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 horizon
HR 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