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Knowledge Mobilization (KMb): Multiple Contributions & Multi-Production Of New Knowledge

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Storytelling, Social Media, Equity, Knowledge Mobilization & Donuts!

1 Comment Posted by on March 24, 2013

storytelling

Sharing knowledge by telling a story can make a presentation, blog or conversation more interesting. Why?

When I was five years old, I was hit by a car. I fractured my collar-bone and was unconscious for nearly 48 hours. Doctors feared that I would suffer brain damage due to the impact of hitting my head against the pavement after being thrown forward by the force of the car. Fortunately, I was wearing one of those Sherlock Holmes-style winter hats for kids that my mother thought looked so cute on me. Thankfully, the hat cushioned the blow. I recovered, but my skull – though healed – still has a fracture line that I can run my fingers along.

Sherlock Holmes hat     donuts

I blame free donuts as the reason why I was hit by a car.

I crossed the busy street because it was the grand opening of a donuts shop – and I wanted free donuts. Being five years old, I wasn’t really paying attention to traffic and more to the opportunity for free donuts…and…bam…thrown in the air to land on the pavement into unconsciousness.

What’s interesting about this story is that you are more likely to be able to visualize this incident and remember the details of the story with its connection to free donuts because of an emotional connection you’ve made to the knowledge I’ve shared. You would probably be less likely to do so if I simply presented this story with a list of strict facts:

  • I was five years old
  • I was hit by a car
  • There were free donuts

Since the very first days of tribal story telling, exchanging knowledge through stories has been one of our most fundamental communication methods. We all enjoy a good story. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that using stories to share knowledge is a much more effective way of retaining what’s being told. There’s also a neurological reason for it as well. When we are given information, the language processing parts in our brain are activated. When we hear a story many more parts of the brain respond. When a person shares knowledge through a story we connect intellectually and emotionally.

Sharing knowledge through storytelling is still very much a part of Aboriginal culture. I was reminded of this at a three-day Knowledge Exchange (KE) Training event this past week attended by Regional KE leaders and team members from across the province of Ontario. Day one of the KE training focused on marginalized populations and how to engage with these various groups, such as those that are homeless, of low-income, racialized minorities, Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), or from LGBT communities who are marginalized based on sexual orientation or gender diversity. A session focusing on the use of the Health Equity Impact Assessment Tool (HEIA) presented how this tool can be used to identify and address potential unintended health impacts (positive or negative) when developing a policy, program or initiative with specific population groups.

I can certainly see the potential of incorporating HEIA into a knowledge mobilization (KMb) strategy as it helps us better understand context and equity. Yet, a broader and still underused knowledge mobilization tool to include the knowledge of marginalized populations is social media.

At the KE Training Event, I spoke with several knowledge brokers about how I use social media – particularly Twitter – as an effective knowledge mobilization tool. I was surprised to hear that many knowledge exchange leaders at the event are still not using social media as part of their own knowledge exchange work. Certainly, EENet, the Evidence Exchange Network is one step forward in using social media as a knowledge exchange tool. Yet, as I wrote in an earlier blog, the greater potential of using Twitter as a knowledge mobilization tool is still not clearly understood.

One of the more enjoyable presentations of the KE Training event was from closing keynote speaker David Phipps – a person who knows how to tell a great story to share knowledge. One of David’s MobilizeThis! blogs is a great example of the power of story telling using social media for knowledge mobilization. In David’s engaging presentation, he illustrated how understanding context is essential for effective knowledge mobilization.

Fundamentally, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Mobilization, Translation, Implementation, K* (K-Star) – whatever you want to call it  – is about connecting the knowledge of PEOPLE. Each group has their own stories to tell in their own context – and each group can share knowledge through these stories. Knowledge doesn’t always have to be packaged in a formal, academic presentation or format. Sometimes simply being open-minded enough to listen to another person’s story – particularly those who are marginalized in our society – can be a powerful way of sharing and mobilizing knowledge.

