In addition to exploring the dynamics of engagement and knowledge exchange, a core aim of this work has been to learn from projects and organisations that are working in exemplary or innovative ways to foster equitable and inclusive health research and the open exchange of knowledge. Through the public survey and stakeholder interviews undertaken during the landscaping as well as the embedded knowledge of our diverse project team, we developed a list of 100 potential projects to explore in this phase.
Then, drawing on insights from our rapid landscaping, we developed a set of inclusion criteria to help us identify promising models of practice that aligned with the commitments of the Centres for Exchange project. We agreed that the selected models of practice should:
- Hold transformation or power shifting as a fundamental objective
- Draw on innovative models and ways of working, moving beyond the “usual” modes of engagement
- Focus on institutional culture change, not simply instrumental community engagement
- Focus on engaging/working with those who have been unreached or actively excluded from research
- Be place-based or have a geographically located component of their work
Through a rapid desk review, we applied these criteria to select priority models of practice in this phase . We focused particularly on organisations located in South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico and India, but also included case studies based outside of the priority geographies when these held outstanding opportunities for learning.
The case studies included key informant interviews, desk research, and dialogues with researchers, practitioners, and lived experience experts. In the repository, we share 14 of these case studies as an initial collection to help to ground the different strategic areas of the Centres for Exchange vision.
Explore the models of practice
We know that there are many more exciting people and projects leading transformative practice in diverse places and across different and intersection issues. We’re excited to continue to expand our repository to include more projects and organisations! If you are working in such a project or know others doing work you feel deserves to be highlighted, please drop us a message.