Future of the Armed Forces Research Integrator: Programme Integration and Knowledge Exchange Strategy

Lead Research Organisation: University of Greenwich
Department Name: Human Resources & Organ. Behaviour, FBUS

Abstract

There is great potential for synergy and added value across the four research projects funded under the Future of the Armed Forces Call. Integration of the research with related academic, policy and practitioner activities requires formal planning, practical coordination and on-going engagement with users and the wider stakeholder community. Our approach offers transparency of undertakings with an emphasis on interaction, dialogue and feedback. There are four key dimensions of our approach: i) pragmatic integration; ii) scientific integration; iii) policy and practitioner engagement; and iv) impact evaluation.
Pragmatic integration is required to facilitate day to day working across a team of civilian and military colleagues dispersed throughout the UK and will include:
*acting as key point of contact for all partners, including the Ministry of Defence (MOD), British Army and ESRC;
*on-going liaison with nominated partners through regular telephone contact, weekly email updates, monthly virtual and six-monthly face to face meetings;
*developing an agreed work plan containing key milestones and events across the four research projects and the integration strategy;
*leading the programme including finalizing the workplan and agreeing terms of reference for the integrator role and Standard Operating Procedures;
*delivering robust information management including a database of relevant academic and grey literature;
*management of six monthly reporting as required by the funding partners.
Scientific integration will maximize the value of the four separate projects and support effective knowledge exchange (KE). This will include:
*coordination of applications for formal ethical approval and discussion of ethical issues throughout the timeline of the programme;
*synchronization, as appropriate, of sampling strategies and data collection methods to ensure complementarity not overlap;
*conducting and sharing scoping reviews and publication thereof;
*developing plans for sharing results and meta-analyses and delivering across programme outputs for both academic and other audiences;
*organising academic collaboration workshops to ensure this scientific integration.
Policy and practitioner engagement will raise awareness of the research programme amongst key influencers and decision makers in areas including defence, health, employment and family policy and practice and utilising the most up to date KE tools to support uptake of the research. This will enable reciprocal sharing of information regarding relevant developments in both research and policy that may require consideration over the course of the programme. Our integration strategy will utilise stakeholder mapping to ensure all key relationships are targeted. This will inform appropriate translation of research for specific audiences given the key role of relationships and networks as mechanisms for research uptake. Aspects of this engagement will include:
*a programme advisory group to review the overall integration and engagement strategy, and assist with shaping research outputs for specific audiences;
*a KE plan identifying and mapping specific stakeholder groups and how they will be engaged with the projects;
*contextual analysis to understand where and how the best impact from the four projects can be achieved;
*first point of contact for the wider stakeholder community to ensure access to a diverse range of information sources and perspectives;
*identification of capacity building activities and strategies for longer term learning and development;
*a communication plan utilizing a range of relevant tools.
Impact evaluation will be undertaken over the course of the programme to provide formative feedback and summative evaluation. We will consult with key stakeholder groups to inform and integrate pathways to impact and undertake empirical evaluation to assess the impact of research and KE in this programme.

Planned Impact

This programme aims to integrate four projects within a single research programme to inform understanding of the issues that impact on current and planned changes in the United Kingdom Armed Forces. These are transformational changes involving re-configuration of full-time (Regular) and part-time (Reserve) service personnel. They affect the numbers of people employed, how they work and where they are based. Our aim is to stimulate synergy between these four complementary projects; facilitate communication between the academic and defence partners; ensure accessible, timeous and useful research outputs; and evaluate our approach, including measuring actual and potential impacts of the research.
To achieve these aims we will bring the projects together along four dimensions: pragmatic and scientific integration, policy and practitioner engagement, and impact evaluation. This will involve facilitating day-to-day working between military and civilian colleagues, co-ordinating academic workshops and outputs, raising awareness of the research programme amongst key influencers and decision-makers, and tracking the impact of the work undertaken. We will provide a central hub for the four projects to engage with a diverse range of audiences, including serving members of the Armed Forces and their families, those responsible for policy and practice, those working in business, and the wider community.
Serving military personnel, particularly Reservists, and their families, will be actively encouraged to access and contribute to the research. By communicating widely research insights and multi-faceted understandings of the demands of reserve service, this programme of work will highlight social, economic and cultural issues that impact on service men and women, the benefits and challenges of reserve service, relevant support mechanisms, and considerations for civilian partners at both work and home.
This work will inform a broad spectrum of policy and practice. United Kingdom(UK) Ministry of Defence, British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will link closely with the research in planning recruitment strategies, support serving reserves, their families and employers, communicating reserves policies and leading cultural change within the Armed Forces. UK Parliament will be able to use research to help shape decisions in related areas such as health, employment and family policy.
Practitioners will benefit from co-ordinated access to the research programme. The research will be helpful in recruiting and training new reservists, working to support trained reservists across their diverse range of roles and responsibilities, and building understanding of the specific challenges of balancing civilian and military employment, family and military life. Business engagement and wider public communication will inform and encourage industry leaders, large organisations and local employers to respond to the changing demands of reserve service. Better understanding of the work and family life of reservists will enable public and third sector advocacy groups to target services, information, advice and guidance more effectively to serving personnel.
In addition to these military considerations, this research will provide insights for similar circumstances for other members of the public, such as those with non-standard patterns of employment, those in high risk jobs, and occupations where a family member works away from home for long periods of time. The work will contribute to theory regarding inter-disciplinary research methods, knowledge exchange and impact evaluation, and the development of social policy.
 