But how do we engage marginalized populations using social media to better understand their context when some may not even have access to a computer? Or – more importantly – how can knowledge brokers collaborate with these often unheard voices and use social media for more effective knowledge mobilization?

One way that comes to mind is through digital storytelling.

I think of another great storyteller, Peter Levesque from Knowledge Mobilization Works, who also uses story telling as a KMb tool. Peter points to digital storytelling as “one of the MOST important forms of knowledge mobilization available to community-based organizations and citizens”. Peter uses a specific example of Aboriginal storytelling combined with digital technology as an effective method for understanding context, and conveying these stories through social media.

Additional examples of using social media for great and effective digital storytelling can be found at MindYourMind and HomelessHub who use both YouTube  and Twitter as knowledge mobilization tools.

As someone who strongly believes in the power of social media for knowledge mobilization, I see the combination of storytelling by marginalized communities using social media to convey context as an essential knowledge mobilization tool. If you’re a knowledge broker – how well are you incorporating this equity tool into your knowledge mobilization strategy?

Now, for some reason…I feel like having a donut!

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Brokering The Role Of The Knowledge Broker

Leave a Comment Posted by on February 2, 2013

closing the loop

I recently had a conversation with a colleague about why it’s still a problem for knowledge brokers to be seen as credible to some senior scientists in many research/knowledge institutions, and how to overcome this barrier. My colleague mentioned that some senior scientists think the value of their research can stand on its own without any help from knowledge brokers, and often criticize the value of knowledge broker positions in the organization in the first place.

Knowledge Mobilization is about putting knowledge into active service for social benefit – and knowledge brokers have an important role in connecting various knowledge stakeholders together from multi-directional influences of producer-push (researcher), user-pull (research-user), knowledge exchange (anyone), and the co-production of knowledge (anyone). The bottom line is that it’s always about people sharing knowledge to make the world a better place.

My colleague mentioned that knowledge brokers were not being taken seriously by some researchers because of a feeling of a lack of credibility. There are certain researchers who somehow feel that the importance of their research cannot be fully “trusted” in the supposed “inexperienced” hands of “unskilled” knowledge brokers. As such, these misguided researchers would rather go it alone and not make use of intermediaries to disseminate or further enhance their knowledge.

My colleague and I discussed that in such cases there is a need for other credible scientists or stakeholders to champion the cause of these knowledge brokers.  Such champions can assist in bringing recognition to the valuable role of the knowledge broker, and ignite a passion for knowledge mobilization/knowledge exchange. In such cases the very role of the knowledge broker comes into play by connecting with these champions and acting upon these connections by engaging the champions in discussion about the organization’s current knowledge exchange challenges. This means constructing arguments for the champions to convince the skeptical researchers of the value of knowledge brokers.

If the skeptical researchers still see no value – and wish to go it alone – then the knowledge brokers need to be prepared to recognize such limitations and cut their losses while continuing to ignite awareness with other key decision-makers within the organization. Perhaps in this more indirect manner, skeptical researchers may eventually come around to recognizing the value of knowledge brokers for the institution – but never hold your breath.

barriers

The knowledge broker role itself is about finding ways to champion the current knowledge of the organization, continuing to inform institutional knowledge, and broker internal and external knowledge value among stakeholders on an ongoing basis. Knowledge brokers need to recognize that there may be barriers inherent in the organization that cannot be directly dealt with. Dealing with such barriers indirectly may mean ignoring them temporarily (or completely) while attempting to find other researchers or sources for knowledge exchange.

If knowledge brokers are not prepared to do this then you are not prepared to remain relevant to the organization. Knowledge brokering will continue to be a function that is misunderstood, and not seen as credible.

Quite frankly, it comes down to how you broker being a knowledge broker – whether you’re talking about organizational need, the benefits to the individuals who engage with the knowledge systems you create or the connections you’re developing for knowledge exchange. It comes down to how you ‘sell’ the role of the knowledge broker, your contribution and added value to the organization – as well as the people who fall within its influence.

