NIHR CRN North Thames Research Delivery Leadership Group - terms of reference

The role of the Group is to ensure leadership and management of research delivery and cross divisional workstreams within CRN North Thames (NT) and present recommendations/proposals to senior management i.e., the NT Executive Group.

The Group will comprise the following individuals:

• NT Chief Operating Officer (Chair)
• NT Deputy Chief Operating Officer
• NT Study Support Service Lead
• NT Industry Operations Manager
• NT Senior Finance Manager
• NT Research Delivery Managers
• NT Communications and Engagement Manager
• NT Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Manager
• NT Business Intelligence representative
• R&D non-Clinical Director / Managers from all Partner Organisations within the NT region i.e., Teaching Trusts, Acute Trusts, Mental Health and Community Trusts, Primary Care Consortia (inner and outer London) and R&D non-Clinical Director / Manager / Lead from the social care sector
• Two lay representatives residing within CRN North Thames geography
• Secretariat from the NT Administration Team to support the meeting
The meeting is quorate when two-thirds of the Organisations represented (or their deputies) and at least one lay representative is in attendance.
Members are expected to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:
● Represent CRN NT or their Trust’s R&D Team and research delivery workforce and address the group on their behalf. When a member of the group is not able to attend a meeting, they must plan for a deputy to represent them at the meeting.
● Obtain the perspectives and provide feedback to their R&D Team and research delivery workforce at their associated Partner Organisation, propose recommendations and take actions arising at or from the Research Delivery Leadership Group meeting.

The Group will be chaired by a NT Chief Operating Officer (COO) and in the absence of the COO, the deputy COO will chair the meeting.

The group will meet every quarter. Meetings will be held either face to face and/or virtually via video conferencing facilities (using the Microsoft Teams platform). All presentations will be shared with the group following the meeting. The agenda, actions log, and papers will be circulated in advance of meetings.

 

The Group will:

• Formulate CRN NT research delivery annual plans / reports / policies, and ensure that they are guided by the NIHR CRN Contract Compliance Framework
• Receive advice from, and liaise with, the Research Specialty Leadership on resource allocation / performance / balance of the LCRN Portfolio / availability of opportunities for CRN NT
• Present research delivery recommendations / action plans / strategic issues to the CRN NT Executive Group
• Monitor performance of the CRN Portfolio, and implement research delivery performance improvement plans, in respect to the delivery of CRN national and local LCRN objectives
• Raise research delivery issues that need to be entered on CRN NT’s risk register
• Ensure PPIE and communication activities are incorporated into research delivery at CRN NT
• Make leadership and management research delivery decisions as required.

The Membership, Terms of Reference, frequency, and format of the Research Delivery Leadership Group meetings will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.