry-based working is important for their schools’ development as a professional community. Their strategies for achieving school level project significance differed in school leaders’ successive attention on personal or interpersonal capacity building with regard to inquiry-based practices. Moreover, while some school leaders were actively involved with capacity building right from the start of the research and development projects projects, almost two-third of the school leaders developed interest in inquiry-based practices during the projects and started to enact in the final year of the project. In discussing the results, it is proposed that the interaction of strategy and context needs further study, for instance to inform peer learning among school leaders that are novice and experienced in inquiry-based practices as a means to develop the school as a professional learning community.

Implementer and recipient perspectives of community-wide mass drug administration for soil-transmitted helminths in Kwale County, Kenya.

Soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) are one of 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) earmarked for control or elimination by 2020 in the WHO's Roadmap on NTDs. Deworming programs for STH have thus far been focused on treating pre-school and school-aged children; however, there is a growing consensus that to achieve elimination of STH transmission, programs must also target adults, potentially through community-wide mass drug administration (MDA). There is currently a gap in the literature on what components are required to deliver community-wide MDA for STH in order to achieve high intervention reach and uptake. Nested within the TUMIKIA Project, a cluster randomized trial in Kenya evaluating the effectiveness of school-based deworming versus community-wide MDA, we collected qualitative data from program implementers and recipients in eight clusters where community-wide MDA was delivered. Data collection included semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 72) and focus group discussions (n = 32). A conceptual framework for drug distribution was constructed to help build an analysis codebook. Case memos were developed for each top-level theme. Community-wide MDA for STH was perceived as a complex intervention with key administrative and social mobilization domains. Key actionable themes included: (1) developing an efficient strategy to allocate reasonable workload for implementers to cover all targeted households; (2) maximizing community drug distributors' motivation through promoting belief in the effectiveness of the intervention and providing sufficient financial incentives; (3) developing effective capacity building strategies for implementers; and (4) implementing a context-adapted community engagement strategy that leverages existing community structures and takes into consideration past community experiences of MDAs. Transitioning from STH control to elimination goals requires significant planning and action to ensure community-wide MDA is delivered with sufficient reach and uptake. We present findings that can inform national deworming programs to increase intervention delivery capacity.

Sumitomo Chemical partners to accelerate research on chemical recycling

Capacity building has been identified as being of importance for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). As the IPBES is becoming an influential expert organization, it is essential to examine what capacity building means in its context, what capacities it has built, and what implications these capacities have. This study explores these issues by focusing on the IPBES's general strategy for capacity building, the IPBES's fellowship programme and to what extent there are additional capacity building needs that can be addressed. The study shows that the IPBES has focused its capacity building efforts on the science side of the science-policy interface while, thus far, it has neglected to build capacities on the policy side of the interface. The study provides insight into how capacity building for the science-policy interface sets preconditions for science-policy relations at different levels and scales within biodiversity and ecosystem services and beyond.

Capacity Building in Community Stakeholder Groups for Increasing Physical Activity: Results of a Qualitative Study in Two German Communities.

Community capacity building is an essential approach for health promotion, combining a participatory approach with the view to community ownership. Little research focuses on practical capacity building strategies and monitoring. Our paper looks into involving stakeholders in facilitated group discussions as a specific strategy for fostering capacity building processes. These processes focused on physical activity (PA) promotion in two German communities (ACTION4men). Along the dimensions of capacity building suggested in literature (e.g., problem solving, resource mobilization, leadership), we implemented two participatory stakeholder groups (1/community). These groups were motivated to develop and implement PA interventions for men >50 years. For measuring capacity building processes, a semi-standardized monitoring instrument was used to document all group meetings. Additionally, we conducted semi-standardized interviews with group participants and drop-outs to capture their perspectives on capacity building. All documents were analyzed using thematic analysis. We successfully established stakeholder groups that planned and implemented a range of local measures meant to increase PA among older men. In one community, the process was sustainable, whereby the group continued to meet regularly over years. Capacity building was successful to a certain degree (e.g., regarding participation, problem assessment, and resource mobilization), but stalled after first meetings. Capacity building processes differed between the two communities in terms of leadership and sustainability. The developed interventions mainly addressed the access to organized sport courses, rather than tackling walkability or active transport. The theoretical capacity building approach was successful to develop and implement programs aimed at promoting PA. The actual capacity building processes depend upon the composition of stakeholder groups and inherent power relations.

