<![CDATA[Newsroom University of Manchester]]> /about/news/ en Sun, 22 Dec 2024 14:34:11 +0100 Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:36:56 +0200 <![CDATA[Newsroom University of Manchester]]> https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_1369.jpg /about/news/ 144 Value of University’s work for society and the economy rated highly in new assessment /about/news/value-of-universitys-work-for-society-and-the-economy-rated-highly-in-new-assessment/ /about/news/value-of-universitys-work-for-society-and-the-economy-rated-highly-in-new-assessment/593578The University of Manchester has achieved the highest possible score for its work with intellectual property and commercialisation, research partnerships and public and community engagement in the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework rating by Research England. 

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The University of Manchester has achieved the highest possible score for its work with intellectual property and commercialisation, research partnerships and public and community engagement in the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework rating by Research England. 

The Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) is an annual assessment by Research England of the ways English universities engage with society and the economy, locally, nationally, and internationally. This is the third iteration, known as KEF3. 

Intellectual property and commercialisation 

This year, the University achieved the maximum possible rating of very high engagement for intellectual property and commercialisation . 

The achievements of the University’s in licensing, intellectual property income, investment and turnover of spinouts, maintains 91ֱ’s performance as a leading university for creating new businesses from research and other activity. 

Research partnerships and public and community engagement 

In both research partnerships and public and community engagement, 91ֱ was highly rated..  

91ֱ’s performance in research partnerships, working with business, and working with the public and third sector recognises the work of its Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange team through collaborative research with partners, contract research and consultancy. 

The University’s leading position in is demonstrated through our sustained commitment to , our Greater 91ֱ Civic University Agreement, innovative GM Citizens’ Panel, achievements in volunteering, festivals, mutual partnerships, citizen science, policy engagement, patient involvement in research, and engagement with communities through its cultural institutions – Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, John Rylands Library, 91ֱ Museum, and the Whitworth Art Gallery.

The results in continuous professional development and graduate start-ups are underpinned by the work within the and

Professor Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: “Knowledge exchange is a core priority for The University of Manchester. We are delighted to see our achievements continue to be recognised in the KEF3 profile. We shall continue to ensure that our research, teaching and social responsibility activities benefit the economy and society at local, national and global level.” 

Research England has published each university’s performance on on its website. 

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91ֱ top of the table for the UK's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships /about/news/manchester-top-of-the-table-for-the-uks-knowledge-transfer-partnerships/ /about/news/manchester-top-of-the-table-for-the-uks-knowledge-transfer-partnerships/470862£25m value-add puts 91ֱ at the top of the table for the UK's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, as it becomes partner of choice for innovation in businesses 

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£25m value-add puts 91ֱ at the top of the table for the UK's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, as it becomes partner of choice for innovation in businesses 

Following a decade of consistent and dedicated support for businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the university, the achievements realised by colleagues across the University has put the University at the top of Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) ranking, the institution announces today. This ranking demonstrates The University of Manchester is the partner of choice for businesses that want to drive informed innovation for commercial advantage.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) bring together academic institutions, with innovative businesses, to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between academia and business to deliver transformative change. KTP projects are funded by UKRI through Innovate UK - the UK's innovation agency - who manages the KTP programme and facilitates its delivery through a range of partners including the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). The programme provides a grant contribution towards total eligible project costs of up to 67% to support collaborative projects between Academia and UK businesses - to translate and apply research and expertise to drive innovation in business.

Led by the University’s Knowledge Exchange Team, the University has secured £25M to support over 100 projects with a range of SMEs and large business partners over the past 10 years. Through delivery of these projects, 91ֱ academics have used their knowledge to support strategic commercial innovation for the benefit of UK plc, providing an ongoing and vital contribution at a time when the world is faced with the challenge of economic recovery following the pandemic.

Professor Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice Chancellor of The University of Manchester said: "Being recognised by Innovate UK as the top institution for KTPs is fitting recognition of a decade's hard work from The University of Manchester. 

"The University of Manchester's KTPs have attracted over £25m funding to support businesses delivering real-world innovation, like inov-8 who are pioneering the use of graphene technology and Jackson Lees who are applying artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools to provide cost-effective and consumer-focused delivery of legal services.

