Strategic Tasks

A KT/E implementation plan has been developed around each of the four Programme Objectives. These plans are supported by a stakeholder consultative group. The Terms of Reference for these groups is provided in Appendix 1. To ensure consistency between these implementation plans, each has been developed using the same structure as this overall KT/E Strategy.

Besides the tasks that relate to the individual implementation plans, there are a number of strategic tasks that require co-ordinated effort across the programme. These partly relate to the strategy development process, establishing and running the stakeholder consultative groups, but also includes wider activities which are primarily aimed at embedding a wider communication culture within the research teams (e.g. running an internal KT/E competition to attract competitive bids for new KT/E projects), between the MRPs (e.g. new public science centre in the John Hope Gateway Centre at RBGE) and learning both from international experience and through formal communications and KE training programmes. It is also recognised that the KT/E effort benefits from a well co-ordinated and themed programme of activities which ensures value for money in terms of both the multiple use of resources and their enduring impact. The development of a specific Web site is also a centrally managed activity. These strategic tasks, their timetabling and relative priorities are set out in the Table below.

Management, Co-ordination and Review

The overall co-ordination of the KT/E Strategy is the responsibility of Dr R.V. Birnie, Head of Communication Services at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, supported by a specialist communication team (4) and members of the science teams with KE lead responsibilities. This effort is overseen by Professor S. Albon (Programme Co-ordinator) and the Programme 3 Group (chaired by Professor Michael Usher) which meets every six months. The wider co-ordination of the KT/E activities is achieved through the RERAD Knowledge Exchange Committee (KEC) (Chaired by a senior member of staff from RERAD) which meets every 3/4 months. The KEC comprises the KT/E leads from all the Main Research Providers and the RBGE, and all the RERAD Programme Co-ordinaters.

The outputs from the KT/E activities are reported to RERAD annually and are assessed alongside the scientific outputs as part of the independent review process commissioned by RERAD at intervals through the 5 year life of the research programme.

Environment – Land Use and Rural Stewardship Research Programme KT/E Strategy 2006 –11: Strategic Tasks and Priorities