Community-university partnerships have become more prevalent to support community-based research, especially as a collaborative approach to research with Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. One practice is the activation of a community-based research steering committee to initiate, govern, and review research pertaining to their local community. Within literature related to community-based research, perspectives on capacity strengthening and co-learning from the members of a community-based research steering committee are under-represented. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore the research question: What are the experiences of the Alexander Research Committee (ARC) members in defining and operationalizing capacity strengthening and co-learning across multi-sectoral research projects? Nine current and past members of the ARC participated in individual semi-structured interviews and five of these ARC members also participated in a subsequent focus-group discussion. Analysis of these qualitative data indicated that foundational relationships and a conducive learning environment are key factors for a community-based research committee to experience co-constructed knowledge and learning. The findings of this study highlight the importance of an operational foundation of trusting relationships in order to establish and sustain a working environment where a community-based research committee can learn together and from each other. This study also yielded insights about how this community-based research committee predicated capacity strengthening from the understanding that ‘we are all learners’, with each member bringing forward unique strengths, questions and growth to the research processes. / Graduate

Most of the blood transfusion facilities had adequate space, but lacked some of the basic equipment. Blood collected in these facilities was not adequate to meet the blood needs of the regions. These facilities lacked specialised personnel and some of those practicing blood transfusion were not conversant with blood groups, transfusion reactions and the measures to be taken if a reaction occurs. The findings of this study will be used to strengthen blood transfusion services in these hard to reach regions.

Most of the blood transfusion facilities had adequate space, but lacked some of the basic equipment. Blood collected in these facilities was not adequate to meet the blood needs of the regions. These facilities lacked specialised personnel and some of those practicing blood transfusion were not conversant with blood groups, transfusion reactions and the measures to be taken if a reaction occurs. The findings of this study will be used to strengthen blood transfusion services in these hard to reach regions.