The Dhaka Colloquium on Systematic Reviews in International Development: bringing the experts together

09 November 2012

Registration is now open for the Dhaka Colloquium on Systematic Reviews in International Development, being held at BRAC University, Bangladesh, between the 10th and 14th December, 2012.

As the movement towards evidence-based development gains pace, systematic reviews provide practitioners with a comprehensive overview of the available evidence around specific themes. Drawing together evidence from different research studies, systematic reviews critically appraise and synthesise the results in order to give policy actors and researchers a more substantial base from which to make evidence-informed policy recommendations and decisions.

DFID, working with the International Initiative for Impact evaluation (3ie), has recently set up a searchable database of all DFID funded systematic reviews. 3ie is an initiative, supported by DFID, which aims to further develop the capacity and uptake of impact evaluations globally, providing a range of services around research synthesis and systematic reviews as part of this.

The Dhaka Colloquium will be hosted by 3ie alongside ICCDR,B (Knowledge for Global Lifesaving Solutions) and BRAC University, under the auspices of the Campbell  Collaboration and International Development Coordinating Group. Bringing together leading researchers in the field and policymakers from around the world, the colloquium aims to answer three key questions in developing methods and approaches in systematic reviews:

1. How should the wide heterogeneity in intervention design and context be handled?
2. How should other sorts of high quality evidence, such as that from anthropological studies be used?
3. What are the best ways of communicating systematic review findings to policy makers?

The colloquium will begin with a workshop, allowing participants the opportunity to actively engage with the skills needed to conduct effective systematic reviews.

Between the 10th and 12th of December the workshop will introduce participants to the tools and methods necessary to conduct effective research assessment and synthesis, while outlining the history of systematic reviews and sharing personal experiences to strengthen knowledge and skills. Through discussion and activities, participants can hope to leave with an increased understanding of the process of systematic reviews as well as methods of establishing their own reviews and attracting funding.

This workshop will then lead into the conference, which runs from the 12th- 14th December. The conference will include speakers from the Overseas development institute, 3ie, DFID, the Cochrane Public Health Group and Aga Khan University among many others. Looking at the existing evidence, the sessions will explore specific case studies as well as outlining the lessons learned around the techniques and effectiveness of systematic reviews.

For residents of Bangladesh, registration is free while bursaries are available for developing country nationals residing in a developing country. The deadline for registration is the 7th December, 2012. For further information contact c2dhaka@3ieimpact.org. To register online click here.