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Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

Role boundaries

Governance Public Contributors – Role boundaries:

Who and what?

ARC governance Public Contributor Roles usually means:

  • Strategy Board Public Partners
  • PPI Champions
  • PPI Theme Champions

What is within the remit?

Their main role is to be a part of the management and decision-making functions of the ARC. This includes involvement with:

  • ARC Strategy Board (Public Partners)
  • PPI Champions Group and its working groups (PPI Champions and Public Partners)
  • ARC Research Themes (attending main theme meetings providing broad PPI guidance and advice, contributing to discussions and decision-making about theme research choices, being a critical friend, PPI Monitoring to Learn etc). Other opportunities to support the theme might also arise (e.g. recruitment of DPhil students) but how fees/expenses will be covered should be agreed in advance.
  • ARC Executive Group (usually attendance for specific agenda items)
  • ARC decision-making process for funding additional projects (usually providing a public perspective on project proposals and PPI)
  • Planning processes for ARC events (such as joining planning groups for the ARC Showcase events). How fees/expenses will be covered should be agreed in advance.
  • ARC recruitment panels as required, how fees/expenses will be covered should be agreed in advance.
  • If you have any concerns or questions please reach out to the PPI team for support and advice.

What is outside the remit?

The following are examples of some of the things that our Governance Public Contributors have been asked to do that sit outside their role. It does not mean people can’t choose to do them it just isn’t a part of their existing role and cannot be funded from the ARC core PPI fund.

Individual involvement in ARC (and non-ARC) research – contributors may be asked to get involved in specific projects (often linked to the theme they are involved with but not limited to that).  The ARC Governance Public Contributors (including PPI Theme Champions) role is not to provide PPI for projects but to offer guidance on how researchers might include PPI in their work.  If, however, an ARC Governance Public Contributor is asked to get involved and would like to there is nothing to stop them doing this, but they should be clear with the researcher (or whoever asks) that it is not a part of their governance role and they should ask how their expenses/fees will be covered.  If in doubt the contributor should ask the PPI team for guidance.

Public Co-applicants – this usually means the researcher would like to include you as a co-applicant on a funding application. The ARC Governance Public Contributors (including PPI Theme Champions) role does not include being a co-applicant for funding applications, however, if an ARC Governance Public Contributor is interested in undertaking this role they can, but they should be clear with the researcher (or whoever asks) that it is not a part of their governance role and they should ask how their expenses/fees will be covered.  If you are asked to do this it is important to understand what it means and there are resources available to help you (and the researcher) eg Public Co-Applicants in Research – NIHR guidance. The PPI team are always happy to discuss these opportunities with you.