Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders, and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education, and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.
What is the Experts Database?
The Experts Database is a publicly accessible, growing online global repository of experts in health systems strengthening. Our two primary audiences are:
- Individuals and institutions with expertise in health systems strengthening (particularly those from countries or regions requesting support for technical assistance)
- Entities seeking support in various types of health systems strengthening
The database is meant to elevate the profiles of experts from the countries and regions that are requesting support for technical assistance, increase the visibility of emerging experts, and promote a more transparent approach to matching country demands with expertise.
Background
For more than a decade, R4D has been supporting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to drive health systems change. Historically, technical assistance to LMICs in the health sector (and other sectors) has been provided by global institutions and individual experts (i.e., based in the US, Europe, etc.) through projects funded by development partners. Oftentimes, countries have not had much say over the global experts brought in to provide technical assistance.
However, as countries take stronger ownership over their systems and processes, they are looking to lead decisions on who is invited to work with them. In particular, countries are increasingly interested in working with more local and regional experts, given their deeper understanding of the country’s context. As these dynamics change, we saw a need and an opportunity for a publicly-accessible, online database that can be used to better connect country demands for technical assistance on health systems issues with experts from their own countries and regions, supported by external experts as needed.