As you know, the draft Strategic Plan for Research and Enterprise has been circulated for your comments and input. There is a neat Gov.UK publication on ‘Consultation Principles’ which states that consultations should have a purpose, be clear and concise and that they are only part of a process of engagement.
When the draft plan went out, I was not entirely sure what the responses would be, how many would engage with the process or whether the comments and points would be helpful and constructive? The consultation closed on the 4th November and, as usual, there were a few late returns (which, in this case, were accepted on the basis of ‘better late than never’!). Firstly, let me assure you that I have read everything at least three times and it was fantastic to have responses from every School!! Some Schools sent me one collated response, two of our Research Centres had met to discuss the plan and submitted an extremely thorough response and the rest were from individuals. In addition, I had some good comments from Academic Services and RESP, and a response from the A&H CRD, but, sadly, many of our central departments did not respond at all.
When it came to individual responses, the one that amused and intrigued me the most was from a Professor I have yet to meet who congratulated me and, by and large, liked the plan. They concluded their feedback with a poem called Hyenas, written in 2011, lamenting the historic lack of a UoB Research Policy and suggesting it would make a good forward to the new one!
So, what has been happening since the consultation closed? A small group of us have been working hard to refine and update the Strategic Plan. One thing that is worth mentioning is that we will create a detailed implementation plan which will cover the actions and activities needed to ensure we meet our objectives. Naturally, some aspects of this will be easier than others and some we will address sooner rather than later, but the key thing is that we will need to work together to deliver the objectives.
Early in the New Year I will be visiting all campuses and, hopefully, can share what will be the final version with you.
Many thanks for your engagement and all your contributions.