Local R&D Capacity Building Strategies in the Two Decades Prior to the Great Recession of 2008: The Case of ICTs in Spain

This article analyses the standardisation of business R&D in a technologically dependent country -Spain-, in a high technology sector -telecommunications and electronics -and in a key stage of its journey, marked by a double process of rapid technological change and intense liberalisation. Focused on the key telecommunications company - CTNE/Telefónica - but attentive to the general framework, its purpose is to explore from a business perspective whether the semi-public telecommunications monopoly company -Telefónica- strengthened the predominant R&D model in Spain or contributed to correct it, in a context of modernization and growth of the Spanish economy and with an eye on the foreign market. It seeks to explore, in this way, the effects of strategies to boost local R&D capabilities in telecommunications and in some of the explanatory causes of the difficulties encountered. The article, with a clear interdisciplinary approach and descriptive orientation, is based primarily on exceptional primary sources, which allow both to verify results and reveal the gestation of policies.

The State of Surgical Task Sharing for Inguinal Hernia Repair in Limited-Resource Countries.

In limited-resource countries, the morbidity and mortality related to inguinal hernias is unacceptably high. This review addresses the issue by identifying capacity-building education of non-surgeons performing inguinal hernia repairs in developing countries and analyzing the outcomes. PubMed was searched and included are studies that reported on task sharing and surgical outcomes for inguinal hernia surgery. Educational methods with quantitative and qualitative effects of the capacity-building methods have been recorded. Excluded were papers without records of outcome data. Seven studies from African countries reported 14,108 elective inguinal hernia repairs performed by 230 non-surgeons with a mortality rate of 0.36%. Complications were reported in 4 of the 7 studies with a morbidity rate of 14.2%. Two studies reported on follow-up: one with no recurrences in 408 patients at 7.4months and the other one with 0.9% recurrences in 119 patients at 12months. Direct comparison of outcomes from trained non-surgeons to surgeons or surgically trained medical doctors is limited but suggests no difference in outcomes. Quantitative capacity-building effects include increase in surgical workforce, case volume, elective procedures, mesh utilization, and decreased referrals to higher level of care institutions. Qualitative capacity-building effects include feasibility of prospective research in limited-resource settings, improved access to surgical care, and change in practice pattern of local physicians after training for mesh repair. Systematic training of non-surgeons in inguinal hernia repair is potentially a high-impact capacity-building strategy. High-risk patients should be referred to a fully trained surgeon whenever possible. Randomized study designs and long-term outcomes beyond 1year are needed.

Rural Tourism Development: Institution, Disaster and Communication

The emergence of rural tourism began to bloom initiated in various regions in Indonesia, including the Sindulang Village Area. The development of rural tourism is still fluctuating; this is thought to be a result of the still weak institutions at the local scale of the tourist villages. This situation then demands the existence of implementing organization that has independence in management. The development of the Sindulang Tourism Village carries a traditional concept which involves the local community in its management. Efforts to increase the capacity of all elements involved in the development of rural tourism are carried out by the village government. This study aims to assess the capacity building strategies in order to achieve the development potential of tourism villages in Sindulang. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach of a case study. Data and information were obtained through literature review, field observations, and unstructured interviews. The results showed that the development of Sindulang Village tourism through capacity building strategies had an impact on increasing local capacity of human resources, improving village infrastructure, and furthermore the welfare of the local community. An institution framework is identified to implement the rural tourism program and especially in relation to disaster prevention.

A Rapid Review of Evaluation Capacity-Building Strategies for Chronic Disease Prevention

Abstract: There has yet, it seems, to be a review of the literature specifically exploring evaluation capacity building (ECB) for chronic disease prevention (CDP). To guide efforts to build evaluation capacity for CDP, a rapid review of the literature was undertaken using systematic methods. A search was conducted of the grey and academic literature to explore ECB strategies in CDP, and 14 articles were retained. CDP ECB strategies were similar to general public health ECB efforts (multi-strategy, context-specific, experiential). Articles included a focus on how to maintain ECB over long periods and in light of staff turnover, both of which were described as being prevalent in the CDP context. Evaluating influence at multiple levels (individual, organizational, system) is also important. There is room for more clarity about the “how” of ECB strategies, and about specificity to CDP.

