Experience in capacity building for health system research (HSR) in Cambodia

1. Experience in capacity building for health system research (HSR) in Cambodia Por Ir, MD, MPH, PhD National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Cambodia

2. Capacity for HSR requires • Knowledge on health system • Knowledge on research designs, methods and tools • Knowledge and skills on how to plan, design and implement research project

3. A number of generic approaches to individual capacity building • following and teaching courses (short courses, MPH/MSc, PhD); • participating in design and implementation of research projects; • attending relevant meetings/workshops; • peer reviews and mentoring; • reading relevant books, articles and other publications.

4. Capacity building for HSR in Cambodia • Limited capacity building, particularly for HSR • Most of the above-mentioned approaches, of which two common and probably effective approaches to capacity building: • Short courses, MPH/MSc, PhD abroad and in the country • National-international institutional collaborations on capacity building and/or research consortia

5. Innovative approaches to capacity building for HSR • By InWEnt: • E-learning for health financing course • Tailor-made Capacity Building for Effective Health • By ITM • Emerging voices

6. Final remarks • Lack of long-term individual and institutional capacity building in Cambodia, mainly in NIPH • The provided capacity building face some constraints • matching capacity building with the need/demand • individual capacity building for the full-time employed researchers/trainees: time availability, brain drain • lack of interest by policy makers in research and research findings • basic knowledge and concept on research for health & management practitioners, and to a larger extent policy makers, is neglected • More need/demand-oriented individual and institutional capacity building for HSR is needed for Cambodia, particularly NIPH