Project Spotlight: Interorganizational Mentoring - A PARIHS-Inspired Approach to Facilitation in Knowledge Mobilization
By Lisa Lachance, President, Wisdom2Action
Wisdom2Action was funded through the Networks of Centres of Excellence Knowledge Mobilization program from 2011-2019, and continues on as a social entreprise providing services in engagement, evaluation and KMb (wisdom2action.org). W2A has used the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) framework to conceptualize its work since 2013 through gathering diverse research, practice and lived evidence, contextualizing the evidence for service providers, and facilitating the uptake of best and promising practices (Kitson, Harvey, & McCormack, 1998; Harvey et al., 2002). We have had a particular focus on supporting youth-serving sector to increase its use of evaluation, evidence and engagement.
Community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs) rarely have access to research or evaluation evidence to inform their programs and often lack the capacity to gather or use this information independently. In 2016, W2A launched an inter-organizational mentorship program to facilitate the implementation and sharing of best and promising practices within community-based programs for young people. CBOs were invited to review the W2A online evaluation and KMb toolkit, and then apply for 100 hours of free mentorship support to use one of the tools or meet another KMb goal. Through W2A and its regional Hubs, mentors worked with mentees on one-year project workplans, and over the lifespan of the project, 24 organizations were mentored. A developmental evaluation of the mentorship program reinforced the importance of establishing connected relationships and understanding context in mentoring relationships, creating adaptive and responsive work plans, ensuring consistent communication, and maintaining a focus on capacity-building if knowledge mobilization is to occur.
For more information on the work of Wisdom2Action, please check out our website at wisdom2action.org or contact W2A President Lisa Lachance at Lisa.Lachance@dal.ca
References
Harvey, G., Loftus-Hills, A., Rycroft-Malone, J., Titchen, A., Kitson, A., McCormack, B., & Seers, K. (2002). Getting evidence into practice: the role and function of facilitation. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 37(6), 577–588. https://doi.org/2126 [pii]
Kitson, A., Harvey, G., & McCormack, B. (1998). Enabling the implementation of evidence based practice: a conceptual framework. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 7(3), 149–158. https://doi.org/10.1136/qshc.7.3.149
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