Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam Public Health, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Health Res Policy Syst. 2017 Nov 13;15(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s12961-017-0251-3.
At the turn of the 90s, studies showed that health research contributed little to health and development in low- and middle-income countries because it was oriented towards international priorities and dominated by researchers from the North. A new approach to North-South collaboration was required that would support demand-driven and locally led research in the South. The aim of this study was to analyse the development and functioning of a programme for demand-driven and locally led research in Ghana that was supported by a North-South collaboration.
For this mixed-method case study, we combined document analysis, key informant interviews and observation of programme events.
The development of the research programme started with constructing a sponsorship constellation in the Netherlands. After highlighting the problems with traditional research collaboration, an advisory council formulated a vision for a more equal and effective approach to North-South collaboration. Together with Ghanaian partners, this vision was turned into a proposal for a Ghanaian-led programme for demand-driven and locally led research, which was funded by the Netherlands government. Research priority setting showed that the Ghanaian research needs were very different from the priorities of foreign funders and researchers. After a slow start, the number of locally submitted proposals increased from 13 in 2001 to 94 in 2005, revealing the existence of a substantial, but partly latent reservoir of research capacity. In total, 79 studies were funded. An impact evaluation showed that the results of the majority of the studies were used to contribute to action. Despite its success, the research programme came to an end in 2008 after the sponsorship constellation in the Netherlands fell apart.
Our study shows that realising a programme for demand-driven and locally led research in the South provides an effective approach to North-South collaboration in which results are used and local capacities and institutions are strengthened.
在 90 年代之交，研究表明，健康研究对中低收入国家的健康和发展贡献甚少，因为它面向国际优先事项，并且主要由北方的研究人员主导。需要一种新的南北合作方法，以支持南方需求驱动和本地主导的研究。本研究旨在分析加纳一个需求驱动和本地主导的研究方案的发展和运作情况，该方案得到了南北合作的支持。
本混合方法案例研究结合了文件分析、关键知情人访谈和方案活动观察。
研究方案的发展始于在荷兰构建赞助联合体。在强调传统研究合作存在问题之后，咨询委员会为更平等和有效的南北合作方法制定了愿景。咨询委员会与加纳合作伙伴一起，将这一愿景转化为一个加纳主导的需求驱动和本地主导的研究方案的提案，该提案由荷兰政府资助。研究优先事项的设定表明，加纳的研究需求与外国资助者和研究人员的优先事项非常不同。在缓慢启动之后，本地提交的提案数量从 2001 年的 13 个增加到 2005 年的 94 个，这表明存在大量但部分潜在的研究能力。共有 79 项研究获得了资助。一项影响评估表明，大多数研究的结果都被用于采取行动。尽管取得了成功，但该研究方案在 2008 年荷兰的赞助联合体解体后结束。
我们的研究表明，在南方实现需求驱动和本地主导的研究方案为南北合作提供了一种有效的方法，在这种合作中，成果得到利用，地方能力和机构得到加强。
