Develop guidance materials and templates for communicating with university administrators and senior leadership about initiatives to build research software capacity #14
Potential Activity Scope
Creating effective guidance materials and templates for communicating with university administrators and senior leadership about initiatives to build research software capacity is a multifaceted process that involves understanding the needs of the audience, crafting effective messages, and designing user-friendly materials.
This process will need to begin with a thorough understanding of the audience - in this case, university administrators and senior leadership. These individuals often have a broad range of responsibilities and may not be intimately familiar with the specifics of research software. Therefore, the guidance materials need to clearly articulate the importance of research software capacity, the benefits of investing in it, and the potential risks of not doing so.
The content of the guidance materials should be clear, concise, and persuasive. The focus should center on the strategic value of research software capacity, linking it to the university's mission and goals. It should also address potential concerns or objections, providing evidence-based arguments to support the case for investment.
The development of these materials and templates should be an iterative process, involving feedback from users and revisions based on this feedback. This ensures that the materials remain relevant and useful.
In essence, the development of these guidance materials and templates is about empowering those involved in research software initiatives to communicate effectively with university administrators and senior leadership, helping to secure the support and resources needed to build research software capacity.
Potential Objectives
Delivering this task effectively may involve addressing the following objectives:
Stakeholder Analysis: Begin by identifying key stakeholders within university administration and senior leadership who would be involved in or affected by initiatives to build research software capacity.
Communication Needs Assessment: Analyze the specific communication needs, preferences, and constraints of these stakeholders, to ensure the guidance materials and templates are relevant and effective.
Content Development: Develop clear, concise, and persuasive content for the guidance materials, focusing on the benefits of building research software capacity, the steps involved, and the potential challenges and solutions.
Template Design: Design user-friendly templates (e.g., employment documents), ensuring they are easy to adapt and use.
Feedback and Iteration: Seek feedback on the initial versions of materials and templates from a sample of users, and make necessary revisions to improve their usability and effectiveness.
Distribution and Promotion: Distribute the materials and templates widely, and promote their use to reach university administrators.
Evaluation and Update: Regularly evaluate the use and impact of the materials and templates, and update them as needed to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
Targeted Impacts
Promote and aid in the development of research software capabilities at universities across the country.
The guidance materials and templates could significantly improve the level of support for research software capacity-building initiatives among university administrators and senior leadership. This could lead to increased funding, resources, and institutional backing.
The materials could play a crucial role in directly aiding in building research software capacity within the university. They could help to mobilize the necessary resources, facilitate engaging the relevant stakeholders, and boost the implementation of the initiatives.
Over time, the use of these materials could help contribute to a cultural shift within the university, promoting greater recognition of the importance of research software and fostering a more supportive environment for those involved in its development.
The templates could be adapted and used by many universities or institutions seeking to build their research software capacity, amplifying the impact of this initiative.
This potential activity was curated as part of "Charting the Course: Policy and Planning for Sustainable Research Software," a Sloan Foundation-funded project within URSSI dedicated to supporting the future of research software through evidence-informed policy work (Project contacts are: @danielskatz and @dr-eric-jensen). If you are interested in working on this, please add a comment.
Potential Activity Scope Creating effective guidance materials and templates for communicating with university administrators and senior leadership about initiatives to build research software capacity is a multifaceted process that involves understanding the needs of the audience, crafting effective messages, and designing user-friendly materials.
This process will need to begin with a thorough understanding of the audience - in this case, university administrators and senior leadership. These individuals often have a broad range of responsibilities and may not be intimately familiar with the specifics of research software. Therefore, the guidance materials need to clearly articulate the importance of research software capacity, the benefits of investing in it, and the potential risks of not doing so.
The content of the guidance materials should be clear, concise, and persuasive. The focus should center on the strategic value of research software capacity, linking it to the university's mission and goals. It should also address potential concerns or objections, providing evidence-based arguments to support the case for investment.
The development of these materials and templates should be an iterative process, involving feedback from users and revisions based on this feedback. This ensures that the materials remain relevant and useful. In essence, the development of these guidance materials and templates is about empowering those involved in research software initiatives to communicate effectively with university administrators and senior leadership, helping to secure the support and resources needed to build research software capacity.
Potential Objectives
Delivering this task effectively may involve addressing the following objectives:
Targeted Impacts
This potential activity was curated as part of "Charting the Course: Policy and Planning for Sustainable Research Software," a Sloan Foundation-funded project within URSSI dedicated to supporting the future of research software through evidence-informed policy work (Project contacts are: @danielskatz and @dr-eric-jensen). If you are interested in working on this, please add a comment.