On-going review process for the HR Excellence in Research Award

Ellen Pearce

Aims

Update on European developments

Update on UK developments

Themes in implementation across all Award holders

Next steps

On the European horizon

European Commission confirmed that the Award will remain an acknowledgement of distance travelled against the institution’s own strategy

Announced in ‘A Reinforced European Research Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth’ that the EC will…

‘Support the setting up of a European Accreditation Mechanism for Charter & Code based human resources management in universities and publicly-funded research institutions’

Dedicated event on 24 May in London to explore strategy and practice

UK response to proposal for certification

Policy Forum workshop and Concordat Executive Group agreed there should be a formal UK position

Policy Forum explored the pros and cons of an external formal accreditation process

Further discussions to take place

On the UK horizonHR Excellence in Research Awards January 2013

Current status in the UK

72 UK organisations with the Award

58 organisations with the Award across the rest of Europe

Coordinated approach at UK level, with ongoing evaluation and benchmarking of progress

First 2 tranches now undertaken internal reviews

Review of all published actions plans undertaken“... It is great news that another 11 UK universities have been awarded the HR

Excellence in Research Award. It's vital that the working conditions of researchers continue to improve because world-class science and research are the key to future economic growth.” David Willetts, MP, Minister for Universities and Science

Themes in implementation across all Award holders

Major review of all published documentation associated with the Award across Europe

61 UK and 48 non-UK institutions reviewed

Aimed to compare UK and non-UK implementation strategies and highlight themes, strengths and gaps

Identified a set of potential areas based on what institutions reported they were monitoring to measure their success against objectives

Key findings

Significant evidence of implementation across all the Concordat principles, both UK and non-UK

Engagement with the C&C or Concordat had ‘driven practice and transformed the nature of researcher HRM’

For example

- over 90% had or planned to review their recruitment processes

- over 60% were providing training for staff on recruitment panels

- over 60% were taking action around FTCs

Key findings

Significant differences included:– Researcher responsibilities– Employer responsibilities– Legal issues– Supporting mobility

Key findings

Only area where less than 50% of HR implementation plans said that action had been (or was planned to) take place was around Research Staff Associations (22%)

There is sufficient similarity to identify a potential framework of areas which might inform the internal/external review process

Next steps: external review process for UK organisations

Recommendations from the Policy Forum, endorsed by the Concordat Executive Group:

while the HR Excellence External Review process should reference and draw on related initiatives (eg REF, Athena Swann etc) there was value in it being a discreet process

the external review process for the UK should be a peer review system mirroring, or part of, the European one

the framework of areas in which institutions were identifying actions could usefully be developed to underpin the review processes for the Award

Next steps

Next deadline for submissions 29 March 2013

Event on 24 May, London

Development of UK position re certification

Confirmation of external review process for UK organisations