Commission research allows an organisation to access the expertise of academics to improve its products or services. It is used when an organisation’s in-house capabilities are insufficient so it procures specialist expertise. The organisation commissions the University to undertake the research on its behalf.
Below you will find examples of research that various organisations asked us to undertake.
Measurement, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) for WHO COVID-19 Campaigns and Global Health Days (2020–2023)
Funder
World Health Organization (WHO), International Headquarters, Geneva
Aims
To evaluate the outcomes and impact of the WHO’s public communication in relation to COVID-19 and Global Health Days worldwide to gain insights that improve the effectiveness of the Organization’s public health communication through a focus on science and telling the WHO story (see Figure 1).
Methods
- Data integration and analysis of traditional media content; extensive social media discussion; and website data such as visits and views (e.g., 240 million WHO website visits in January–June 2021);
- Interviews with key informants and stakeholders (e.g., health authorities and workers);
- Public surveys;
- Internal capability development of WHO communication staff globally for knowledge transfer and collaboration.
Outcomes
- Identified opportunities for improved and innovative public health communication such as use of influencers (e.g. sports and music stars);
- Identified and developed strategies for countering misinformation and disinformation;
- Increased capabilities of WHO communication staff in strategic communication planning and evaluation to produce a scalable collaborative model of communication.
Figure 1. WHO’s COVID-19 communication was made more credible by telling the story of WHO in controlling 14 serious diseases.
Trust in the WHO increased during the COVID-19 pandemic despite attacks by Donald Trump. Source: 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, p. 47. https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust-barometer
If you have a challenge or goal that requires independent research in order to tackle it, contact Annamari Laaksonen, Faculty Research Engagement Manager, for more information.