Page 10
Building a Research Community in Northern Ireland An
Update
Previous editions of the newsletter have highlighted the work
going on in Northern Ireland concerned with building and
maintaining a strong research evidence culture.
As new staff come on board, and people change roles it is
important to keep readers updated on the work to date.
In 2020 we established an inclusive group - Building a Research
Community. The individuals and organisations associated with this
community are outlined in the accompanying table (Page11).
Since publication the HSCB has now being replaced in the new organisational structure to the
Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG of the DoH).
Please note The Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) arranges or commissions
health and social care services for the population of Northern Ireland.
The Strategic Planning and Performance Group is accountable to the Health Minister, and plans
and designs a range of health and social care services that deliver high quality and safe outcomes
for patients and service users, are good value for the taxpayer, and comply with
statutory duties.
The purpose of the building a Research Community Group is to facilitate greater ownership of
the evidence agenda in NI.
The group meets three times a year and was responsible for the development of the new
strategy (updated from 2015) and implementation plan. The new strategy runs for the period
2020-2025.
See Link: Research Strategy 2020-25 - Research Strategy 2020-25
(pagetiger.com)
Or SWSC-Research-Evidence-Strategy-2020-25.pdf (hscni.net)
Implementation Plan - 1 (pagetiger.com)
Members consider progress in own locations based on the strategic agenda.
Currently we are negotiating for resources for the establishment of local evidence leads in the 5
HSC Trusts who will be responsible for helping to cultivate leadership and build capacity;
including:
responsibility for working collaboratively with the regional Social Care Research Lead to
deliver on the agreed strategic research agenda and work plan.
premised on a collective leadership concept where the post holder is responsible for
supporting and nurturing the research evidence agenda locally and in synergy with the
regionally agreed implementation plan.
responsibility for working collaboratively across trusts, and regionally with other organisations
in the Research Community to ensure that there is cross-fertilisation of ideas and the
sharing of learning in research evidence determined by the implementation plan. Building
communities of interest at a local level. Identifying learning and development needs connecting
with academia / service users and other researchers on an equal partnerships and
supporting research related activity.