NZVET Conference, 2014 Neil Haigh

‘Collaboration’ and Project Teams:

One day……

Sources for ideas, recommendations, suggestions

• My experiences and observations

• My interest in thoughtful and effective ways of working together

• Literature on collaboration and research teams

• Contributions of workshop participants (Leading, Managing and

Participating in Research Teams)

Holmes, A., Haigh, N. and Naidoo, K. (2009). Working collaboratively across New Zealand Universities, In L. Walsh. and P. Kahn (Eds.). Collaborative Working in HigherEducation: The Social Academy (pp. 229-241). Routledge.

Collaboration?

The situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing

Collaboration vs Coordination + Cooperation

… a more durable and pervasive relationship…..relationships require comprehensive planning and greater - and sometimes unequal - sharing of resources and power. Authority is determined by the collaborative structure and risk is much greater because each partner is contributing its resources and reputation. (Ray) 

is working together to create something new in support of a shared vision… the glue is the shared vision. (Stoner)

 

Collaboration vs Coordination + Cooperation

direct interaction among individuals to produce a product and involves negotiations, discussions, and accomodating others’ perspectives (Kazar)

Collaboration is a process in which autonomous or semi-autonomous actors interact through formal and informal negotiation, jointly creating rules and structures governing their relationships and ways to act or decide on the issues that brought them together; it is a process involving shared norms and mutually beneficial interactions. (Thomson et al)

 

Making the Case for Collaboration

Potential Benefits

• Assemble capabilities required to make project feasible.

• Draw on greater breadth, diversity and depth of

knowledge and know-how.

• Stimulate development of new approaches

• Extend the facilities and resources available

• Achieve cost-effectiveness in use of human and material

resources.

Potential Benefits

• Provide opportunities for capability-building through

collaboration and bench-marking.

• Increase motivation through obligations incurred to others.

• Establish relationships that have benefits beyond project

timeframe.

• Alleviate isolation – provide ‘intellectual company and

stimulation’

Potential Challenges and Risks

 Team members

• uncertain or disagree about project concept and design

• have competitive rather than collaborative orientation

• un-willing to compromise or consider unfamiliar options

• lack trust/confidence in capabilities of other team members

(or their organizations)

• concerned about perceived/actual power or status imbalances

• poor perspective-taking inclination or ability

Potential Challenges and Risks

Teams members have not talked about possible differences

• their motives for involvement

• their individual discipline, profession, paradigm, theory,

value ‘positions’

• their individual research capabilities and experiences

• their capability-development needs

• the research culture, politics, policies, facilities,

services of their respective organizations 

Potential Challenges and Risks

 Inadequate leadership and management

• limited personal experience of team research

• limited experience of team leadership/management – in

general

• lack of preparation for the role

• lack of on-going mentoring-coaching support

• poor project management knowledge and skills

• low commitment to the role

Your Hi-Priority Ingredients for Successful Collaborations

Share and compare (4mins)

My IngredientsAll team members•have a shared and clear understanding of

o the aims, intended outcomes and anticipated benefits of their collaborative work. This understanding is established early and precedes decision-making about the design of the project.

o the reasons why a team is undertaking the project and why they are a member of the team (what they ‘bring to the team’).o their respective role(s), responsibilities and required capabilitieso principles, protocols and processes for collaboration during the project. o the resources requirements of the project (including financial) and how these will be met to ensure it is feasibleo team and individual timelines and milestoneso the team’s/their own capability development needs and how/when these can be addressedo whom, in addition to team members, will make a contribution to the project (e.g. advisory group, Research Office, legal services,

administrative/technical staff) and how/when they will be involvedo potential risks associated with project and how these might be avoided or reduced.

•know about other team members research paradigms, theories, , values, capabilities (methodologies and methods), experiences, motives, career goals – that are relevant to the project•if appropriate, know about other team members’ organizational contexts – policies, facilities, services etc.

•have an equivalent strong commitment to the project•accept that compromise may be required and are willing to compromise•accept that some flexibility may be necessary when implementing plans, and are prepared to be flexible•recognize the need to keep ‘feasibility’ considerations in mind when making decisions•know what is happening and will happen, and provide regular updates on their own plans and progress•maintain a united ‘front’•have a genuine liking for one another•communicate thoughtfully as well as effectively to one another•state, rather than conceal, issues and concerns•recognize that building and maintaining relationships is critical•are respectful and courteous•are trustworthy to help ensure mutual trust•encourage and affirm one another’s involvement and contributions•are well prepared for, and attend, meetings•acknowledge that some difficulties, disagreements and conflicts can’t be avoided and make their own contribution to addressing them in a timely as well as effective way.

