Abstract:
Involving decision-makers from the beginning of research projects is the most conducive model for project implementation processes. Maternal and Child Health in Africa (IMCHA) incorporates decision-makers as co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs) from the design stage and throughout the project. Collaboration with the decisionmaker co-PIs was generally viewed as a success by the research team. However, a main challenge for collaborations with decision-maker co-PIs was their frequent turnover, especially if they were already working in a position of influence, such as at the national level.
