How do advisory groups contribute to healthy public policy research?

Area of Science:

• Public Health Research
• Health Policy Analysis
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Public health research aims to inform policy, but effective translation remains a challenge.
• Policy Advisory Groups (PAGs) are mechanisms to bridge the gap between research and policy.
• Understanding the dynamics of researcher-policy actor collaboration within PAGs is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reflect on the experiences of Australian public health researchers and PAG members.
• To identify the benefits and challenges of working within PAGs.
• To explore strategies for enhancing researcher-policy actor collaboration and policy relevance.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of four Australian public health research projects (2015-2020).
• Thematic analysis of feedback from 68 PAG members (government, NGOs, academics).
• Critical reflection by researchers on PAG effectiveness for research translation.

Main Results:

• PAGs offer benefits for the research process and knowledge translation.
• Challenges include changing PAG membership, divergent researcher and policy agendas, and balancing policy relevance with research independence.
• Strategies for improving the function of health policy research PAGs were identified.

Conclusions:

• A broader, adapted approach is needed to leverage PAG benefits and mitigate challenges.
• Further discussion is warranted on the role of PAGs in increasing research translation into policy.