David Phipps

As David Phipps points out, and we include in our co-authored field note, the role of the knowledge broker and knowledge mobilization is not new. Phipps references both Aristotle and the PARiHS framework  to summarize three key concepts for a knowledge broker to think about when developing their role in any institution. (I have added my own thoughts in brackets to further expand the concepts).

evidence = logos (providing the logic or evidence)

facilitation = ethos (establishing credibility for facilitation)

context = pathos (connecting to the stakeholder’s emotional or value context)

These key concepts can be used as a framework to develop greater understanding to broker a knowledge broker role within the organization by providing the logic behind having knowledge brokers.

Evidence: Do you have evidence to substantiate the role of knowledge brokers within your organization? What is the logic of having knowledge brokers within your organization?

Credibility: How credible are the knowledge brokers in your organization? Can your knowledge brokers speak the ‘language’ of the organization? Do the knowledge brokers in your organization have champions to assist them with their roles and help them establish credibility? Do the knowledge brokers understand the individuals within the organization and recognize those that may be barriers or facilitators?

Context: Can the knowledge brokers connect to the various emotional contexts within the organizational system to identify barriers (and possibly risks to the organization)? Can the knowledge brokers speak to the values of the individuals within the organization as well as to the greater values of the organization as a whole? Does the knowledge broker have the ability to know how to work around barriers while continuing to align with the knowledge objectives of the organization?

KTECop

The Knowledge Translation & Exchange Community of Practice (KTECop) often refers to the role of the knowledge broker as “closing the loop” as an apt description. If knowledge brokers are going to continue to deal with problems of credibility and criticism of their value, they must start with a framework that provides greater understanding to broker the role of the knowledge broker. If not, knowledge brokers must be prepared to deal with people who still don’t understand their role, what they can do, and the value they can bring – never being able to close the loop or overcome the barriers they face.

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Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Clear Language Research Field Note: My Contribution

Leave a Comment Posted by on October 23, 2012

I’m excited to announce the recent publication and my contribution as co-author of a Field Note Describing the Development and Dissemination of Clear Language Research Summaries for University-Based Knowledge Mobilization

Along with Dr. David Phipps, the Director of Research Services and Knowledge Exchange at York University in Toronto, and Krista Jensen, York University’s Knowledge Mobilization Officer,  and Michael Johnny, Manager, Knowledge Mobilization at York University, I was privileged to be part of the research and writing team. It was a great honour to work with David, Krista and Michael – especially during my time volunteering in the Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Unit at York University.

David, Krista and I also had a recent publication in which I was able to contribute as a co-author of an In-Tech Book Chapter entitled “Applying Social Sciences Research for Public Benefit Using Knowledge Mobilization and Social Media“.

As a Community-based participant and contributor to Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) it is my hope that these works will help promote the continued use of KMb for everyone to make the world a better place for everyone.

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Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Book Chapter: My Contribution

4 Comments Posted by on August 20, 2012

I’m excited to announce the recent publication and my contribution as co-author of an In-Tech Book Chapter entitled "Applying Social Sciences Research for Public Benefit Using Knowledge Mobilization and Social Media". Along with Dr. David Phipps, the Director of Research Services and Knowledge Exchange at York University in Toronto, and Krista Jensen, York University’s Knowledge Mobilization Officer, I was privileged to be part of the research and writing team.

As a community-based Knowledge Mobilizer, my contribution focused on the literature review and Twitter research project data collection and statistical analysis, along with my development and presentation of the Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) model of sector interaction for social benefit – which I first published in my KMbeing blog post in January 2011.

 

It was a great honour to work with both David and Krista. David has also recently had another paper published of his collaboration with one of Knowledge Mobilization’s foremost experts in research utilization, Sandra Nutley (unfortunately, the paper is not available in open access yet – but a link to the paper is found here). Nutley is co-author of Using Evidence: How research can inform public services. 

Krista Jensen’s expertise on the use of social media, and her background in library science is of great value in her contribution to the literature review and book chapter writing about the use of social media for Knowledge Mobilization - and compliments my own practical use of social media, such as Twitter – along with my KMbeing blog to promote Knowledge Mobilization for social benefit.

