Creating collaborative impact by strengthening the capacity for the translation of research into policy and action in the field of multi-sectorial action for improved health and well-being
The Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation (CHiAPRT) within Health Translation SA, located at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), has a key focus on enhancing collaboration between policymakers, researchers and academics at the local, national and international level to strengthen the capacity for research translation in the fields of multi-sectoral action such as: Health in All Policies, the determinants of health, the creation of wellbeing economies and health equity.
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About the Centre
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Staff Team & Governance
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The CHiAPRT approach
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In Conversation Roundtable
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Partnerships
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International projects and partnerships
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Grants
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Upcoming Events & Training
CHiAPRT vision
Collaborative, multi-sectoral policy approaches are recognised by the research community and the public sector as an essential approach to enabling delivery of healthy public policy and equitable health and wellbeing outcomes.
Aim
CHiAPRT aims to strengthen the capacity for a better, and more bidirectional approach to policy making by addressing the barriers associated with research-to-policy translation. Ultimately, the Centre translates these lessons to the wider research and government sectors at a national and global level.
Increasing collaboration between the decision makers and academics is essential as research evidence helps in identifying the problem statement, provides reliable solutions through similar examples, supports policy implementation and helps in impact and outcome evaluation of a policy. Research translation can also determine the cost-effectiveness of a policy, thereby improving efficiency and optimising expenditures when the policy is in practice.
Objectives
- Build a coalition to support the CHiAPRT from within the academic, public and non-government sectors.
- Deliver projects to enhance knowledge, understanding and outcomes across the research, policy ad practitioner communities.
- Establish a research agenda that adds to the knowledge base of “How to build research policy translation capability” with a focus on Social Determinants of Health, public policy and implementation science.
- Develop a curriculum that supports the health research community to work with policy makers in the fields of Social Determinants of Health and HiAP and links to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key academic, government and non-government sector actors to identify opportunities for collaborative action on SDH and Equity and the potential for joint funding.
- Work to build support for healthy public policy processes and mechanisms with international, national, State and local government.
- Support WHO and Member States to adopt HiAP or other multi-sectoral collaborative approaches in line the revised Framework for Sustainable Multi sectorial Collaboration
- Increase key academic communities’ familiarity and understanding of the policy making process and the motivations of policy makers.
Staff team
- Associate Professor Carmel Williams, Director
- Katrina Lyne, Senior Project Officer
- Clare Murphy, Research Officer
- Somayya Hanifie, Project Officer
Governance
Advisory committee and affiliated partners
The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to broaden engagement and help ensure that the work of the Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation (CHiAPRT) is informed by and remains relevant to key actors. The advisory committee meets four times a year.
The core functions of the Advisory Committee are:
- To act as the main consultation body for the CHiAPRT;
- To work to ensure effective coordination between key actors; and
- To provide oversight for the implementation of the work plan.
Project partners
The CHiAPRT draws on implementation science theory and practice to build system wide capacity for research to policy translation to address the determinants of health and well-being and equity. This will be done by drawing on the four key components of Knowledge Sharing, Partnership Building, Knowledge Creation & Synthesis and Capability Development as outlined in the Mind Map below.
Survey for researchers and policy actors
To improve our current understanding of what works in collaboration, the Centre conducted a survey designed to understand the challenges and opportunities when working with researchers and policy actors.
The survey results have also been presented in the infographic below. The infographic succinctly summarises the outcomes of the survey for busy researchers and policy makers to easily access.
Capacity building
Capacity building and development is one of the four strategies utilised by CHiAPRT. The centre offers various trainings and skill building events for researchers and policy makers to build and expand on skills and improve the alignment between research and policy.
The masterclass is an interactive short course for researchers, academics and policy actors and practitioners focusing on developing skills and expertise in collaboration for research- to- policy translation. The masterclass uses a learning by doing approach in the form of lectures, small group work, self-reflection, group discussion, and feedback from participants.
“The Masterclass provided some really practical insights that had an immediate impact on our work. We’ve reshaped our research agenda in a way that should deliver much better outcomes.” – Roger Meany
“As a researcher in social policy, the policy-research translation masterclass was a great opportunity to share perspectives with colleagues in policy development roles. It was thought-provoking to hear more about the political, practical and resource considerations that affect policy development. This will help me ensure my research is as relevant and useful as possible to policymakers and maximise its real-world impact.” – Veronica Coram
In conversation round table
The In Conversation: Boundary, Spanners, Thinkers and Policy Actors provides a platform for researchers, policy actors and implementation experts. They will elevate discussion on emerging issues and ideas, with a specific focus on the interface between research and evidence and policy options and processes.
