Under the RTAC project, PRB worked with USAID-funded research teams to amplify their results through effective communications and strategies to amplify research findings in a local policy context. Through multi-day technical assistance workshops, PRB led research teams through an intensive Research-to-Action (R2A) planning process, which included identifying R2A goals and objectives; identifying, prioritizing, and creating plans to engage stakeholders; developing key messages and planning for communication product dissemination; and creating a plan to systematically monitor and evaluate results.
The key output of each workshop were the RTAC produced Research-to-Action (R2A) Plans, which serve as a resource for the teams to guide implementation of the R2A activities identified during the workshop. The plan maps out the steps needed to achieve R2A objectives . As the plans are living documents that teams may update based on research progress and new opportunities identified; they are not shared publicly.
Under the RTAC project, PRB held ten full-length Research-to-Action workshops and completed 10 R2A plans:
- Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Development and Evaluation of Multiplex Point of Care DNA Assays in Tunisia
- Scaling Up Quality Kangaroo Mother Care Practices in Indonesia
- Using Contact Tracing to Reduce the Burden of Childhood Tuberculosis in the Northern Philippines
- Off-grid, Clean Energy Cooling for Affordable Storage of Perishables for Bottom-of-the-pyramid Farmers in India
- Baselining Persistent and Emerging Organic Pollutant Levels in Environmental and Engineered Systems (PEOPLES) for a Healthy Philippines
- Unlocking Agricultural Potential in Drylands: Enhancing Efficient Utilization of Soil Moisture for Improved Smallholder Farm Productivity in Arid and Semi-arid Lands in Kenya
- · Mapping of Pesticide Residue and Oocysts on Vegetable and Fruits Using Low-cost Field-based Assays in Nepal
- Assessing the Impact of Evaporative Cooling Technologies for Improved Vegetable Preservation in Mali
- Teacher Wellbeing and Social Emotional Learning Study in Liberia
- Strengthening Women Smallholder Farmers’ Resilience to Agricultural Shocks for Enhanced Income Diversification and Empowerment in Uganda
PRB also delivered customized mini-R2A workshops for several groups, leading them through the steps of developing R2A plans that fit their needs and resources. One example of this was the series of virtual sessions designed for research teams funded by USAID’s Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Covid-19 program. These teams each worked with a PRB staff member to create and finetune a high-level R2A plan to maximize the impact of their Covid-19 related research findings.
Training of Facilitators R2A Workshop
As part of the RTAC project, PRB also held four R2A Training of Facilitators workshops. During each workshop, PRB led USAID staff (mainly outside of the Research Division, and hand selected by USAID ITR/R) through the training necessary to plan and lead an R2A workshop. Over 50 USAID staff participated in one of the four workshops. After the conclusion of each training, USAID and PRB adjusted the workshop based off feedback from course participants. In the final workshops, USAID staff joined PRB as facilitators in the Training of Facilitators workshop.