Charter & Code and HR Strategy for Researchers:

How does it work? Key Features and Challenges

Seminar “The "Human Resources Strategy for Researchers" in a European context”

Nicosia, 24 March 2011

C&C Endorsements

• Who can endorse the Charter & Code?

Employers or funders of researchers (legal entity)

Associations, professional bodies etc. representing researchers, their employers or funders

• How does it work?

Letter signed by the rector, president, CEO, … (legal representative), sent to the Commission Services in charge

Scanned version will be posted on EURAXESS Rights website

State of play - Charter & Code

• More than 300 individual endorsements from 31 Member States & Associated Countries, plus various International/European organizations (increase of more than 100 during 2010)

• Representing more than 1000 individual institutions, including universities, research institutes, funding bodies, umbrella organisations and professional associations

• First endorsement from country outside EU MS/AC (Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia)

• But still some Member States and Associated Countries without any endorsements…

Endorsements from Cyprus

• Agriculture Research Institute

• Cyprus College

• Cyprus Institute

• Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics

• Cyprus University of Technology

• European University Cyprus

• Frederik Institute of Technology

• Frederick University

• Intercollege

• Neapolis University

• Open Universitry of Cyprus

• University of Cyprus

• University of Nicosia

Time for action: HR Strategy

• Endorsing the C&C just the first step (but important – increased visibility for institution/organisation, country and the whole ERA)

• Endorsing the C&C principles is making a commitment to work towards their implementation – it does not mean to sign a legal document!

• Coordinated approach necessary to turn words into action

• Tool to support the implementation of Charter & Code: “HR Strategy for Researchers”

Key aspects of the HR Strategy Process

• This mechanism is a support tool.

• It is thus voluntary.

• It is also light to apply and flexible in its validation and verification approach.

• It recognizes the variety of situations across institutions and organisations.

• The result should be meaningful and reliable information on the actions to implement the Charter and Code principles, which is easily available to the public at large.

How does the HR Strategy for Researchers work?

Implemented via 5-step voluntary programme:

• Internal gap analysis by the individual institution/ organisation, involving key institutional stakeholders, in particular also researchers

• Development and publication of institutional HR strategy for researchers and action plan (what, by when, by whom) in response to gaps identified

• Acknowledgement of progress by Commission (Logo “HR Excellence in Research”)

• Self-assessment of progress after at most two years

• External analysis after at most four years

“HR Excellence in Research” Logo

• To be used exclusively by institutions that have received the acknowledgement (listed on EURAXESS website)

• Now also displayed on EURAXESS Jobs Portal with adverts by acknowledged institutions!

Gap analysis and strategy/ action plan development – how to do it? (1/2)

• Communication with all parties involved is essential, support from top management indispensible!

• Although the process is as light as possible, it does require the allocation of dedicated resources.

• Institutional cross-cutting working group could be very helpful to get buy-in from all departments involved.

• Use staff survey, workshops / focus groups or similar to find out more about the views of both junior and senior researchers.

Gap analysis and strategy/ action plan development – how to do it? (2/2)

• You are not alone! Talk to your peers to see how they do/did it.

• Template available on EURAXESS Rights – helpful to get initial overview and understand legal / institutional constraints.

• Relevant umbrella organisations (Rectors Conferences etc.) could facilitate the coordination of institutional efforts at national or regional level (e.g. analysis of legal framework for all institutions governed by it, etc.)

• Remember that small changes (that do not cost the world) can have a huge impact.

Action plan/HR Strategy – what should it contain? (1/2)

• A short description of the process at institutional level, including who/which groups were consulted for the gap analysis.

• Main gaps identified and their allocated priority/ importance in the institutional/national context (full gap analysis does NOT need to be published).

• Actions planned to address the issues, including who/which department is responsible and who else needs to be involved/consulted; what is the timeline.

Action plan/HR Strategy – what should it contain? (2/2)

• Where applicable: Some explanations why certain issues will not be tackled or have to be postponed (legal constraints, shortage of resources, …); longer term approach for these issues.

• The final action plan/strategy must be available (also) in English, in order to fulfil the requirement “easily accessible” for foreign researchers and to allow the Commission to check its content for the acknowledgement .

Special case: Funding bodies

• HR Strategy process for funding bodies requires a slight re-interpretation (not directly acting as employers)

• Role of funding bodies: to integrate the C&C principles in their own funding criteria, requiring host institutions to apply them (multiplier role / greater impact!)

• Gap analysis to be carried out in this light (involvement of stakeholders still essential)

• Often role also at national level in policy making => can impact national policy processes

• Evaluation will be flexible, keeping in mind the broader aims of the process

Acknowledgement – why bother?

No obligation to ask for the acknowledgement, but:

• Acknowledgement provides added visibility:

listing on the EURAXESS Rights website;

exclusive right to use the logo on institutional website, promotional material…. use of logo on EURAXESS Jobs;

• Acknowledgement adds credibility – internally and externally, towards researchers, national authorities, funders etc..

• Acknowledgement means becoming part of a growing group of institutions, many of very high international standing, adding to your institution’s status.

Acknowledgement – what is it (not)?

• It is NOT an evaluation of the strategy put forward.

• It is NOT a judgement of the current state of affairs.

• It IS an acknowledgement that steps 1 & 2 of the HR strategy process have been fulfilled and that the prescribed procedure has been respected.

HR Strategy Group• “Institutional HR Strategy Group” set up in 2009, (2nd

cohort just started, 3rd to be launched 2012)

• 95 members: universities, research institutions, funding bodies, multipliers, etc., including Agricultural Research Institute, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, University of Cyprus

• 17 group members from first cohort acknowledged

• Plus 23 UK institutions carrying out process on basis of the UK Concordat under coordination by VITAE

• Plus first 5 “external” institutions – process not restricted to members of WG

More information:

visit the EURAXESS portal, section “Rights”, at

http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/rights

Thank you for your attention!

dagmar.meyer@ec.europa.eu

Dr. Dagmar Meyer

European Commission - DG Research and Innovation

Unit B2 - “Skills”