Partnerships are a core element of Global Health research. LSHTM is committed to building equitable research partnerships that facilitate understanding, fairness, awareness of each other’s contexts, trust and mutual exchange of expertise and knowledge. We have developed the EquiPar Tool to help our researchers think through their partnerships systematically and to promote effective and equitable collaboration. EquiPar is being piloted for six months by a sample of five to eight research projects, and an evaluation of this pilot will assess the perceptions and experiences of LSHTM staff and partners involved in these projects and identify options for improvement.
The EquiPar Tool is designed to provide practical and pragmatic guidance for establishing and strengthening equitable partnerships.
Partnerships are a core element of Global Health research. LSHTM is committed to building equitable research partnerships that facilitate understanding, fairness, awareness of each other’s contexts, trust and mutual exchange of expertise and knowledge. Building on existing guidelines, we have developed the EquiPar Tool to Support Equitable Partnerships for Research Projects, to help LSHTM and our partners establish strong foundations and processes for our research partnerships. We intend that research teams will use EquiPar in their current and developing research projects to help them think through their partnerships systematically, prompting action and change where necessary to promote effective and equitable collaboration.
EquiPar is being piloted for six months by a sample of five to eight research projects involving collaboration between LSHTM and LMIC partners, and an evaluation of this pilot will be conducted. The evaluation aims to assess the perceptions and experiences of LSHTM staff and our partners in using EquiPar, and to identify options for improvement. An online workshop was held at the start of the pilot to introduce EquiPar and obtain initial feedback. At the end of the 6 month pilot the evaluation team will conduct an online survey of all project staff who have engaged with the tool; in-depth interviews with a sub-set of staff from each project; and a closing workshop to present and discuss preliminary findings. Outputs will include a revised version of the Tool (assuming it is found to be useful), a report of the findings of the pilot evaluation, potentially a paper for publication, and communications resources to promote the tool.
Further details of the pilot and the participating projects are available in the Evaluation of the EquiPar Pilot introductory presentation.
Principal Investigators
- Catherine Goodman (LSHTM)
- Virginia Bond (LSHTM)
Co-Investigators
- Amiya Bhatia (LSHTM)
- Meenakshi Gautham (LSHTM)
- Lucy Gilson (LSHTM)
- Rachel Kawuma (MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit)
- Tolib Mirzoev (LSHTM)
- Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah (University of Cape Coast, Ghana)
- Fredros Okumu (Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania)
- Walaiporn Patcharanarumol (International Health Policy Program, Thailand)
- Joanna Schellenberg (LSHTM)
- Abdul Karim Sesay (MRC Unit the Gambia at LSHTM)
- Prashanth N Srinivas (Institute of Public Health Bangalore, India)
- Shirine Voller (LSHTM)
The EquiPar Tool is designed to provide practical and pragmatic guidance for establishing and strengthening equitable partnerships. It has been designed with individual research projects in mind and poses questions for research teams to consider on three key themes: people management and relationships, research activities and outputs, and contracting and resource management. The tool can be used by researchers at multiple stages during the research cycle, with the expectation that the questions posed can be considered in an open and consultative way with partners. We hope that the tool will be a useful resource for LSHTM staff and our partners, and that it may also be of relevance to other organisations working in Global Health research. An overview of the tool and how to use it is available in the EquiPar Tool introductory presentation.
The EquiPar Tool is available to download and can be used by all interested stakeholders. While the evaluation study will focus on the projects piloting the tool, we welcome feedback and suggestions for improvements from other researchers and teams who have made use of the tool. Feedback can be submitted via the EquiPar Virtual Suggestion Box.
Enhancing the Equity of our Research Partnerships: The evidence base and LSHTM’s approach
Presentation given by Catherine Goodman, Shirine Voller and Virginia Bond at the Health Systems Research 2022 conference, Bogotá
Enhancing the Equity of our Research Partnerships presentation
LSHTM resources listed in the EquiPar Tool
The Tool lists a number of resources produced by partnerships involving LSHTM, which may provide useful models for others:
- RECAP Capacity Strengthening Workplan
- RESYST Consortium Capacity Development Strategy
- RESYST Consortium Capacity Needs Assessment
- RESYST Consortium Satisfaction Survey
- E-Pharmacy Publication Guidelines and Plan
- AMFm Dissemination Principles
Resources for LSHTM staff
In addition to the resources listed in the Tool, the following resources and guidance on data management and contracting are available to staff on the LSHTM intranet: