Enablers and barriers for policymaker engagement in health research from the perspective of policymakers: a scoping review.

objectivesOver the past two decades, initiatives promoting research-policy engagement have increased broadly and in health. Numerous factors influencing the engagement of policymakers in research have been described primarily from the perspective of researchers. This scoping review aimed to identify the enablers and barriers to policymaker engagement across the research process from the perspective of policymakers.

designScoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute Methods Manual for scoping reviews. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Social Policy and Practice, Campbell Collaboration, Health Systems Evidence and World Bank e-Library, supplemented by grey literature from Google Scholar, WHO Global Index Medicus and VHL Regional Portal. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included English language studies published after 2007 that involved policymakers at national or subnational levels who were actively engaged in research at any stage. We excluded studies which did not include policymakers, where engagement was passive, or perspectives were marginal or not clearly outlined. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: After screening and full-text review, we extracted and coded data using MAXQDA Plus 24. We conducted thematic analysis, categorising findings as enablers or barriers into three levels: individual, organisational and contextual/system. Findings were iteratively reviewed and refined by the research team.

resultsWe screened 5384 titles and abstracts, reviewed 59 full-text documents and included 30 articles for analysis. Most studies were published after 2016 and were focused on policymaker engagement at the national level. Organisational factors were the most frequently reported influences on engagement of policymakers in research across different contexts. The most frequent enablers mentioned in the literature were (1) the institutionalisation of partnerships, initiatives and having formal agreements; (2) defining goals, roles, responsibilities and conflict resolution mechanisms; (3) researchers providing practical and expert advice to policymakers; (4) leveraging networks; and (5) having supportive institutions. The most frequent barriers were (1) the lack of regulations, infrastructure, funding and communication channels to support engagement; (2) the lack of skills of researchers to understand policymaking processes and work in collaboration with policymakers; and (3) the mismatch in priorities, values, perspectives and expectations.

conclusionsOur study highlights the role of institutional support, widespread collaboration opportunities and the interconnected nature of these factors within the research-policy ecosystem. STUDY REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/ynr78/).