Added value

The goal of the knowledge network is to facilitate and improve cooperation and knowledge exchange between regional and national partners from professional practice and the arenas of policy and science in a ‘cold phase’. The focus will be on exchanging and deploying knowledge, experience and tools. This way, the knowledge network will be able to contribute to maximising the potential of behavioural science expertise in a future ‘warm phase’. Examples of this include the possibility of generating relevant knowledge faster and improving the usefulness of this knowledge. The network will make it easier for this knowledge to find its way to policymakers and professional practitioners. The knowledge that the network possesses will not only be relevant in times of a pandemic, but also during smaller and larger regional outbreaks.

Who is the knowledge network for?  

The network is intended for organisations that are capable of utilising or generating social and behavioural science expertise with regard to infectious diseases and/or are involved in policymaking or policy implementation. A permanent core team has been convened, comprising policymakers, scientists and professional practitioners. This core team will help set up the knowledge network and make it sustainable. The responsibility for coordinating the knowledge network rests with RIVM. 
 
Policymakers, scientists and professional practitioners will all improve and utilise the knowledge network in their own way. For instance, scientists will contribute social and behavioural science expertise and contribute to the translation of this expertise to policymaking and practice. Policymakers will indicate what their knowledge gaps are and use the network to gather new knowledge. Lastly, professional practitioners will contribute practical knowledge and experiences and work on the effective implementation of behavioural science expertise in practice.  

What action will we take?

As part of the knowledge network, we are working on a number of actions to achieve the outcomes described above.

• A biennial newsletter with contributions from policymakers, professional practitioners and scientists
• A newly built toolkit 
• Exchange of literature updates
• Annual network meetings 
• Workshops  
• Themed working groups 
• Programme organisation and guidelines/protocols 

You can keep up to date with our activities and developments by registering for the newsletter (in Dutch).

If you would like to know more about the network, please contact: behaviour.and.health@rivm.nl