Knowledge Brokerage
February 2026
by J. MacArthur, G. Wainaina and C. Lüthi, Eawag-Sandec
When we talk about knowledge brokerage, we focus on the role of the knowledge broker as a bridge between research, practice, policy, and the wider public. A knowledge broker translates scientific insights into accessible and relevant formats, connects people who need to exchange, and supports the uptake of evidence in specific contexts. By linking those who produce knowledge with those who use it, knowledge brokerage helps ensure that research informs decisions, strengthens practice, and reaches society more broadly.
Knowledge brokers translate science into scalable transformation
A knowledge broker is an individual or organization that bridges knowledge gaps between different stakeholders, such as researchers, practitioners or the broader public. The main purpose is to ensure relevant evidence, insights, and experience are shared, understood, and used in real-world decisions. Often important insights remain in reports, papers, and in the minds of researchers with little application. More specifically, a knowledge broker:
- Identifies relevant knowledge gaps among stakeholders;
- Translates or synthesizes research findings or results into accessible, usable formats (e.g. webinars, policy briefs) for targeted audiences;
- Engages multiple stakeholder groups (e.g., researchers, policymakers, practitioners, communities);
- Supports uptake and implementation by tailoring knowledge to specific contexts and needs.
Knowledge brokers are best placed where evidence exists but is not easily applied without mediation. Knowledge brokers are particularly relevant in contexts where strong evidence exists but is not readily translated into policy or practice. They may be embedded within research institutions or positioned at the interface between research, policy and implementation.
What a knowledge broker does
Typical activities include synthesis, connection and application as illustrated in Figure 2. This includes filtering relevant information into accessible formats, connecting people who should be talking to each other and supporting the uptake of key insights while seeking feedback and exchange. Knowledge brokers also help identify gaps in what is known, support co-development of solutions, and assist institutions in building capacity to use evidence effectively. Many organizations have a knowledge manager who supports knowledge transfer (synthesis and sharing), but often this role stops short of the application of results to programs. Therefore, knowledge brokerage is not a one-off exercise but relies on sustained interactivity between key stakeholders and an adaptive approach to engaging with policy.
Example of Sharing Results: WABES Project
In 2023, Sandec employed a knowledge broker for the first time as part of a four-year transdisciplinary research project WABES. The knowledge broker role is fully embedded within the WABES team and the wider Sandec department, operating as a focal point for knowledge brokerage. In this case, it was an individual role. Just like a gender or inclusion focal person helps to shape institutional practices, build capacity and spearhead initiatives, the knowledge broker is a point person within the team’s wider objectives to share and support the application of research findings and bring in feedback from practitioners to realign research. The position is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which is interested in effective research communication, i.e., presenting research in a concise and accessible way. Since 2023, the program has hosted two knowledge brokers each having their unique skills, networks and approaches.
Proven platforms and formats for knowledge brokering
One of the first tasks for the knowledge broker was identifying the best formats and platforms for synthesizing insights and connecting with practitioners. Notably, these formats and platforms are not a static set. They rapidly evolve with changing social media practices, algorithms and sharing modalities. The modalities that proved to work have evolved and transformed to become more embedded within Sandec’s own synthesis and connection practices. Beyond these practices, the knowledge broker aims to share key research insights at least three times through multiple channels, through cross-posting, re-posting and multiple formats. Some of the active platforms for connecting with practitioners include:
- WhatsApp Group: An accessible community of practice with over 850 water, sanitation and solid waste practitioners and researchers from all over the world, linked together through digital communication. Discussions by text and online meet ups help to foster connection and application.
- FridayGift Posting Rhythm: 83 #FridayGift posts made on LinkedIn and WhatsApp between 2024-2025 focusing on key curated content for water, sanitation and solid waste practitioners.
- LinkedIn Newsletters: Two newsletters have been established. WASH: practice-research-funds (over 7,500 subscribers launched in May 2023) with 51 editions and a newly launched Sandec Updates Newsletter (over 1,600 subscribers launched in January 2026).
- Learning Briefs and Carousels: Nine learning briefs have been developed so far and the synthesis process has evolved to supporting three formats for big research activities: a social media carousel, a summary brief, and a formal report.
From sharing to uptake and learning
Once insights have been shared, it is critical to ensure their uptake and use as well as seek feedback from the audience. Just like in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector with access used as a proxy indicator for WABES, proxy indicators such as engagement and downloads can help identify how many and from where individuals have accessed information, but it remains a complex and slow process to prove full uptake since users do not always use information instantly and some adapt and integrate it with their own for their contexts. Yet, the knowledge brokers have continued to foster discussions and co-create knowledge on platforms through open dialogues with practitioners on social media online discussions and face-to-face workshops. This process of multi-modal, multi-channel exchange is key, but ultimately within a research institute, the knowledge broker is the focal person to help foster brokerage across the entire research team. Evidence of knowledge uptake and use is observed as practitioners seek clarifications about new knowledge or provide ideas of knowledge gaps. These discussions also provide insights for feedback to researchers on topics that they are currently working on and potential future directions for research.
The WABES project aims to investigated, validated, and disseminated knowledge by: (i) improving and ensuring equitable access to safely managed water and environmental sanitation, (ii) developing an integrated and inclusive planning methodology for water and waste services, and (iii) accumulating and transferring knowledge outputs to students and practitioners to foster capacity improvement.