The In-Tech book chapter is available to everyone in open access online. Our book chapter addresses the importance of social sciences for academics and non-academics - in research institutions and at the community level, and the important role of knowledge brokers - to address wicked problems, and enhance the research process and sharing of knowledge with the use of social media. It is my hope that it will promote the continued use of Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) to make the world a better place for everyone.

 

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Formal & Personal Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)

Leave a Comment Posted by on March 3, 2012

Dedicated followers of my KMbeing blog will know that my understanding of Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) has evolved over the recent years as KMb has emerged, and I have taken a more holistic (and perhaps idealistic) approach to Knowledge Mobilization from the more academic/institutional approach that has now been established.

I continue to recognize (what I call) more formal KMb as knowledge collaborations between researchers and research-users to inform public policy decision-makers to create social benefit. But I also see the value of Knowledge Mobilization on a more personal level – connecting each person’s individual knowledge with the knowledge of others to make the world a better place.

There are four essential factors that influence effective formal Knowledge Mobilization:

1)      Strong inter-organizational/institutional partnerships

2)      Using skilled knowledge brokers (like those found at York University’s KMb Unit and ResearchImpact – Canada’s Knowledge Mobilization Network)

3)      Meaningful involvement of “front-line” personnel – those involved in direct contact between researchers and community organizations

4)      Support (professionally and financially) by institutional leaders

There are four essential factors that influence effective personal Knowledge Mobilization:

1)      Value of one’s own knowledge

2)      Sharing one’s own knowledge with others

3)      Being open to the knowledge of others

4)      Combining knowledge to create meaningful, new knowledge to make the world a better place

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) – both formal and personal – is about creating multi-directional connections of knowledge utilization, transfer and exchange for social benefit. It’s about establishing social relationships through multi-directional knowledge sharing.

More formally – knowledge can be translated and/or exchanged in several multi-directional and engaging ways:

  • mobilized from researcher(s) to researcher(s) within the academy
  • mobilized from researcher(s) to practitioner(s) or vice versa
  • mobilized from one institution or organization working with another
  • mobilized from community organizations to practitioner(s) to researcher(s)
  • mobilized from community organizations to researcher(s)
  • mobilized from researcher(s) to researcher(s) within or across institutions
  • mobilized from a tweeter/blogger (use of social media) to inform researcher(s) in academia
  • mobilized from word-of-mouth story-telling to organizations or researcher(s)

More personally – knowledge can be translated and/or exchanged in several multi-directional and engaging ways:

  • mobilized from person(s) to person(s) within a family
  • mobilized from person(s) to person(s) from within to outside a family (or vice versa)
  • mobilized from person(s) to co-worker(s)
  • mobilized from person(s) to person(s) within social circles (friends, volunteer communities, faith communities)
  • mobilized from a tweeter/blogger (using social media) to inform others
  • mobilized from comments of others (using social media) to inform tweeter/blogger
  • mobilized from word-of-mouth story-telling to strangers or new acquaintance(s)

In short – Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) can take place with and among anyone wanting to share knowledge with the intention of making the world a better place. At the heart of KMb is the intention of social benefit for everyone.

Whether you’re doing it formally or personally – are you mobilizing knowledge to make the world a better place?

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Knowledge Hypocrites: Take Two!

4 Comments Posted by on February 3, 2012

A recent controversial blog that has been getting much attention is by York University’s David Phipps of ResearchImpact - titled Knowledge Hypocrites. In it Phipps makes the pointed claim that “We are all knowledge hypocrites.”

Phipps includes himself when he states that “neither researchers nor knowledge brokers practice what we preach.” Phipps concludes that “until researchers receive time and incentives for making their research broadly accessible and knowledge brokers receive time and incentives for accessing that research we shall remain hypocritical. Well-meaning indeed, but hypocritical. The system won’t change overnight but it won’t change at all if we don’t start to seek out KMb/KT researcher/practitioner collaborations.”

