Completion Report

Project Summary:

At present, researchers who require to access NHS Data need to apply to the NHS and satisfy a wide ranging set of security questions. This process currently is repeated each time data is required, from scratch.

If we could set out the process to makeit easy to follow, and also supply any generic templates for us, then a lot of effort, elapsed time and risk could be eliminated.

The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicineset a project to provide some default, template text documentation around IT provision for our research community to use when applying for research data.  This would proactively answer questions which we know we may be asked to produce policy documents around IT elements such as IT security, training, storage and backup for instance.  Research data could come from a number of providers but this approach would answer the commonly asked components. 

 

Objectives

 

1.       Work with College and University staff already undertaking Information Governance compliance work to pull together a standardised documentation set of commonly asked questions and policies to help define a standard approach for the College moving forward.
2.       Map the requirements for the Information Governance Toolkit submission to the documentation set available, highlighting gaps and where documentation could be seen as standard, or project specific.
3.       Develop a standard College IT documentation checklist for researchers which will allow future submissions to comply with the expected questions proactively.
4.       Obtain copies of each element of the documentation and store a copy for review, noting the originating location so that users can download the latest version when applying for data.
 
All objectives achieved

Deliverables 

1.       Produce a clear researcher IT documentation check list which can be worked through by anyone applying for data.

2.       Produce a clear, standard documentation set for the College with a number of University policies and template text for researchers to follow. 

 

All deliverables achieved.

 

Benefits

Adopting best practice around standard documentation sets will help reduce administration overheads and provide clarity to our research community on how to complete / provide information relating to the underpinning IT for each project.

 

Benefits wil be realised post-project- but Paul Clark already notes "(that the new document set) is already making a tangible difference to the College staff I work with".

Analysis of Resource Usage:

Staff Usage Estimate: 9 days

Staff Usage Actual: 37 days

Staff Usage Variance: 311%

Other Resource Estimate: 1 days

Other Resource Actual: 1 days

Other Resource Variance: 0%

Explanation for variance:

 

The analysis effort proved to be substantially greater than initial estimate.

The stakeholder set was more extensive than first anticipated, needing more QA and management.

Also, the project scope was extended to work with a team to pilot the documentation and also a key representative from HSCIC (Health and Social Care Information Centre) and receive feedback with this needing the business analyst heavy involvement as well as more pm effort as project extended by months.

 

 

  1. Following the workshop in September to review the 2 document sets there was various wording to be supplied by team members, this was difficult to obtain and required regular chasing (and certainly with regards the SLSP wording still has not been supplied – this was the section that Orlando was originally to provide.  I had to put some of the paragraphs together myself when despite chasing no response received.
  2. There were a couple of sessions with Mome and Allan Walker to walkthrough all the documentation when they were to pilot the documents.  This was then followed by regular chasing to find out position before being told they would not be piloting.  Process then restarted with CBS Team and a couple of sessions out at ERI with them.
  3. Liaising with Myke Gallacher to share templates, make and share amendments.
  4. Issues with formatting on OneDrive (which were resolved more than once).
  5. Links within the templates no longer working due to the new website resulted in me having to locate new links and insert
  6. Pick up put down time as a result of the project waiting for responses from team members.

 

Key Learning Points:

 

 

Outstanding issues:

 

Ownership – Not part of this project, but Paul Clark will be suggesting that we have agreement that the RDM team and the CISO own this moving forward, and the documentation set will feed into project RSS006 (follow on project for Data Safe Haven). 

Annual audit and Request Changes – suggestion is that the RDM team and CISO have to review the documentation set on an annual basis to incorporate changes and enhancements with legal, documentation and other changes. 

Guidance for Researchers on the scope and purpose of the template documents - during discussions with the Clinical Brain Science Team it was agreed that some template guidance would be useful.  It was agreed that a walkthrough of the templates would be an effective way to provide this (rather producing additional documentation).  Once owning area is assigned this is a task to be taken forward.

Ongoing support for Researchers - during discussions with the Clinical Brain Science Team there was a requirement raised for further support (such as response to ad hoc questions, peer review of documentation) prior to submission of the documents.  Once owning area is assigned this is a task to be taken forward. 

Project Info

Project
Template research administration documentation set
Code
MVM007
Programme
MVM Research (MVMRES)
Project Manager
Maurice Franceschi
Project Sponsor
Paul Clark
Current Stage
Close
Status
Closed
Start Date
05-Jun-2015
Planning Date
n/a
Delivery Date
n/a
Close Date
22-Jul-2016
Programme Priority
3
Overall Priority
Normal
Category
Discretionary