Cochrane is delighted to share this Request for Proposal for a new project to develop and support the monitoring and evaluation work of Cochrane’s Knowledge Translation (KT) activities.

Knowledge Translation in Cochrane is defined as “the process of supporting the use of health evidence from our high quality, trusted Cochrane Reviews by those who need it to make health decisions.” 

Across Cochrane, KT activities are designed and implemented in a way which we hope is most likely to impact on the usefulness, and the use of, our reviews. We know that understanding how to monitor and evaluate knowledge translation work is a topic that has consistently been identified as a priority. As more Cochrane groups develop their KT work, providing support (which may include training, guidance and examples) to develop mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation is imperative so that we can work towards understanding the impact of Cochrane evidence on affecting change in policy and practice.

This new and exciting opportunity is a commissioned piece of work open to anyone within Cochrane’s Community as well as external organizations working in this area. The successful proposal will help develop formal frameworks and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating Cochrane’s KT activities and to develop training materials and resources to support Cochrane contributors and members build plans for monitoring and evaluating their KT work programmes.

We are looking for a successful project team with the following skills:

• An in-depth understanding of programme theory (logic models and/or theory of change) and monitoring and evaluation framework; and, with the expertise and experience to apply this understanding into practical implementation;
• Experience of working with at least one of the Cochrane’s KT audiences, (consumers and the public; practitioners; policy-makers and healthcare managers; researchers and research funders) to develop both programme theories (logic models and/or theory of change) and developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks based on these with a focus on implementation;

Further details of objectives and deliverables are available in the Request for Proposal.

All applications should be sent via email to Jo Anthony, Head of Knowledge Translation, janthony@cochrane.org by Thursday 31st October 2019, 17:00 GMT.

If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Jo or Karen Head, Cochrane’s Knowledge Translation Project Manager (khead@cochrane.org)

• Review the Request for Proposal
• Find out more about Knowledge Translation in Cochrane
   

The two days prior to the official 2019 Cochrane Colloquium Scientific Program will see some exciting pre-Colloquium events!

Starting off Colloquium festivities on Sunday, October 20, is the Student Satellite Event. Hosted and sponsored by the University of Valparaíso, this Satellite event will feature a wide range of international speakers, including Dr. Gordon Guyatt as keynote speaker. The event will be held at the Health Campus of the University of Valparaíso in Viña del Mar, approx. 100 km from Santiago and next to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Valparaíso.

Several Pre-Colloquium events will be held on Monday, October 21. The all-day #CochraneTech Santiago Symposium will explore the integration of new technology and tools into the systematic review process. A full-day “train the trainers” workshop is geared toward members of the Cochrane Trainers’ Network. Spanish and English versions of a full-day workshop on the GRADE approach and creating Summary of Findings Tables will be held, as well as the full-day GRADE Working Group Meeting. The Methods Group Co-Convener Meeting will be held in the morning, while the 2019 Methods Symposium, titled “Developing robust review protocols with increasingly diverse evidence” will take place in the afternoon. An invitation-only KT Training Workshop on supporting policymakers in the use of synthesized evidence will take place all-day on Monday, as will a Seminar titled “The Kidnapping of Evidence-Based Medicine”, hosted by Chilean organization Médicos Sin Marca. Plans are also underway for Cochrane Consumer satellite event, which will be confirmed soon.

To learn more about these events, including registration, visit the Pre-Colloquium Satellites page here:
https://colloquium2019.cochrane.org/pre-colloquium-satellites-and-meetings

The full Scientific Program of this year’s Colloquium can be found here:
https://colloquium2019.cochrane.org/signup/d/2019-10-22

Don’t forget, there is still time to register for this year’s Colloquium! Standard registration and discounts end on September 26:
https://colloquium2019.cochrane.org/registration-fees

This is a reminder to complete the 2019 financial and resource monitoring of Cochrane Groups by Friday 20th September 2019.

Monitoring of Cochrane Groups takes place annually. The information provided by Groups supports an organization-wide data-gathering exercise that gives a picture of Cochrane’s overall ‘financial health’:

• It enables the Governing Board and Central Executive Team to provide information to the public about who funds Cochrane, the collective monetary cost of the organization’s work, and the number of people involved in Group activities;
• It supports the preparation of statistics about Groups in order to benchmark operations and identify best practice;
• It identifies whether Groups are operating sustainably, highlighting any actual or potential resource issues.

Given its important purpose, all registered Cochrane Groups are required, as a condition of their involvement in the organization, to complete a Financial & Resource Monitoring form for their last complete financial year by Friday 20th September 2019. This includes Affiliates and Satellites.

Access the monitoring form, and more information about the process, on the Cochrane Community website.

You can email the Central Executive Team at monitoring@cochrane.org if you need help or have any questions. A summary of the collated data will be publicly available by early 2020. Specific details about Groups will remain confidential.

With our grateful thanks,

Martin Burton and Catherine Marshall, Co-Chairs of the Governing Board
Mark Wilson, Chief Executive Officer
Karla Soares-Weiser, Editor-in-Chief

Getting involved in Cochrane’s work means becoming part of a global community. Connect with Cochrane Groups across the world through the Cochrane International Mobility programme!

