Annex
Institute for Transport Studies: Staff
Management Arrangements
1. Research groups: all staff and research
students are part of a research group based on technical subject
areas. These meet periodically to discuss research based issues
such as new research proposals, research strategy for the subject,
responding to invitations to tender etc. The research groups act
as a means of mutual support, information sharing, division of
tasks, critical feedback etc when research proposals are being
put together and also during the course of research projects.
2. Staff manager system: all staff (including
senior staff) are allocated to a staff manager. The staff manager
has a role of helping plan and monitor workloads and establish
a forward plan for future research, publications, teaching loads
etc. The staff manager also has a "development" role
in ensuring staff have a balance of activities and opportunities
that will support individual career development where possible.
3. Staff Reviews: all staff, regardless
of category are reviewed every year. The staff review is seen
as an opportunity to discuss career and research plans, publication
plans, future opportunities, issues with on-going research etc.
The staff reviewer in ITS is always a neutral person to the member
of staff ie someone as unconnected with their day-to-day activities
as possible. It is felt that this helps to avoid conflicts of
interest that may arise in having a "line-manager" type
approach.
4. Rolling contracts: New Contract Research
Staff are appointed initially, where possible, on a two year contract.
Their contract is reviewed at the end of their first year and,
provided that both the Institute and the member of staff are satisfied,
is extended for a further year. At the end of the second year
the contract is reviewed again and, subject to satisfactory performance,
converted to a two year rolling contract, which is then reviewed
annually, with the aim of giving the member of staff at least
a year's security at any time. The overall policy is reviewed
six monthly in the light of financial projections.
5. Staff development facilitator: ITS has
a nominated member of staff with funded time (16 days/year) to
promote and facilitate activities that support staff development
for all staff categories. This covers aspects of the research
cycle, teaching issues and administrative/management duties. Examples
of past activities includes organising training sessions on research
and teaching skills, facilitating seminars, organising workshops
on research generation, individual support to staff seeking to
submit proposals and publications etc.
6. Development funds: ITS has an established
track record of using departmental funds to support individuals
wishing to submit research proposals, or publish, where existing
workload commitments will not allow this to happen. Normally the
individual would apply to a departmental committee with a case
for "time out" from other planned workload activities.
19 June 2002
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