@article {Bissell:2014:2220-8372:S2,
title = "Building operational research capacity in the Pacific",
journal = "Public Health Action",
parent_itemid = "infobike://iuatld/pha",
publishercode ="iuatld",
year = "2014",
volume = "4",
number = "1",
publication date ="2014-06-21T00:00:00",
pages = "S2-S13",
itemtype = "ARTICLE",
issn = "2220-8372",
eissn = "2220-8372",
url = "https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/pha/2014/00000004/a00101s1/art00003",
doi = "doi:10.5588/pha.13.0091",
keyword = "The Union, capacity building, operational research, Médecins Sans Frontières",
author = "Bissell, K. and Viney, K. and Brostrom, R. and Gounder, S. and Khogali, M. and Kishore, K. and Kool, B. and Kumar, A. M. V. and Manzi, M. and Marais, B. and Marks, G. and Linh, N. N. and Ram, S. and Reid, S. and Roseveare, C. and Tayler-Smith, K. and Van den Bergh, R. and Harries, A. D.",
abstract = "Operational research (OR) in public health aims to investigate strategies, interventions, tools or knowledge that can enhance the quality, coverage, effectiveness or performance of health systems. Attention has recently been drawn to the lack of OR capacity in public health programmes
throughout the Pacific Islands, despite considerable investment in implementation. This lack of ongoing and critical reflection may prevent health programme staff from understanding why programme objectives are not being fully achieved, and hinder long-term gains in public health. The International
Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) has been collaborating with Pacific agencies to conduct OR courses based on the training model developed by The Union and M{\’e}decins Sans Fronti{\‘e}res Brussels-Luxembourg in 2009. The first of these commenced in 2011 in collaboration
with the Fiji National University, the Fiji Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other partners. The Union and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community organised a second course for participants from other Pacific Island countries and territories in 2012, and an additional
course for Fijian participants commenced in 2013. Twelve participants enrolled in each of the three courses. Of the two courses completed by end 2013, 18 of 24 participants completed their OR and submitted papers by the course deadline, and 17 papers have been published to date. This article
describes the context, process and outputs of the Pacific courses, as well as innovations, adaptations and challenges.",
}