Research capacity training for surveillance and response in the Indo-Pacific: a case study of implementation.

Setting: Surveillance and response workforce in the Indo-Pacific region, including Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands, Fiji, Eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of a modified WHO SORT IT research training programme which included a workplace-based research project. The training was designed for surveillance and response frontline workforce in the Indo-Pacific region.

Design: This was a programme evaluation using mixed methods. Fifty-three health and biosecurity workers from Fiji, Indonesia, PNG, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste participated in the research training programme.

Results: Implementation of the programme was modified to reflect the context of participant countries. Work-place research projects focused on priority issues identified by local policy makers and in-country stakeholders. Self-reported research skills showed a significant increase ( < 0.01) after the completion of training. Participants reported high scores for satisfaction with training.

Conclusions: This case study provides lessons learnt for future research training, and demonstrates that the SORT IT model can be modified to reflect the context of implementation without compromising purpose or outcomes.