Relationships building between researchers and national-level decision makers: using network analysis to compare three maternal and child health policy formulation processes in Cameroon

Policy making results from an interaction process between many actors. Understanding these interactions are thus a key to understanding the policy process. In muti-ators settings, the concept of network increasingly gained attention in analyzing complex decision making. Policy network analysis is employed as an analytical tool to describe and explain the complex nature of the interactions between various players assembling around an issue, and it has two main focuses: the actors and the relationships between them within their social context. This study will explore the relationships between researchers and national-level decision makers through network analysis lens by comparatively tracing three maternal and child health policy formulation processes in Cameroon. This work could contribute to an enabling environment for GRIPP (getting research into policy and practice) with recommendations for specific training for researchers and decision makers.

Keywords:B680-public-health

Project type:PhD project