Public Engagement with Research Masterclass 2: Working in partnership with

others

Professor Vanessa Toulmin Greg Oldfield

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Outline of session

2.00pm Presentation

3.00pm Group activity 1

3.10pm Presentation by Nick Bax,

Human Studio

3.30pm Group activity 2

3.45-4.00pm Round up and questions

Contents

• Introduction to project and public engagement team • Who is here? • What is public engagement? • Who are our partners in public engagement • Why do we need partners? • What is in it for them? • How to set up a partnership • Communication • Interactive activity 1 • Nick Bax – Human Studio • What could possibly go wrong?

• Opportunities for engagement – what is coming up?

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Introduction to the project and Public Engagement with Research team

• Introduction to the Public Engagement with Research Team

• The Masterclass series

• What we can do to help?

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Masterclass series

Masterclass title Date & time What to think about when organising your public engagement event

27th February

Working in partnership with others 27th March

Public Engagement or Widening Participation/ Outreach? Organising for children and young people

24th April

Relating Public Engagement to Impact 29th May

Costing your Public Engagement activity and how the University finance systems work

26th June

Film & documentary skills 31st July

Writing a funding bid and identifying potential funds 25th September

Writing a risk assessment for your event 30th October

Media and social media training 27th November

Ideas for evaluating your public engagement event 18th December

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Who is here?

• About the audience – show of hands

• Who is here? Academic, professional services staff and students.

• Who has organised a public event before? Who has organised 5 or more?

This is an inclusive environment to come together to learn and share experiences of public engagement

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

What is Public Engagement?

• “Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit ”

National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

• The University’s Good Research and Innovation Practices policy

www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/grip

• Minimum accepted practices in public engagement

• Higher practices to aspire to

How to identify potential partners and get started

• Think about the best way to spread your message

• Geographic or interest communities?

• Look at case studies

• Talk to colleagues

• Ask Public Engagement with Research Team

• Help yourself database

• Ideas Bazaar

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Ideas Bazaar

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Research Renew Engage

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Arrivals Zone and Longarm

Who are our partners in public engagement?

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

• Internal: colleagues in same or different disciplines, other parts of the University – Media Team, R&IS, Marketing, Social Media Team, Widening Participation, Outreach, Student Union (Sheffield Volunteering) and Enterprise

• Masterclass 3: to cover widening participation & outreach in more details

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

• External: community organisations, Sheffield City Council, NHS (hospitals) Research Councils, other funders, schools, SMEs, museums, arts venues, artists, other Universities, theatre and performers

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Why do we need partners? • Inspire ideas

• Try out your research in situ

• Share experiences

• Provide a different perspective

• Put you in touch with wider audiences

• Run joint events

• Provide a non-University venue

• Take the University out to the public

• Enhanced reputation

• Bring extra resources to the project: money, expertise and people

To do public engagement WITH the public not TO the public

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

• Provide expertise

• Strengthen relationships

• Provide a single message to the audience

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

• Try to achieve balance between university, partners and public to have some true value

Why do partners need us?

• All of the above!

• Can help provide evidence and form new ideas

• Can help with strategic planning

• Enhance their reputation by working with the University

• May help young people connect to University for the first time

• Potential for future collaborations/ long term relationships

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Communication

• Agree communication methods and frequency

• Maintain regular contact and updates

• Partners may need long lead in time

• Plan regular meetings and opportunities to check in

• Circulate information to everyone that is involved

• Agree timescales

• Monitor progress

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

What could possibly wrong?

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Avoiding conflict

• Building relationships and managing expectations

• Get your partner involved at the start

• Agree logistics and outcomes/outputs

• Establish responsibility and roles

• Good communication is the key

• Establish clear vision and outcomes at the start

• Plan as much as you can – who will do what and when?

• Give credit when it is due

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Interactive activity 1: • In round table groups share your

experience about partners you have worked with, what has gone well and what has not gone so well (15 minutes)

• How could your experience be improved?

How we can support you to find organisations to work with

• Ideas Bazaar

• One to one support

• Help to identify relevant networks of support

• Example of past events

• Other parts of the University can also support you

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Examples of working with partners

• Port of Sheffield Digital Trail

• Scale-Structure-Synthesis

• Magic in the City

• HeliOscillator

• Crazy Maps

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Example from Festival of the Mind Nick Bax

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Interactive activity 2: • In your tables discuss how you would approach organising the

following event from the brief below.

• Your group is organising a public engagement event to promote the first ever database of statues commemorating sports biggest stars, featuring legendary players, managers, owners, broadcasters and even famous fans, which has been compiled by researchers from the University of Sheffield. There are a couple at Sheffield Football Club and 1 at Ice Sheffield. Around 20 sports are represented by over 200 statues across the UK

• Consider – how you would tell the public about this database, what venue you would use and what your audience may be

• You also need to identify any relevant partners to maximise the audience and what issues you would need to consider to make the event a success

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Possible answers • 'The Sporting Statues Project‘

http://www.sportingstatues.com

• Showcase research with fun activities

• Potential audience: general public, sports fans, tourists

• Potential venues: sports venue, shopping centre, public space, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

• Potential partners: photographers, sports teams, sculptors

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Considerations in working with partners

• Sports or arts demonstration – may be needed to attract attention

• Players or teams may want to promote their own activities or events

• Promoting an interest in art, sport history or sport itself?

• Careful planning to coordinate benefits for venue, partner and University

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Questions

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

Opportunities for engagement – what is coming up?

• June 2013 - Children’s Festival, Doc/Fest

• September 2013 - Mobile University, Ideas Bazaar

• October 2013 - Off the Shelf

• November 2013 - Festival of Social Science

• September 2014 - Festival of the Mind

For further information contact:

• Greg Oldfield, Head of Public Engagement

• Amy Carter, Public Engagement Manager

• Fran Marshall, Research and Evaluation Manager

Addison Building Room A100

30/07/2013 © The University of Sheffield

To Discover And Understand.