USAID Health Evaluation and Applied Research Development (HEARD) Project Semi-Annual Technical Report (October 1, 2017–March 30, 2018)

The project aims to accelerate progress towards achieving USAID's global health and development goals, including Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Death, achieving an AIDS Free Generation, and Protecting Communities from Infectious Diseases Initiatives including the Global Health Security Agenda. The HEARD Project focuses on evaluative and targeted research that accelerates research-to-use processes and anticipates carrying out two types of research activities: multidisciplinary applied and implementation research and related activities, and evaluative research and post-marketing surveillance of pilot programs and at-scale tools, technologies, interventions, and policies around the main causes of maternal, child, and neonatal deaths and morbidity. During the first two quarters of FY2018, October 1-March 30, the HEARD Core team made significant progress within its various operational activities, including Partnership and Agenda Development, Evidence Strengthening and Data Liberation, Program Communications, Implementation of Specific Studies and Sponsored Activities, and Products and Knowledge Management. Partnership and Agenda Development aims to establish an effective, sustainable, and responsive partnership for fostering collaboration in global health implementation science. The HEARD Project made progress in the following relevant areas: Implementation Science Collaborative (ISC) Ad Hoc HEARD Partners' Committee; small group stakeholder consultations; establishing a set of principles for stakeholder engagement; a directory of technical resources; CaseMaker; the Implementation Science Fellows Program; capture documents and dissemination process; and the Evidence-Informed Approached to Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Community of Practice (CoP). Evidence Strengthening and Data Liberation activities primarily leverage existing data and strengthen evidence to answer priority implementation science questions identified through the implementation science priority consultative process and to accelerate evidence use. Progress was made on a rapid response systematic review learning module, on preliminary findings of a landscape analysis of urban health in East Africa, on the Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis, and on a rapid review of experience of care indicators. The HEARD Project's Program Communications activities focus on ensuring efficient operation of the HEARD Project as well as effective and strategic communication of HEARD activities within the HEARD Partnership. The Project worked on its operational partnership with Coordinating Implementation Research to Communicate Learning and Evidence (CIRCLE), the HEARD Project Website, ISforGH Newsletters, Moodle sites, and its Communications Working Group. Implementation of Specific Studies and Sponsored Activities, which respond to USAID priorities for implementation science or evaluations, was also advanced during this reporting period. Significant progress was made on the Improving Malaria Care (IMC) Project Evaluation, the Global Health Program Cycle Improvement Project (GH Pro) Performance Evaluation, and the Rapid Response Nutrition Assessment in East Africa. The HEARD Project's activities are guided by a set of principles for stakeholder engagement, which aim to ensure effective collaboration and communication among stakeholders. The Project also contributes to various meetings and conferences, including the WHO WCC/RMC meeting in Geneva, the Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in Dublin, and the East, Central and Southern African (ECSA) Health Ministers' Conference. Overall, the HEARD Project is making significant progress towards achieving its goals and objectives, and its activities are contributing to the acceleration of progress towards achieving USAID's global health and development goals.