Capsule

Introduction: What is the format about?

A capsule format is a discussion in closed, small group sessions between researchers and policymakers (private). As a rule, these involve two researchers and two policymakers, but there can be less or more if necessary. A small audience may also be present in this discussion.
It is a free format that allows participants to engage in a free exchange without concern about a large audience listening in, after which the main points that emerged from the discussion are presented to the audience
Topics must be open to discussion and the theme defined in advance because there is a public presentation later of the discussion, open to questions from the audience.

How does the format work?

Part 1: The private meeting

The capsule format is based on a confidential and informal setting that is designed to encourage open and constructive discussions.

Generally, two or three policymakers meet with two or three researchers, ideally from different disciplines. The workshop is organized by knowledge exchange officers from the university when, as in our case, we have identified a common theme. The capsule was organized as part of a two-day conference, which gave us the opportunity to bring together researchers and policymakers interested in the topic and provide them with an important opportunity for private discussion on the subject. The meeting is closed to the public and the media. Participants are invited to freely share their knowledge, challenges, and questions without concerns about public communication or political position.

This format aims to create a climate of trust and can lead to mutually beneficial relationships in the future.

Policymakers can ask questions without fear of judgment, and researchers who are not accustomed to speaking in public can present complex or even sensitive findings.

This capsule format also makes it possible to move beyond short-term thinking by opening up new areas for action.

These dialogues can be one-off events or part of a cyclical process.

Part 2: The public presentation

At the end of the private session, a public debriefing can be organized to share the main ideas discussed while respecting the confidentiality of individual comments. This time allows for broader reflection and highlights the value of the discussion. In our case, the private session took place when the audience had broken for lunch. When they returned, the public session was included in the conference schedule for the day, which enabled us to have a significant, interested, and dynamic audience.

Challenges and how to address them

The main challenge of this format for support staff (knowledge exchange managers and research managers) is to maintain a common thread throughout the discussion to ensure the coherence and progression of the exchanges. To this end, the choice of moderator is crucial: he or she must have properly prepared the topics in advance, know how to rephrase comments, and make connections between the concerns of the participants, especially during the second phase of the public presentation.

Tasks and resources

Content: The content is very open, but the moderator must have thoroughly prepared the discussion topic and the limits of the researchers’ field of expertise and the limits of the policymakers’ field of activity for the discussion to be productive.

Although the format is fairly open, it requires a certain amount of preparation time for all participants. In fact, a meeting prior to the discussion is very useful for everyone to clarify their area of expertise and also to define the topics and limits of the discussion.

Required resources at a glance

	Hours	Days	Weeks	Months
Researchers’ time for this activity	x
Researchers’ time for dealing with organizational issues	x
Knowledge exchange officers’ time		x
Policymakers’ time	x		x