HIPNET - Health Information and Publications Network

HIPNet Meeting Minutes - Feb. 11, 2004

Health Information and Publications Network (HIPNET)
Meeting on Collaboration and Coordination
February 11, 2004


Contents
HIPNET Meeting - Executive Summary
Meeting Objectives
Setting the Context
Small Groups

Group 1: What is valued most about HIPNET?
Group 2: Meeting the Needs of the Field
Group 2-A
Group 2-B
Group 2-C
Group 3: Collaboration for Results

Creating the Framework for Collaboration
Bringing the Framework to Life
Needs Assessment, Demand Creation and Evaluation Group
Data Collection/Aggregation of Knowledge/Information Group
Framing/Synthesis/Structure/Conceptualizing Group
Design/Media/Packaging/Production Group
Dissemination Group
The Way Forward
Next Steps
Core Groups Identified At Feb. 11 HIPNET Meeting
List of Participants - Feb 11th
Appendix A-Ten Elements of Effective Alliances

Executive Summary
On February 11th, about 45 members of the Health Information and Publications Network (HIPNET) and USAID's Global Bureau met for a second day to discuss general opportunities for collaborating agencies (CAs) to work together to produce more effective field-focused information resources. The goal of the meeting was to create a shared vision for effective joint information efforts. For information on the Feb. 10 meeting, which focused on collaboration in the area of FP/HIV integration, please see the Feb.10 notes.
Participants agreed that a model for collaborating on joint publications and information resources must highlight individual agencies' competitive advantages, help build capacity, use financial resources most efficiently, and be field-focused. They also concurred that USAID's thirty years of reproductive health and family planning experience offers significant lessons learned for future efforts at collaboration and coordination. Any HIPNET collaborative model must be sure to engage the entire community of collaborating agencies.

Participants identified five areas in which to explore further coordination and collaboration:
1. Needs Assessment, Demand Creation and Evaluation
2. Data Collection/Aggregation of Knowledge/Information
3. Framing/Synthesis/Structure/Conceptualizing
4. Design/Media/Packaging/Production
5. Dissemination

Volunteers signed up to co-chair and participate in each of these groups. Groups will meet in the next couple of week, explore ideas, and develop more concrete proposals. USAID will give feedback on its support for these proposals.

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Meeting Objectives
· Identify information resources needs of the field.
· Discuss and share best practices in collaboration related to producing, collecting, synthesizing, and disseminating information resources.
· Create a shared vision around enhancing program (HIPNET, CAs, USAID) effectiveness to support the field's needs for information resources.
· Develop a collaborative process and plan to enhance the effectiveness of meeting the field's need for information resources.

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Setting the Context
Margaret Neuse welcomed participants and set the context for this meeting from USAID's point of view. HIPNET has grown over the years from a working group concerned only with training materials to a larger group that includes more of the communication aspects of our work. This reflects the growth of technology and a changing world. As we move forward we need to think about how we can build on what HIPNET already is/already does.
There are two issues that we should keep on our agenda as we move forward:
  1. We need to make sure HIPNET is addressing our needs. We need to focus on:
    • Best Practices
    • Advancing and supporting voluntary family planning/reproductive health services
    • Global leadership
    • Knowledge generation and sharing
    • The field. To make what we do relevant to the field we must make sure that:
    • Services are effective and efficient
    • People in the field have the right information they need to provide services
    • They have access to what they need when they need it
    • Working with others: donors, non-CAs etc.
  2. Publications:
    • Make sure they have the greatest impact possible
    • Make sure information is available to people who need it
    • Should be more effective (bigger "bang-for-the-buck")

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Small Groups
This group discussed its responses to the following three questions and created two flipcharts to share with the larger group - the first on the value of HIPNET and how it meets and exceeds the needs of the field; the second on the group's hopes for enhancing the effectiveness of HIPNET.

Group 1: What is valued most about HIPNET?

  1. What do you value most regarding your association with HIPNET?
  2. In what ways has HIPNET helped to meet & exceed the information resources needs of the field?
  3. What relationships have developed and/or strengthened through your involvement with HIPNET?

The Value of HIPNET

Enhancing the Effectiveness of HIPNET

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Group 2: Meeting the Needs of the Field
Due to size, this group divided into three separate groups, each of which considered the questions and reported back separately. The groups discussed the questions below and developed two flipcharts: the first on key audiences, information resources needs of the field, and meeting and exceeding the needs of the field. The second flipchart covered each group's ideas for enhancing the effectiveness of HIPNET. Questions:

  1. Who are the key audiences for the information resources that HIPNET serves?
  2. What are the current and future information/knowledge needs of these audiences?
  3. What resources or services do you know of which best meet and exceed these needs?
  4. What three wishes do you have to enhance the effectiveness of HIPNET? In what ways can HIPNET better serve the field’s need for information resources?

