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Leading on regional thinking……sharing practice for strategic and practical approaches to implementing the Concordat (EE and London)
In 2009 and 2010 the EE and London Hubs worked together to host two joint events focusing on the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. The workshops aimed to emphasise the importance of research staff in higher education today, highlighting the exemplars of good practice and current approaches in implementing the Concordat for both the London and East of England regions.
The event on 16 June 2009 had a strategic focus and offered participants the opportunity to discuss the implementation of the Concordat one year after its launch in 2008. The workshop was aimed at those who support the professional and personal development of research staff including those involved with human resources, staff development, career advice, equality and diversity and policy making. Speakers included prominent policy makers from Queen Mary University of London, London School of Economics, and the University of Hertfordshire, who spoke about the strategic direction of their institutions for implementing Concordat. Benefits for participants attending this event included:
- an increased awareness of the Concordat principles and the implications for their institution
- an insight into regional activities surrounding the Concordat
- useful knowledge in how to implement the Concordat in their individual institutions
- inspiration to drive forward the implementation of the Concordat principles in their own HEI
- making new contacts for sharing information and knowledge.
The response from participants was extremely encouraging and the positive impact on the audience evident from the feedback received. When asked to assess the level of value of the event, on a scale from 1 to 4 with 4 being the highest score, 57% of participants awarded the event a score of 3 and 26% judged the helpfulness of the event by awarding a score of 4. These scores indicate that many of the participants found the event beneficial. The plenary session was well received with 79% of participants finding the session highly interesting. The event was attended by nearly 50 people from across both regions.
Following on from the event in 2009, the 2010 event focused on practical approaches to implementing the Concordat and addressed the following questions:
- What works really well?
- What doesn't work?
- What were the benefits to researchers and the institution?
- What next?
In addition to updates from the BBSRC and the UUK, the meeting included a series of short presentations with personal examples from speakers who have implemented the Concordat principles in various ways within their institutions. The event offered an opportunity to come together and share what work is being undertaken in both regions and its impact on research staff. The workshop was attended by 26 people. Attendees included staff development managers and HR officers thereby extending the reach of the Hubs and the programme to regional stakeholders who were not previously engaged with Vitae. Benefits from this event included:
- gaining practical advice for implementation
- an opportunity to network with colleagues
- a policy and implementation update from the Research Councils and UUK.
By hosting these workshops both Hubs have actively led regional thinking and facilitated the engagement of regional network members with agreed campaigns in relation to policy development.