Draft Agenda
COHRED Think Tank meeting Priority Setting in Research for Health
Geneva, 20 and 21 February, 2006
Venue: Conference Centre Varembé (Geneva)
Monday February 20, 2006
(9am – 5pm)
The aim of the consultation is to increase our understanding of how priority setting for health research can contribute to health and development at the country level. The consultation is the starting point of an ongoing learning process, aimed at developing an approach towards priority setting that can be continuously adapted when new experiences become available.
The first day of the consultation will focus around the question ‘How to develop a national priority research agenda for health?’ During this day we will take stock of past experiences and look at the usefulness of priority setting, and the best processes and best methods to set priorities.
9 am – 12 am:
- Introductions:
• Carel IJsselmuiden: Welcome and general aims of the consultation
• Sylvia de Haan: Outline of the two days, process that will be followed & key
areas to be addressed in priority setting for research for health
- Discussion on aims of the meeting and the main issues to be discussed
- Why set health research priorities? What is the usefulness of priority setting?
General brainstorm identifying the main reasons for defining a priority research agenda, looking at economic, political, ethical and health reasons, and considering the overall research system and key values of research for health. Other issues that need to be considered include: the definition used for research; the link between national and international research agenda’s.
- Which process is needed to set national health research priorities? Explamples of best practice?
Who should lead the process, who else should be involved, and when should people and organizations be involved? What are the mechanisms and agreements needed to guide and coordinate the process? Which preparatory work is needed to define priorities: decisions re information needed, methods to be used, criteria and ranking to be applied? What should the focus of priority setting be (disease oriented versus more system oriented)? What is the time perspective needed for priority setting (short versus long term perspective)? What type of research should be prioritized?
12 am – 13.30 pm : Lunch
13.30 – 17.00:
- Which methods can be used?
Review of existing methods, criteria and ranking of criteria and the experiences that participants have in applying these. Is it possible to recommend the use of certain methods? What are advantages and disadvantages of methods?
Evening: A joint dinner will be organized, further details will be provided during the meeting
Tuesday February 21, 2006
9am – 4pm
The second day of the consultation we will look forward and address the question ‘What’s next?’ What is needed to make priority setting work? A more detailed agenda for day two will follow from the discussions of the first day, but some of the questions that will be addressed include:
- How can priority setting for health research influence public debate around health and development issues?
- Should priority be given to conduct research in the areas with a highest chance of success?
- How to use national priorities to influence international priorities?
- How to monitor and evaluate progress with the implementation of a research agenda?
- How to keep a priority agenda alive?
- How can the priority setting process contribute to the development of a national health research system?
- How can COHRED best support national priority setting? (issues of brokerage and enabling)
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