On July 14-16, 2017, SSRC Vietnam Program staff organized a workshop on developing policy-oriented presentations, in which the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) – SSRC research team participated. This was the final workshop of the longitudinal “Vietnam Population Health Study in Three Provinces.” The study is meant to measure the results of the Atlantic Philanthropies’ comprehensive programming aimed at improving the commune health center (CHC) system in rural areas. The project goals include an assessment of how well the CHC model and its components work for different populations, particularly the disadvantaged, and an examination of change over time with respect to health-seeking behaviors and care utilization and satisfaction, perceptions of CHCs, health knowledge and practices, and health status.

This workshop provided an opportunity to clarify policy messages and ensure their close alignment with evidence, make effective oral and visual presentations to policy stakeholders, develop dissemination plans for each topic, and finalize the agenda for the July 18 Policy Roundtable.

Groups presented their findings and policy recommendations and revised them after getting feedback from workshop participants in a mini-workshop on refining policy presentations. The team presentations included:

Choices of health facility among disadvantaged groups
What makes investments in Commune Health Centers effective
Assessing the quality of Commune Health Centers: Key elements of models that work
Improving the quality of health insurance and health services at the grassroots level
Improving maternal care among vulnerable women
At the end of the workshop, the teams developed dissemination plans for their findings and recommendations.

International advisors, SSRC program staff and Vietnamese project team members.