Table 1 Definitions for key capacity-building constructs (adapted from EBSIS) [9]

 Training

Pre-planned educational and/or skill-building sessions typically provided within group settings.

 Tools

Defined by EBSIS as “informational resources designed to organize, summarize, and/or communicate knowledge.” We have revised this definition to include any electronic or print resource that practitioners might use to plan, implement, or evaluate an intervention.

 Technical assistance

Interactive support that is individualized to the specific needs of individuals or teams. Those who provide TA may also be referred to as knowledge brokers, purveyors, linking agents, and external change agents among other terms.

 Assessment and feedback

The support system’s strategy of monitoring and providing feedback on delivery system performance (used in place of the EBSIS term “quality improvement/quality assurance”)

 Orientation (push versus pull)

Support providers either build delivery system capacity to use a small number of pre-specified EBIs (push) or to use EBIs selected from a broad number of available EBIs (pull) [12].

 Dosage

Comprises the duration, frequency, and amount of support provided with duration referring to the amount of time from the start to the end of support provision, frequency referring to how often support was provided during that time, and amount referring to the cumulative number of hours of support provided.

 Delivery Mode

The communication channel used to deliver support (e.g., in-person, phone, Internet).

 Collaborative design

The relationship between support providers and recipients varies in the extent of collaboration with some providers functioning as advisors while others function as fully engaged participatory partners.

 Proactive design

TA is both anticipatory and responsive to recipients’ needs with TA providers initiating the process rather than simply reacting to TA requests.