Latest News


Useful webinars and videos - ask questions, find training resources and find out more

As part of our ongoing Future Cochrane programme we have collated some useful webinars and training videos for members of our community to ask questions, share thoughts and ideas and discuss these changes.

See what’s coming up and take a look at our previous webinars


Key changes

Over the next few years, we are transitioning from our traditional structure of 52 review groups and satellites to a streamlined model.

  • Evidence Synthesis Units (ESUs): These will be located across high, low, and middle-income countries, and focus primarily on delivering high-quality, high-impact synthesized evidence to our stakeholders.

  • Thematic Groups: These groups will concentrate on global priorities, stakeholder engagement, consumer involvement, evidence synthesis, evidence dissemination, and knowledge translation.

  • Central Editorial Service: This service will manage the editorial process for all evidence syntheses published in the Cochrane Library, enhancing quality and consistency.

In addition to this, eleven focused projects are set to simplify systems and processes, developing tools to boost efficiency in evidence synthesis production.

This transformation won't happen overnight. We've proposed a change process spanning two to four years, allowing us to fine-tune the model.

Click here to read more about why these changes are happening


How will this affect Groups?

Existing entities like Cochrane Methods and Consumer Groups will continue to play important roles in the new model. Review Groups, Fields, and Geographic Groups with stable funding will operate during the transition time, considering their evolution within the new model over the next two to four years. Several groups are already 'early adopters' via Thematic Groups, while others may consider establishing a Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Unit in their region.

  • Thematic Groups will work alongside Evidence Synthesis Units to develop evidence synthesis to submit to a Central Editorial Service, to guarantee independence, quality assurance and integrity.

  • Cochrane Review Groups with secure funding or other means of supporting review development work are invited to focus on prioritisation, review preparation, and knowledge translation during the transition period. They will have time over the next two to four years to consider if, when and how they will evolve as part of the new model.

  • Cochrane Fields and Geographic Groups with stable funding will continue to operate throughout the transition period and will also have time to consider how may evolve as part of the new model.

  • Cochrane Methods and Consumer Groups have an ongoing role in the new model.