The In conversation Roundtables will be convened by the CHiAPRT in partnership with Health Promotion International. Content of the Roundtable discussions will be produced into a podcast that will be shared across social media platforms, and the key messages of each Roundtable will be summarised into a policy brief that will be published in Health Promotion International.
Read the In Conversation: Boundary Spanners, Thinkers and Policy Actors Policy Brief
Episode 1: The Wellbeing Economy
This first In Conversation Round Table explores The Wellbeing Economy- including the opportunities and risks associated with the concept. The Wellbeing Economy is an alternative concept that focuses on restoring the harmonious relationship between society and nature, ensures a fair distribution of resources and ultimately leads to a healthier community.
Read the In Conversation: The Wellbeing Economy Policy Brief
Episode 2: The Commercial Determinants of Health
This second In Conversation Round Table explores the commercial determinants of health. In this episode we aim to better understand the commercial determinants of health, and their implications on the health of our communities, the economy and market approaches. The episode will also explore the potential for change within current economic and political forces.
Read the In Conversation: The Commercial Determinants of Health Policy Brief
Episode 3: The Geneva Charter: Realising Societal Well-being
For this special episode of the In Conversation Round Table we have also partnered with the World Health Organisation to convene the Geneva Charter: Realising Societal Well-being. The Geneva Charter for Well-being presents a significant change agenda and path forward to respond to the global social, health, environment and equity challenges facing society. Throughout this episode we will explore the Geneva charter and how it paves the path forward to greater global social, health and environmental wellbeing and equity and what countries are doing to put the charter into action.
The Launch of the Adelaide Liveability score card
The Healthy Liveable Cities Indicators Adelaide Score Card provides the data to track progress, and influence future planning and development decisions on Adelaide’s Liveability. Adelaide is one of twenty-five cities for which a scorecard has been prepared.
The results of the Global Healthy and Sustainable Indicators Collaboration reporting on 25 cities including the Adelaide Scorecard have been documented in the Second Lancet Series on Urban Design, Transport and Health.
The Urban Liveability Project Policy Brief
The Future of the Rental Market: Realising the potential for a prosperous, healthy and sustainable system for South Australia
The Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation (CHiAPRT) Australian Centre for Social Centre Innovation (TACSI), Uniting Communities and Junction Australia held a Symposium to explore the issues facing associated with the private rental market. The Symposium included in stakeholders from the private rental market, housing, health and social services sectors and the community.
The symposium generated a set of principles and calls to action that were translated into a policy brief and sent through the appropriate networks. There South Australian government has recently announced a review of the Private Tenancies Act, following the Commissioner’s attendance at the Symposium.
The key highlights and calls to action
Future of the Rental Market Policy Brief
Ageing well strategic research project
The office of Ageing Well has engaged with CHiAPRT to facilitate the development of a Strategic Research Agenda for Ageing well that will support the delivery and achievement of South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025. The research agenda has a particular focus on health prevention and promotion, and brought together a range of stake holders to work collaboratively to promote healthy ageing.
Developing the Research Priorities for Ageing Well in South Australia
Strategic Research Agenda for Ageing Well in South Australia
World Health Organisation Collaborative Centre
The Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation links with the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for HiAP Implementation (based in DHW and operationalised through Wellbeing SA) and the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Social, Political and Commercial Determinants of Health (based in Southgate Flinders University), leveraging existing relationships and capacity and providing opportunities for future collaborations between all three Centre’s. It uses international understanding and policy developments to apply to national contexts and show how national experiences, including the Australian HiAP experience can benefit other countries and policy processes.
The new Health in All Policies 4 Pillars Model
The Centre has worked with WHO to refine the new 4 Pillars HiAP Model and the associated guidance document, Sustainable multisectoral collaboration to address the social determinants of health, equity, and well-being: guidance based on Health in All Policies approaches. The 4 Pillars Model and guidance documents have been developed under the workplan of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Advancing HiAP Implementation. The Centre’s Director Associate Professor Carmel Williams is also Co-Director of the WHO HiAP Collaborating Centre and she has led this work a part of both roles.
Multi-country initiative to improve SDH and Health Equity
The World Health Organisation has connected with CHiAPRT to assess country readiness for multi-sectorial action and collaborative approaches. The initiative will involve the development of a framework, indicator list and survey tool that will be used to understand both facilitators and barriers to collaborative action to address the social determinants of health. A survey of 5 countries will be conducted, the results of which will be analysed by CHiAPRT and submitted in a report to WHO.
Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL)
Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) is a NHMRC 5-year project.HEAL aims to catalyse research, knowledge exchange and translation into policy and practice that will bring measurable improvements to our health, the Australian health system, and the environment. The Centre has begun to work with the project leadership team as one of the chief investigators and has led the development of a Research, Translation, and Implementation Strategy to inform and guide the work of the HEAL Network.
