The ambition for the One NIHR programme includes creating a more unified culture and increasing the visibility of NIHR.
It is also about every member of coordinating centre staff having a sense of belonging to NIHR, and working together towards shared goals and achieving a combined impact.
The One NIHR programme was established in 2022 to ensure we deliver on our commitment in Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter “to improve our ways of working, making it easier for people to understand and work with us".
Stepping up preparations : Theme 2 staff information
We hope you were able to attend one of the June briefings. Here are links to the presentation and some additional information resources:
Staff Briefing Presentation (14 slides)
Staff Briefing Document (6 pages)
Questions and answers from the briefing sessions will be posted here in July.
In the meantime, if you have any queries please speak to your Implementation Lead or submit a question through our feedback form
One NIHR is organised into the following themes:
Theme One
Joining up the work of the coordinating centres
Joining up the work of the coordinating centres
Theme One:
Joining up the work of the coordinating centres
Joining up the work of the coordinating centres
This theme focuses on achieving improved ways of working through greater collaboration and reducing the complexity of how we appear to external audiences.
It comprises the following 4 workstreams:
People Development; Internal Communications; Single Business Planning Process; and Functional Leadership.
People Development - Supporting staff through collaboration
The people development group leads 2 development initiatives to support NIHR staff community through collaboration.
The people development group leads 2 development initiatives to support NIHR staff community through collaboration.
The first initiative is about developing and implementing an NIHR secondment policy supported by a detailed SOP. This will provide a framework for NIHR staff to engage in secondment opportunities across our centres. Our goal is to promote a learning culture and sharing of best practice.
The second initiative focuses on developing a shared training offer. The first step is to identify current centre training that is being shared or could be shared across NIHR. Our goal is to unify our training practices and encourage a more cohesive community.
For more information contact:
Internal Communications - Improving understanding of how the NIHR works and enabling better connections across NIHR
An NIHR Intranet
You may have heard a few people speak of an NIHRCC/RDN Intranet in the pipeline. The idea is to unify coordinating centres through one intranet ‘shop window'. This will make it easier for colleagues to find what they need and connect with more colleagues than ever before.
NIHR Induction
We're also updating the NIHR Induction adding new content periodically and investigating how we may engage with new starters after 3-6 months to provide a more in-depth experience of the NIHR.
NIHR Hub Directory
If you haven't already, check and update your profile on NIHR's Hub Directory. It takes minutes and could help you connect quicker with colleagues across NIHR.
Keeping your NIHR Hub profile up to date
The NIHR Hub Directory is a valuable resource for all staff to be able to find colleagues and understand their role within the organisation. The aim is to improve the information hosted within the Directory so you can find people more easily.
Guidance on how we communicate to raise our visibility
Follow guidance about how to talk about the NIHR with a One NIHR lens. Our overall aim when we are communicating is to increase the visibility of the NIHR name.
For more information contact:
Developing a Single Business Planning Process
A Single Business Planning process with associated governance has been defined and following a successful pilot exercise and feedback last year, the process has been improved and approved for 2024/25 business planning.
A Single Business Planning process with associated governance has been defined and following a successful pilot exercise and feedback last year, the process has been improved and approved for 2024/25 business planning.
The benefits arising from the business planning process include:
Transparency of activities across the centres
Identifying planned activities in furtherance of the areas of strategic focus
Identifying gaps, areas of duplication, areas of potential synergy and resourcing needs
Guidance has been produced to help staff complete a standardised template and workshops will support development of plans in January 2024.
For more information contact:
Raji Sharma-Drake
Assistant Director Governance, Performance and Improvement, CCF
Strengthening functional leadership to be more effective in how we work across NIHR
Following interviews with leaders of cross-cutting services we are now planning to pilot different approaches with 2 business areas, starting with financial planning.
Following interviews with leaders of cross-cutting services we are now planning to pilot different approaches with 2 business areas, starting with financial planning.
We will confirm the details soon.
For more information contact:
Have your say: One NIHR feedback form
We'd like to hear from colleagues, to address your questions and take onboard suggestions as we deliver the One NIHR programme together.
The One NIHR workstream leads will review and respond to all submissions.
