Public Engagement and Impact:
context, issues & ‘enhanced’ PE
Steve Dorney
Revised Dec 2011
Note
• These slides outline the background connections between
public engagement and research impact (e.g. as understood
in the context of REF Impact Case Studies, Pathways to
Impact and the RCUK Concordat for Engaging the Public
with Research)
• Further information and links to documents can be found
via the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public
Engagement (NCCPE) website at
www.publicengagement.ac.uk
2
What is public engagement?
“Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the
activity and benefits of higher education and research can be
shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a twoway process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal
of generating mutual benefit”
Defined after wide consultation by National Co-ordinating
Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE)
www.publicengagement.ac.uk
NCCPE has a leading role re the REF panel criteria for PE
Note that Southampton is a signatory to the NCCPE Manifesto
3
What is PE? 2
Purpose
Exemplar activities
INFORMING: Inspiring, informing and educating
•
•
•
•
•
Here the goal is to communicate the activity and
outputs of research, while encouraging feedback,
comments and questions
CONSULTING: Actively listening to the public’s
views, insights and concerns
Here the goal is to feed the public’s views and
insights into the research process itself
COLLABORATING: Working in partnership with the
public to solve problems together, drawing on each
other’s expertise
Here the goal is to involve the public as
participants and collaborators in the research
process
•
•
•
•
presentations and lectures
festival appearances
media work
exhibitions
writing for non-specialists, whether online or in
journalism or books.
public meetings and discussion events
panels and user groups
online consultation
deliberation and 'upstream' engagement
• collaborative research projects
• ‘citizen science’ where the public are actively involved in
the collection and analysis of data
• helpdesks or the like, to make it easy for people outside
the university to draw on university expertise
Slide content by Paul Manners, Director, NCCPE
4
How will the REF define PE?
4 pilot impact panels worked on assessment criteria for PE
NCCPE steer: ‘we commend Panel B’s guidance to the other
panels’ (REF consultation response, Oct 2011)
• 74. Public engagement is an activity that may
enhance or extend the impact of research. Subpanels will welcome case studies that include
impact achieved in this way, either as the main
impact described or as one facet of a broader
range of impacts.
5
How will the REF assess PE?
Pilot Panel B version again …
• 75. Public engagement is a very broad area, not all of which
is underpinned by research. Case studies which include
impacts that derive from public engagement must:
• a. Be directly connected to specific research or a body of
research carried out in the unit, and explain clearly which
particular aspects of the research underpinned the
engagement activity and contributed to the impact claimed.
6
How will the REF assess PE? [reach]
• b. Include evidence of the reach of the impact. This
should extend beyond simply providing the numbers of
people engaged and may also, for example, include:
• information about the types of audience
• whether there was secondary reach, for example from
follow-up or media coverage
• other quantitative indicators such as evidence of sales,
downloads of linked resources, and/or access to web
content.
7
How will the REF assess PE? [significance]
• c. Include evidence of the significance of the impact. This
should include a description of the social, cultural or other
significance of the research insights with which the public
have engaged. Examples of the evidence that might be
provided for this include:
•
•
•
•
•
evaluation data
user feedback or testimony
critical external reviews of the engagement activity
evidence of third party involvement, for example how collaborators have
modified their practices, contributions (cash or in-kind) by third parties to
enhance services or support for the public, or evidence of funds from third
parties to enhance or extend the engagement activity
evidence of sustainability, through, for example, a sustained or ongoing
engagement with a group, a significant increase in participation in events or
programmes, continuing sales, downloads, or use of resources.
8
REF Impact reminder
RCUK
scheme
9
Examples of PE that generate impacts 1
• In the areas of civil society, policy making and public
services:
– Dialogue, debate and engagement with the public about
the application of new ideas and practices to policy and
infrastructure provision (e.g. related to health,
environmental behaviours, service provision, social
equity or social cohesion)
[NCCPE Discussion Paper: Assessing impacts arising from
public engagement with research]
10
Examples of PE that generate impacts 2
• In the area of cultural and economic impact and quality of
life:
– Enriching public discourse and quality of life by
introducing new research-led perspectives and insights
into the public domain, through workshops, events,
performance, exhibitions or media work (print and
broadcast)
– Stimulating public interest in research and direct
engagement in informing research
[NCCPE Discussion Paper: Assessing impacts arising from
public engagement with research]
11
Summary : PE to support 4* Impact?
• A clear link between the research and the engagement
activity.
• Evidence of dissemination as well as a clear explanation of
the significance or benefits to the audiences.
• Think about publics – by geography or interest.
• Expectation that PE will go beyond ‘business as usual’
engagement, e.g. a innovative programme of activity,
sustainable, clearly identified benefits to others.
• Maximising the value of a discipline’s ‘impact signature’
12
Issues to consider
• Enhanced engagement vs. ‘business as usual’
– how is research impact of type X enhanced by PE type Y?
– Can you demonstrate 2-way engagement?
• What does ‘dialogue’ look like in your discipline?
– NCCPE influence/likely panel membership
– HEFCE to include ‘research users’ on panels – who?
• Sustainability valued over serendipity
– Impact = reach AND significance
– Impact activity shouldn’t be the only sanctioned form of PE
13
Practical routes to enhanced PE – part 1
• Join the UoS PE Network (J.M.James@soton.ac.uk)
– Series of working lunches with mini-seminars
– Resource for PE ‘activists’
• Adapt case studies of best practice from NCCPE pages at
www.publicengagement.ac.uk
14
Practical routes to enhanced PE – part 2
• PGR training via GradBook (Steve Dorney/Kirsten Wythe)
• Learn with US content opportunities (Richard Kennett)
• Impact roadshow (Steve Dorney/Helen Czerski/Tony
Curran)
• Expansion of LLL programme (Helen Spurling)
• Student Centredness Fund (Debra Humphris)
• Web 2.0/social networking (Jon Copley)
• Expand role at cyclical UoS events (e.g. NSEW)
15
Practical routes to enhanced PE – part 3
• Apply for RCUK awards specific to PE (e.g. Wellcome Arts
Award)
• Consider working with citizen researchers
• Provide CPD for teachers and for non-Uni researchers
• Build partnerships with museums/science centres (e.g.
Intech)
• Engage more policymakers with research briefings
• Engage with more NGOs/Third Sector (e.g. SoNG outreach
event)
16
Environment routes to enhanced PE 1
Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research
Joint statement from Research Councils UK (RCUK), the
Funding Councils, academies and research charities setting
out expectations and responsibilities of research funders with
respect to public engagement.
– Do you have an engagement strategy?
– Are staff resources committed to PE work at UoA level?
– Are researchers recognised for PE work (e.g. workload?)
– Are there opportunities for PE training/development?
17
Environment routes to enhanced PE 2
VITAE Researcher
Development Framework
Domain D: Engagement,
Influence and Impact
– Do you map researcher
training onto the RDF?
– Do you connect impact
with career development
through the RDF stages?
18
Beyond REF2014
• Pathways to Impact
• Plan ahead for next REF
• Design or borrow mechanism for tracking impact and PE
• RCUK Catalysts bid (17 Nov 11)
– Connecting best practice in UoS
– Re-thinking community interaction
– Reward and recognition programme
19