Mahdi Mahdavi - The Bernard Lown Scholar in Cardiovascular Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Javad Sajjadi Khasraghi - School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Haniye Sadat Sajadi - Knowledge Utilization Research Center, University Research and Development Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bahareh Yazdizadeh - Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sima Nikooee - Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elham Ehsani-Chimeh - National Institute for Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hossein Dargahi - School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Leila Doshmangir - Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Department of Health Policy & Management, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Shahram Ghaffari - Iranian Social Security Organization, Tehran, Iran
Reza Toyserkanmanesh - Social Security Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
Reza Majdzadeh - Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Background  SASHA, which stands for “evidence-informed health policy-making (EIHP)” in Persian, is a national project to draw a roadmap for strengthening EIHP in Iran. As a part of SASHA, this research aimed to develop evidencebased and context-aware policy options for increasing the capacity of decision-makers to apply EIHP in Iran.Methods  This was a qualitative study, which was informed by a literature review of pull efforts’ capacity building programs. Based on the review, we developed policy options and validated them through an expert panel that involved twelve experts. Data were analyzed using a content analysis method.Results  We extracted data from ۱۱ articles. The objectives of capacity building programs were: single-skill development, personal/professional development, and organizational development. According to these objectives, the contents and training methods of the programs vary. Capacity building programs have shown positive impacts on individual knowledge/attitudes to use EIHP. However, the impacts of programs at the organizational or the health system level remain under-researched. We followed several threads from the literature review through to the expert panel that included training the management team, instead of training managers, training for problem-solving skills, and designing tailored programs. Barriers of capacity building for EIHP regard the context of the health system (weak accountability and the widespread conflict of interest) and healthcare organizational structures (decision support systems, knowledge management infrastructures, and lack of management team). Experts suggested interventions on the barriers, particularly on resolving the conflict of interests before launching new programs. A proposed framework to increase the capacity of health policy-makers incorporates strategies at three levels: capacity building program, organizational structure, and health system context. Conclusion  To prepare the context of Iranian healthcare organizations for capacity building programs, the conflict of interests needs to be resolved, decision-makers should be made more accountable, and healthcare organizations need to provide more knowledge management infrastructures and decision support systems.

Evidence-Informed Policy-Making, Health Policy, Capacity Building Programs, Iran