self – assessment report 2014-2016

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Self – Assessment report

2014-2016

Human Resources Strategy for Researchers incorporating the Charter and Code

(C&C)

December 2016

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Self-assessment Report Introduction In January 2009, the University of Padua signed the Declaration of Commitment for the implementation of a Human resources strategy for Researchers incorporating the European charter for researchers and a code of conduct for their recruitment (C&C)” and started the process for the HRS4R logo acknowledgment. By performing a gap analysis between the internal regulations and national laws, several gaps were identified. A strategy for the Human Resources (HR) was therefore developed and discussed at the main boards and each institutional organisms respectively, leading to a final action plan published on 2012. The HRS4R logo was consequently acknowledged and renewed on 2014, on the base of the first self-assessment process conclusion. The analysis of the results and outcomes after the first two years, evidenced the need of carrying out an HR action plan mainly focused on the following strategic issues:

⎯ to promote a culture of the implementation of the C&C; ⎯ to guarantee appropriate work conditions, attractive in terms of salaries and incentives

independently of the contracts type; ⎯ to assure a stimulating work-in environment, supporting the research activities; ⎯ to promote the mobility (geographic, intersectional, inter and intra disciplinary, and mobility

between the public and private sectors); ⎯ to support researchers potentialities (with special care focused on the creativity and autonomy).

The monitoring process was carried out using different tools:

⎯ commitment of all the services staff to take care of the supervision of the monitoring process and evidences critical aspects to be fixed within the frame of the already established procedures;

⎯ engagement of the University Evaluation Nucleus, mainly composed of external experts, to verify the overall performances of the Institution that are directly and indirectly linked to the C&C implementation process;

⎯ feedbacks from the different stakeholders by way of interviews, surveys, questionnaires. In the following, a summary of the objectives and relative results will be presented referring to the HR plan (implementation period 2014-2016). The overall performance of the plan was assessed using different tools:

⎯ Internal self-assessment, summarised in a public document “Report on the Performances” delivered on an annual base. It refers to the “Performances Plan 2014-2016” delivered by the Institution, including the HR plan. It describes the University Policies, including objectives and relative actions as well as risks and challenges and the relative indicators. Some indicators were based on the national law’ requirements, others were defined by the University in complete autonomy. This document is provided to stakeholders in Italian, and is here attached in

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Annex.1 in its original version. A short summary is provided in English considering only the HR-action plan reference (Annex.2);

⎯ Feedbacks from the Stakeholders, by way of consultations with representatives as well as questionnaire and surveys. These results are summarised in Annex.3 and aim to gather the real perception of the actions achievements;

⎯ External assessment by an external credited Organism, namely the “Evaluation Nucleus” (Nucleo di Valutazione, NdV), in agreement with the national law L.240. It gives an independent evaluation, with special care devoted to the overall analysis of the Institution results and the relative impact of actions even in other fields respect to those eventually identified in comparison with the Institution strategies and the national scenario as well. In Annex.4 the full version is reported, together with a summary in English.

In the following a summary of the HR action plan is reported with special attention to underline the level of completeness. Specific short summaries are then linked to further detail how the actions were taken into practice and the achieved results respectively.

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SELF ASSESSMENT: HR Strategic Plan 2014-2016 C&C PRINCIPLE

PLANNED ACTIONS

ACTION STATE

ACTIONS RESULTS (0=undelivered action; 100 action completed).

P0.Implementation of the European chart for researcher

Organization of seminars on C&C Schedule time: Beginning: 11/2014 End: Action plan end

Done Action status:100% Report: C&C1.pdf

Realisation of support and advertising documents on C&C with clear references to HRS4R to be given). Seminars and courses on C&C and HRS4R for University personnel Schedule time: Beginning: 9/2014 End: Action plan end


Realisation of events where promotion and dissemination of the C&C were undertaken (workshops, similar Veneto-‐Night event,..), communications by institutional channels. Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end


P1.Research environment Employers and/or funders of researchers should ensure that the most stimulating research or research training environment is created which offers appropriate equipment, facilities and opportunities, including for remote collaboration over research networks, and that the national or sectorial regulations concerning health and safety in research are observed. Funders should ensure that adequate resources are provided in support of the agreed work programme.

Further valorisation of the research training as key-‐point of the overall research quality by means of qualified courses and routes (increase of the UNIPD attractiveness at a national and international levels, full integration of Young researchers in the research groups).

Schedule time: Beginning: 9/2014 End: Action plan end


Support and push for the post-‐doc career development and professional growth, promoting the scientific autonomy and


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development of routes for accessing to permanent staff positions.


