support and guidance
retained support
Our consultants have extensive experience of working with research offices, other university departments, research centres and projects, and multi-institutional networks. The models below are ones we have used in the past when working with clients and aim to help us to better understand the needs of partner organisations, and so maximise the benefit we are able to offer.
Consultancy
Provided by one or more of our consultants as required
Some problems have straightforward solutions, others require a little more time. This model allows one of our consultants to work with you and your team to solve particularly knotty problems or support you in delivering a step change in culture, activity or outcomes. We can offer support in a number of areas, including: Communicating research to new audiences Developing a culture of engagement and impact Building relationships with policy or community groups Developing new approaches to funding strategy or the commercialisation of knowledge Helping research organisations develop goals and ways of working that maximise opportunities for collaboration with non-academic partners We would typically work with a project, centre or department over the course of not less than six months, usually for a day or two a month. However, no two projects are the same, and we would start off with a free scoping discussion to agree how we can help, what you can expect from us, and what we would need from you in return.
Guidance sessions
Provided by one or more of our consultants as required
Guidance sessions are 45-minute online discussions followed by an optional 15-minute follow-up a month later. Typically, we would agree a block of these with university research offices or college / faculty administrations, and they would offer them to researchers as needed over the course of a year. These sessions can be used to help individual researchers develop their initial strategy or to address a particular problem. Research development teams or other departments can block book these sessions and offer them to academic colleagues looking for ideas on communicating their work to new audiences or framing their research in ways that will grab the attention of policymakers, the media and the public. They also offer a useful first step in developing a communications and engagement strategy for new projects and centres.
Communications support
Provided by Nick Bibby & Hannah Grist
For smaller or short-term projects and centres, getting professional communications support can be a struggle. This package provides strategic consultation (and a little delivery where appropriate) to help projects get their message across. This package can help PIs and others keep their communication and engagement plans on track, identify key opportunities for impact activity, and add a professional touch to outputs, events and other activities. The package can be costed into the budget at bid stage and work can start as soon as it has the green light.
Policy mentoring
Provided by Nick Bibby & Hannah Grist
Working with policy can be a complicating addition to already overstretched workloads. The purpose of this package is to help colleagues who may be new to working with policy, or simply in need of an experienced sounding board, to have someone to talk to. Typically, this might involve a scheduled monthly meeting and phone calls when an issue is more urgent. In some months it might be that there’s nothing to discuss and in others we might speak every day for a week.
Strategic funding mentoring
Provided by Al Innes
Planning, establishing and growing a new centre or network can be a daunting task. Reshaping or rethinking the strategy of a department or team to increase opportunities for research funding or to secure such funding for the first time can also be a complex and intimidating prospect. This package can offer PIs and other research leaders the benefits of an external perspective, whether that’s advising on the direction of travel, reading over documents or helping a team clarify their goals. Typically, this would involve monthly meetings and occasional calls over the course of a year.
projects and delivery
Our consultants are available for one-off or short-term projects. These might be standalone activities or they could be ‘bolted-on’ to augment some of the retained approaches on the previous page. In addition to the models listed below, we are happy to quote for short- and medium-term project work, including giving quotes that can be incorporated into funding applications for work to be undertaken if the bid is successful.
One-off communications support
Provided by one or more of our consultants as required
Sometimes a piece of work just needs to be done and done quickly. That might be developing a visual identity or building a website, it might be managing a report launch or issuing a press release about findings, it might be convening and facilitating a workshop with government officials or other stakeholders. It might just be an extra pair of hands at busy times, or a fresh set of eyes on important documents. We can provide expert support in the areas of policy engagement, media relations, events design and programming, publications, web development and design, SEO and content marketing strategies, strategic communications, video and audio production, and impact planning.
Policy impact reviews
Provided by Nick Bibby & Hannah Grist
This service is aimed at research organisations that are up and running and have been engaging with policy for a year or more. It provides an expert review of outputs to date, which might include parliamentary evidence, reports for government departments or other public bodies, and research or policy briefings. It might also include less official outputs that are still intended to engage policy professionals, such as blogs or toolkits. We review an agreed selection of these documents and make recommendations for future improvement. These recommendations relate to the style, structure and format of documents, rather than the underpinning research or the recommendations they make for policy change. This report can be the basis of a facilitated workshop where required.
Proposal and tender reviews for strategic projects
Provided by one or more of our consultants as required
This service can be used in a number of settings, from preparing strategic funding applications for key hires through to final reviews of REF impact statements, institutional or departmental research strategies and other key statements on impact for funders and other important stakeholders. The service provides an external ‘Red Team’ perspective removed from the bid-writing team, and feedback on up to three drafts of a document.
Impact statement reviews
Provided by one or more of our consultants as required
Whether it is as part of an application or as a deliverable at the end of a project or during its lifecycle, explaining the impact of a body of research can be hardest for those closest to the action. However, explaining the potential or actual impact of research in way that is both compelling and convincing can be a critical component in developing and enhancing research activity. We offer an expert, external pair of eyes to read over these statements and make sure that the message is both clear and as targeted as possible for its intended audience. Typically, we might look at an early draft and then review it again before submission, but we are happy to tailor out support to the scale of the project.