"Topping Innovate UK’s KTP table is a testament to the hard work of the Knowledge Exchange team and academic researchers across UoM and is making us an innovation partner of choice for business."

Fiona Nightingale, Senior Knowledge Transfer Adviser of the Knowledge Transfer Network said: "As the nominated Knowledge Transfer Adviser for 91ֱ, I am absolutely delighted that The University of Manchester has attained the top position as the University with the most active KTPs in the UK .This is a well-deserved result that reflects the hard work and exemplary support provided by the University’s outstanding Knowledge Exchange team and the academic involved in delivering the projects.

"The KE team supports academics, companies and graduates at every step of the process, from finding the right expertise, developing a partnership, applying for funding and supporting a KTP project throughout its life.

"The 91ֱ region punches above its weight in terms of participation in KTP and this is a fitting outcome following lots of dedicated effort to support business innovation."

There are ongoing opportunities to develop Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and if you are interested in developing a partnership please contact The University of Manchester’s Knowledge Transfer Team here [ke@manchester.ac.uk]

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Thu, 19 Aug 2021 16:07:35 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_aerialview1-2.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/aerialview1-2.jpg?10000
Promoting your research: Steps to dissemination and engagement /about/news/promoting-your-research-steps-to-dissemination-and-engagement/ /about/news/promoting-your-research-steps-to-dissemination-and-engagement/465997Highlights from the final session of the Knowledge Exchange training series, facilitated by Rosalinda Quintieri and Hannah Murray, as part of the ESRC Collaboration Labs Programme, The University of Manchester.The University of Manchester’s recent Times Higher Education ranking as the world’s number one university for action on sustainable development is a clear demonstration of the role of research in driving positive, socially responsible change in our local, national and global communities.

No matter how big or small the research project, there is always the potential for meaningful change. However, the ways in which research is shared, communicated and engaged with is critical to its ability to drive ‘real world’ impact in economic, social or cultural fields beyond academia. Further to this, effective research communication and engagement can support researchers to raise their own academic profile; engage key stakeholders; evidence research impact and gain external recognition for their work.

In this workshop, we built on the to share the key steps, tools and best practice to help the Collaboration Labs researchers effectively communicate and promote the value of their knowledge exchange .

In this blog, we’ll set out the key steps and some further reading to help anyone engaging in a knowledge exchange or research consultancy project to get started on a Communications strategic plan.

1. What are your communication objectives?

Align communications with project’s objectives”

Your communications objectives should be distinct from your main project objectives, with a large focus on getting your research known and used among those who can benefit most from it. However, they should be aligned with your project's aims. When starting out, it helps to envision the ultimate aims of your research: Are you looking to inform? Inspire? Engage? Influence? Change behaviour?

Consider: Envisage the end-point: What might impact look like, and how might you achieve it? Ensure that the objectives of your impact strategy don't simply restate the objectives of the project itself.

Next steps: “Define a set of key objectives and ensure your key aims are clear, simple and measurable.” – ESRC Impact Toolkit.

2. Define your audiences

“Who do you wish to speak to about your research?”

For any form of research communication, it is vital to know who you are speaking to, that is, who your key audiences are.

Consider not only your immediate KE partner but the broader network of stakeholders, beneficiaries and public audiences who might have an interest in the results of this research project.

In some cases, you may want to identify groups that you think are not (currently) interested in your research, who you would like to be interested, or who you think is important for other reasons e.g. they may be particularly influential or impacted. 

Next steps:

  • Try to narrow down your audiences to organisations, departments - you could even narrow this down further and focus on individuals, if possible.
  • “Prioritise your target audiences and user groups according to their importance and influence relative to your objectives.” – ESRC Impact Toolkit.

3. Refine your key messages

“Effective research engagement is a two-way process – an interaction.”

Once you have identified your audiences, the next task is to break down your objectives into relevant messages for each of those audiences. Start with the audiences that are the highest priority.

Remember, effective research engagement is a two-way process – an interaction. Be sure to tailor your messages with the respective needs and interests of each of your audiences in mind.