Theme Two:
Improving the
Researcher Experience
Improving the
Researcher Experience
This programme of work comprises 5 linked workstreams, which will simplify our systems and processes for awarding and managing our funding and unify processes for common activities.
Workstream 1: Stakeholder Engagement & Communications
The workstream is responsible for ensuring that all stakeholders (including NIHR centres, applicants, reviewers and committees, DHSC and the public) are aware of, engaged with and prepared for the business transformation which will be delivered through the Theme Two Programme.
Building on the stakeholder engagement work undertaken in 2022 we will be convening a forum for stakeholders involved in funding award management in summer 2024 to help with ongoing dialogue and feedback as the new system is developed and the new application process is rolled out.
Workstream 2: Standard Application
The workstream is responsible for ensuring the application form, guidance and processes used in the commissioning of all types of NIHR awards are fit for purpose. We also ensure the work reflects the principles of One NIHR, particularly around the reduction of bureaucratic burden and consistency across NIHR programmes and different types of NIHR funding.
Input was gathered from around 500 stakeholders in 2022 to help inform changes to the information collected during the application process. The new standard application process will only request information that is necessary for a decision at that application stage. For information on the changes we are introducing see the Staff Briefing at the top of this page. The new process is informing the design and development of the new single award management system.
Workstream 3: System Design and Implementation
The workstream is responsible for delivering a system - through the SmartSimple platform - which will be used by all centres to manage the end-to-end awards management lifecycle. The system will be configured to work within NIHR’s SOPs (Standard Operating Processes) and use the Standard Application to collect applicant input into the commissioning process. We will ensure that the resulting system is fully compliant with NIHR standards and that the workforce receive training so that it's effective from day one of its introduction. We will be conducting user testing during summer 2024.
We have committed to the new system being available before the end of 2024 and are aiming for a November launch date.
Workstream 4: Business Process Standardisation
This workstream is responsible for coordinating and managing activities related to the development and implementation of One NIHR business processes, policies, SOPs and associated documents as required, delivered in accordance with One NIHR principles.
The SOPs for award application and management have been prioritised to inform the development of the single award management system.
Workstream 5: Business Intelligence and Data
This workstream is responsible for ensuring the strategic needs of NIHR are met by the data available through the One NIHR process and the new One NIHR award management system. We’ll ensure this is achieved at the right time to demonstrate the impact of NIHR and provide comprehensive management information to inform decision-making.
For more information contact:
Mike
Rogers
Deputy Director, Business Transformation, CCF
Liz
Tremain
Assistant Director - Innovation and Business Transformation, NETS
Beth
Harris
Assistant Director, NIHR Academy Programmes, Academy
The way we work
One NIHR updated governance and underpinning approaches
One NIHR updated governance and underpinning approaches
In 2022, the One NIHR Programme Board was responsible for 3 themes. Now there are separate programme boards for Themes One and Two, each with a number of workstreams reporting in.
Theme Three, which was about making NIHR easy for the life sciences industry to engage with, has been absorbed into the work of the Industry Programme Board.
Both of the programme boards have committed to the following One NIHR underpinning approaches to deliver their work.
These approaches underpin the NIHR principle of effectiveness, embodying a culture of continuous improvement, finding ways to simplify and streamline our processes, improve our accessibility and enhance people's experience of working with and for us.
One NIHR underpinning approaches:
Simplification: We will reduce complexity and burden for our stakeholders.
Consistency: Where component centres and programmes undertake a common activity in delivering NIHR business, we will follow a common NIHR process description.
Standardisation: Where an existing external standard exists for an element of NIHR business, we will adopt rather than create a new one.
Acceleration: Unnecessary lag will be removed from processes wherever possible.
Challenge: We will challenge ourselves to look at the way we work and actively seek opportunities or increased efficiency.
Read our previous updates for colleagues
Strides made and next steps - 06 March webinar for all staff
Our first webinar to all staff - accelerating our journey to One NIHR
One NIHR Presentation for All Staff Webinar: Accelerating the Journey towards ‘One NIHR’, February 2022
One NIHR Presentation - Detailed Version: Accelerating the Journey towards ‘One NIHR’, February 2022
