NAO Lecture Series: Alec Fraser

The North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO) welcomes Alec Fraser at an in-person event on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 4:00 PM (ET).

This talk covers themes of population health improvement and academic researcher positionality. These themes are explored through an ongoing UK case study that seeks to collectively develop a new model for financing and delivering localized health improvement interventions which we call Community Transformation Funds (CTFs). The CTF model is an adaptation of the Social Impact Bond (SIB) model. It shares a focus on outcomes measurement, multiparty collaboration across the public and philanthropic sectors and extra, non-traditional streams of finance. However, the CTF diverges from the SIB in two important financial aspects. First, the CTF is financed solely by philanthropic investors (such as large charities), who, second, do not seek any return on their investment.

The first part of the talk outlines the practical and theoretical underpinnings of the CTF model and charts the journey from conceptualization to early delivery. The CTF is designed to provide local small non-profit organizations with finance, data and managerial support to deliver services of value to local people within the context of the new Integrated Care Systems rolled out in the English NHS in 2022. The second part of the talk reflects upon the researcher’s experience of working as ‘learning partners’ through the co-design process of the CTF with other organizations advocating for and implementing the new model. A learning partner role differs from that of a more conventional evaluator in temporal and relational terms thereby offering opportunities for deeper understanding and impactful scholarship, yet at the same time poses some challenges and raises important questions about researcher positionality.

Light refreshments will be provided.