The key message will vary for each audience depending upon i) their potential influence/ interest ii) your desired outcome. Some groups may be interested in just one aspect of your research e.g. your method or theory, or one research finding versus another depending on the outcome of your work. Likewise, your ask or ‘call to action’ for each of these audiences will vary depending upon their work, interest or influence. 

Research is about the gathering and analysis of data; story is about organising and reviewing that data from different standpoints and cultural positions.”

- Professor Bambo Soyinka, Professor of Story at Bath Spa University and Director, Paper Nations; ; 23 March 2021.

Next steps: Make sure your messages are appropriate for each audience you want to engage: “Set out your key messages in clear, accessible language – audiences such as journalists and policymakers are overloaded with information and may not remember your messages if they are too complex.”
- ESRC Impact Toolkit.

4. Finding the right format for your key messages

Think creatively about the ways you may share your research, and always consider: What makes a good story?

“A good story is:

simple: it doesn’t try to cover too many bases

short: no more than a minute long, easy to remember, no script needed

active: the story is about doing things

true: telling a true story is a chance to talk honestly about the organisation

told for a purpose…

Stories can help to move an organisation away from dry statements of policy, mission and values to painting vivid pictures in words which have real impact.”
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations;

Consider: Take a look at how key findings of the research were effectively communicated to key audiences in these two Collaboration Labs media pieces:

  • Cecilia Vidal and Artesia in  
  • Charlotte Faucher and Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy in .

5. Channels - engaging with your audiences

“Consider where your audiences tend to access information”

After refining your key audiences, it is important to consider where and how they tend to access information. When completing your Communication plan, consider the most appropriate ways (channels) to reach your target audience – for example through a newsletter or blog, or media coverage.

Consider: Plan around the necessary timings - It is best to get in touch with relevant parties early on, as these groups will be able to better plan for and support your research communications at the right time.

Next steps: Map the most effective channels to communicate with your audience – think about the channels that your audience will prefer and tend to use.

6. Finalise your Communication Plan

Draw up a Communication Plan that includes all the elements above, along with any wider activities you intend to carry out & be sure to factor in deadlines, key milestones, responsibilities, costs and measurement.

Consider: Be sure to consider the timeframes for activity at each stage of the project. In doing so, be aware of how your schedule fits in with other key events. You may be able to adjust your timetable to take advantage of these, such as media interest, a wider publication or a key external event.

7. Evaluation

The amount of evaluation you do should be in proportion to the size of the project.” – ESRC Impact Toolkit

A common approach to evaluation is the KAB model, where impact is measured on changes Knowledge, Attitude and/or Behaviour. For consultancy projects with a short time frame (like the Collaboration Labs research partnerships, who last 3 months), this approach may be a helpful basis for evaluation.

Consider:

  • How much effect might your activity have on the audience? 
  • How might your research shape knowledge, attitudes or behaviour, what might this look like, and what are the key steps to achieving this? 

Find out more about the KAB model, and more ways to evaluate your research in the  

Further reading:

  • ESRC Impact Toolkit:
  • ESRC guidance on how to write a good blog:
  • Professor Bambo Soyinka, Professor of Story at Bath Spa University and Director, Paper Nations; ; 23 March 2021.
  • The National Council for Voluntary Organisations;

Find out more

This session was designed and facilitated by Collaboration Labs Programme Director, Rosalinda Quintieri, and Programme Comms Coordinator, Hannah Murray.

is an ESRC programme facilitated by The University of Manchester that supports research consultancy opportunities, professional training and bespoke coaching for postgraduate and early career researchers to engage in collaborative projects with non-University partners.

The programme is designed by Dr Rosalinda Quintieri, PGR Partnerships and Placements Officer in the Faculty of Humanities, with funding and support from the Economic and Social Research Council, the NWCDTP and the NWSSDTP.

 for updates on our academic knowledge exchange activities.