Focus on the recruitment of high scientific quality personnel favouring the income of foreigner professors from highly qualified Italian and international institutions. Schedule time: Beginning: 9/2014 End: Action plan end


Enhance the research activities that will be carried out by foreign researchers who will be recruited at our University through the notice Piscopia (26 positions provided for contracts of 12 or 24 months) http://www.unipd.it/en/piscopia-‐fellowships



P.2 General principle: Stability and permanence of employment Employers and/or funders should ensure that the performance of researchers is not undermined by instability of employment contracts, and should therefore commit themselves as far as possible to improving the stability of employment conditions for researchers, thus implementing and abiding by the principles and terms laid down in the EU Directive on Fixed-‐Term Work

Monitoring of the active regulations (PhD, post-‐docs) in order to favour a further flexibility in the working conditions and improve the stability of employment conditions for researchers. Schedule time: On going


Promotion and dissemination of what needed to researchers on opportunities and issues about permanent and stability


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of employment. Schedule time: on going.

P.4 General principle: Funding and salaries Employers and/or funders of researchers should ensure that researchers enjoy fair and attractive conditions of funding and/or salaries with adequate and equitable social security provisions (including sickness and parental benefits, pension rights and unemployment benefits) in accordance with existing national legislation and with national or sectorial collective bargaining agreements. This must include researchers at all career stages including early-‐stage researchers, commensurate with their legal status, performance and level of qualifications and/or responsibilities.

Constant update in the UNIPD website of a section dedicated to the pension rights, social security provisions with particular care on questions related to the mobility between foreigner countries and public/private and early career. Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end


Monitoring the contract conditions and salaries on which the University autonomy can be exerted. Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end

done Action status:100% Report: C&C3.pdf

Promotion and dissemination of what needed to researchers on the questions regarding the funding and salary. Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end


Preparation of new documents to integrate PhD student matriculation and post-‐doc contracts on issues related to funding and salaries. Schedule time: Beginning: 9/2014 End: Action plan end


P4. General principle: Gender balance

Monitoring of the gender equilibrium and proposal of

Done Action status:100%

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Employers and/or funders should aim for a representative gender balance at all levels of staff, including at supervisory and managerial level. This should be achieved on the basis of an equal opportunity policy at recruitment and at the subsequent career stages without, however, taking precedence over quality and competence criteria. To ensure equal treatment, selection and evaluation committees should have an adequate gender balance.

new actions to promote gender strategies in a coordinated way. Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end

Report: C&C4.pdf

Promotions of new coordinated events to advise and disseminate gender initiatives (events, projects on gender issues and results dissemination). Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end

Action status:90% Report: C&C4.pdf

P.5 General principle: Career development Employers and/or funders of researchers should draw up, preferably within the framework of their human resources management, a specific career development strategy for researchers at all stages of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, including for researchers on fixed-‐term contracts. It should include the availability of mentors involved in providing support and guidance for the personal and professional development of researchers, thus motivating them and contributing to reducing any insecurity in their professional future. All researchers should be made familiar with such provisions and arrangements.

New Recruitment Plan with special care of opening new researcher positions coherently with the national law L.240 (RTDa e RTDb, ie.e not permanent Researcher type (a) and (b) respectively) and career development of young researchers based on: ⎯ Study of new tools for supporting the professional development of young researchers (i.e. Feasibility study to convert the Young researcher call funds in funds for RTD recruitment while maintaining the Senior post-‐doc calls). Schedule time: Beginning: 1/2015 End: Action plan end

⎯ Study and application of new indicators to allocate financial resources within the University funding initiatives that valorize Young Researcher positions and relative career development. Schedule time: Beginning: 9/2014 End: Action plan end


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Complete of the previous plan with particular care to settle new recruitment call modalities to reduce job instability and favour RTD positions as required by national law L.240. Schedule time: Beginning: 10/2014 End: 9/2015


P6. General principle: Value of mobility Employers and/or funders must recognise the value of geographical, inter-‐ sectoral, inter-‐ and trans-‐disciplinary and virtual 12 mobility as well as mobi-‐ lity between the public and private sector as an important means of enhancing scientific knowledge and professional development at any stage of a researcher’s career. Consequently, they should build such options into the specific career development strategy and fully value and acknowledge any mobility experience within their career progression/appraisal system. This also requires that the necessary administrative instruments be put in place to allow the portability of both grants and social security provisions, in accordance with national legislation.

Maintenance of the previous plan with particular care to strengthen the advertising and dissemination of new initiatives. Schedule time: on going.


Extension of the collaboration network within the local territory to promote the integration of the Young researchers in the private sector and relative dissemination and advertising toward stakeholders. Schedule time: Beginning: 7/2014 End: Action plan end


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P7. General principle: Access to research training and continuous development Employers and/or funders should ensure that all researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given the opportunity for professional development and for improving their employ-‐ ability through access to measures for the continuing development of skills and competencies. Such measures should be regularly assessed for their accessibility, take-‐ up and effectiveness in improving competencies, skills and employability.

