Strengthening the link between research and practice: an Indian leprosy NGO

To make effective international policy on disease control, policy-makers need to better understand the needs of communities facing infectious disease.  Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are often well placed to obtain and provide such information.  Through partnerships between academic institutions and NGOs, it may be possible to improve the flow of information and create a more direct link between policy and practice. 

The UK Department for International Development (DFID)’s Tuberculosis Research Programme, based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), actively seeks out opportunities to form partnerships with NGOs.  As an academic institution, the intention is to use partnerships to introduce effective research methods into the work of an NGO, and so strengthen the link between research and practice.

One partnership was with the leprosy NGO, LEPRA India.  This began in 1998 and focused on a pilot project in Orissa, where LEPRA India had been considering the possibility of incorporating AIDS awareness and TB control into their work programme. To help determine whether LEPRA’s pilot project should be expanded, staff members from LSHTM were asked to help the NGO with learning research methods and conducting operations research. 

In addition to the research data gathered, the researchers drew useful lessons from the collaboration about the advantages and difficulties of creating partnerships between institutions based in different countries and with different priorities.   In particular it has identified the importance of communication between staff at all levels, and of taking time to ensure that everyone understands the concepts and the purpose of the research.

The following advantages and challenges to partnership between academic research bodies and NGOs were identified: 

• Collaboration helped to build relationships and links between organisations of various types, including for delivery of services.
• It also strengthened the capabilities of both organisations and individuals, and contributed to the process of managing change within the NGO.
• The partnership helped to integrate research into practice.
• Advantages for disease control included the identification of gaps in systems, and the provision of a mechanism for hearing the local community concerns.
• Conducting research can disrupt day to day management of an organisation and can be hampered by lack of available staff time.
• Tensions and potential conflict can be caused by lack of clear communication and different approaches between the two organisations.

Developing relationships demands both trust and respect.  There is a need for both sides to understand the process and the problems and conflicts that can be created as part of the work.  The process of introducing operational research allowed LEPRA staff to develop new perspectives that contributed to the growth and vision of the organisation.  It also helped to ensure that the needs and perspectives of the communities which they served were being represented appropriately.

Implications for policy include:

• Research partnerships with NGOs are one way to ensure that researchers include the ‘voices of local people’ in the research results which are used to inform ‘evidence-based’ policy.
• Facilitating a link between communities and decision-makers can be a useful role for academic institutions.
• By linking research and practice, NGOs become more aware of their own importance in the chain of policy development.  In this way, research partnerships can provide a focus to change perspectives within an organisation.

Despite the advantages of NGOs becoming involved in policy development, strong barriers still operate against the exchange of information from local to international level.  Local NGOs are largely unable to engage in the debate which is conducted in international scientific journals.

Source(s):
‘Introducing operations research into management and policy practices of a non-government organisation (NGO): a partnership between an Indian leprosy NGO and an international academic institution’, Health Policy and Planning 19(2): 80-87, by J.D.H. Porter et al, 2004

Funded by: UK Department for International Development; European Commission

id21 Research Highlight: 3 June 2004

Further Information:
John Porter
Clinical Research Unit
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
London WC1E 7HT
UK

Contact the contributor: John.Porter@lshtm.ac.uk

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK

Other related links:
'A partnership of equals? Working with southern NGOs'

'Putting policy into practice: can local government cope?'

See id21's collection of links relevant to health systems and economics.

See id21's collection of links relevant to infectious diseases.