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Knowledge Exchange Insights: Emotional Intelligence for Teamwork /about/news/knowledge-exchange-insights-emotional-intelligence-for-teamwork/ /about/news/knowledge-exchange-insights-emotional-intelligence-for-teamwork/465993Timeline to being a winner

Highlights from the third session of the Knowledge Exchange , facilitated by Yvonne McLean, as part of the ESRC  Programme, The University of Manchester.

Working in a team environment can be challenging for many researchers who are used to working independently and have so far developed their paths by making individual choices. In this highly interactive session, our training lead facilitator Yvonne Mclean, Director of , guided our Collaboration Labs teams to explore practical ways in which emotional intelligence can improve collaborative teamwork, performance and project success.

In this blog, we share some of the underlying theories and methods that were at the basis of the practical activities led by Yvonne. We highlight some of the models and processes through which you can create positive and effective teamwork, which is something useful for the success of any Knowledge Exchange initiative or collaborative project.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence underpins our ability to collaborate and communicate in a team, to manage differences of opinion (conflict) and to keep the team focussed on developing the desired project results. It can be defined as the ability to monitor your own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide your thinking and actions. 

According to Daniel Goleman, the psychologist who helped to popularise this model, Emotional intelligence is made up of four core domains – self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management – that pair up under two primary competencies: personal competence and social competence. Within those domains are twelve EI competencies, starting with emotional self-awareness in the self-awareness domain.

Emotional Intelligence Domains and Competencies

Naturally, we all have strengths in some more than others and having this individual self-awareness is the foundation for succeeding as a team. Before embarking on a collaborative project, it may helpful to reflect on previous experiences where you’ve worked as part of a team. Take a look at the four qualities above: where do you feel there might be room to develop your skills?

Challenging your thinking: “Align the body and mind”

Raising your awareness of your feelings in response to a challenging event will help you to manage them more effectively in the future. Reflect on a time where you have felt challenged or experienced difficulty when working as part of a team. You may also wish to consider a particular element of teamwork that you tend to find most difficult.

Yvonne explored how disruptive emotions often arise through a conflict between what you feel and what you think. “The brain does not want an emotion that is inconsistent with the physiology of the body.” As such, it helps to align the body and mind: “When you are feeling a disruptive emotion ask yourself what you want to feel, and your body will behave consistently. For example, a breathing exercise can help to lead your physiology”.

Another way to challenge your thinking is through the ABC Model. This is a Cognitive Behavioural practice that places the onus and power on you to take control of your difficult feelings.

A - Activating event – This can be anything from a short comment, tone of voice or topic of conversation.
B - Attributed belief or meaning – This is always dependent on us; our own fears, anxieties or insecurities.
C - Emotional reaction to the belief – This depends upon the meaning we have attributed to the event, and our emotional response to it.

This model asks us to reflect upon the meanings we attribute to challenging circumstances. As such, Yvonne noted the need to “Look for contrary evidence to what you believe, is there an alternative explanation from the one you jumped to? … Try to de-catastrophize by arguing (with yourself) that the consequences might not be what you anticipate.”

A helpful framework to keep in mind furthers the ABC model, focusing on an active approach through disputation and energisation.

D - Disputation – Challenge the irrational beliefs.
E - Energisation – How are you feeling now?

Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as part of a team

Collaboration is a crucial part of working successfully and learning how to be a positive force for your team is vital. When you aim to be a great team player, others will follow. A team player is someone who actively contributes to their group in order to complete tasks, meet goals or manage projects. They actively listen to their colleagues, respect ideas and aim to improve the product or process at hand. Team players understand that their team’s success is their own success, and they share responsibility when their team experiences difficulties along the way.

Crucially, a good team player is aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and consciously works to develop them.

A well-established model to better understand your approach to teamwork and the role you play in a group is offered by the Belbin Team Role profiles. Take a look at the table below, which profile do you most relate to?

Belbin Team Role profiles

about how these profiles can help you to create a balanced team. However, as for every behavioural-based model, one should always consider that we all tend to adopt different roles and behaviours in different situations and that if we might have a preferred working style, ultimately our functioning in a team is based on the interrelationship with others and the task at hand. This makes Emotional Intelligence even more important, as it gives us the ability to understand, adapt and respond to any given situation.