Identifying priorities and developing strategies for building capacity in amputation research in Canada

Background Compared to other patient population groups, the field of amputation research in Canada lacks cohesion largely due to limited funding sources, lack of connection among research scientists, and loose ties among geographically dispersed healthcare centres, research institutes and advocacy groups. As a result, advances in clinical care are hampered and ultimately negatively influence outcomes of persons living with limb loss. Objective To stimulate a national strategy on advancing amputation research in Canada, a consensus-workshop was organized with an expert panel of stakeholders to identify key research priorities and potential strategies to build researcher and funding capacity in the field. Methods A modified Delphi approach was used to gain consensus on identifying and selecting an initial set of priorities for building research capacity in the field of amputation. This included an anonymous pre-meeting survey (N = 31 respondents) followed by an in-person consensus-workshop meeting that hosted 38 stakeholders (researchers, physiatrists, surgeons, prosthetists, occupational and physical therapists, community advocates, and people with limb loss). Results The top three identified research priorities were: (1) developing a national dataset; (2) obtaining health economic data to illustrate the burden of amputation to the healthcare system and to patients; and (3) improving strategies related to outcome measurement in patients with limb loss (e.g. identifying, validating, and/or developing outcome measures). Strategies for moving these priorities into action were also developed. Conclusions The consensus-workshop provided an initial roadmap for limb loss research in Canada, and the event served as an important catalyst for stakeholders to initiate collaborations for moving identified priorities into action. Given the increasing number of people undergoing an amputation, there needs to be a stronger Canadian collaborative approach to generate the necessary research to enhance evidence-based clinical care and policy decision-making. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Limb loss is a growing concern across North America, with lower-extremity amputations occurring due to complications arising from diabetes being a major cause. To advance knowledge about limb loss and to improve clinical care for this population, stronger connections are needed across the continuum of care (acute, rehabilitation, community) and across sectors (clinical, advocacy, industry and research). There are new surgical techniques, technologies, and rehabilitation approaches being explored to improve the health, mobility and community participation of people with limb loss, but further research evidence is needed to demonstrate efficacy and to better integrate them into standard clinical care.

Implementing Appetite to Play at scale in British Columbia: Evaluation of a Capacity-Building Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in the Early Years.

Childcare is a critical target for promoting children’s physical activity (PA) and physical literacy (PL). With emerging evidence about the efficacy of policy and capacity-building strategies, more information about how to bring these strategies to scale is needed. This paper describes implementation at scale of Appetite to Play (ATP), a capacity-building intervention for childcare providers, and examines the implementation and impact on early years providers’ capacity to address PA. The ATP implementation evaluation was a natural experiment that utilized a mixed methods concurrent parallel design framed within the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework (RE-AIM). Workshop and website tracking assessed reach and adoption. Surveys and interviews with workshop participants and stakeholders assessed satisfaction, implementation, and maintenance. Training reached 60% of British Columbia municipalities and 2700 early years providers. Significant changes in participants’ knowledge and confidence to promote PA and PL were achieved (p > 0.01–0.001). Childcare level implementation facilitators as reported by early years providers included appropriate resources, planning, indoor space, and equipment, whereas weather and space were reported barriers. The stakeholder advisory group viewed the stakeholder network and Active Play policy as facilitators and adjustments to recent shifts in childcare funding and previous initiatives as barriers to implementation. ATP was scalable and impacted provider knowledge, confidence, and intentions. The impact on actual policies and practices, and children’s PA needs to be assessed along with sustainability.

Navigating rocky terrain: a thematic analysis of mental health clinician experiences of family-focused practice

Purpose Approximately 20 per cent of Australian children live with a parent who experiences mental illness. These children have poorer health and psychosocial outcomes than their peers. While family-focused practice (FFP) can improve these outcomes, family-focused service provision is inconsistent. The purpose of this paper is to understand clinicians’ experiences of FFP and associated workplace factors. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with ten community mental health clinicians. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings A global theme of “navigating rocky terrain” captured clinicians’ experiences of working with families. The rocky terrain encompassed both family complexity and workplace barriers to FFP. Clinicians navigated this terrain by using multiple strategies to support families, working in partnership with families and other clinicians and services, and drawing on personal resources. Interactive approaches to enhancing knowledge and skills were preferred over paper-based information. While an organisation-wide approach to support FFP was beneficial, clinicians continued to feel challenged in implementing FFP. Research limitations/implications Working with families in which parents experience mental illness is affected by systemic issues at the family and organisational levels. Systemic approaches to both delivering and supporting this work are required. Partnership working and organisation-wide capacity building strategies emphasising interactive approaches to learning appear to have positive effects. Originality/value This study explores the challenges of FFP in a real-world multidisciplinary context where there has been a systemic approach to enabling this work. It highlights the challenges clinicians face in family-focused practice in spite of substantial organisational supports and suggests some approaches that might be effective. This is a topic which has received minimal attention in the literature.