Well-said! Although I am not a researcher or a knowledge broker (although I have been called a theoretical knowledge broker) my holistic approach to Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) has always attempted to promote greater social collaboration across knowledge sectors to include community voices of knowledge. I believe all of us have knowledge from our life experiences to share for greater social benefit – not just within academic or more formal research institutions – to influence decision/policy makers to make the world a better place. Isn’t making the world a better place the most important incentive? Only when all knowledge voices are given an opportunity to speak for benefit can hypocrisy ever end. Knowledge brokers can provide those links across knowledge sectors for social benefit as I have shown in the following diagram.

A hypocrite is defined as a person who professes certain ideals – but fails to live up to them.

Ideals are all about making things better – but ideals are also something that remain just out of reach, waiting to be turned into reality. So how do we turn ideals into reality? For starters we need to continue to break down barriers and preconceived notions or beliefs. That’s what David Phipps is calling us to do – especially researchers and knowledge brokers who are considered the “experts” in knowledge.

It’s been said that a cup is useful only when it’s empty – a mind that is filled with rigid beliefs or dogmas is really a closed and hypocritical mind.

How many of us have missed wonderful opportunities for learning and sharing knowledge because of preconceived notions or beliefs that we’ve adopted from others because we thought we were “right”? How many times have we rejected people who might have been great knowledge sources because they believed something that we didn’t believe, or didn’t believe what I believed? I have mentioned in my previous blog that there are many “truths”.  What is most important is being open to and sharing knowledge regardless of how “truth” is perceived.  What is most important is creating new knowledge – combining knowledge from many knowledge sectors – for social benefit.

I’ll take Phipps’ challenge even further beyond just researcher/ practitioner collaborations to include all social collaborations that include knowledge voices beyond an institutional capacity. As Phipps says, “the system won’t change overnight but it won’t change at all if we don’t start to seek out…collaborations” – even in unexpected places within various community knowledge sectors. Only then, when we break down these barriers – and the ideal can be turned into reality to make the world a better place – will we no longer be knowledge hypocrites.

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Merry Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)

Leave a Comment Posted by on December 20, 2011

I recently took to the ice to teach some knowledge brokers from York University’s KMb Unit how to curl – very, very basic lessons like how not to fall flat on your ass when on the ice.  It was part of their annual KMb Summit.

Curling – like knowledge mobilization (sharing knowledge for social benefit) – is another of my hobbies in life.

To all of my dedicated KMbeing blog followers and to new followers – I wish you all the very best for the holiday season and all the very best for knowledge mobilization in 2012!

And from KMbeing.com !

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Knowledge Competition

Leave a Comment Posted by on November 13, 2011

There are many examples of knowledge as competition in this world.  Most often knowledge is viewed as competition between opponents in a debate, or at other times as a test or exam you have to go through – answering many questions or solving several problems to grade you above others.  In all of these cases, these examples assume that knowledge is about competition. In these cases, knowledge is about being better than someone else – not about being participants who work together with other people to achieve benefit for everyone.

Unfortunately, many people have relegated themselves to the position of knowledge competitor.  I think it’s been so ingrained in us in society that we don’t even realize how often we do it. Years can go by with such knowledge competition and a person can end up with tremendous knowledge to help make the world a better place – and yet never use this valuable knowledge to do so.

While I do believe competition can spark knowledge, an exclusive focus on knowledge competition without giving thought towards sharing knowledge and being open to other knowledge inevitably limits knowledge. I believe it’s important for us to be active participants sharing knowledge in our lives rather than knowledge competitors.  Not all of us will be geniuses, knowledge leaders, researchers or eloquent knowledge communicators, but each of us certainly has a role to play in sharing knowledge to support the geniuses, knowledge leaders, researchers or communicators by helping to teach them or remind them that the most important and fundamental lessons of knowledge sharing stem from love, respect, dignity and honour for all of humanity and the world we live in. 

It’s widely known in the Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) world that knowledge brokers don’t just connect geniuses, knowledge leaders, researchers or communicators as part of the KMb team to inform policy or decision makers.  Some of the knowledge contributors that knowledge brokers connect have never gone to university nor have any academic credentials. Knowledge brokers inherently recognize the equality, value and complementarity of scholarly or academic knowledge and community-based or practice-based knowledge through individual life experiences. For an example about the work of knowledge brokers link here.