When trying to understand which areas we need to improve for becoming a more effective leader and team player, a comprehensive 360-degree assessment is always the best choice, since it collects both self-ratings and the views of others who know you well. External feedback is particularly helpful for evaluating all areas of emotional intelligence, including self-awareness (how would you know that you are not self-aware?).

The GRIP model

Another useful tool to create a well-balanced team is given by the GRIP model. The primary role of a research consultancy team is to combine resources, expertise and skills. The underlying assumption of a well-functioning team is one of collaboration, which is to say that the output of a team will be greater than the sum of each individual’s contribution without a team architecture in place.

Each researcher will have their own expertise, strengths & weakness. This can be a strength or weakness of the team, depending upon whether these differences are truly understood and harnessed. Intentionally developing all of these components will be helpful when building new teams, changing old teams, understanding team limitations and creating solutions.

Goals, Roles, Processes and Interpersonal Relationships

Ultimately to build a highly functioning and emotionally intelligent team, more is required than a sum of emotionally intelligent members. It requires a team atmosphere in which the ground rules and norms agreed as a group build emotional capacity (the ability to respond constructively in emotionally uncomfortable situations) and influence emotions in constructive ways for the whole team. In an era of teamwork, it’s vital to figure out what makes teams work effectively. There is extensive research that shows that, just like individuals, the most effective teams are the emotionally intelligent ones. The good news is that any team – and individual! - can attain emotional intelligence. It is a skill, and as such, can be developed or improved upon over time.

Further resources

  • Watch the
  • Read about five models of
  • Discover the

 for updates on our academic knowledge exchange activities.

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Knowledge Exchange Insights: Project Management for Knowledge Exchange /about/news/knowledge-exchange-insights-project-management-for-knowledge-exchange/ /about/news/knowledge-exchange-insights-project-management-for-knowledge-exchange/465987Highlights from the second session of the Knowledge Exchange , facilitated by Yvonne McLean, as part of the ESRC  Programme, The University of Manchester.

Welcome to the second blog of our Knowledge Exchange Insights series. I’m , a Research Associate at the University of Manchester, with expertise in human-computer interaction, science, and cybersecurity. I am currently working as an Associate Research Consultant for the ESRC Programme.

As part of the Collaboration Labs programme, I’ve been working as part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers on an academic-industry knowledge exchange project to explore the question: What makes software ethical?

Working with a social enterprise that designs digital products to create a positive social change, we will offer research support to develop a framework for ethical software that can be used across the sector.

In this blog I’ll share some practical methods and useful resources that our team is using to design and deliver this collaborative project, bringing you a synthesis of the training received as part of the Collaboration Labs programme in project management.

The resources shared here will be helpful for the management of any research consultancy & knowledge exchange project, either in a fully remote environment, as our project, or face to face.

Getting into Project Management

A good place to start is to assess your current project management skills. You could use the to do so. A helpful guide that links those skills with the is provided by team Gannt, in their .

Project vs. Process

What makes projects different from other things? There are 2 essential parts:

  1. All projects are limited in time.
  2. All projects aim to achieve a unique goal (e.g., develop a new product/service).

Contrast that with “business as usual” (BAU) – processes with no limit in sight, keeping the business running.

In research, examples of BAU may include repeating seminars and tutorials, annual lecture series and similar recurring events.

The aim of research consultancy is to deliver a project – a time-limited endeavour with a unique outcome. The project will depend on your expertise and the project partner’s wishes.

The following project management skills will help you to agree what the project will be about, and how to execute it to the satisfaction of everyone involved.

Why do Projects Fail?

Heading into a project, it helps to spot signs of failure early, and work with your partner to remediate them before they become project-crushing problems. Some of the typical problems include:

  • Unclear objectives
  • Overambitious purpose
  • Project not aligned with business needs
  • Failure to allow enough time to plan properly
  • Poor scheduling
  • Poor leadership/unclear lines of authority
  • Insufficient resources
  • Failure to monitor progress
  • Failure to close
  • Failure to evaluate results and learn from experience

The list above is far from exhaustive, with the session’s participants identifying many more reasons a project may fail, including scope creep, lack of engagement, and more.