The Cochrane International Mobility programme builds on previous successful student exchanges involving Cochrane Centres around the world. A broader initiative involving twelve Cochrane Groups has now been launched as a pilot by Cochrane People Services Department.

Successful applicants will complete a placement in a host Group, learning more about the production, use and knowledge translation of Cochrane reviews.

Gain skills and experience

Arrangements are flexible and placements can vary in length, depending on the project plan. Placements are typically self-funded. Participants completing postgraduate study have benefitted from university funding, and some Groups can offer work space or accommodation. Training and mentoring support is offered in different areas, specific to Groups' expertise.

Chris Champion, Head of People Services, Cochrane Central Executive, said “This is an exciting opportunity to pilot ways to support community learning and development that makes the most of Cochrane’s network of members across the globe. The programme offers opportunities for people involved in Cochrane - particularly at an early stage in their careers - to benefit from experiences in other contexts. It also encourages networking and skills development across Groups both for those who are visiting and for those supporting them.”

Learn from each other

Cochrane International Mobility offers opportunities for learning and training not only for participants but also for host staff. Cochrane Croatia welcomed a student intern this summer as part of the fledgling programme.

“I’m very grateful to Cochrane Croatia for hosting me and for this wonderful experience, and I’m sure I’ll be using all the skills I learned as I continue on in my academic career,” said Sarah Tanveer, Cochrane International Mobility participant, summer 2019.

Tina Poklepović Peričić, Co-director, Cochrane Croatia added, “This was an encouraging experience for us all, and spending time with Sarah, exchanging experiences, teaching and working with her was a true refreshment to our Centre.”

Apply now

Find out more about the programme on Cochrane Training or search for opportunities on Cochrane Engage.

Cochrane, JBI, Campbell Collaboration and Guidelines International Network are excited to announce the host of the Global Evidence Summit (GES) 2021 is the Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation (CEBHCKT).

The Cochrane geographic Centre is a leading national umbrella institution for evidence-based healthcare and guideline development, inclusive of a JBI Centre of Excellence, a Guidelines International Network member and the Masaryk University GRADE Centre.

The Centre was selected after a competitive application process that saw organizations from around the world contest to host the Global Evidence Summit in 2021. Professor Andrea Pokorná, Deputy Director of the Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation, is delighted that the Centre will host the Summit:

“Winning the bid to host is a great achievement that will influence the provision of healthcare in Central Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic. I am very proud that Masaryk University and its Centre for Evidence-based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation will be host to the Summit in 2021.”

The Global Evidence Summit 2021 will be held in October at O2 Universum, the brand new Multifunctional Cultural and Congress Centre in beautiful historic Prague and is easily accessible from every city quarter.  Prague is home to one of the most complete ensembles of Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque architecture in Europe.

Director of Cochrane Czech Republic and the Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation, Dr Miloslav Klugar, said that by partnering to deliver the Global Evidence Summit the four organizing partners send a message that co-operation and knowledge sharing must be embraced to improve health and the quality of life for people globally: “The Global Evidence Summit 2021 is an exciting opportunity for us here in the Czech Republic, Central Europe and everyone around the world to create synergies and to benefit from knowledge sharing in the global evidence community.”

Deputy Director, Dr Jitka Klugarová, added, “We are very proud that the Global Evidence Summit 2021 will take place in the Czech Republic. It is an amazing opportunity for global stakeholders in healthcare, research, social justice and education to participate in a global discussion about evidence-based practice.”

The GES is a quadrennial event that brings together some of the world’s leading organizations in evidence-based practice in a shared mission to provide a platform to discuss critical issues across different sectors, including health, education, social justice, the environment and climate change. The GES is intended as a multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural event to exchange ideas about how we best produce, summarize and disseminate evidence to inform policy and practice, and using that evidence to improve people’s lives across the world.

Together with the host, the Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation, Cochrane, JBI, Campbell Collaboration, and Guidelines International Network intend the second Global Evidence Summit to build on the successes of the 2017 Summit in Cape Town to advance the use of reliable research evidence in addressing some of the world’s most serious health and social challenges.

The call for ‘Expressions of Interest’ to join the Cochrane China Network is now open.

The Cochrane China Network has evolved informally and very successfully over the last year, and Cochrane now intends to formalize the Network’s structure and launch it in February 2020. In preparation for this, it is inviting institutions that are presently involved in the Network to express their interest to join and support the Network as a recognized Cochrane Affiliate.

Although Cochrane is limiting this invitation to institutions already involved in the Cochrane China Network, the Network structure will be an open one, encouraging and welcoming other institutions to join in future.

For more information, please consult the Call for Expressions of Interest.

To express your ‘Expression of Interest’, please complete an:

• Application form
• Strategic plan for an Affiliate
• A signed ‘Conflict of Interest’ statement for the primary leader(s)/contact(s) of the proposed Affiliate
• And include a letter of support from the institution that will host the Cochrane Affiliate. A template letter of support is provided as guidance.

Please send the complete documentation to Sylvia de Haan by 31 October 2019. Applications will be reviewed by 30 November 2019. All institutions will be contacted in December 2019 regarding the outcome of the review process and information regarding next steps.

