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Institutional Partnerships for Sustainable Evidence Ecosystems��Enhancing Global Participation in Evidence Synthesis��

Gracian Chimwaza, Ph.D. Executive Director

ITOCA – Information Training & Outreach Centre for Africa

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Guiding Question

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How can institutional partnerships enhance global participation in evidence synthesis?

Sub-focus for librarians What is our role? Where do we have influence? How do partnerships expand librarian impact?

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What is the Evidence Ecosystem?

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Key ecosystem actors:

Without librarians, ES quality declines

Researchers Librarians Universities Consortia NGOs Policymakers

Research

Synthesis

Translation

Policy

Implementation

Feedback

Librarians sit at critical Junction	Access Management Knowledge organization Search Methodology Research visibility

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The Global Participation Gap

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The issue is not librarian competence.
It is institutional design.

Discuss: Are librarians at your institution recognized as research partners?

Structural Bias Subscription inequality Weak research infrastructure Funding concentration	Professional Barriers: Librarians not embedded in research teams Limited authorship recognition Skills not institutionalized

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Why Institutional Partnerships Matter?

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Shift From Individual training → Institutional ecosystems Access provision → Access + Participation Support role → Co-production role

Training librarians alone is insufficient if: Promotion policies ignore research support Research offices exclude libraries No formal collaboration structures exist Partnerships create institutional legitimacy

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Actor Roles in Partnership Ecosystems

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NGO’s and Intermediaries

Deliver regional capacity development
Convene multi-country collaboration

Librarians

Design search strategies
Ensure reproducibility
Manage research data
Support OA and visibility

Universities Host Review Projects Train Post Graduate Students	Consortia (e.g. , access partnerships) Provide shared infrastructure Standardize tools

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Partnership Models Relevant to Librarians

Embedded Librarian Model

• e.g. Librarian formally assigned to systematic review team.

Train-the-trainer Networks

• e.g. Librarians certified and train faculty locally.

Regional Evidence Hubs

• e.g. Shared expertise across universities.

South South Collaboration Platforms

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Sustainable vs Extractive Partnerships

Extractive Short Workshop External expert-led No authorship No institutional policy	Sustainable Long-term programme Co-designed Shared credit Embedded in strategy

Q: Have you participated in capacity workshops where nothing changed afterward?

That is extractive design.

Sustainability requires:

Institutional embedding
Governance recognition
Shared authorship

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Digital Infrastructure as Librarian Leverage

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Key systems:

Institutional repositories
ORCID integration
Research data management
Open Access support
Persistent identifiers

This is where librarians hold power. Infrastructure determines:

Discoverability
Citation visibility
Global participation

Evidence ecosystems are built on metadata quality.

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Measuring Impact: What Should Librarians Track?

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Beyond usage stats:

Track:

Number of systematic reviews supported
Librarian co-authorship rates
Open access publication percentage
Repository deposit compliance
Citation visibility improvements

Discuss: What we measure shapes institutional recognition.

Research collaboration
Evidence synthesis contributions
Policy citations

Metrics drive strategic inclusion.

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Case Study: ITOCA – JUNO-CABI Model (2024-25)

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Partnership Structure:

Global access platform
Regional capacity development
Institutional embedding

Key Elements:

Systematic review training
Train-the-trainer programmes
Librarian leadership development
Multi-country collaboration

Outcomes:

Increased institutional participation
Strengthened regional expertise
Greater inclusion in global evidence networks

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Partnership Framework

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Core: Inclusive & Sustainable Evidence Ecosystem

If one pillar weakens, ecosystem destabilizes.

Shared infrastructure

Capacity Building

Policy Alignment

Co-Produced Research

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Interactive Reflection

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Small group discussion:

Where are librarians positioned in your research ecosystem?
What partnership gap limits your participation?
What one structural reform would elevate your role?

Brief discussion (3–4 min).

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Closing Message

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Global participation in evidence synthesis is not a skills problem.

�It is an institutional design problem.

Librarians are central architects of sustainable evidence ecosystems.

Thank you.

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Questions?