Supporting & Embedding CPD for BCE

Jisc are pleased to announce a series of workshops based around the recently launched Professional Development Diagnostic Tool for Business and Community Engagement, which was developed to address the needs of the increasing number of staff in education and research who have new collaborative and enterprising aspects to their roles, which require a range of non-traditional skills.

This resource will help you succeed in these new challenges, and provide development pathways. The tool is interactive and allows you to carry out a self-assessment of your standing against key professional attributes, derive a personal skills profile and identify targeted professional development resources to enhance your skills. You can also browse the framework and explore, upload and comment on professional development resources.

This FREE workshop will introduce the tool, provide an opportunity to carry out your own self-assessment and allow for reflection on your own, and your team’s development.

Workshops will be held from 11am-3pm on the following dates

• Wednesday 1st May – Newcastle
• Thursday 23rd May – Edinburgh
• Wednesday 19th June – Birmingham
• Wednesday 17th July – London

Click on the links above to find out more about the workshops and to book your place. When booking please use the payment option ‘Voucher with code’ and enter the code BCEPD1

As part of the JISC BCE funded ‘Supporting and Enabling CPD for Business and Community Engagement’ development project led by AURIL and JISC, we are preparing for consultation on our next stage developments for the CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Framework and Resource Tool

What?

In 2010 a project team was formed to develop a CPD Framework and on-line Resources Tool for those working in business and employer engagement, public and community engagement, knowledge transfer, knowledge exchange, work-based learning, technology transfer and enterprise. We refer to those working in these areas as Business and Community Engagement (BCE) staff in the project.

We hope the final framework and the tool will be welcomed and used by BCE staff and managers, HR professionals and senior management in HE, FE and Research sectors.

After much fact finding and analysis of need, the Project has reached a critical stage of development; we now need to consult with you to ensure the next stage of the Framework and the design of the proposed Resource Tool is appropriate and useful.

Throughout this nationwide project we have been very careful to ensure that the views of practitioners are reflected in our work. The initial fact finding, the analysis process and the first stage development of the framework have been done using extensive consultation across the BCE landscape.

Many BCE professionals and representative stakeholders have helped throughout the life of the project. You may have helped previously, serving on our groups, giving advice, answering surveys or attending a focus group.

Your input is vital if we are to achieve our goals.

How?

Please join us at one of the events detailed below. We wish to use your knowledge and experience to ensure the framework, the tool and resources are right.

Where, When, How do I Register?

Focus groups are taking place in the following dates and locations. Click on the link next to each date for further venue information and to book your place:

London: Monday 23 April – http://bcecpdlondon.eventbrite.co.uk
Bristol: Tuesday 1 May- http://bcecpdbristol.eventbrite.co.uk
Newcastle: Wednesday 9 May – http://bcecpdnewcastle.eventbrite.co.uk
Edinburgh: Monday 14 May – http://bcecpdedinburgh.eventbrite.co.uk
Manchester: Tuesday 22 May- http://bcecpdmanchester.eventbrite.co.uk
Birmingham: Tuesday 29 May – http://bcecpdbirmingham.eventbrite.co.uk

The links above include information about the venues.

Duration?

We will be operating all the events between 11:00 and 15:00.

Lunch is provided.

What’s going to happen?

The process is as follows:

• You set aside the most convenient date/location and reserve your place using the links above

• We send you papers (a week or so before the event)

• The papers will describe the proposed CPD framework and describe the functions of the resources tool

• At the event we will provide brief details of the project so far

• There will also be a detailed description of the framework and the resources tool which have been developed so far

• We will take some initial feedback from you – and then ask you to discuss your reactions in more detail with other delegates

• We will take feedback notes. There will be a roundup including future plans and a timetable.

The CPD for BCE framework project aims to develop a Continuing Professional Development framework for Business and Community Engagement (BCE) organisations and practitioners.

The project is led by AURIL and JISC in collaboration with a working group made up of representatives across the breadth of Business and Community Engagement.
We have now prepared a first draft of the framework and this is available at http://www.slideshare.net/jisc_bce/cpd-for-bce-framework-survey-dec-2012

To arrive at this, we have had to deconstruct to reconstruct. The new framework is based on evidence and information gathered from a national survey conducted in May and June 2011, alongside six focus events held across the UK at the same time. From the results of these, the Working Group has developed a framework that tries to take account of the wide range of BCE roles and activities and the knowledge and skills required. The Working Group looked at best practice in similar and other sectors and received expert advice.

