KT Workshops

Knowledge translation workshops

Knowledge Translation (KT) seeks to bridge the gap between research and decision-making (and the actors within each). As attention to KT in research, policy and practice grows, so does a need for capacity enhancement in KT knowledge, skills and activities amongst evidence producers and evidence users.

Three KT short courses are offered by the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and are open to postgraduate students, faculty and other interested participants external to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Short course participants will receive a certificate of attendance and CPD credit if requested.

  • A foundational course titled Evidence-Informed Decision making: The Art, Science and Complexity of Knowledge Translation . The curriculum is designed in a way to dovetail the science and art of KT by drawing on principles of adult learning and capacity strengthening that includes: 1) extraction of intuitive and tacit knowledge 2) autonomous knowledge generation 3) practical sessions 4) peer-support and critique 5) facilitator coaching and feedback 6) constant reflection. Participants graduate the course with with three completed outputs: a stakeholder matrix, an engagement strategy for their chosen stakeholder and a plan for evaluating the impact of their KT strategy in influencing decision-makers.

The course is offered in three formats:

  1. 5-day in-person workshop
  2. 5 week virtual short course (approx. 3-4hr commitment per week)
  3. Part 1 of a three part Master’s module for students in the department of Global Health

This foundational course is a prerequisite for the following two offerings.

  • Engaging with Decision Makers: Issue Briefs for Policy and Practice

Decision-makers, whether at the household, organizational, community or network level make decisions in complex environments. With the multitude of information that impacts their decisions, its critical for researchers to not only understand the complexities of the decision-making environment but also to appreciate the efforts and strategies that can be employed to contribute to those decisions with evidence.

The aim of this short course is to provide a nuanced understanding of the context and processes that affect decision-making with the ultimate aim to produce an issue brief to influence a chosen decision maker.

After completion of the module participants will be able to:

  • Understand the nuances of engaging with decision-makers (including policymakers & practitioners)
  • Appreciate the facilitators and barriers to engaging with decision-makers and how these can be managed
  • Think strategically about how to engage effectively with various types of decision-makers
  • Design and populate an issue brief relevant to a chosen decision-maker
  • Identify strategies to disseminate and evaluate the research output (issue brief)

The course is offered in three formats:

  1. 2 -day in-person workshop
  2. 5 week virtual short course (approx. 3-4hr commitment per week)
  3. Part 2 of a three part Master’s module for students in the department of Global Health
  • Engaging with the Media: Principles and practices:

The purpose/goal of this course is to provide researchers with a nuanced understanding of how to engage with the media in order to encourage the use of evidence in decision-making.   Participants will learn about how the media operates and the complexity of the media landscape. They will also learn how science news, features and editorials can be produced without compromising the quality of the scientific information. The importance of understanding and navigating how to build relations and engage with the media is a core part of the syllabus.

After completion of the module participants will be able to:

  • Compare and contrast the norms, values and culture of science with that of journalists.
  • Understand the nuances of engaging with the media (including journalists and editors)
  • Think strategically about how to engage effectively with various types of media
  • Consider the risks, rewards and responsibilities of media engagement
  • Appreciate the processes and ethics of reporting
  • Draft a story pitch for the media
  • Prepare for interviews with journalists

The course is offered in two formats:

  1. 4 week virtual short course (approx. 3-4hr commitment per week)
  2. Part 3 of a three part Master’s module for students in the department of Global Health

Please contact Dr. Nasreen Jessani (njessani@sun.ac.za) or Ms. Lynn Hendricks (lynnah@sun.ac.za) for more information

 

 

Participant feedback

“It is almost disturbing to think that this kind of training is not a more standardised tool being used in research settings, because it would save some time in the end. I’m glad that I was able to attend and learn skills that would enable me to refocus my workload in a more constructive way.”

“Learning the different techniques for engaging with various types of stakeholders.
A great, creative and exciting session – very different to my usual work.