So, remember the importance of sharing your own knowledge – whatever knowledge it may be. Get in there and share whatever knowledge your life has given you – and be open to similar knowledge from others. Life – and knowledge – is not about competition. Share your own knowledge with pride and dignity, and be a role model for others and those who will come after you and with those who have different knowledge to share. Don’t think knowledge is about competition where you might fail miserably if you don’t compete. Don’t just sit there with your knowledge and wish you were out there – put yourself out there in the thick of things and share your own knowledge (no matter how “limited” you might think it is) as much as you can.  And don’t think your knowledge is superior to others in the knowledge competition of life. We will all die someday, and we don’t know when that will be.  Make sure that on the day you die, you can say “I certainly shared all the knowledge I had – and was always open to the knowledge of others” and then you can leave this world with the ultimate knowledge that you made it a better place with your own knowledge. Knowledge is of little value if it does not lead to action.

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Knowledge To Share On An Amazing Planet Of Knowledge

Leave a Comment Posted by on October 17, 2011

 Each second we live (anywhere on this planet) is a new and unique moment for knowledge, a moment that will never happen again – and what do we teach our children? We teach them how to use knowledge for useless competition or hatred, and that knowledge can be used as a weapon to gain the upper hand in life rather than using knowledge as a means of connection or peace.

When will we teach children how they can use knowledge for social benefit?

What can we say to them about knowledge? Do you know how valuable your own knowledge is? Do you know how important it is to share your own knowledge?  You are unique.  In all the years that have passed or are yet to come, there will never be knowledge like yours to help make the world a better place. Are you sharing it?

You may become a knowledge leader – you have the capacity for achievement. You can become a knowledge broker – connecting the knowledge of others in this world.  Or you may be a knowledge user – able to pass along the knowledge you gain.

Your own knowledge is important – you are of value when you use knowledge for social benefit. When we grow up, so many people use knowledge to harm those who are also able to pass along knowledge. Do you use knowledge to create greater possibilities of knowledge for everyone?

There is knowledge work to be done – we must all do knowledge work – for social benefit. We must teach this to our children.

Individual knowledge sharing is valuable!  Each of us is an important knowledge person on an amazing planet of knowledge and future possibilities.  Do you give yourself credit for that?  Probably not – most of us don’t.  Your own knowledge has importance, but it has to be shared with others to change the world. That’s how we’ve come to create a world beyond mere fear and survival so far.

Even if you don’t become a knowledge leader, you can still become a great knowledge broker or user – as long as knowledge is shared.  Much of the knowledge shared has made this world a better place so far. If you don’t see sharing your own knowledge as valuable it can be very difficult to give yourself credit for being able to create a better world beyond your own life.

Many people’s struggles and hardships are a result of the way they see themselves and their own knowledge – the way other people have told them they are lacking for so long.  What they don’t seem to realize is that those other people have a very limited view of knowledge – a limited way of seeing the world and the potential for knowledge for social benefit.

Sharing knowledge is important.  Do you share your own knowledge and believe it can help make the world a better place?  It’s important to be able to do so if you’re to be able to live this life more fully and happily, and if you’re to be able to give to the rest of the world pieces of the knowledge that you have to continue to improve it for social benefit.  You must believe it. We may not all become knowledge leaders – but we all have knowledge to share.

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Bridging The Evidence-To-Policy Gap With Knowledge Mobilization

3 Comments Posted by on March 8, 2011

I recently attended two important events pointing forward to the future of collaborative knowledge mobilization. The first event was the Climate Change Policy and Research Day sponsored by ResearchImpact and the Knowledge Mobilization Unit at York University. The day profiled climate change work being done at municipal and regional levels with a discussion on the existing research to policy gaps, while exploring opportunities for collaboration between community stakeholders, policy makers and researchers. The event was live-tweeted by a number of participants with the hashtag #CCKMb. For a full transcript of the tweets, please see here. ResearchImpact also has a blog about the event here.