Group 2-A
Enhancing the Effectiveness of HIPNET

Key Audiences

Information/Knowledge Needs

Resources/Services that Best Meet These Needs

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Group 2-B
Enhancing the Effectiveness of HIPNET

Key Audiences
Resources/Services that best meet these needs

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Group 2-C
Enhancing the Effectiveness of HIPNET

  1. HIPNET to play more of a brokering/synthesis role
  2. Mailing list available
  3. Improving method of distribution of materials
  4. Strengthening groups/individuals in field to make resources available (capacity building in field)

Key Audiences

Information/Knowledge Needs

Resources/Services that best meet these needs:

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Group 3: Collaboration for Results
This group discussed the following questions and developed two flipcharts; the first contained the key ingredients for effective collaboration, how to collaborate to meet and exceed the needs of the field. The second covered their wishes to enhance the effectiveness of HIPNET
Questions:

  1. Think about a time when you collaborated with others (i.e., within your organization, HIPNET, other CA’s, USAID/W, and/or the field) where you accomplished more and created results that you could not have achieved alone. Please share the details of your story: Who was involved and what were the positive outcomes and benefits you experienced? What were the key ingredients (tools, structures, processes) which enabled this collaboration or partnership to succeed?
  2. Take a moment to think of how collaboration can enhance our effectiveness in meeting the information resources needs of the field. Please share your ideas on what has contributed to our success in collaborating to meet and exceed the needs of the field. What barriers exist currently, that if removed, would further enhance our ability to serve the field’s information resources needs?
  3. What three wishes do you have to enhance the effectiveness of HIPNET? In what ways can HIPNET better serve the field’s need for information resources?

Enhancing the Effectiveness of HIPNET

Examples of Other Successful Collaborations

  1. PATH collaboration with other CAs and private sector - Example: Alliance for Cervical Cancer (ACCP).

  2. Essentials Handbook under MAQ
    · Sharing mailing lists
    · Sending to main office in US rather than directly to field was better
    · Emails, announcements

  3. Wilson Center

Success Factors and Barriers to Collaboration

Key Audiences

Pitfalls

Collaboration At Field Level With Non-Aid Organizations

Benefits To The Field

Key Themes

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Creating the Framework for Collaboration

The larger group came back together and discussed what kind of framework would be most useful as a vehicle for continued discussion about how to collaborate. Ward Rinehart proposed a framework based on the stages or steps in developing a publication or information resource. They included:

After some additional discussion, the group decided to form into the following smaller groups:

  1. Needs Assessment, Demand Creation and Evaluation
  2. Data Collection/Aggregation of Knowledge/Information
  3. Framing/Synthesis/Structure/Conceptualizing
  4. Design/Media/Packaging/Production
  5. Dissemination

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Bringing the Framework to Life
People self-selected groups for which they had energy and enthusiasm. Each group was asked to consider the following questions:

  1. What are the top three initiatives we should consider to move our topic forward?
  2. What are the most important first steps we can take to move these initiatives forward?
  3. How, as a collaborative process, can we most effectively and efficiently move these initiatives forward?

Each group then created flip charts which listed topic areas with their

  1. Top 3 initiatives
  2. Most important first steps
  3. Opportunities for collaboration

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Needs Assessment, Demand Creation and Evaluation Group

Initiative #1: Collaborate in identifying needs from the field

Initiative #2: Coordination of publications

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Data Collection/Aggregation of Knowledge/Information Group

Initiative #1: Yellow Pages of CAs

Initiative #2: Yellow Pages of Topics and Tools

Initiative #3: Yellow Pages of Countries

HOW: publicly recognize those who do all this, and shame those who don’t.

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Framing/Synthesis/Structure/Conceptualizing Group

Initiative #1: Share what works

Initiative #2: Research on factors that enhance/impede application of knowledge

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Design/Media/Packaging/Production Group

Initiative #1: Establish design and production guidelines (all media)

Initiative #2: Identify developing country resources (building overseas capacities)

Initiative #3: Establish state-of-the-art technology and information group to keep up with field capacity/needs

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Dissemination Group

Initiative #1: HIPNET collaborative dissemination

Initiative #2: Web based dissemination portal

Initiative #3: Common distribution center (physical)

Initiative #4: Develop a field dissemination network

HIPNET Dissemination Group - Meeting Notes - 2/20/04

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The Way Forward
After the five small (core) groups presented their work to the big group the big group made a list of what was missing or might be duplicative of existing resources in these proposals and visions. The group also maid a list of key assumptions that were being made.

What’s Missing or Duplicative?

Key Assumptions

  1. MONEY
  2. People
  3. Focus, selected collaboration
  4. USAID valuing knowledge/process
  5. Expansion of audiences and voices
  6. Engaging developing world partners in knowledge sharing/mining (and making that a holistic process) at each step
  7. Make sure the right people are in the room

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Next Steps

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