Beacons for Public Engagement PAUL MANNERS Director National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement

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Beacons for Public Engagement PAUL
MANNERSDirectorNational Co-ordinating Centre
for Public Engagement
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• Paul Manners
• Director, NCCPE
• Funded by the UK Higher Education Funding
  Councils, Research Councils UK and the Wellcome
  Trust

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• The initiative seeks to address the recognised
  need for culture change within institutions in
  order to further support public engagement across
  all subject areas and the full range of activity
  by HEIs

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• The initiative seeks to address the recognised
  need for culture change within institutions in
  order to further support public engagement across
  all subject areas and the full range of activity
  by HEIs
• If successful, this pilot initiative will
  increase the status of public engagement, leading
  to
• - evidence that initiatives are more joined
  up
• - evidence that staff are building upon best
  
• practice
• - more staff and students taking part in
  public
• engagement activities.

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Wales innovative community projects discussing
health and wellbeing and climate change and
sustainability.London a dynamic new
partnership between UCL, the Southbank Centre and
the British Museum. Norwich a physical
interface with UEA will be created in the heart
of the city, providing clear and open access to
their work.Manchester and Newcastle
Pioneering ways to reach out to, and listen to,
their communities
Edinburgh involving people in the key areas of
research that are relevant to public policy
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Involving users in research

• It was recognised that there are a number
  of built in assumptions about the way things are
  done.  These assumptions reflect the way that the
  academic community operates and do not allow for
  the needs of volunteers. eg
• that everyone uses emails to the exclusion of
  other forms of communication such as the
  telephone
• that everyone can respond to short notice of
  meeting arrangements
• that everyone can read and digest large amounts
  of written material in a short space of time
• that it is acceptable for all documents to be
  circulated electronically, no matter how large
• that professional means working in an office
  rather than quality of contribution. 

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What will we do?
- Learn from existing practice - within HE
Beacons, partners, learned societies, other
sectors - Capture, signpost, join
up - Run events, workshops, conferences -
Create, or point to resources to help -
individuals engage better - institutions
shift culture - Lobby meet key influencers,
create manifesto
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Where does public engagement sit in Higher
Education?
Teaching
Research

Knowledge Exchange
Policy making
Public Engagement
Lifelong Learning
PR
Public events activities
Widening Participation
Listening, as well as talking
Volunteering
Empowering - care with balancing power
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Phasing
Years 1, 2 and 3Consultation, consolidation and
piloting End of year 3 Launch manifesto Year
four Roll out of manifesto and one stop shop