Leveraging University-Community Partnerships to Build Capacity for SBC

Summary:

Low-income country universities may struggle to provide sufficient support to engage faculty and students in field-based learning and outreach. Universities in high-income contexts may similarly struggle to provide appropriate training for fieldwork in LIC contexts. With insufficient connections between university activities and field-based practice, local communities remain isolated from beneficial, research-based public health programming. Linking institutions with extensive research translation experience with institutions in underserved communities provides a compelling opportunity to build capacity for community-based SBC. Using the SBCC Capacity Ecosystem model, Debre Berhan, Wolkite, and Oregon State Universities collaborate to enhance faculty and student capacity to conduct field-based research, design community-based SBC programs, and strengthen university-community partnerships. Strategies include 1) needs assessment, program planning, grant writing, community engagement, evaluation, and dissemination skills workshops; 2) faculty peer groups for research and outreach collaborations, 3) interdisciplinary demonstration project addressing womens economic development, 4) student field schools. Faculty needs assessments identified research partnerships, community engagement, proposal writing, fieldwork technology, dissemination, and research design as priorities. Participants describe outputs like increased access to professional opportunities, newly formed and strengthened international and community partnerships, improved quality of research and outreach programs, submitted and funded applied, community-based grants, and cross-cutting, multi-institution projects. Institutional emphasis on university-university-community partnerships may improve individual and institutional capacity to work in community settings, building and sustaining effective SBC programs. Substantial capacity investments are needed to impact the social and behavioral elements of urgent public health challenges.

Background/Objectives:

Universities in low-income countries (LIC) may struggle to provide sufficient support and training for faculty and students to engage in field-based learning and outreach. Universities in high-income contexts may similarly struggle to provide appropriate training for fieldwork in LIC contexts. With insufficient connections between university activities and field-based practice, local communities remain isolated from beneficial, research-based public health programming. Linking institutions with extensive research translation and dissemination experience with institutions situated in underserved communities provides a compelling opportunity to build capacity for community-based SBC. Such partnerships have the potential to improve health in vulnerable communities often unreached by university assets.

Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:

Since 2015, Debre Berhan University (DBU), Wolkite University (WKU), and Oregon State University (OSU) have been collaborating to enhance faculty and student capacity to conduct field-based research, design and implement community-based SBC programs, and strengthen university-community partnerships for public health. Between 2016 and 2019, administrators, faculty, and students from DBU, WKU, and OSU convened annually in Ethiopia to prioritize capacity needs and engage in professional development activities based on co-learning principles. Capacity-building strategies included 1) workshops strengthening faculty skills in needs assessment, program planning, grant writing, community engagement, evaluation, and research dissemination; 2) faculty peer groups to support research and outreach collaborations, 3) interdisciplinary, cross-cutting community outreach and research demonstration project addressing gender-sensitive economic development, 4) team-taught student field practicums, and 5) global health field programs. Surveys and monitoring assessed number of individuals trained; workshops, exchange activities, and site visits conducted; community partnerships formed; and publications and presentations jointly authored.

Results/Lessons Learned:

DBU and WKU faculty needs assessment surveys identified research partnership opportunities, teaching with technology, community engagement, technical writing and grant proposals, technology in fieldwork, dissemination skills, research design, and finding funding as their highest priorities. Additional identified needs include open access analysis software skills, obtaining advanced degrees, and womens leadership development. While data are still being processed, most capacity building activity participants reveal evidence of ongoing positive outputs and outcomes like increased access to professional opportunities, newly formed and strengthened international and local university-community partnerships, improved quality of research and outreach programs, improved integration of teaching, research, and practice, submitted and funded applied and community-based research grants, and cross-cutting, interdisciplinary, and multi-institution projects and products. Faculty and administrative turnover, limited and shifting resources, redundancy and competition with NGO and public health services, communications infrastructure, and productivity pressure are salient challenges. Funding for U.S.-based faculty and student exchange activities remains elusive.

Discussion/Implications for the Field:

Institutional emphasis on university-university-community partnerships may improve individual and institutional capacity to integrate research, teaching, and outreach activities in community settings, especially in building and sustaining effective, responsive, and appropriately-funded SBC programs. While capacity-building projects may be challenging to implement, long-term in nature, and diffuse in terms of health outcomes, substantial investments in training and partnership are needed for collective impact on the social and behavioral elements of urgent public health challenges. Such projects reflect the substantial, collaborative investments needed to share resources and training opportunities that are otherwise inaccessible to faculty, students, and communities in divergent public health contexts.

Abstract submitted by:

Stephanie Grutzmacher - Oregon State University
Briana Rockler - Oregon State University
Nigussie Tadesse - Debre Berhan University
Admas Berhanu - Wolkite University