Organization of events dedicated to young researcher, post-‐docs and PhD student. Schedule time: Beginning: 9/2014 End: Action plan end

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Strengthen initiatives of permanent training in the territory with special care dedicated to:

a) strengthen the integration of PHD programs with the research projects developed in the Department (especially international ones) refining the PhD students involvement and commitment.

b) Support training path oriented to the integration of PhD students in the private job by way of collaboration with enterprises and territorial institutions and the acquisition of theoretical and practical competencies of interest in the private sector and organizations.

c) Define the correct duty-‐right system for an efficient stage of the PhD students.

d) By involving public and private organizations in the local territory, promote a PhD student support program to increase the number of free position covered by fellowiship.

i) Improve the communication of the PhD programs widening the stakeholders field (institution of a unique contact

Not completed

Action status:80% Report: C&C6.pdf

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point for the PhD and optimisation of the web interface).


P8. General principle: Access to career advice Employers and/or funders should ensure that career advice and job placement assistance, either in the institutions concerned, or through collaboration with other structures, is offered to researchers at all stages of their careers, regardless of their contractual situation.

Extension of the previous plan 2012-‐2014. Schedule time: on going.


Organization of seminars and events focused to Young Researchers and PhD students depending on their specific need (to be identified with questionnaire or survey eventually given to pilot target groups).

Done Action status 100% Report: C&C6.pdf

Consolidation the of the University-‐enterprise dialogue by:

a) Promoting the discussion between the Univ. Department and enterprise or enterprise networks to support collaboration on specific innovative projects. This action will be based on the investment on new tools (especially web oriented) to be used by the Technological Transfer Office

b) Consolidating and strengthening the Business Angel Network, favouring the direct meeting of University Start-‐up and business angel, Seed Found and Venture Capital.

c) Supporting the Start-‐up Cube Incubator both for university born initiatives and those create out-‐side the university.


P9. General principle: Confirmed Action from the Action status 90%

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Supervision. Employers and/or funders should ensure that a person is clearly identified to whom early-‐stage researchers can refer for the performance of their professional duties, and should inform the researchers accordingly. Such arrangements should clearly define that the proposed supervisors are sufficiently expert in supervising research, have the time, knowledge, experience, expertise and commitment to be able to offer the research trainee appropriate support and provide for the necessary progress and review procedures, as well as the necessary feedback mechanisms.

previous action plan 2012-‐2014 To monitor the supervisor activity and the researcher working experience by and ex-‐post evaluation program that starts from questionnaire given periodically at the end of each working cycle. Schedule time action.1: on going. Promotion and dissemination of what needed to researchers on the questions related to supervision. Schedule time action.3: Start= 1/2015 (based on feedback coming from 2012-‐2014 results of action n.1)

Report: C&C6.pdf

P10. General principle: Teaching. Teaching is an essential means for the structuring and dissemination of knowledge and should therefore be considered a valuable option within the researchers’ career paths. However, teaching responsibilities should not be excessive and should not prevent researchers, particularly at the beginning of their careers, from carrying out their research activities. Employers and/or funders should ensure that teaching duties are adequately remunerated and taken into account in the evaluation/appraisal systems, and that time devoted by senior members of staff to the training of early stage researchers should be counted as part of their teaching commitment. Suitable training should be provided for teaching and coaching activities as part of the professional

Modification of the actions focusing on RTD and post-‐doc profiles only. Study of a new strategy for stakeholders involvement and of a coordinated plan of training.

Ongoing Action status 80% Report: C&C6.pdf

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development of researchers. P11. General principle: Complaints/appeals. Employers and/or funders of researchers should establish, in compliance with national rules and regulations, appropriate procedures, possibly in the form of an impartial (ombudsman-‐type) person to deal with complaints/appeals of researchers, including those concerning conflicts between supervisor(s) and early-‐stage researchers. Such procedures should provide all research staff with confidential and informal assistance in resolving work-‐related conflicts, disputes and grievances, with the aim of promoting fair and equitable treatment within the institution and improving the overall quality of the working environment.

Maintenance of the action n.2 of the previous plan 2012-‐2014 Schedule time: on-‐going process.


P.12 General principle: Participation in decision-‐making bodies Employers and/or funders of researchers should recognise it as wholly legitimate, and indeed desirable, that researchers be represented in the relevant information, consultation and decision-‐making bodies of the institutions for which they work, so as to protect and promote their individual and collective interests as professionals and to actively contribute to the workings of the institution

Confirmed Action from the previous action plan Monitoring of the election procedure of the representatives and relative efficiency.

Action status 100% Report: C&C7.pdf

self – assessment report 2014-2016

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