title: The Human Capital of Knowledge Brokers: An analysis of attributes, capacities and skills of academic teaching and research faculty at Kenyan schools of public health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Academic faculty involved in public health teaching and research serve as the link and catalyst for knowledge synthesis and exchange, enabling the flow of information resources, and nurturing relations between 'two distinct communities' - researchers and policymakers - who would not otherwise have the opportunity to interact. Their role and their characteristics are of particular interest, therefore, in the health research, policy and practice arena, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We investigated the individual attributes, capacities and skills of academic faculty identified as knowledge brokers (KBs) in schools of public health (SPH) in Kenya with a view to informing organisational policies around the recruitment, retention and development of faculty KBs.
  
  
  METHODS
  During April 2013, we interviewed 12 academics and faculty leadership (including those who had previously been identified as KBs) from six SPHs in Kenya, and 11 national health policymakers with whom they interact. Data were qualitatively analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to unveil key characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Key characteristics of KBs fell into five categories: sociodemographics, professional competence, experiential knowledge, interactive skills and personal disposition. KBs' reputations benefitted from their professional qualifications and content expertise. Practical knowledge in policy-relevant situations, and the related professional networks, allowed KB's to navigate both the academic and policy arenas and also to leverage the necessary connections required for policy influence. Attributes, such as respect and a social conscience, were also important KB characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several changes in Kenya are likely to compel academics to engage increasingly with policymakers at an enhanced level of debate, deliberation and discussion in the future. By recognising existing KBs, supporting the emergence of potential KBs, and systematically hiring faculty with KB-specific characteristics, SPHs can enhance their collective human capital and influence on public health policy and practice. Capacity strengthening of tangible skills and recognition of less tangible personality characteristics could contribute to enhanced academic-policymaker networks. These, in turn, could contribute to the relevance of SPH research and teaching programs as well as evidence-informed public health policies.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America. njessani@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Nasreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jessani
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D057191:Capacity Building; D005178:Faculty; D006282:Health Personnel; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007630:Kenya; D019359:Knowledge; D007857:Leadership; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011050:Policy Making; D011634:Public Health; D012108:Research Personnel; D012581:Schools, Public Health; D013663:Teaching
keywords: Attribute; Capacity; Evidence-to-policy; Kenya; Knowledge broker; Qualitative; Schools of public health; Skill