When one of those problems appears on the horizon, it is helpful to respond early:

  • Set clear objectives
  • Manage expectations, within available resources.
  • Renegotiate where necessary
  • Implement project monitoring and evaluation
  • Don’t avoid bringing up difficult conversations, with respect and honesty
  • Set follow-up times during the project to know if any part is falling behind

Prioritising Requirements

How should you organise competing requirements? Imagine you are asking a travel agency to organise your vacation. What would be your 5-10 bullet points that would make that holiday perfect for you? Now sort those points into these 4 categories:

Defining project requirements with your partner works the same way: there may be many things a client/project partner wants you to do, so it is a good practice to prioritise each of those wants into how important they are to the overall project and select the ones you are going to deliver for the project at hand.

Business Case

A business case condenses essential parts of the proposed project:

  • Why is the project needed?
  • What other options were considered?
  • What are the project requirements?
  • What are the benefits?
  • How will success be measured?
  • What are the boundaries or scope of the project?
  • What are the constraints? – consider time, quality, regulatory requirements, cost.
  • How much will it cost and how long will it take? Is this realistic?
  • What are the risks associated with this and can they be managed?
  • Who needs to be involved and how?

Knowing answers to these questions makes it easier to see the project from a strategic viewpoint, and to present it to your partner.

Project Management Approaches: Waterfall and Agile

A classical approach to project management can be explored through the waterfall model.

In this model, different parts of project management follow one after another in a linear fashion, from requirements, through design, implementation, verification, and maintenance where you handover the project to business as usual. This model saves costs and prioritises documentation, thus not losing any knowledge accumulated in the process. To execute it well, the partner needs to know exactly what they want with a defined end-goal, which provides a solid basis for the requirements which drive the rest of the project.

An alternative approach, called Agile, is used when developing a product iteratively. In this model, a work is done in bursts called ‘sprints’ or ‘iterations’, with the idea to develop a working product early, and work much closer with the client throughout the project to shape and change the product based on constant feedback. This model works well when it is hard to know from the start what the requirements are, and what the product needs to look like.

Both approaches come from, and are still widely used in software development, but they are helpful in all sorts of projects. Depending on what your client’s needs are, you can choose a project management model that best suits both of you.

Turning a Project into a Set of Tasks

With the business case and a chosen project management model in place, the project must be broken down into manageable pieces that you can do to achieve the proposed objectives and realise the stated benefits. This is the central piece of any project design process: creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

The breakdown may include separating deliverables (the physical or virtual pieces of work; the phases);what needs to be done when; and responsibilities (who needs to be doing what). Each main deliverable will have several smaller, individual tasks associated with it, forming a workstream. Workstreams are an effective way to see how individual tasks contribute to the overall delivery of the project. They also allow to schedule the project so that tasks that need to be accomplished one after another are clearly visible.

Risks

It is essential to anticipate possible obstacles to completing your project, and plan how to solve these in advance. A risk register is a tool to do this. You can start by identifying anything that could possibly disrupt or completely prevent the delivery of the project, from lack of finances and other resources to failing computing devices or people not being able to continue with the project.

Next, try to estimate the likelihood and impact of each event, each on a scale 1-5. Pay attention both to likely events with small impact, and to rare events with large impact. For example, if you do a lot of work on your computer as part of the project, consider what would happen if your computer broke, or if the files were accidently deleted. While the chance of that might be small, what would you do if it does happen?

With a list of risks, and their likelihood and impact, you can get the overall score for that risk by multiplying the 2 numbers together. To keep with the same example, say, the chance of your computer breaking down is 1 – very unlikely, but not impossible. The impact of that would be somewhere in the middle – it would slow down your work, but all the files are in the cloud, and you can work from your phone until your computer is fixed. You assign the impact of the event as 4 – serious, but not project-crushing. You multiply the 2 numbers together: 1x4=4. That is the overall score of the risk. You can see how very likely events with low impact would score similar points to the rare events with serious impact. Both need to be considered

Now that you have identified the risks, and prioritised them by score, you need to think about mitigating those risks. An action plan is useful in that case: if a risk does occur, you can always refer to the risk register to see what you need to do to solve that problem and be able to carry on with the project.

