Roles and opportunities

After the PPI review in 2022 the PPI Champions Group have been exploring and documenting the current and potential opportunities for public involvement in the governance of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration: Thames Valley.  This document brings together those ideas and attempts to describe them.  Our governance public contributors do not individually need to take up all the roles available, although there are those who may well be involved in many, if not all, of them.

Some of the opportunities described already existed within the ARC, some have been developed or expanded as an outcome of the review and some are new ideas that the group is interested in developing. This list is not finite and will always be ‘a work in progress’. Over time existing roles or opportunities may evolve or disappear and new ideas added and developed.

Roles & Opportunities
Documents	Strategic/governance document review	Review of applications
	From time to time there are opportunities to review and comment on documents. This is to ensure important documents reflect the experience and views of members of the public. The usual process is a request for contributors and/or reviewers is circulatedthose ‘volunteering’ are sent the document and details of timeframe and what is required, plus payment availablesupport is offered by the document ‘owner’ Examples include: ARC Annual reviewExtension PlanPPI section of the Showcase brochure	During this ARC our public contributors have reviewed applications for small grants.They will also be part of the process for allocating funding for PPI projects.
Support	Recruitment	Peer Support/Mentoring	Coaching/Mentoring	Advising/guiding researchers re PPI
	From time to time there will be opportunities for ARC public contributors to be involved in recruitment activities. This might be recruitment of: public contributorsresearchers (including DPhils)ARC staff	We have been developing mechanisms for peer support and encouraging informal peer support within the ARC’s governance public contributors. To date we have explored/piloted: less formal meetings and social activitiesdifferent ways of working to encourage more small-group and 1:1 connectionsteam building activities within formal meetingsring fenced (and paid for) time for our Strategy Board Public Partners to connect and support each other outside of formal meetings.ring fenced (and paid for) time for both our experienced PPI Theme Champions and new PPI Theme Champions to connect outside of meetings at the early stages of joining a theme.	NOT YET DEVELOPED The PPI Team (including our public contributors) are keen to explore the potential of providing PPI coaches/mentors for researchers (particularly early career researchers).  The PPI Monitoring to Learn work has further underpinned the potential benefits of this idea.  In order to progress this role we will need to think about: what this ‘offer’ might look likehow we support public contributors to take on this rolewhat training or skills development we will need to offer	NOT YET DEVELOPED The PPI Team (including our public contributors) are keen to explore ways in which the team can offer PPI advice and guidance to researchers.  Possibilities to explore include: Written guidanceWorkshops1:1 supportReviewing PPI plansPPI ‘Cafes’ or similarSpeaking about PPI at events
				Also see:  Coaching/Mentoring
Activities/tasks	PPI Monitoring to Learn	Working Groups (WG)	Attending events	Planning Group
	Building relationships with projects and researchers within their themes.Developing an understanding of PPI activities within their theme.Offering support, guidance and advice about PPI development within the theme/theme research.Contributing to PPI Champions Group discussions about PPI across the ARC.Identifying good practice and lessons learnt, feeding those back to the Themes and more widely as appropriate.	Working groups are set up to take forward tasks and activities identified by the PPI Champions Group, Strategy Board, Executive Group.  Members of the PPI team are invited to join as appropriate.  Examples of working groups include: Showcase planning groupWebsite review WG (PPI page)PPI Funding WGRecruitment (PPI) WGPPI Monitoring to Learn WG The WG progresses work and keeps the relevant people updated on activity. All members of the working groups have the opportunity to present/update on activities at PPI Champions meetings and as required at Executive Group meetings.	From time to time there are opportunities for ARC public contributors to attend events such as meetings, conferences, networking events and webinars.  These may be internal or external to the ARC, Department or University.The expectation is that anyone being paid to attend an event will produce a short report/provide a verbal update for/to the relevant group (usually the PPI Champions Group).	This group includes the PPI Champions Group Chair, the PPI Lead, Co/vice/deputy chair (term to be agreed), a Strategy Board Public Partner.They meet to plan PPI Champions Group meeting agendas and for any necessary follow up after meetings.They meet at least once a year to review the PPI Action Plan and to plan the coming years work programme.They contribute to PPI reporting.They contribute to the PPI Strategic plan.They support the development of the PPI Action Plan.
Groups & meetings	Theme PPI Champions	Strategy Board Public Partners	PPI Champions Group	PPI Champions Group Chair & associated roles
	Attendance at theme meetings.Offering advice or guidance on PPI activity for theme research.Sharing updates on ARC and wider PPI developments.Getting to know theme research projects.Active partner in decision making about theme-related activities such as how to use underspends.Contributing to reports about theme activity such as the annual report.	Attendance at Strategy Board meetings.Sharing updates on ARC and wider PPI developments.Getting to know the work of the ARC.Active partner in decision making about ARC Governance and Strategy related activities.Contributing to reports about ARC activity such as the annual report.	Group discussions about PPI across the ARC.Identifying good practice and lessons learnt and developing ways to share these learnings.Contributing to, supporting and monitoring the ARC’s PPI strategy.Supporting and contributing to the development of work to progress the strategy.Contributing to and discussing ARC governance issues such as annual reporting, renewal etc.Presenting or updating on projects.	Works with the PPI Lead, Co/vice/deputy chair (term to be agreed), and a Strategy Board Public Partner to plan group work and agendas for meetings.Chairs group meetings.Over time develops an understanding of PPI matters across the ARC. Can substitute for Strategy Board Public Partners as needed and when agreed with the ARC Senior manager. Co/vice/deputy chair (term to be agreed) works closely with the Group Chair to develop skills and confidence.   Opportunities to present at group meetings (eg updating on working groups/projects) and other meetings (internal/external) as required.
	Also see:  PPI Monitoring to Learn; recruitment	Also see: PPI Champions Group; Strategic/governance document review