What is Knowledge Mobilisation?
Knowledge mobilisation (KMb) brings together different communities to share knowledge to catalyse change. Knowledge mobilisation is a two-way process which enables advances in health protection research to create benefits for patients and the public by supporting research-informed decision-making by policy makers, public health practitioners, the public, and other stakeholders.
Effective knowledge mobilisation involves:
- Facilitation of engagement of researchers with the policy, practice, research and public communities where their research can make a difference.
- Enabling policy, practice, research and communities to have a role in the devising of research questions, to ensure they address important questions in a useful way.
- Enabling researchers to influence decision-making processes in policy, practice and elsewhere through having a 'seat at the table' alongside other approaches to dissemination
- Increasing understanding of research limitations and uncertainties, among those who can use research findings.
- Transferring useful knowledge from other sources to the HPRU.
Knowledge mobilisation includes, but goes beyond, the dissemination of research findings. We hope to provide the right information to the right people at the right time in the right format.
There are many words and terminology used when thinking about knowledge mobilisation so we have created a Knowledge Mobilisation Glossary (doc) to help make things clearer.
HPRU Knowledge Mobilisation Plan
The HPRU has a detailed Knowledge Mobilisation Plan (doc) outlines our approach to mobilising knowledge generated by the HPRU, and to developing expertise and establishing a culture in partner organisations to improve their capacity to draw on research evidence.
What are the HPRU Aims for knowledge mobilisation?
We have the following aims in our knowledge mobilisation plan:
- Aim 1: Embedding KMb within our research; we will engage with a wide range of stakeholders to understand issues of concern and share HPRU outputs, as well as establishing the relevance of our research.
- Aim 2: Links to government and policy makers; we will establish relationships with government and parliamentary departments and networks and keep aware of interests to inform our communication and dissemination approaches.
- Aim 3: KMb in practice; we will work with other HPRUs to facilitate knowledge mobilization and translation. We also plan to understand training needs in the HPRU and support HPUR work throughout the research lifecycle.
- Aim 4: Routes to KMb impact; we will use research outputs to develop and support different dissemination methods.
Theory of Change
We are using our Theory of Change (ppt) model to facilitate change and impact. The Theory of Change model below describes the route to impacts using a logic model approach. It is based upon using inputs to develop activities which create outputs and outcomes in order to achieve impact goals. This model will also help with monitoring and evaluation of our knowledge mobilisation activities. Public involvement, research inclusion and training alongside knowledge mobilisation are key strands throughout the pathway. Without effective knowledge mobilisation, these impacts cannot be achieved.
Stakeholder Engagement
Developing links with next- and end-users of our research is important; so that they can engage with our research from planning to dissemination. Our stakeholders include decision makers, academia and the public. We are identifying and mapping our stakeholders and this will be available on an interactive map soon.
