Research, Learning, Networking

During the SOHIP design mission consultations with EDOs Health, the design team found that EDOs have a clear vision for the functioning of district health systems, and that many of them are facing the same challenges and obstacles in achieving their vision. The team also found that many EDOs individually are trying different solutions to their problems, but that there are no organized forums for them to dialogue with each other to exchange information about their ideas and innovations. By sponsoring information exchange forums, SOHIP can help to support EDOs and DHMT members to build their professional experience, and also support both health sector service delivery and management improvements through the exchange of new ideas and best practices.

SOHIP will support selected action-oriented and policy-oriented research projects undertaken by DHMT members, district-based academic institutions, NGOs or community groups (with appropriate track records). Priority research themes will be identified by the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the Project Steering Committee and detailed in each annual work plan, and individual research projects will also be approved by the ExCo. For action research projects, small funds will be made available for district research teams (including members of DHMT) to test their proposed solutions. Most action research projects will be undertaken in SOHIP project districts (Mianwali and Pakpattan). However, where directed by ExCo, SOHIP may also support a limited number (up to 25%) of action research proposals in other districts of Punjab. Larger policy research projects (pulling together multiple ideas and exploring project themes across more than one district in Punjab) will also be supported with approval from the ExCo. Policy research projects will be tendered to credible research firms, academic institutions or NGOs through a competitive process to be developed in collaboration with the ExCo in the first six months of the project. Action research and policy research findings will be disseminated through semi-annual EDO-H/DHMT Forums and appropriate conference presentations as well as through the project web-site and newsletter.