Table 1

Overview of the intervention components and subcomponents, their delivery mode and goals

ComponentsIntervention subcomponents/sessionsFormat/modeGoals
Audit, feedback and goal setting

  1. Feedback forum*

Interactive feedback (from the preintervention measures) forum for executive staff. Opportunities for improvement are identified. Further feedback sessions are provided mid-intervention and at the conclusion of the trialLeaders make informed decisions about opportunities for growing their agencies’ capacity to use research
Leadership programme

  1. Leading organisational change*

  2. Supporting the use of evidence in the team*

Interactive forums for executive staff. Forum 1 presents feedback about the agency's use (see above). Forums 2 and 3 explore how leaders can build capacity. Forums provided by policy experts and leaders in knowledge exchange. Real world examples and collaborative problem-solving usedLeaders can identify modifiable barriers to research-informed policy/programme development and identify strategies for reducing them in their agencies
Agency support for research

  1. Quarterly email endorsements from the participating agency CEO*

  2. Web CIPHER

  3. Tools and resources

  1. CEO email to all staff supporting SPIRIT, promoting the use of research in agency and providing links to relevant resources

  2. Access via Web CIPHER to new research, evidence libraries and research expertise

  3. Provision of useful information at R4P sessions, such as key publications from leaders in knowledge exchange

1. Staff see that their senior leader values the use of research in policy/programme work and that they (staff) have increased regard for the value of research in policy/programme work
2. Staff are given access to research resources
3. Staff attending R4P events receive hardcopy resources to guide action responses
Opportunity to test systems for accessing research and reviews

  1. A brokered rapid review or the development of an evaluation plan or a brokered analysis of local linked data†

Intervention officers and nominated staff negotiate the product requirements (research questions, timelines, deliverables, etc). Expert researchers develop the product or consult on its development. Agency staff may be as involved in the process of developing the product as they wishStaff gain experience commissioning a review/an evaluation/a piece of linked data analysis
Agencies have a research product that directly addresses a current priority or concern and use it to inform their policy/programme work
Research exchange1. Research exchanges Δ 2. E-bulletins ΔEmbedded Image

  1. A tailored interactive form that brings together researchers and policymakers around a topic specified by the agency

  2. Receipt of a summary of recently published systematic reviews relevant to the agency's work

Staff receive accessible research information that directly addresses current priorities or concerns and use it to inform their policy/programme work
R4P symposia for staff

  1. Using research in policy/programme development*

  2. Accessing and applying systematic reviews‡

  3. Skills for appraising research‡

  4. Policy and programme evaluation‡

  5. Commissioning research‡

Educational workshops for all policy/programme staff provided by respected policy experts (session 1) and content experts (sessions 2 and 3)
Use of real-world case examples (including agency cases), small group discussion and feedback and participant questions		Staff understand and value the role of research in informing policy/programme development
Staff have increased knowledge and skills in research use in areas selected by the agency

  • *This is a standard subcomponent with some tailoring. For example, agency leaders edit pro forma emails (leadership endorsement), feedback focuses on that agency's measures and their response (feedback forum) and agency-nominated case examples and concerns are explored to increase relevance and applicability (all others).

  • †This is an entirely tailored subcomponent. For research exchanges, agencies identify the topic, the questions to be addressed and the delivery format (eg, provider type, group size, level of interactivity). For e-bulletins, they identify the topic, scope and target audience of the information. Agencies may choose three research exchanges or three e-bulletins or a mixture of both. For brokered services, agencies select one service and identify its focus, working with knowledge brokers to develop a product which meets their needs.

  • ‡This is a selected subcomponent. Agencies are provided with a menu of options and select those that will best meet their needs. Agency case examples and concerns are explored to increase relevance and applicability.

  • CEO, chief executive officer; CIPHER, Centre for Informing Policy in Health with Evidence from Research; SPIRIT, Supporting Policy In Health with Research: an Intervention Trial.