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Turning Evidence into Action
We work alongside governments, communities, and global partners to identify effective solutions, test what works, and scale proven approaches. By combining rigorous research, practical innovation, health service delivery, technical expertise, and community engagement, we help transform evidence into lasting impact for underserved populations.
Community Engagement
IRD has long taken a community-based approach to public health programming and service delivery. Through the Community Engagement (CE) Collective, IRD strengthens its ability to work closely with communities and support collective action to address health concerns and their social determinants. The CE Collective serves as IRD’s learning and resource hub for participatory practice across health and social sectors.
Drawing on adult learning frameworks, participatory approaches, and arts-based methodologies, the CE Collective supports programs to connect community priorities with health interventions and strengthen locally driven solutions.
We generate contextual evidence on community practices across multiple health domains. The CE Collective maintains a repository of literature, frameworks, tools, and training materials that inform program design and strengthen institutional capacity.
We build human capital through experiential and transformational learning. Our offerings include community engagement capacity-building workshops, arts-based methods, cascaded training-of-trainers models, and health education modules that strengthen both frontline teams and institutions.
We develop and support innovative outreach strategies — including participatory theatre, community action groups, digital engagement, and co-creation workshops — to support program delivery and strengthen community participation.
Through these approaches, the CE Collective enables IRD to:
- Connect community needs with programmatic outcomes
- Empower communities for localized and sustained action
- Build human resources capable of mobilizing communities for social change and health development
By strengthening social capital and community participation, IRD helps ensure programs are locally relevant, trusted, and sustainable.
Delivery
IRD works alongside governments, communities, and private-sector partners to deliver proven health solutions at scale. Our delivery models are designed to reach underserved populations while strengthening existing systems and building local capacity. Our delivery approach is anchored in three areas:
We support the delivery of health services through community-based, facility-based, and outreach models. Programs are designed to maximize coverage, quality, and equity across diverse populations.
We strengthen the operational foundations required for effective service delivery, including workforce training, supply chain management, supportive supervision, and quality improvement systems.
We deploy digital tools and reporting platforms that improve visibility, accountability, and decision-making. These systems enable real-time monitoring and support continuous program improvement.
Through integrated delivery models, IRD helps ensure that millions of people receive timely, high-quality health services without creating parallel systems.
Pilots
IRD designs, tests, and refines innovative solutions before they are implemented at scale. Our pilot programs help determine what works, for whom, and under what conditions—ensuring that new interventions are practical, effective, and sustainable. Our pilot approach focuses on three key areas:
We develop and adapt interventions, technologies, and service delivery models to fit local contexts and health system realities. This includes diagnostic innovations, digital tools, treatment approaches, and operational improvements.
We work closely with frontline health workers, facilities, and communities to understand workflows, behaviors, incentives, and barriers. This helps ensure that solutions are feasible, acceptable, and responsive to user needs.
We evaluate effectiveness, costs, operational requirements, and implementation feasibility. By assessing readiness for expansion from the outset, we help partners identify solutions that can be sustainably adopted at scale.
Through this process, IRD transforms promising ideas into proven approaches that governments and partners can implement with confidence.
Policy Advocacy
IRD works with governments, donors, and civil society partners to translate evidence into policies, financing, and systems change. By connecting research, implementation experience, and stakeholder engagement, we help create the enabling environments needed for sustainable impact. Our policy advocacy approach includes three key components:
We synthesize research findings and implementation lessons into practical recommendations that inform national strategies, guidelines, and decision-making processes.
We convene policymakers, technical experts, donors, and community representatives to build consensus, foster collaboration, and accelerate the adoption of effective solutions.
We support governments in integrating successful interventions into routine systems, mobilizing domestic resources, and removing policy barriers that limit implementation and scale.
Through these efforts, IRD helps ensure that proven solutions become embedded within national systems, policies, and financing structures for long-term impact.
Research
IRD generates high-quality evidence that informs policy, strengthens programs, and improves health outcomes in low-resource settings. Working closely with communities, governments, and academic institutions, we conduct research that addresses real-world challenges and identifies practical solutions for scale. Our research approach operates across three interconnected areas:
We study how health interventions are delivered in real-world settings, identifying barriers, facilitators, and opportunities to improve program performance. This includes operational research, implementation science, and health systems studies that strengthen service delivery.
We conduct surveys, impact evaluations, and outcome assessments to measure effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and equity. These insights help governments and partners make informed decisions about policies, programs, and investments.
We test emerging ideas, technologies, and approaches through exploratory studies and pilot evaluations. By generating context-specific evidence, we help identify innovations with the potential for broader adoption and scale.
Through these efforts, IRD produces actionable evidence that shapes policy, informs investment decisions, and strengthens health systems across the Global South.
Technical Assistance
IRD provides practical, hands-on support to governments and partners seeking to strengthen health systems and scale proven interventions. Our technical assistance model combines strategic expertise with embedded collaboration to build long-term institutional capacity. We focus on three core areas:
We support governments and organizations with strategic planning, program development, implementation roadmaps, and scale-up strategies that align with national priorities.
We strengthen workforce capabilities through training, mentoring, coaching, and the development of tools and resources that improve program performance and institutional effectiveness.
We support monitoring and evaluation systems, digital transformation, data analytics, and performance dashboards that enable evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.
Through targeted technical support, IRD helps partners build resilient systems capable of sustaining impact long after projects conclude.
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