The risk register does not stay static once you have completed it at the beginning of the project. It will change as the project goes on: some risks will become irrelevant, while other risks may become more prominent. Keep the risk register up to date to minimise the impact on project delivery.

This Risk Matrix summarises how likelihood and impact translate to lower or higher levels of risk.

Useful Resources to support your projects

Putting these notions and models into practice, by the end of the session, participants started to create their own projects’ Work Breakdown Structure, making lists of tasks and ordering them into a workable schedule. To finalise our project design, we have found the following things useful:

  • Using to map out a project – this is a free software, the equivalent of MS Planner
  • What a is and how to use it.
  • Using to summarise key points of the project.
  • Using for team exercises, shared brainstorming and co-design.

If you want to learn more about project management, check out these free resources:

  • (video)
  • (video)
  • Team Gannt: (blog)

By , Research Associate at the University of Manchester, managing digital initiatives for the £1.4 million & 2021 Researcher.

 for updates on our academic knowledge exchange activities.

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Knowledge Exchange Insights: Creative problem analysis /about/news/knowledge-exchange-insights-creative-problem-analysis/ /about/news/knowledge-exchange-insights-creative-problem-analysis/465978Highlights from the first session of the Knowledge Exchange , facilitated by Yvonne McLean, as part of the ESRC  Programme, The University of Manchester.

Our focus in this short series is to share the latest tools and best practice for academic research consultancy and effective knowledge exchange, delivered in our ongoing Collaboration Labs .

Over the course of the next few months, 35 Humanities and Social Science researchers from 6 different institutions will work on 10 inspiring research consultancy projects in support of curriculum diversity, inclusive leadership, food sustainability, tech ethics and much more.

So watch this space for more professional insights from the programme to help you develop effective research consultancy skills for your own research consultancy and knowledge exchange projects.

Why Knowledge Exchange?

Knowledge Exchange brings research outside of academia for real-world impact, opening up a space for open-minded, creative and collaborative dialogue between academics and their research communities.

In partnership with business, public and civil society, researchers create practical, evidence-based solutions to solve challenges and develop new, innovative areas of work.

As such, Knowledge Exchange offers an opportunity for researchers to better understand the challenges faced by practitioners, extend their professional and academic networks and make a difference with their PhD skills and expertise in the wider community.

Introduction and Problem Analysis

Interpersonal communication is a vital skill for anyone wishing to work with partners and collaborators. It is particularly useful when trying to elicit key messages from project partners in order to intervene with precision in the work area they want to address or change.

Even before a pitch is delivered, project partners will be making decisions about their levels of trust in you and your abilities, based on how you present yourself and what you ask.

During this practical session, Yvonne McLean, Director of , explored some practical ways for researchers to analyse project challenges and formulate insightful questions for a great start to any consultancy project.

What to expect: How does research consultancy differ from research?

“Consider yourself in a way that you might not have done before you came into this role”

While a researcher’s expertise is certainly vital, the generation of knowledge is not the primary aim of consultancy. Instead, it is the way in which existing knowledge and expertise are applied to solve the challenge.

As such, consultancy requires a collaborative ‘partnership’ approach with industry partners, open to consideration, challenge and change. The researcher and partner will approach the project with diverging experiences and skills, so positive and clear communication is of vital importance at every stage of the partnership.

EQ – IQ “Leave your ego at the door”

A graphic showing a balance between communication skills and critical thinking

Some thinking that underpins the role of a consultant is the need for balance between critical thinking – evaluation, analysis and challenging of information – and emotional intelligence – the ability to build rapport, with empathy and understanding for positive relationships.

Too much of either can lead to perceived arrogance and inflexibility or inefficiency and lack of rigour. So an equal combination of interpersonal communication skills and critical thinking is needed for the free flow of meaning and positive, successful relationships.

Key principles to help you strike the right balance:

– Trust in a professional relationship comes from a very human basis See industry partners as individuals equal to you, with whom you wish to get along.

