Article type
Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to rapidly identify and synthesize large volumes of scientific evidence to inform actions and advice at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The demand for contextualized, fit-for-purpose evidence at PHAC often exceeded capacity during the pandemic, and Agency-wide support for evidence synthesis coordination, production, and mobilization emerged as a critical need.
Objectives
The Office of the Chief Science Officer (OCSO) at PHAC aimed to provide horizontal support beyond the pandemic to continue enabling the production, coordination, and mobilization of rapid evidence products that address a wide range of public health priorities.
Methods
The OCSO leveraged mechanisms and relationships established during the pandemic to continue providing Agency-wide coordination, support, and expertise for the production of evidence syntheses. The key functions of the evidence support system have been based on needs identified through internal stakeholder engagements, insights from the Global Commission on Evidence report, and available funding mechanisms and procurement strategies. To enable the production of rapid evidence products at PHAC, OCSO has also leveraged existing collaborations with various internal and external evidence producers, such as the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools and McMaster Health Forum.
Results
The OCSO has developed a formalized process to enable the production of rapid evidence syntheses to address a wide range of priority public health topics at PHAC, including emerging threats and emergency response. While program areas provide the subject-matter expertise, OCSO provides expertise by coordinating engagements, identifying relevant internal and external linkages, scoping research questions, and recommending outputs. This role has enabled the production of over 300 evidence reviews (including updates) since 2020.
OCSO has also played a critical knowledge mobilization role for PHAC, both during and after the pandemic, ensuring evidence products are shared broadly with internal and external stakeholders. Many products produced and commissioned by PHAC are available online.
Conclusions
The OCSO established an innovative evidence synthesis coordination and support function at PHAC that has enabled the production and mobilization of contextualized, fit-for-purpose rapid evidence products that support evidence-informed decision-making at PHAC.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to rapidly identify and synthesize large volumes of scientific evidence to inform actions and advice at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The demand for contextualized, fit-for-purpose evidence at PHAC often exceeded capacity during the pandemic, and Agency-wide support for evidence synthesis coordination, production, and mobilization emerged as a critical need.
Objectives
The Office of the Chief Science Officer (OCSO) at PHAC aimed to provide horizontal support beyond the pandemic to continue enabling the production, coordination, and mobilization of rapid evidence products that address a wide range of public health priorities.
Methods
The OCSO leveraged mechanisms and relationships established during the pandemic to continue providing Agency-wide coordination, support, and expertise for the production of evidence syntheses. The key functions of the evidence support system have been based on needs identified through internal stakeholder engagements, insights from the Global Commission on Evidence report, and available funding mechanisms and procurement strategies. To enable the production of rapid evidence products at PHAC, OCSO has also leveraged existing collaborations with various internal and external evidence producers, such as the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools and McMaster Health Forum.
Results
The OCSO has developed a formalized process to enable the production of rapid evidence syntheses to address a wide range of priority public health topics at PHAC, including emerging threats and emergency response. While program areas provide the subject-matter expertise, OCSO provides expertise by coordinating engagements, identifying relevant internal and external linkages, scoping research questions, and recommending outputs. This role has enabled the production of over 300 evidence reviews (including updates) since 2020.
OCSO has also played a critical knowledge mobilization role for PHAC, both during and after the pandemic, ensuring evidence products are shared broadly with internal and external stakeholders. Many products produced and commissioned by PHAC are available online.
Conclusions
The OCSO established an innovative evidence synthesis coordination and support function at PHAC that has enabled the production and mobilization of contextualized, fit-for-purpose rapid evidence products that support evidence-informed decision-making at PHAC.