This programme was our flagship programme developed specifically for academic / teaching staff with an interest in taking a more strategic approach to outreach and public engagement. It was first developed with three years funding from the Ogden Trust and STFC.
Taking a participant-led approach, the programme will build your confidence in advocating for outreach and public engagement at a senior level, influencing others at different levels and in a range of job families across the organisation, and ensuring that your activities are sustainable.
Through the programme, you will be supported to develop a strategic approach to outreach and public engagement, connect with peers at other institutions to learn how others are leading outreach and public engagement, and hone your leadership skills for future roles.
The support programme consists of the following elements:
· Bespoke advice through one-one mentoring from one of our experienced mentors
· Facilitated online workshops which introduce core material
· Peer group support and networking opportunities to learn from others
· Resources and reading materials for self-directed learning
The programme lead facilitators are David Owen and Helen Featherstone, PhD who has extensive experience leading public engagement and developing others’ skills and confidence in outreach and public engagement.
The leadership of outreach and public engagement can include anything from being tasked to develop a more strategic approach for activities within your department or research group (i.e., you may be developing a strategy, delivering a training programme, developing resources for others to use), through to a formal role (i.e., Outreach lead or champion for public engagement).
The programme will reflect your needs but will include support around the following:
We encourage participant's to come to the programme with a particular goal. This goal can be a personal goal. For instance: developing your leadership skills. Or a goal relevant to your organisation, for instance: create a new public engagement strategy for your department.
Once you have been accepted onto the OPE Leadership programme, you will have a short meeting with the programme leads to exploring your goals for the programme. This will help you get the most from the programme and ensure we can tailor the programme content to the group’s needs.
I've changed my way of thinking in various aspects of my work and propelled forward multiple steps (some I've been trying to achieve for years!). I also feel
a lot more confident in my expertise and the work I do
I feel more reassured in what I do and have made some changes in what I do as a result of conversations during this programme. I think this is making
a positive impact on the way others around me buy into what I do
The program was incredibly useful - hearing about the challenges that others face in various roles also helped make me feel not alone!
As an academic researcher, it was extremely valuable to get more guidance from someone in the public engagement profession and see my work more
through their lenses. With my mentor, I was able to make a lot of progress in my work there
I have definitely improved my balance in terms of the workload I take on, and have put new activities in place to reduce the likelihood of me taking on loads more work in the future.
The programme consistes of six interactive workshops.
Our mentors have extensive experience leading outreach and public engagement in universities. They are experts in: senior leadership for outreach and public engagement, culture change in universities, evaluation, high-quality public engagement and outreach, strategy development, and influencing upwards. They will help you understand your circumstances and identify effective approaches to leadership in your setting. The mentors will share their first-hand experiences, point you to relevant resources, and connect to others in the field whom you could benefit from speaking with.
You will be allocated into small peer groups of up to six people. These groups will meet approximately three times at times that is convenient for the group. The meetings will be online and an opportunity to work with others on issues that you are currently dealing with or expecting to encounter in the near future. Helen or David will host the groups.
You will be provided with copies of all the materials used in the workshops and peer groups, along with following up materials if you wish to extend your reading.
We estimate that each participant will need to allocate between 3 – 5 hours per month to participate in the programme.
This accounts for:
Our hope for the programme is that by providing you support for leading outreach and public engagement, helping you develop your leadership approach, and by connecting you with peers and external expertise - it saves you more time in the long run than you put into it.
David has over fifteen years’ experience working with leadership teams in UK higher education institutions supporting the embedding of outreach and public engagement in strategy. He has previously worked with the University of Bath developing resources on public engagement and leading change and their SEEPER programme, investigating the impacts on the take up of training and CPD to develop more effective practice. David is an ILLM level 7 equivalent accredited coach with a wealth of facilitation, training and mentoring experience. Competent with both online and in-person delivery and blended learning since the COVID-19 pandemic he has successfully delivered continuing professional development courses, research and advocacy courses and brought stakeholders together on a $25 billion investment to review progress and identify action plans.
Helen has been leading on Public Engagement in Higher Education since 2012 and has been working in the public engagement and science communication sector for over 20 years. Helen is known for her excellent training and professional development interventions – with participants particularly valuing the expertly facilitated opportunities to learn together, to bring new ideas to their practice, and to hear real-life examples drawn from Helen’s own experiences. Helen recently led on the UKRI-Funded SEE-PER project: ChallengeCPD@Bath, which examined public engagement training and professional development for academics. Helen was involved with setting up the NCCPE’s Engage Academy and has been a mentor since its inception. She is also a mentor for public engagement leads in Wellcome-funded research centres.
Bringing people together and getting the most from events online and in person. We bring a wealth of facilitation experience utilising participatory techniques.
Specialising in public engagement and systems thinking our offer includes scoping studies, strategic reviews, evaluation and funding proposals.
We conduct research on themes related to social and environmental justice. Drawing together complex information into a coherent, insightful and compelling narrative.
We offer equivalent ILLM Level 7 accredited coaching, helping you bring attention to the relational dynamics at play, whether at home or at work.
Contact David Owen, a director at Gurukula.
David is a freelance consultant, facilitator and researcher based in the UK and Denmark.
