On February 20th and 21st of this year, Dr. Heath Prince led his research team’s participation in the official launch workshop for the initiative supporting the Ray Marshall Center’s behavioral economics intervention in Northern Jordan with support from Jordan University for Science and Technology (JUST). The project is funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and is one of several similar experiments in a larger initiative supported by Share-Net Jordan and Share-Net International to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The aim of the workshop was to facilitate acquaintance, networking, and linking, both among the projects as well as between the projects, Share-Net Jordan, and Share-Net International. The workshop also encouraged further exchange, learning, and cooperation among parties. The focus was on academic issues and research uptake. The academic issues consisted of sharing experiences and challenges concerning theoretical and methodological approaches; dealing with sensitivities around SRHR and the security situation (risk assessment); and reviewing how to measure progress towards expected output/outcomes. Research uptake centered around using results in policy and practice; analyzing essential elements that ensure research uptake; detailing the Impact Pathway; determining (strategies for) stakeholder engagement; and communication and measuring progress towards expected output/outcomes. The workshop facilitated the connecting of people and helped to identify common themes and challenges for further actions (workshops, joint publications, joint seminar, etc.), as well as for learning from each other. The workshop also yielded insights for ‘projects’ on how to improve their communication/research uptake plans and provided ideas on how Share-Net can further assist the projects in reaching out to the wider (policy & practice) community. The RMC/JUST experiment runs through December of 2018, with final reports due in August of 2019.
To read more about RMC’s collaboration with NWO and JUST, please visit the project page.