The second event was the Using Evidence to Inform Policy Workshop at the University of Guelph. The workshop was part of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Knowledge Translation Learning Series, and featured international policy expert Louise Shaxton from the UK. Like the York event, the day gathered researchers and policy makers to discuss and collaborate on bridging research to policy gaps – even including an industry participant from Maple Leaf Consumer Foods. The session was hosted by the Public Health Agency of Canada and its partners from the University of Guelph, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Environment Canada, and Health Canada’s Science Policy Directorate.

Setting the stage for the workshop was Barbara Marshall from the Centre for Food-borne, Environmental & Zoonotic Infectious Diseases who presented the workshop themes around evidence and policy making along with a definition of public policy.

Melissa MacKay from the University of Guelph talked about the various roles in policy – including research and development – and what is needed to overcome the barriers to effective evidence-based policy making.

Phil Malcolmson, Director, Strategic Policy Branch from OMAFRA provided an example of the partnership that OMAFRA has with the University of Guelph to showcase the benefits of partnerships between government and academia.

Also among the list of guest speakers was Laurent Gémar from Health Canada’s Science Policy Directorate talking about the Science to Policy Interface in getting the most up-to-date evidence-based research to Canadian Federal Government Ministers. Gémar pointed out that timing is everything as parliamentary time restrictions often create barriers between getting a research answer to a Cabinet Minister and being able to go back to researchers to get the latest updates. He also spoke about the many ministries all seeking to work collaboratively within the political barriers that exist. Gémar stated that such political barriers create a limitation to the number of key research projects being selected. (For more on political obstacles to knowledge mobilization click here). Gémar also suggested some key objectives of health policy to address the complexity of issues within health and other ministries. He addressed the need for training scientists and policy makers together to create better science policy information and collaboration.

For a further interesting connection about building a knowledge-based government – and a great example of how social media can be used to facilitate open dialogue among stakeholders and interested participants – link to the recent Twitter tweet-chat titled GovChat here.

Among the list of international guest speakers was Alex Bielak from United Nations University who presented on The Evolution of Knowledge Mobilization and Knowledge Brokers. Bielak talked about the existing diversity of terminology to describe KMb, and the shift to unify terminology with the term K* (K-star). (For more on the problems of KMb terminology click here). Bielak pointed out that different stakeholders prefer to receive information in different ways. This presents a challenge to knowledge brokers who need to stimulate policy “pull” for greater knowledge impact and action with a more adaptive and collaborative approach.

The highlight of the workshop was the engaging lecture by Louise Shaxson, Director of the Delta Partnership, UK examining what is meant by evidence-informed policy making. Shaxson outlined some basic evidence and policy principles, and described specific tools and techniques that have worked well to help policy makers create more effective and informed decisions. Shaxson states that a suite of tools is required – not just one tool for policy making. She points out that today’s policy making is very different from the past, and that researchers must understand that the political process is an important part of the research process. Shaxson points out that the quality of the entire research to decision making process is as important as the evidence presented. Shaxson presented valuable and effective evidence mapping and social frameworks tools to assess the impacts of evidence and policy making throughout the stakeholder network. (See the brief video below of Shaxson speaking at a previous conference in Bogotá in 2010 about the importance of research communication).

The big difference between the Climate Change and the Evidence Policy events was the receptivity of using social media as a tool in the collaborative knowledge mobilization process. When I asked the Climate Change panel about how they’re using social media to bridge the gap between research and policy making, the group looked baffled and overlooked the opportunity to answer my question as if I just asked a group from the 1970s how they’re using email (before its popularity and use).  At least the Evidence Policy participants were open to suggestions about how social media can be used as a knowledge mobilization tool, and the value of creating a social media strategy – even discussing the government restrictions currently imposed on employees to use such tools for knowledge communications.

Most importantly, both events brought together a diversity of stakeholders – including researchers, community agencies and actors, knowledge brokers and government policy makers – in the same room face-to-face. This is knowledge mobilization at its best!

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