All team members know one another well

– as researchers:

their•research perspectives and approaches, capabilities, experiences, topics, plans and goals•organization’s support for researchers (policies, facilities, services etc.)•time available for research

• Inappropriate roles, tasks assigned

• Under/ineffective utilization of capabilities

• Avoidable diagreements or conflicts occur

• Development needs not met

• Mentoring/coaching roles not taken up

If not known

• research identity – who you are ‘as a researcher’

• organization’s support for researchers (facilities, services, policies etc.)

• ability to accommodate research in your life in general

Pairs – 4 mins each (3 x 1 statement)

Let’s do it – Talk about your

All researcher team members know who will make other contributions to the project (e.g. advisory group, Research Office staff, legal services staff, administrative and technical staff), the nature of their contributions and when they will be involved?

Other contributors know in advance the purposes of the project and how and when they will be involved.

• Identify people

• Define their contribution

• Determine timing

• Brief re the project as a whole/their facet of the project

Plan their involvement

All team members know the potential risks associated with the project and how they might be avoided or reduced.

• to researchers (e.g. health, safety, reputation)

• to research subjects (ethics considerations)

• to natural and built environment (damage, degradation, disruption)

• to the public (health and safety)

• to organization’s reputation (e.g. research quality and integrity, compliance with policies)

• financial and legal liability risks

• other project-specific risks (e.g. loss of key researcher, failure of equipment, ………….

Develop a risk management plan!

Risks

All team members acknowledge that some disagreements and conflicts can’t be avoided and make their own contribution to addressing them in a timely as well as effective way.

Be realistic

Have explicit values, processes and protocols

All team members have a shared and clear understanding of the principles, protocols and processes for collaboration during the project.

Have a plan for collaboration as well as a plan for research! A plan for how the collaborative work and well-being of the team will be enabled, facilitated and supported.

Collaboration/Team Leaders - ManagersOverall Responsibilities

 Pre-project (funding) approval• Preparation and submission of a sound proposal and associated funding

application.• If appropriate, completion of an ethics application.

Post project approval• Completion of the project in accord with approved proposal.• Reporting as required by a sponsor/funder.• Compliance with all related institutional policies and processes.• Compliance with all rules, terms and conditions of the funding award.• Formation of a team.• Sound leadership and management of the team.• Obtaining and maintaining all resources required for the project.• Planning the work of the team.• Stewardship of finances.• HR requirements• Communicating to stakeholders about the project.• Ensure retention, storage, ownership of data and records

Collaboration/Team Leaders/Managers

Opportunities and Benefits

• Satisfaction – harnessing/directing the ‘intellectual muscle

power’ of team

• Opportunity to extend one’s own capabilities

• Enhancement of profile/CV

• Satisfaction of helping colleagues build their capabilities

Collaboration Considerations and Decisions

Gestation PhaseInitial conceptualization of project (a researcher)Assess pros and cons of collaborationDecision to establish team/collaboration - or not

If collaborationDefine roles and capabilities required

Recruit researcher team members – assign roles and responsibilitiesRecruit ‘other’ team members

(Initial – continuing)

Collaboration PlanningDecision-making principles, processes, protocols

Team communicationRecords

Team commitment and well-beingCapability development

Risk managementDispute-conflict management

Research PlanningConceptualization and design

Research action planFinance, procurement,

WorkplacesEthics, intellectual property, legal, authorship

Information and publicityOutputs and dissemination

Impacts and promotion

Considerations and Decisions – in Detail (Some Examples)

Decision-making policies/processes/protocols

Criteria for determining (a) who takes responsibility for what and (b) who contributes to decision-making.

Decision-making processes (e.g. consensus, majority, leader casting vote).

Decision-making protocols (e.g. decision-making timeframes, ways of communicating decisions)

Considerations and Decisions – in Detail

Within Team Communication

•communications modes (e.g. face-to-face meetings, video conferences, Skype, phone, email, project website discussion board)

•criteria for use of particular modes (access, convenience, effectiveness, cost)

•protocols for communication (e.g. timely, transparent, open, honest, adequate lead-time)

Considerations and Decisions – in Detail

Record Keeping 

•Aspects of the project to be recorded

•Forms of record (paper, electronic, audio/visual)

•Record version control

•Recipients of records

•Access to records

•Record storage and security (where and timeframe)

•Ownership of records

Resources

Booklet: Leading, managing and participating in research teamshaigh@xtra.co.nz

Guide: Good practice in leading and supporting a research team: A Guide for research staff and project leadershttp://www.ioe.ac.uk/About_Policies/GoodPracticeGuide_LeadingResearchTeam.pdf Site: Leadership development for principle investigatorshttp://www.le.ac.uk/researchleader/index.html 

Conclusion

T.E.A.M. = Together Everyone Achieves More