– Don’t guess
Don’t hesitate to challenge, ask for clarification and set boundaries in your project, but find a way to structure your questions in a helpful and efficient way.

– Leave your ego at the door
While we may go into the project with a clear idea of the work required, consultants must work with the partners to reach a solution to the problem at hand.

Divergent thinking

“Seek first to understand and then be understood”

‘Divergent thinking’ is a term that describes the open-minded approach researchers should take to consultancy projects. Working ‘within the space of curiosity’, researchers should first work to understand the issue at a higher, macro level.

Don’t close down discussions to get to the solution too soon, instead, hold off and explore the opportunities, resources, decision process, solutions and relationships available to you.

Problem analysis

“Set aside what you believe to be a globally accepted truth”

Consultants should not accept the challenge presented to them in a consultancy project as a ‘globally accepted truth’, as our initial response to the problem at hand will always be shaped by our own personal ethical, political, and professional opinions. Instead, the role of research is to offer an evidence-base that demonstrates the issue at hand.

This matrix of questions will help you to pin down the challenge:

Problem Evidence: How can we prove this problem exists?
Results Evidence: How can we prove the solution is a success?
Problem Impact: What would happen if this problem wasn’t addressed?
Results Impact: What is the payoff if success is achieved?

Crucially, this matrix of problem analysis will ultimately enable researchers to understand the real impact of their work in this field.

Final thoughts?

We caught up with some of our Collaboration Labs Researchers to hear their insights on the session.

Maria Liashenko is a PhD Candidate in Educational Research at Lancaster University, who will be among the team of researchers working on a project that aims to create an inclusive evaluation tool for socially isolated, neurodiverse young people.

Maria, in this workshop, we learned about the need to approach a consultancy project with an open mind, a will to collaborate and develop insightful questions to understand it from all sides.

In particular, we discussed ‘divergent thinking’, an open-minded approach to consultancy with a curiosity to firstly understand the broader problem at hand. How do you feel about this approach?

“Divergent thinking helps unpack some concepts from a new perspective. It is directly linked to creativity in a variety of contexts. This approach can be compared with having a bird’s eye view of the problem under analysis firstly. Doing it can be instrumental and illuminative at the initial stage of the consultancy process: applying a holistic approach, I look at the whole picture to understand the context and my objective in this context.”

After this first session of our training series, do you feel more confident to begin your research consultancy journey?

“The first session was eye-opening regarding what a research consultant is supposed to do. It increased my awareness of the responsibilities in this field. The blogs about consultant/client relationships were interesting because they made me think more about what to start with and how to progress. Sometimes simple things can have a great impact on more complex processes.”

Nicola Lester is a PhD candidate in the Division of Psychology & Mental Health at The University of Manchester. Nicola will be working on a consultancy project to explore the extent to which the average UK school’s library is reflective of the ethnic makeup of its pupils and help to curate more diverse school libraries.

Nicola, what did you find most helpful in the session?

“I found this session really fast-paced, which is great for engagement and I really felt like I was making the best use of my time. Rather than spending considerable amounts of time doing tedious icebreakers, we were able to spend valuable time engaging with our teams and making a start on our project.

The guidance provided by Yvonne and Rosalinda was not only really helpful but also really motivated me to get started on my consultancy journey. Being asked to think about the much higher-level picture of our project and ways of doing this, before honing down the fine details was so valuable, and I now feel more prepared to start my journey and meet with our partners next week.

Thank you to the Collaboration Labs team for a great first session, I look forward to the next one!”

Further reading

A guide published by Tim Rud & Neil Mclean.

Find out more

This session was facilitated by Yvonne McLean, Director of

is an ESRC programme facilitated by The University of Manchester that supports research consultancy opportunities, professional training and bespoke coaching for postgraduate and early career researchers to engage in collaborative projects with non-University partners. Find out more & keep up to date with our activities.

The programme is designed by Dr Rosalinda Quintieri, PGR Partnerships and Placements Officer in the Faculty of Humanities, with funding and support from the Economic and Social Research Council, the NWCDTP and the NWSSDTP.

 for updates on our academic knowledge exchange activities.

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