The Cochrane Council aims to ensure that Cochrane Groups retain an effective voice in Cochrane’s leadership and strategic decision-making.

We are delighted to welcome Helen Bulbeck and Rachel Plachcinski as the new Consumer Executive representatives on the Council. Sara Yaron has decided to step down with immediate effect and we thank her for her contribution over the past few months.

Helen has experienced cancer from a carer’s perspective and also as a cancer patient. Her roles in brainstrust, a UK brain cancer charity which she founded, and as a consumer representative with various bodies, are as a disseminator of information and provider of a network and community, so that she can give advice on achieving effective consumer involvement in health care.

Rachel came to the Cochrane community and the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group via her involvement with NCT, a UK charity supporting parents through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood, which she joined after the birth of her first son. She really appreciated NCT's commitment to information, evidence-based care and peer support, and went on to train as one of their practitioners, delivering antenatal courses for 18 years.
 

Governing Board member Jan Clarkson has been appointed as Honorary Treasurer from 1 September 2019, as previous Treasurer Catherine Marshall is now Co-Chair.

Cochrane’s Articles of Association provide the Governing Board with the power to make ‘Executive Appointments’ amongst its membership.

The role of Honorary Treasurer is an Executive Appointment. The Honorary Treasurer supports the Trustees (the Board members) to fulfil their obligation to provide financial oversight for the organisation. In Cochrane’s context, the Honorary Treasurer is often referred to as ‘Treasurer’.

Dear Cochrane Colleagues,

We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the forthcoming Colloquium in Chile, 21-25 October. The theme is: The challenge of diversity in Cochrane: diverse reviews for diverse health decisions by diverse audiences. We particularly want to hear from you about how well you think Cochrane is responding to this specific challenge. Comments and questions about it can be submitted to the Council at support@cochrane.org or discussed in person at the ‘Meet the Governance’ session in Chile on Thursday 24 October.

A key part of the Council’s remit is to raise important matters with, and provide input to, the Governing Board on behalf of Cochrane Groups and members. The Board and Council will then work together, with the Central Executive Team, to address these. So, one of the key outputs from this year’s Colloquium will be a better understanding of how we might take forward priorities for improving organizational diversity.

The Board and Council are making good progress in a number of priority tasks to be completed before the Colloquium. We seek to create a framework which encourages cooperative and effective working practices, allows safe and constructive discussion of controversial issues, and protects the well-being of individuals and the reputation of Cochrane. These are essential in an accountable, international and diverse organization like Cochrane.

• After wide consultation, the Council is finalizing a set of ‘Principles of Collaboration’ (previously referred to as a ‘Code of Conduct’) which describe the behaviour expected of everyone interacting with Cochrane. These principles complement our other official policies. They will be considered by the Board in Santiago, and we expect them to be presented to Cochrane members at the Annual General Meeting on 23rd October 2019.
• A new Complaints Resolution Procedure is being developed by a joint Board-Council working group to complement the Principles of Collaboration document. It is a fundamental principle that, in the first instance, complaints should be dealt with directly between those involved, and then at the most local level possible within the organization. This recognizes that the earlier and more directly a complaint is raised, the greater the chance that it will be resolved successfully. This Procedure will also be submitted for the Board’s approval and then presented to members at the Annual General Meeting.

Once again, we look forward to seeing many of you in Santiago. If you are not able to come, please consider giving feedback by e-mail or the online forums.

With best wishes

Martin Burton and Catherine Marshall
Board Co-Chairs

Miranda Langendam and Craig Lockwood
Council Co-Chairs

As many across the Cochrane community may be aware, Professor Chris Del Mar, Co-ordinating Editor of Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections and long-time Cochrane contributor, was involved in a serious surfing accident earlier this year. During one of his regular early morning surfing sessions on Australia’s Gold Coast, Chris sustained a very high level spinal cord injury and as a result, spent over three months in intensive care. 
 
In recent months Chris has moved to the Brisbane hospital’s spinal injury rehabilitation unit. Arrangements are now being made for home modifications and purchase and installation of equipment that will enable Chris to return home and participate in daily life. Some of the priorities include a hospital bed, power wheelchair, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, and specialized communication devices.

Despite everything he has been through in recent months, Chris is continuing to do some work. His PhD students and research colleagues visit him at his hospital bedside to discuss projects and papers and Chris plans to return to work next year aided by a wheelchair and voice- or eye-activated computers and other devices. ‘Chris is a very inspiring man and very brave,’ says his wife and fellow Cochrane contributor Professor Tammy Hoffmann. ‘It’s taking a ton of courage to get through this situation.’
 
Concerned friends, colleagues and organizations from around the world have been reaching out to support Chris since his accident, and many have asked how they can best help. Some colleagues have now set up a crowdfunding campaign to make Chris’s home wheelchair-accessible. It is also hoped the funds will enable the purchase of other assistive equipment that he needs, including the specialized computers and input devices needed for him to continue working. If you’d like to support Chris and his family, this recent update on his progress contains links to further information.

• https://www.gofundme.com/f/85svf-help-get-chris-home