Description This work involved extensive collaboration with all nominated academics and military personnel throughout the course of the four year programme. This included on-going advice and input into the progress of the Future Reserves service reconfiguration of the UK Armed Forces. In May 2018 I gave evidence to the Reserves Executive Committee of the UK in representation of the Future Reserves Research Programme. In June 2018 this integrated research programme culminated in a conference for a range of stakeholders in Whitehall. Two parliamentary questions were tabled in the House of Commons by Madeline Moon MP following my meeting with her. This meeting arose by her invitation following the Future Reserves Research Programme Conference in June 2018,and discussed the outputs of the Programme in relation to her work on the Defence Select Committee. This research has also informed my engagement as an Academic Adviser to the UK MoD.
First Year Of Impact 2015
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Other
Impact Types Societal

Policy & public services

 
Description ASTRID Task 209 - Reserve Forces 2030
Amount £140,000 (GBP)
Funding ID ASTRID Task 209 
Organisation Cranfield University 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2022 
End 09/2023
 
Description Future Reserves 2023 academic advice to Uk Ministry of Defence 
Organisation Cranfield University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Co-I participation on advisory project to UK MoD
Collaborator Contribution PI participation on advisory project to UK MoD
Impact Multi-disciplinary involving Psychology and Sociology
Start Year 2021
 
Description Future Reserves 2023 academic advice to Uk Ministry of Defence 
Organisation Oxford Brookes University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Co-I participation on advisory project to UK MoD
Collaborator Contribution PI participation on advisory project to UK MoD
Impact Multi-disciplinary involving Psychology and Sociology
Start Year 2021
 
Description 3rd International Military Families Round Table 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This one day event was hosted by Kings College London and included an international audience of scholars, third sector representatives and policy makers interested in evidence regarding the provision of support to military families. It enabled us to highlight the research findings from our work on military reservists, moving focus away from those who work full-time to a more balanced consideration of full and part-time military personnel and their support.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Attendance at Reserves Exec Committee (UK MOD) 10 May 2018 to report on FRRP 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact ZM attended the Reserves Exec Committee (UK MOD) 10 May 2018 to report on FRRP progress and findings. This is a senior Committee for UK Defence and Security Services and ensured influence at the highest level of policy and decision-making. It also ensured permissions and support were granted for the FRRP conference in June 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Evidence to the Reserves Executive Committee of the UK in representation of the Future Reserves Research Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact In 2018 I gave evidence to the Reserves Executive Committee of the UK in representation of the Future Reserves Research Programme. This is a secure committee that is a component of the UK Armed Forces leadership and oversight.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Future Reserves Research Programme Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Over 125 people attended this conference on 27 June 2018, including senior policy makers within the UK Ministry of Defence, serving personnel from the UK Armed Forces, MPs, cvil servants and academics. The conference sparked much discussion and debate, and led to a follow-on meeting with Madeline Moon, MP to further discuss the findings of the research undertaken and the conduct of the work.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Interview for Soldier Magazine 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Interview with journalist from Soldier Magazine regarding the research programme and key findings. This resulted in a full page article in Soldier Magazine.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/d441842f#/d441842f/18
 
Description Plenary: British Army National Community Engagement Conference, 3 October 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This plenary focused on the challenges of the Army recruiting Reservists, and in particular challenges in achieving mandated diversity and inclusion targets. The presentation was well received from a large audience working throughout the UK in Community Engagement roles within the British Army.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Researching the Volunteer Reserve: The Future Reserves Research Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On Wednesday 27 June 2018 - Reserves Day - over 100 people, including Reservists and Regulars from all three Forces, gathered at the Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall, London to hear about and discuss the key findings and recommendations from the research programme.

The event was closed to media. Several senior military officers attended together with senior MOD civil servants. Speakers included representatives from each of the four academic teams and Brigadier Gerhard Wheeler, Head of Reserves Policy, Sir Julian Brazier and Madeleine Moon MP, of the Defence Select Committee.

This conference resulted in two parliamentary questions regarding Military Reservists.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018