What is Share-Net International?
Established in 2001, Share-Net International (SNI) is the knowledge platform on SRHR. SNI is a membership network of non-governmental organisations, researchers, policy makers, implementers, advocates, students, the media and companies operating in the SRHR field, working closely with a wide range of partners across the globe. We foster a continued dialogue between our members, where we analyse and synthesise state of the art knowledge aiming at evidence informed policies and practices. SNI addresses both sensitive and neglected topics and our members do not shy away from discussing these in the safe spaces that we offer. Our core values include: transparency, diversity, collaboration, participatory, integrity, safety, and using rights-based approaches. We are organised in four country hubs, in Bangladesh, Burundi, Jordan and the Netherlands. Each country hub is hosted by a local organization, SNI is hosted by the KIT Royal Tropical Institute. Collaborative Approach The Collaborative Approach forms part of the Breakthrough Series developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), an independent not-for-profit organization based in the US. The approach was initially developed to further our mission of improving the quality and value of health care. However, it is applicable to everything, as the approach helps organisations close the gap between what we know and what we do by creating a structure in which interested organisations can easily learn from each other and from recognised experts in topic areas where they want to make improvements. About our SHIRIM model In 2017, an external evaluation of SNI identified that knowledge exchange between the four country hubs was limited and suggested that SNI should actively facilitate this exchange. SNI country hubs supported this idea and indicated a particular interest in focusing on translating knowledge into products for use in changing policy and practice. In light of these developments, the Share-Net International Rapid Improvement Model (SHIRIM) was established in 2017. SHIRIM aims to: Improve understanding of which strategies contribute to successful knowledge translation and use in the specific context of each Share-Net country hub. Develop the capacity of the participating staff from each country hub with respect to knowledge brokering. Facilitate learning, collaboration and exchange between the four country hubs. SHIRIM uses a method called the Collaborative Approach to achieve these aims. SHIRIM is unique because it is the first time the Collaborative Approach has been adopted across different country contexts. And it focuses on knowledge management whereas it usually focuses on programs.
Join us! and become part of the knowledge platform on SRHR as either a member or a sponsor. When joining Share-Net, you will not only be contributing to our mission and vision, but you will also be able to enjoy specific member benefits: Have free access to all the meetings that we organise. (Non-members participate at cost-price) Participate in our working groups or CoPs, which is exclusive for members. These groups are crucial for agenda setting, organising meetings and executing small research projects. For more information on the Share-Net Netherlands working groups and thematic groups please visit www.share-net.nl/working-groups. Be elected in one of our governing bodies, the Steering Committee of the Netherlands or the Board of Share-Net International. All members are invited to our annual business meeting. Be eligible for our yearly call for proposals for the Share-Net International Small Grants facility. Expansion of the SHIRIM model
Established in 2017, SHIRIM is still a relatively new model. The country hubs are progressing well with their activities and will continue to learn and make improvements as the process continues. It turns out to create a lot of enthusiasm between the hubs and the sessions inspire and foster collaboration and sense of togetherness. At SNI, our eventual aim is to replicate the approach to two additional topics over the next 3-4 years. Topics may include unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, and adolescent sexual health depending on which topics have the potential to inflict change. The cost of one complete cycle is about €190,000 and depends on how many countries participate. There is also great potential to provide SHRIM as a tailor-made service to other interested organisations. SNI is looking for investment partners and clients to help continue our work with SHIRIM. How does the SHIRIM work in practice?
SHIRIM is implemented as a short-term learning system of 15 months during which the country hubs can develop and try out new strategies and interventions to translate knowledge into products for use in changing policy and practice. The country hubs each selected a theme for breakthrough improvement. Share-Net Bangladesh and Share-Net Jordan both chose child marriage, while Share-Net Burundi chose teenage pregnancy. Share-Net Netherlands adopted a slightly different focus by partnering with Rutgers Indonesia to target child marriage in Indonesia. A facilitation team that includes knowledge experts and subject matter experts in the specific focus areas assist the representatives in selecting, testing and implementing changes. The Collaborative Approach is implemented in a cyclical manner, alternating between learning sessions and action periods: During the first learning session participants learned how to implement the Collaborative Approach in their own context, and got topic updates from subject matter experts. The country hubs also developed a change package which encompassed strategies for knowledge translation to tackle their chosen issue. The country hubs then returned to their country and set up a local collaborative with their own stakeholders. Here, they replicated the first learning session and adapted their change package with the input of these stakeholders. The strategies for knowledge translation were then implemented during the local action period. Which change packages are being developed?
The change packages that have been developed and adjusted with the help of local stakeholders in each country include: Share-Net Burundi did a literature review on best practices on teenage pregnancies, a stakeholder mapping and community dialogue. Share-Net Netherlands and Rutgers Indonesia did a roundtable and workshop to develop guidelines on the Merariq culture as the misinterpretation contributes to the high incidence of child marriage in Indonesia. Share-Net Jordan developed an action plan, organized stakeholder meetings and development a media strategy. Share-Net Bangladesh developed an online information hub on child marriage. It contains a database on stakeholders, their projects, research and tools.