Understanding operational contexts\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\nThe main factors affecting KT practice in the Global South refer to the institutional contexts in which KT practitioners operate. These contextual factors also influence the roles that different stakeholders can play in generating, communicating, making sense of, or using evidence.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIn general, our findings on KT mechanisms in the Global South indicated that researchers are working under conditions that, in the most extreme cases, debilitate the power of knowledge. They usually undertake KT while having to address a multitude of challenges, which are out of their control. For example, those linked to political, economic or governmental factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBut what practitioners <\/span>can<\/b> control is the formulation of the message and its intended audience. Most KT processes may start with a rudimentary policy brief. But when researchers are given enough inspiration and resource, they often try to be more creative and assertive by using storytelling, art and collaboration to expand the usual translation process and the public\u2019s engagement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThis operational context also defines what counts as success. We concluded that, when KT practitioners<\/span> have a clear purpose behind the translation process (e.g., they\u2019ve identified a clear main target audience and the tools needed to tailor their message), the KT is more likely to be successful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFuture support<\/b><\/h1>\n
Support is most strategic when it is aimed at improving the system rather than when it\u2019s project-based. It\u2019s important to actively consider the impact that the wider system will have and how to address it when designing or deciding to support KT efforts, even if these are narrowly defined as demand-, supply-, or intermediary-led.<\/span><\/p>\nBased on our findings, we suggest looking at a broader and more nuanced understanding of KT. One which gives greater attention to its function or purpose (e.g., facilitating the use of evidence) than to narrowly defined activities or roles. In many instances, KT activities are undertaken by practitioners who occupy multiple roles due to an incomplete knowledge system, with institutional voids and missing roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThus, we suggest that KT interventions that focus on narrowly defined supply-side, demand-side or intermediary actions are not the most effective: they don\u2019t address system-level weaknesses and shortfalls. This understanding warrants a wider perspective on this matter, a more systemic one. These systems, which are shaped equally by cultural and non-cultural factors, are the main contexts currently influencing KT outcomes so it’s important that they\u2019re understood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat funders can do<\/b><\/h1>\n
1) Encourage their local partners to experiment and test innovative approaches, which can foster innovation and help grantees to move out of their comfort zones.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Inclusivity can be achieved from the outset by involving KT practitioners in its identification process and allowing them to co-create the design of projects, including setting up relevant change indicators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n2)<\/b> Intervene by supporting organisations that more effectively represent the needs of marginalised communities and populations.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Funders should encourage grantees to communicate and engage with knowledge users from the design stages of their work by investing in the relationship-building process between the researchers and the users, including facilitating direct engagement among KT practitioners.<\/span><\/p>\n3) Set priorities when aiming for improved practice.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
This is where views may differ. But we suggest that funders should rely on partners\u2019 and researchers\u2019 own assessments of their contexts to determine how best to incorporate the KT function and purpose into their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFinal reflections\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n
This research has highlighted the precise contexts impeding southern researchers from using evidence efficiently and in a more inclusive working process. It has also identified the missing components in the Global South\u2019s knowledge systems.\u00a0In these ways, we hope that this research has managed to advance the conversation about KT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s a gap between what we think we know about researchers in the Global South and the empirical reality. This is a result of a body of literature, which is mainly produced by institutions in the Global North. But it\u2019s also due to a lack of vocabulary, which transcends geographical and developmental categories. Our research […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[773],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2840711"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2840711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2840711\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2840711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2840711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}