CIHR. (2006). Moving Population and Public Health Knowledge into Action. A Casebook of Knowledge Translation Stories. Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Format: Peer-reviewed article

Type: Experience

Experience level of reader: Fundamental

Annotation: The Casebook compiles first-hand accounts of success and failure at implementing Knowledge Translation for population and public health research evidence. The Casebook also includes a summary of Lessons Learned from the full range of cases presented.

URL: http://www.cihr.ca/e/30739.html

Setting(s) to which the reported activities/findings are relevant: Community, Federal lab, Government, University

Knowledge user(s) to whom the piece of literature may be relevant: Policy Makers, Researchers

Knowledge user level addressed by the literature: Individual

This article uses the Commercial Devices and Services version of the NtK Model

• Conducting KT with communities not traditionally involved in research application or decision making, requires clear definition of roles. Formal agreements can detail expectations and resources, but they need to be grounded in trusting and open-relationships. Establishing a reciprocal understanding of contexts, needs and expectations may require significant effort.
  Casebook of KT examples drawn from Canadian population and public health projects.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: KTA Step 1.C, KTA Step 1.D, KTA Step 2.C, KTA Step 2.D, Gate 7

• The organizational climate is crucial to the adoption and use of new knowledge, yet individuals can make a huge difference as well. A researcher's genuine passion for practice change can play a vital role in KT success. It is important to identify and capitalize on such strengths. It is also important to select participants for discussion and consensus-building groups with care, as they can be a key determinant of an initiatives success or failure.
  Casebook of KT examples drawn from Canadian population and public health projects.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: KTA Step 1.C, KTA Step 2.C, KTA Step 2.D, Gate 7

• KT is most successful when there are tangible benefits to all partners. KT works best when all partners in the initiative have the possibility of making concrete gains toward their own priorities, shared or otherwise.
  Casebook of KT examples drawn from Canadian population and public health projects.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: KTA Step 1.C, KTA Step 1.D, KTA Step 2.C, KTA Step 2.D, Gate 7

• KT must be tailored to the target community. Good KT is appropriate to its context, and local processes of knowledge uptake and utilization must be understood in order to create effective KT strategies. This is in addition to KT being timely, clearly presented and grounded in the local context.
  Casebook of KT examples drawn from Canadian population and public health projects.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: KTA Step 1.C, KTA Step 1.D, KTA Step 2.C, KTA Step 2.D, Gate 7

• For any community-based KT to be successful, the community must demonstrate the capacity to adopt new knowledge and adapt to any changes the implementation of the new knowledge requires. Capacity-building to enhance efforts to uptake and use research are most effective when supported at the level of the organization.
  Casebook of KT examples drawn from Canadian population and public health projects.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: KTA Step 1.C, KTA Step 2.C, KTA Step 2.D, Gate 7

• KT requires constant effort. Relationships need to be carefully maintained, which is difficult given the constraints on investigators of funding levels and cycles. However, such vigilance avoids misunderstandings, reaffirms commitment to change and overcomes any attempts to undermine the effort. The most successful KT initiatives actively evolve in parallel with the needs of the user communities.
  Casebook of KT examples drawn from Canadian population and public health projects.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: KTA Step 1.C, KTA Step 1.D, KTA Step 2.C, KTA Step 2.D, Gate 7, Step 1.1