Transcript Dr Lesly Huxley

Dr Lesly Huxley
Positive inputs - Positive outputs
Creating a positive working environment for research staff
Improving Higher Education, Liverpool, 16 November 2005
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Summary
• Some history
– National and local drivers
– Early local positive inputs and outputs
• A lot of present
– Towards a positive working environment for all
– Inputs and outputs for research staff
– Difficulties and unintended consequences
• Some future
– Inputs and intended outcomes
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Why me?
• Eclectic career in University of Bristol since 1986
– HR; HR systems; Staff Development (research)
– Researcher; PI; Director of R&D unit (ILRT)
– Member of Research Staff Working Party
• Working with national bodies
– Contract Research Online Survey (CROS)
– Higher Education Staff Development Agency
(HESDA)
– The Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
• Director, Publications & Organisational Development
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Some history: The 1990s - national initiatives
‘The Concordat’ (1996)
“promoting the active personnel
and career management”
“importance of regular review
and career guidance”
Research Careers Initiative (RCI) (1997-2002)
“… monitors progress towards meeting the
commitments of the Concordat and identifies and
encourages good practice in the career
management and development of contract
research staff”
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Some history: The 1990s - Locally
“Research intensive” organisation
900+ CRS on fixed-term contracts
• Local responses
– Development programme for research postgraduates
and research staff (1999+)
– Establishment of CRS Working Party (1999)
– Survey of contract research staff (CRS)
(1999-2000)
– Analysis and action plan for 2000+
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Some history: The last four years
• Communication
– Annual issue of CRS (now CROS) survey
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• HEFCE funding, national benchmarking ‘club’
• 15,876 CRS contributed since 2002 (55 HEIs)
• Renamed CROS (Careers in Research …) 2005
– CRS communication channels (Web, email)
– Research Staff Conference: Bristol & Beyond
• 30th January 2004
• 100 delegates
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Some history: The last four years
• Development
– Programmes for research supervisors
• Difficult to identify who they were
• The ones who didn’t need it were the ones who came first
– Wider programme for researchers
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Transferable skills
New lecturers’ programme
Introductory Diploma in Management (CMI)
Action Learning and Coaching
Still issues of permission to be involved
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Some history: The last four years
• Employment
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Statement of Good Practice
Dedicated part-time careers advisor
Pre-appointment/induction material online
Review of use of fixed-term contracts*
Recruitment campaign
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Some history: A wider view
• Summer 2003 all staff survey (42% response rate)
• October 2003 results published
• University doing well in a number of areas
• Room for improvement
• Led by Professor Patricia Broadfoot, PVC
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Result - PWE Commitment and plans
• 1. Staff Support and Development
• 2. Leadership and management
• 3. Communication
• 4. Physical Environment
• 5. Monitoring and Evaluation
Positive working environment
“Making working life productive,
rewarding, enjoyable and healthy”
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QuickTime™ and a
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The mission statement for what the University is
striving to offer to all Research Staff
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2004/5 : 15 Actions
1.
RS Reps Scheme (48 depts)
2.
Use internal resource
3.
Increase workshops
4.
New marketing & PR
5.
2nd annual conference
6.
Contacts scheme with ex-RS
7.
Regional network (support)
8.
Develop Web site
9.
Increase careers advice
10. Outline career paths
11. New FTC approaches
12. Women in research
13. Liaison with policy-makers
14. UK online survey for PIs
15. Establish mentoring scheme
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Positive inputs and outputs for …
• Over 160 delegates
• 100% would recommend
to others
• RS support staff - a
learning opportunity
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www.bristol.ac.uk/researchstaff
•
69% rated communication
good (UK avg 56%)
•
25% on permanent
contract (UK avg 5%)
•
66% received induction
(UK avg 55%)
•
75% rated dept. induction
‘useful’ (UK avg 60%)
•
68% rated role induction
‘useful’ (UK avg. 55%)
•
37% received careers
advice (UK avg 23%)
•
61% rated advice
‘excellent/good’
(UK avg 17%)
•
59% involved in staff
review (UK avg 39%)
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The present (continued)
• Voted 5th best place to work for postdocs
• Sir Gareth Roberts - keynote at the 4th annual
graduate conference (14 September 2005):
cites Bristol’s ‘progressive approach’, including
contracts and dedicated staff responsible for
research staff career management and
development.
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The present (continued)
• Full-time RS Career and Development Manager
– 241 appointments over last 12 months
• Targeted training increased (774 staff, 50 w/shops)
– 92% responding to evaluation would recommend them
• Academics with families network
– 47% RS are female; 28% lecturers/professors female
– 40 attended an inaugural network meeting
• Departmental projects fund (4/10 successful)
• Move to open-ended contracts*
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Positive inputs = unintended consequences?
• FTC-> permanent (1.10.2004)
– Redundancy procedure renegotiated
– Supporting processes not quite ready
– Risk assessment on the hoof
– Increasing insecurity rather than
decreasing
• Anger, demotivation, loss of ‘stars’
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Redeeming features
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More strategic planning and resource allocation
Potential for ‘pooling’ resource
Greater honesty in dealing with staff
Work reallocation policy
‘PossibleJobs’ system
82 through redundancy (previous year 622 FTCs
ended)
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Some future: Three year vision
“Making the University of Bristol the place to work for
the very best research staff from across the world”
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Some future: 12 short-term goals
1. Appoint international staff
adviser
7. Work with Leicester on
impact evaluation
2. Pilot PossibleJobs
research interests system
8. Common job evaluation
3. 3rd Bristol and Beyond
conference
10. Additional careers adviser
4. PI survey
12. Develop RS-specific
induction
5. Mentoring scheme for RS
6. Develop links with
UKHERD network
9. ‘White Paper’ on careers
11. Departmental project fund
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Long-term goals
• Level of PI involvement in and encouragement of
RS careers
• High standard of transferable skills training
delivered centrally
• On-the-job opportunities available to RS to develop
management and research skills
• Level of understanding and involvement by RS in
University plans
• Recognition of RS as central to University plan by
all academic and support staff
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PWE into the future
• 1st annual conference for technicians
– LFHE/SW Staff Development Group project
HEATED
• PWE ‘week’ : to become an annual event
• Increasing links across the University between
PWE and other elements of organisational and
individual development
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Key contributors
• Christian Carter, Personnel Manager
– [email protected]
• Sarah Musson, RS Career & Development Adviser
– [email protected]
[email protected]
www.bristol.ac.uk/researchstaff
www.bristol.ac.uk/pwe/