Community preparedness for COVID-19 and frontline health workers in Chhattisgarh.

At the end of April 2020, there had already been three million cases of COVID-19 in the world pandemic. Chhattisgarh might expect 90,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the end. The first step taken in March was to ensure a simple checklist of activities that needed to continue. Handbills were given with the basic information on the symptoms and what to do in the community. In urban areas, the lockdown affected the poorer section of the society, especially who are not having BPL card and no other means of availing necessary eatables. Issues that arose affecting regular activities such as tuberculosis and immunization. Residents of informal settlements are also vulnerable during any COVID-19 responses. Frontline workers such as Mitanins in the community are an important asset in the capacity building and preparedness strategies.

Capacity building and mentorship among pan-Canadian early career researchers in community-based primary health care.

To describe activities and outcomes of a cross-team capacity building strategy that took place over a five-year funding period within the broader context of 12 community-based primary health care (CBPHC) teams. In 2013, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded 12 CBPHC Teams (12-Teams) to conduct innovative cross-jurisdictional research to improve the delivery of high-quality CBPHC to Canadians. This signature initiative also aimed to enhance CBPHC research capacity among an interdisciplinary group of trainees, facilitated by a collaboration between a capacity building committee led by senior researchers and a trainee-led working group. After the committee and working group were established, capacity building activities were organized based on needs and interests identified by trainees of the CBPHC Teams. This paper presents a summary of the activities accomplished, as well as the outcomes reported through an online semistructured survey completed by the trainees toward the end of the five-year funding period. This survey was designed to capture the capacity building and mentorship activities that trainees either had experienced or would like to experience in the future. Descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted based on survey responses, and these findings were compared with the existing core competencies in the literature. Since 2013, nine webinars and three online workshops were hosted by trainees and senior researchers, respectively. Many of the CBPHC Teams provided exposure for trainees to innovative methods, CBPHC content, and showcased trainee research. A total of 27 trainees from 10 of the 12-Teams responded to the survey (41.5%). Trainees identified key areas of benefit from their involvement in this initiative: skills training, networking opportunities, and academic productivity. Trainees identified gaps in research and professional skill development, indicating areas for further improvement in capacity building programs, particularly for trainees to play a more active role in their education and preparation.

Implementation leadership: A concept analysis.

To analyse the concept of implementation leadership (IL) in health care and nursing literature. Implementation leadership has emerged as a type of leadership that is lacking but required for the successful implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). A concept analysis of IL can help identify, clarify and apply this concept to inform strategies for nursing leadership development. A concept analysis using Rodger's evolutionary method identified attributes of IL, and the context in which it is expressed including antecedents, consequences, references and surrogate terms. Forty-two articles were analysed following a Boolean search of MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. Implementation leadership is a specific and strategic approach to leadership characterized by a set of influencing behaviours leading to positive outcomes for the implementation of EBPs. The concept analysis describes an evolving term that requires further clarification. This analysis contributes to an expanding knowledge base for capacity-building strategies for EBP implementation in nursing and health care. Effective IL, specifically in nurse managers, may be key in facilitating the implementation process for future successes. Nursing managers can build on a foundation of general leadership practices and consider the role of other members of the nurse leadership team in IL.

A Bit of Ripping and Tearing: An Interpretative Study of Indigenous Engagement Officers’ Perceptions Regarding Their Community and Workplace Roles

The Australian Government (AG) employs Indigenous Engagement Officers (IEO) in many of the remote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory (NT). IEOs are respected community members who apply their deep understanding of local tradition, language and politics in providing expert cultural advice to government. Competing priorities of workplace and cultural obligation make the IEO role stressful and dichotomous in nature. The workplace experiences and perceptions of IEOs remain largely unexplored and there is scant understanding of the significant crosscultural issues associated with the role. IEOs typically confront ongoing workplace stress and are unable to perform at full capacity. This qualitative study explores participant meaning regarding workplace and community roles to inform the AG in development of culturally appropriate training and support for IEOs. The study captures detailed information from six IEOs through an interpretive process sensitive to phenomenological experience. Personal meanings associated with the workplace are assembled through individual interviews and focus group sessions. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology is applied to the resulting idiographic dataset in exposing a range of superordinate themes including desire for recognition and feelings of abandonment. Findings reveal the need to incorporate correct cultural protocols in the workplace and give preference for Aboriginal learning styles in professional development activities. There is urgent need for a range of workplace supports for IEOs in future capacity-building strategies.