Develop RAM Engagement Prioritisation Template

[f-rower]

Provide a description

This issue focuses on developing a RAM Engagement Prioritisation Template.

Links to issue https://github.com/alan-turing-institute/research-application-management/issues/66

Currently, this RAM Engagement Prioritisation Template is based on a first successful attempt at developing a framework for prioritising RAM engagement within a programme, and using it to obtain buy-in from programme leadership.

Discussions between @harisood, @dingaaling, and @f-rower show that the nature of RAM engagement also depends on the lifecycle stage of a programme. Assessment of programme lifecycle will need to be a preceding step to RAM activity/engagement prioritisation). Currently, we understand the lifecycle as having three steps: steps 1-3:

1. Programme is starting and has no strategy
2. Strategy set but no projects yet
3. Strategy has been set and projects already running

Therefore, a more generic version of the RAM Engagement Prioritisation Template will be the long-term goal of this issue.

Tasks to complete:

• [x] @f-rower to adapt his current presentation into a template form for future RAMs to use.
• [x] @f-rower A RAG rating and instructions will be added for filling in each dimension.
• [x] @harisood to add ideas for what to consider when assigning a RAG rating to the "opportunities for RAM engagement" dimension.
• [ ] @harisood Add graphic that shows project lifecycle stages and the nature of RAM engagement @harisood has items or step 1, @f-rower has items for step 3, @kallewesterling and @aranas might have stuff for step 2.
• [x] @f-rower @harisood update RAM matrix as a result

[f-rower]

This is the current set of proposed dimensions for RAM project engagement prioritisation (tested in DCE context):	Dimension	Description
Alignment with Turing Grand Challenges	Does the project align well with Turing Grand Challenges? (Environment and Sustainability, Healthcare, Defence)
Alignment with programme objectives and priorities	Does the project align well with the programme objectives, priorities and themes?
Project Status	Is the project in an exploratory phase, ongoing, finalised and in need of further impact exploration?
Opportunities for RAM engagement	What is there for a RAM to do in the project? The opportunities for engagement can be further examined in terms of RAM expertise, interest, whether the activities can be conducted by others...
Readiness for RAM engagement	Can the RAM be involved straight away? in the near future? far future?
Interest in RAM engagement	How much interest is there in the project team for a RAM to be engaged? Has the RAM role been mentioned? Is there resistance towards RAM engagement? Has RAM engagement been considered?
Programme leadership buy-in	Does programme leadership endorse RAM engagement in the project?

[harisood]

This looks great @f-rower ! My understanding is that then this issue is basically going into detail on step 3 - we should probs create separate ones for step 1, step 2, and the overall plan (which tbh I think can be #66 ). If this is the case this should maybe be renamed to 'RAM project prioritisation', with the general flow being called the RAM Engagement Pipeline

[f-rower]

I agree with the sentiment, but before we make too many changes, perhaps let's bring up this plan at next Monday's meeting @harisood so the team is somewhat aligned on what's happening?

[harisood]

@f-rower is this what you had in mind for bullet 3 above?

Dimension	Description	R	A	G
Alignment with Turing Grand Challenges	Does the project align well with Turing Grand Challenges? (Environment and Sustainability, Healthcare, Defence)	No alignment to any grand challenge	Can fit under a grand challenge but link is unclear/tenuous	Project clearly fits within one or more of Turing GCs
Alignment with programme objectives and priorities	Does the project align well with the programme objectives, priorities and themes?	No alignment with defined programme priorities/themes	Project aligns loosely with programme priorities/themes, or aligns with some and not others	Project clearly and directly aligned with programme objectives, priorities and themes
Project Status	Is the project in an exploratory phase, ongoing, finalised and in need of further impact exploration?	N/A - should not be part of this matrix (this is factual and not RAG-able)	N/A - should not be part of this matrix (this is factual and not RAG-able)	N/A - should not be part of this matrix (this is factual and not RAG-able)
Opportunities for RAM engagement	What is there for a RAM to do in the project? The opportunities for engagement can be further examined in terms of RAM expertise, interest, whether the activities can be conducted by others...	No opportunity for RAM engagment, or expectation for RAM engagement is misaligned with RAM team skillset/values (e.g. just wanting administrative support)	RAM opportunities may exist but are unclear, or limited buy in from the team (this is the kind of sitch where a RAM may be best)	RAM opportunity is extremely clear and well-defined (e.g. to run a user testing cycle) (this is the kind of sitch where a RAO may be best)
Readiness for RAM engagement	Can the RAM be involved straight away? in the near future? far future?	Unclear how RAM would fit into team	Ability to onboard RAM is there, but loosely defined, or RAM may have to do a lot of people management to prepare the team for RAM work	Team is ready for RAM to be immediately onboarded and become central part of team
Interest in RAM engagement	How much interest is there in the project team for a RAM to be engaged? Has the RAM role been mentioned? Is there resistance towards RAM engagement? Has RAM engagement been considered?	No interest/no understanding of what RAM is	Team is aware of RAMs, but maybe not proactively seeking RAM engagement. Encouragement is required to be fully sold on RAMs	Team is aware of RAMs and how they can help their team
Programme leadership buy-in	Does programme leadership endorse RAM engagement in the project?	See above, update context for programme leadership	See above, update context for programme leadership	See above, update context for programme leadership

[harisood]

It's pretty basic but some initial thoughts there!

[f-rower]

@harisood and I have worked on an iteration of the RAM Matrix and template for RAM project engagement prioritisation, which is currently hosted here

[f-rower]

Thoughts and actions following from discussion during RAM meeting 11/3/2024

• Priority now is to finalise the RAM project prioritisation template. ACTION: Feedback and apply RAM prioritisation framework within other programmes in the Turing
• Adding RAM prioritisation framework to RAM chapter in TPS (Book Dash)
• Adapting RAM prioritisation framework as a tool for informing translation and pull-through to adoption by Innovation directors

[harisood]

RAMs to carry this out for their own project and provide feedback by 22nd April