CARE-Emory Implementation Science Partnership

Strong implementation turns good programs into sustainable solutions. That’s the driving belief behind the CARE–Emory Implementation Science Partnership. Formed to bridge the gap between research and real-world results, this collaboration brings together CARE’s practice expertise and Emory University’s academic rigor to strengthen development programs through evidence-informed implementation. The CARE-Emory Implementation Science Partnership equips teams teams with practical tools and methods to improve how programs are designed, delivered, and adapted—making sure that what works on paper also works in practice. 

This is the essence of implementation science: the “how” behind impact. It helps programs understand what’s working, what’s not, and why—so that evidence-based solutions succeed in the field. It moves beyond theory to help teams navigate real-world complexity, adapt to local context, and scale what works. 

This collaboration harnesses the complementary strengths of each institution to improve program effectiveness and impact. Using an approach called implementation science, the partnership ensures that research translates to practical solutions that work in real-world settings, thereby improving the effectiveness of CARE’s global work across sectors. 

During the initial phase of the grant, the team worked closely with diverse CARE programs and country offices to align on project goals, activities, and desired outcomes, while gaining a deeper understanding of the specific challenges in each context and aligning our approach to best provide resources. This work is organized into five workstreams focused on key implementation challenges:   

• Workstream 1: Strengthening capacity for process evaluation to improve program implementation  

• Workstream 2: Enhancing implementation reporting through a structured toolkit  

• Documenting best practices to improve gender equity in WASH interventions  

• Workstream 4: Establishing learning partnerships to drive continuous learning, evidence-based improvements, and capacity strengthening 

• Workstream 5: Designing a market-based food hygiene intervention in Mozambique to improve food safety and nutrition practices 

We aim to collectively drive improved programming and impact by ensuring a comprehensive approach to learning, capacity building, and outreach. Documenting application, learning, and best practices for implementation science creates a foundation of evidence-based knowledge that informs program implementation and enhances effectiveness. Strengthening capacity equips teams and stakeholders with the skills, tools, and confidence needed to implement and sustain high-quality programs. Expanding research and impact ensures that interventions can scale and adapt to diverse settings, increasing their relevance and impact. Together, these efforts foster innovation and better outcomes in programming. 

To support global teams and peer organizations, the partnership is developing four guidance documents that make implementation science accessible and actionable:  

• Strengthening Implementation Reporting  
  Based on the TIDieR-WASH (Template for Intervention Description and Replication for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Checklist, this tool helps teams clearly describe and report how interventions were delivered—ensuring others can understand, replicate, and adapt programs more effectively.  

• Understanding Program Adaptations  
  Based on the MADI Framework (Model for Adaptation Design and Impact), this tool helps teams document what adaptations were made, how and why they were made, and how they may influence program outcomes—supporting more intentional and effective implementation.  

• Applying Process Evaluations in WASH Programs and Beyond  
  Based on established process evaluation frameworks, this tool provides simple, structured guidance to help teams assess the quality and delivery of interventions—ensuring programs are implemented as intended and adapted to real-world settings.  

• Facilitating Factor Mapping  
  Based on systems thinking approaches, this tool guides teams through a structured process to identify and analyze the interactions among factors influencing program implementation. By understanding these dynamics, programs can prioritize actions, adapt strategies, and strengthen implementation across diverse contexts.   

Publications

1. TIDieR-WASH: A Guideline for Reporting Implementation of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions (2024)

Guidance Documents and Case Studies

• Strengthening Implementation Reporting: Practical Guidance for Development Programs

  • Applying the TIDieR-WASH Checklist to CARE International’s Community Score Card (CSC) Intervention in Rwanda Under the Isoko y’Ubuzima Project

  • Applying the TIDieR-WASH Checklist to CARE Madagascar’s RANO WASH Program

  • Applying the TIDieR-WASH Checklist to CARE Kenya’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) 2024-2025 Program

  • Applying the TIDieR-WASH Checklist to CARE Kenya’s Passive Inline Chlorination Pilot and Trial Intervention in Healthcare Facilities

Learning Briefs

• Process Evaluation Needs Assessment: Current state of knowledge and implementation of process evaluations in CARE programs, informed by CARE Staff

• Gender Equity Scoping Review: Activities that Advance Gender Equality in WASH using CARE’s Women and Girls Resilience Framework

Project Summary

• Project Summary: Care-Emory University Implementation Science Collaboration

TImeline

2022-2025

Project Location

Globally

Principal Investigators

Emory University: Matthew Freeman

Project Staff

Jedidiah Snyder, Emily Ogutu Awino, Lilly O’Brien, Jonny Crocker, Erika Canda

CARE

Key CARE project staff sit within the Global Water+ team (Sara Hoffman, Kelly Alexander) and Impact Learning Knowledge and Accountability (ILKA) team (Caitlin Shannon, Florence Santos, Paul Bagtas), but activities will engage a range staff from projects and country offices

Emory students

Jhanel Chew, Kainalu Bailey, Filmon Gebremichael, Naziza Naeer Bhuiyan, Leslie Owusu