Building knowledge development and exchange capacity in Canada: lessons from Youth Excel
- PMID: 24991778
Building knowledge development and exchange capacity in Canada: lessons from Youth Excel
Abstract
Introduction: Youth Excel was a 3-year pan-Canadian initiative to advance youth health through improving knowledge development and exchange (KDE) capacity. KDE capacity refers to an improvement cycle linking evidence and action. Capacities include local surveillance of youth behaviours; knowledge exchange; skills, resources and a supportive environment to use knowledge; and evaluation.
Methods: Interviews were conducted with Youth Excel members, including 7 provincial teams and 2 national organizations. Interviews explored participant experiences with building KDE capacity.
Results: Local surveillance systems were considered the backbone to KDE capacity, strengthened by co-ordinating surveys within and across jurisdictions and using common indicators and measures. The most effective knowledge exchange included tailored products and opportunities for dialogue and action planning. Evaluation is the least developed KDE component. Building KDE capacity requires frequent dialogue, mutually beneficial partnerships and trust. It also requires attention to language, vision, strategic leadership and funding.
Conclusion: Youth Excel reinforces the need for a KDE system to improve youth health that will require new perspectives and sustained commitment from individual champions and relevant organizations.
Titre: Renforcement de la capacité de développement et d’échange des connaissances au Canada : leçons de Youth Excel.
Introduction: Youth Excel est une initiative pancanadienne de 3 ans qui a eu comme objectif de favoriser la santé chez les jeunes par le biais de l’amélioration de la capacité de développement et d’échange des connaissances (DEC). La capacité de DEC repose sur un cycle d’amélioration reliant données probantes et interventions. Ses composantes étaient la surveillance locale des comportements des jeunes; l’échange de connaissances; les compétences, les ressources et l’environnement favorable pour l’utilisation des connaissances et enfin l’évaluation.
Méthodologie: Nous avons réalisé des entrevues auprès de membres de Youth Excel relevant de sept équipes provinciales et de deux organisations nationales. Ces entrevues portaient sur les expériences des participants en lien avec le renforcement de la capacité de DEC.
Résultats: L’élément central de la capacité de DEC était constitué par les systèmes de surveillance locale, renforcé par la coordination d’enquêtes au sein des administrations et entre administrations et par le recours à des indicateurs et à des mesures communes. Les échanges de connaissances les plus efficaces étaient ceux qui portaient sur des produits adaptés et qui mettaient à profit les occasions de dialogue et de planification des interventions. La capacité évaluative est demeurée la capacité de DEC la moins élaborée. Le renforcement de la capacité globale de DEC repose sur un dialogue fréquent, des partenariats mutuellement bénéfiques et de la confiance. Il exige également que l’on porte attention au langage, à la vision, au leadership stratégique et au financement.
Conclusion: L’expérience de Youth Excel montre qu’il faut, pour renforcer un système de DEC qui améliore la santé des jeunes, explorer de nouvelles perspectives et obtenir un engagement soutenu de la part des champions ainsi que des organisations concernées.
Keywords: capacity building; evidence to action; evidence-informed public health; knowledge development and exchange; local surveillance; youth health.
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