20. Workforce Learning and Organisational Development

20.1.1. Maintain a RRDN Workforce Plan for the RRDN Management Team, RRDN Agile Research Delivery Teams, and RRDN Specialties and Setting Leads and RDN-funded staff, including plans for Direct Delivery and Agile / Strategic workforce teams. Plans should ensure a responsive, trained and flexible workforce is available to deliver NIHR RDN Portfolio studies. The senior leader who is the Workforce Development Lead (WfDL) will have identified responsibility for oversight of the RRDN Workforce Plan.

20.1.2. Monitor the profile of the RRDN Management Team, RRDN Agile Research Delivery Teams, and RRDN Specialties and Setting Leads and RDN-funded staff across the RRDN.

20.1.3. Nominate a leader as Wellbeing Lead (this could be the WfDL) with identified responsibility for ensuring the visibility of wellbeing initiatives led by the Host and RRDN Delivery organisations.

20.1.4. Provide RRDN Management Team, RRDN Agile Research Delivery Teams, RRDN Specialties and Setting Leads, and RDN-funded staff with opportunities to engage with the strategic initiatives of the NIHR RDN and learning activities in support of NIHR strategic goals. This should include a Clinical Research Practitioner (CRP) Engagement Lead, along with a Grade 8 Nurse / Midwife providing local professional leadership across the RRDN footprint in partnership with the NIHR Nursing and Midwifery office nationally.

20.1.5. Identify a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Programme Lead who is a suitably qualified individual responsible for the strategic oversight of GCP education across the RRDN.

20.1.6. NIHR Learn must be used to manage all GCP and NIHR learning directory courses.

20.1.7. Promote and sustain a culture of innovation and improvement across all areas of RRDN activity. The RRDN may be required to share information with the National Coordinating Centre upon request. RRDNs are expected to share learning across the RDN, for scaling nationally as appropriate.

20.2.1. The RRDN Host Organisation will fund and/or enable the development of RRDN Management Team, RRDN Agile Research Delivery Teams, RRDN Specialties and Setting Leads, and RDN-funded staff. 

20.2.2. The RRDN Management Team will take best advantage of national resources, contributing to these as appropriate in order to provide a consistent high quality learning and development offers. RRDN teams may complement this with local contextualised resources following an agreed evidence-based approach to developing the capacity and capability of the workforce. Where local resources are created and piloted, these will be reviewed for inclusion in the national directory and wider deployment.

20.2.3. NIHR RDN Good Clinical Practice (GCP) courses should be made available to all research delivery staff conducting NIHR RDN Portfolio studies with freedom to act. The balance of online and face to face training used to meet this need in each RRDN may be different, and RRDN programmes should be planned with local priorities and resources in mind. Related education (e.g. Research Practice in Clinical Settings, Fundamentals, Informed Consent and Principal Investigator Essential / Master Classes) should be provided to research delivery staff as required.

20.2.4. The RRDN Management Team will be responsible for ensuring adherence by the RRDN to NIHR RDN defined quality standards and processes applicable to learning materials, resources and tools available via the National Learning Directory on the NIHR Learn platform. Formal training offered by the RRDN to the RRDN Management Team, RRDN Agile Research Delivery Teams, RRDN Specialties and Setting Leads, and RDN-funded staff should be managed via the NIHR Learn platform.

20.2.5. The RRDN Management Team will ensure the RRDN adopts a breadth of appropriate approaches and interventions to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of its customers and the business, delivering innovative, streamlined, efficient and high quality services that demonstrate impact and benefit.

20.2.6. The RRDN Management Team will ensure continuous improvement awareness, knowledge and skills are a core competency of RRDN staff as appropriate to their role and that building capability (expertise and leadership) in this area is incorporated within the RDN’s strategic approach. 

20.2.7. The RRDN Management Team is responsible for embedding continuous improvement across all services and functions of the RRDN, as directed or requested by the RDN Operations Board and/or the respective Service Delivery Group.

20.2.8. Additional supporting information is available in the RDN POF Support Pages.