We have identified that BCE roles and activities are comprised of three key elements: relationships, communications and activities that are combined with a set of personal qualities (the inner triangle). We also concluded that BCE activities are undertaken for 3 benefits or areas: economic, social and internal (the outer triangles), each with different aims and drivers, activities and processes. These are not ‘slots’ or ‘pigeon-holes’. A BCE practitioner or organisation could be operating in two or more areas simultaneously.

We have then identified the activities and process involved and the knowledge and skills required to do them. Some of these are common across BCE, others are specialised for a particular area or benefit.

When the framework is finalised and goes on line, you will be able to move your mouse across any part of the framework, click on each triangle to ‘drill down’ to activities and processes, and knowledge skills and see more detailed information about these. This will be part of the development of the on line tool, the next phase of the project.

At this initial stage, the framework does not include levels or detailed breakdown of processes. We intend that these will form part of the next version of the framework.
We are consulting with a wide range of stakeholders and potential users of the framework and would appreciate your feedback on the draft framework.
After you have studied the framework slides the survey will take you around 5 minutes to complete (3 pages) and will remain open until Thursday 12 January 2012

SURVEY LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WFNHFY6

A new national framework for Higher and Further education personnel to enhance their ability to engage with external partners was introduced for the first time last week.

Revealed at the AURIL Conference in London, the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework maps out the skills required to improve collaboration with businesses and organisations outside the institution.

The framework has been developed in collaboration between JISC Business and Community Engagement (BCE) Programme and AURIL (Association of University Research and Industry Links) as part of the project ‘Supporting & Embedding CPD for Business and Community Engagement’

Simon Whittemore, JISC BCE Programme Manager, was very happy with the progress of the project and was pleased to introduce it to the community.

“It’s a tremendously ambitious project”, he said.

“We have about 27 different stakeholders nationally involved in it – organisations that cover, for example, knowledge exchange, public engagement and lifelong learning – they’re all on board and they’re all behind the model that was presented now for the first time really.”

Marc Dobson, JISC BCE Programme Liaison Manager, said the project team was extremely delighted with the positive feedback at the conference.

“I was very pleased to receive such good initial feedback on the framework and confirmation that the development is on the right track “, he said.

“We’re looking forward to developing the framework further and releasing it to the community.”

To help BCE practitioners better understand the particular skills they need to develop, the project team will also be developing an online diagnostic tool.

The self-evaluation tool will take users through questions about their roles and skills and point them towards relevant resources available for CPD.

The project, working with the Association for University Research and Industry Links (AURIL), has recently launched a survey for staff working in knowledge transfer, technology transfer, employer engagement, lifelong learning or public and community engagement.

This vitally important survey should take approximately 20 minutes of your time. Respondents will have the opportunity to enter into a prize draw for £100 Amazon voucher. The survey is aimed at all staff involved in BCE activities in HE, FE, Beacons for Public Engagement and Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs) including Research Councils.

The survey aims to find out more about BCE roles and the skills and attributes required to be successful. The project also wants to find out how you develop your skills and how your organisation supports this development.

The results of the survey will feed into the project to develop a framework and self-evaluation tool to support continuing professional development for Business and Community Engagement practitioners.

Whether BCE activities form your whole role or only part of it, whether these activities are formally recognised or not, they are keenly interested in your responses to the questions.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY NOW:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bceskillsurvey

The project is holding a series of focus groups to shape the development of a new national framework to support continuing professional development for Business and Community Engagement (BCE).

The impact of organisations on the wider business and community is increasingly important. These activities are also known as Third Stream, Third Mission, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Technology Transfer, Academic Enterprise, Enterprise, Innovation or Engagement. These events use the term ‘Business and Community Engagement’ (BCE).

Your help is needed to ensure these resources will meet your needs: we need to know what you do, why you do it and how your development is currently being supported. Your input will conrtibute to an important national initiative.

Whether BCE activities form your whole role or only part of it, whether these activities are formally recognised or not, we welcome your input at these events.

These focus groups are being run by AURIL (Association of University Research and Industry Links) and JISC in conjunction with all organisations involved with BCE in its widest form. The events are open to all staff involved in BCE activities in higher and further education, Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs) including Research Councils and Beacons for Public Engagement.

Dates and Locations

Click on the links below for further information and booking

• 18 May – London
• 25 May – Bristol
• 26 May – Birmingham
• 1 June – Newcastle
• 6 June – Edinburgh
• 15 June – Manchester

Topics

• What makes a successful BCE practitioner? What skills knowledge and attributes are required?
• How best should CPD supported?
• What type of framework would be most useful?
• How are your CPD needs currently supported?