Self-assess your institution

How well does your institution currently support public engagement? Where are you doing well, and are there areas which you could quickly and efficiently target to make a big difference? We've distilled the work of the beacons and other universities to create a self-assessment tool to help you take stock and plan your own work.

The tool has nine focal points:

  

Clarify your PURPOSE for engaging with the public
 

Mission

Create a shared understanding of the purpose, value, meaning and role of public engagement to staff and students and embed this in your strategy and mission.
 

Leadership

Support champions across the organisation who embrace public engagement
   

Communication

Communicate consistent, clear messages to validate, support and celebrate it, and ensure open and two-way communication with members of the public and community organisations.
  

Invest in PROCESSES that support good quality engagement
 

Support

Co-ordinate the delivery of engagement to maximise efficiency, target support, improve quality, foster innovation, join up thinking and monitor involvement and impact.

Learning

Provide opportunities for learning and reflection and provide support for continuing professional  development and training.

Recognition

Recognise and reward staff involvement within recruitment, promotion, workload plans and performance reviews, and celebrate success with awards or prizes.
 

Focus on how effectively PEOPLE are involved and supported

Staff

Ensure that all staff – in academic and support roles – have opportunities to get involved in informal and formal ways.

Students

Proactively include and involve students in shaping the mission and in the delivery of the strategy, and maximise opportunities for their involvement.

Public

Invest in people, processes and infrastructure to support and nurture the involvement of  individuals and organisations external to the HEI.

Using the EDGE tool

We have used these nine focal points to create a self assessment tool, to allow you to assess your institution's progress. We've called it the EDGE tool - as it describes 'Embryonic', 'Developing', 'Gripping' and 'Embedded' approaches to supporting engagement. 

What next

  1. Download the EDGE self assessment tool.  You can also download a guide to using the EDGE tool.
  2. Assess where your institution sits now and where you would like it to be.
  3. Use our planning tools to help you develop the areas you choose to address.