Engaging cross-sector stakeholders in Tanzania

I recently travelled with my colleague Sophie Durrans to visit our partner organisation, Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU), in Mwanza, Tanzania. MITU are implementing the Mikono Safi project -a hand hygiene behaviour change intervention to reduce helminthic infections in schools in Kagera, North Eastern Tanzania.

All of SHARE’s projects involve a research into use component; identifying and engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that research informs policy and practice. To support MITU’s research into use plans, I hosted an outcome mapping workshop to reflect on MITU’s key successes in 2017 and to plan ahead for 2018 activities.

Reflecting back: convening and building relationships

The team commented that one of the highlights of 2017 was co-hosting a national Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Symposium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with SHARE partners WaterAid and the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology.

This November event brought together WASH practitioners, researchers and policy makers to learn more about formative research and behaviour change as well as updating them on Mikono Safi’s research progress.

Another key highlight from 2017 was building a strong relationship with Kagera District educational authorities – the MITU team were able to input into district level curriculum planning and get hygiene included. They also succeeded in engaging the District WASH in Schools coordinator and getting buy in from eight headteachers in the district to conduct the intervention in their schools.

Planning for the future: reaching new stakeholders

This year, MITU plan to consolidate existing relationships and reach out to new stakeholders in advance of sharing research results at a later date.

Key activities will include reaching out to organisations working on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) as well as strengthening existing relationships with education, WASH and nutrition sector organisations. A follow up WASH symposium is also planned for late 2018 to bring this group of stakeholders together again, build WASH capacity and share research updates.

MITU also intend to share lessons from their research implementation with practitioners and district level government in order to inform and help others working in similar areas. We look forward to catching up with the MITU team later this year on their research into use work!