Since 2010, The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières have been offering a three-module course in operational research that has proved highly successful. Thirty-four participants from Africa, Asia and Latin America have been through the three course offerings– with 95% completing the course, 27papers published in peer-reviewed journals and major impacts on policy and practice.
Despite these fine outcomes, however, organisers have found that the three-module schedule – requiring three trips to the course location at intervals over a nine-month period – was logistically difficult, and the timing did not always match up with the researchers' needs. In some instances, for example, people started data collection before this module had been covered and ended up having to repeat their work.
Increasing demand for the course has also contributed to the need to simplify the structure by combining modules 1 and 2 and to offer the course regionally, rather than bring participants to The Union headquarters in Paris.
In February, The Union South-East Asia Office coordinated the first offering of the new version in Kathmandu. The 12 participants, who were selected through a competitive process, came from nine countries across the region. They were taught by facilitators from India, the UK and South Africa, four of whom were participants from the earlier cohorts of the course. Participants were also divided into pairs to provide peer support throughout the course.
The combined module 1 and 2 means that the participants ended the session not only with a written protocol, but also with valid instruments for data collection and data entry and a clear plan for data analysis.
By the conclusion, all of the participants had developed protocols on topics such as new diagnostics in TB, TB/HIV, MDR-TB, tobacco control and health systems strengthening. They also met the course milestones well in time, indicating that the success of this unique model for capacity building in operational research will continue.
They will return to Kathmandu for the module on writing up their research for publication in October.
