STRATEGY TO COMPLY WITH THE EUROPEAN RESEARCHER'S CHARTER HRS4R
THE UNIVERSITY OF MALAGA IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF RESEARCHERS BY ADHERING TO THE EUROPEAN CHARTER FOR RESEARCHERS AND THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF RESEARCHERS AND BY INITIATING A PROCESS OF ANALYSIS AND IMPROVEMENT TO RECEIVE THE HR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH, AWARDED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. INTRODUCTION
On June 27th 2017, the University of Malaga has formally adhered to the European Charter for Researchers which, together with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, are the European Union documents that set out the general principles and requirements that specify the functions, responsibilities and rights of researchers, as well as those of the institutions that hire them.
The UMA's governing team considers it essential that our university be deeply involved at all levels in improving the conditions in which our researchers carry out their work. For this reason, a working group has been set up, made up of the Vice-Rectors' Offices for Research and Transfer, the Vice-Rector's Office for Teaching and Research Staff and the Management, which will draw up an Action Plan to implement these principles and requirements in our university, under the auspices of the European Commission.
This process, which consists of several phases, will allow our university to obtain the " Human Resources Excellence in Research Award", a seal of excellence awarded by the European Commission to institutions that implement an action plan to align its practices with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The implementation process will be evaluates periodically by external experts.. Obtaining this seal will increase the visibility and confidence in the University of Málaga as a centre for attracting talent.
The implementation of the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers – HRS4R consist of 3 phases:
1. HR Policy Institution Internal Analysis in relation to the Charter and Code principles. Initial phase for the application for the HR Excellence in Research Award, which involves:
- The endorsement of the Charter and the Code.
- An internal analysis (GAP analysis)
- The Open Transparent Merit-based Recruitment self-assessment (OTM-R checklist)
- The design of an Initial Action Plan
2. Implementation phase of:
a) The Initial Action Plan (24 months, followed by an Interim Assessment)
b) The Revised Action Plan (36 months after the interim assessment)
3. Award Renewal phase, involving a site visit five years after the initial grant of the HR Award.
GAP ANALYSIS PROCESS: THE WORKING GROUP AND THE SUPERVISION COMMITTEE
An internal Working Group was formed in the University of Málaga (UMA)to carry out our internal analysis and to define a ‘Human Resources Strategy for Researchers’ (‘HRS4R’), . This internal working group was set up in october 2017 as an initiative from the Vice‐Rectorate for Research. This group consisted of the main stakeholders in the process:
Teaching and Research Personnel from several involved Vice‐Rectorates:
Rector
Vice-rectorate for Research and Teaching Staff
Vice-rectorate for Research and Transfer.
Chief management
Deputy Vice-rectorate for Research and Teaching Staff
Deputy Vice-rectorate for Research
Deputy Vice-rectorate for Transfer Office
Administrative staff
2 Representative of the Vice‐Rectorate for Research and Transfer
2 Representative of management (economics and quality)
2 The aims of the working group were:
- To analyse the current status of the implementation of the Charter & Code at UMA, based on their forty principles and the current legislation at European, national, regional and institutional levels.
- To elaborate a proposal for a Human Resources Strategy to be presented to the UMA Governing Team and subsequently to the European Commission .
The established Working Procedure was as follows:
- Detailed analysis the forty principles of the Charter and the Code in various meetings.
- Definition of the points for analysis.
- Identification of the available resources and assessment of strengths and weaknesses.
- Identification the types of initiatives to be undertaken and their level of priority.
- Interactions with other Services/Units within the UMA and projects already underway.
- Preparation of a HRS4R document to be presented to the Governing Board for approval.
We intend that this effort to adapt our conditions to the European guidelines has the maximum participation and consensus of the university community members. For this reason, we have opened this web page with a suggestions box so that any person or member of the university community can make any suggestions for improvement they consider appropriate on these issues.
This committee has been working, in a first phase, to gather the information from our interest groups related to research, holding 6 working meetings.
This committee's work consisted of:
Questionnaire survey
Strategy design
Design of the action plan
Survey:
The questionnaire addressed to UMA researchers was sent by email in November, 2017. It was anonymously answered until 22th December 2017, and it allowed us to understand the current state and perception of the UMA HR policies and practices regarding the C&C principles and detect our the strengths and weaknesses.
The Survey was filled out online. It was sent to 2209 UMA Researchers from 69 UMA Departments of all 17 UMA Faculties/Schools. The sample was a representative selection of staff involved in research, including Teaching and Research Staff with a PhD (Full Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors), post‐doctoral personnel (Ramón y Cajal and Juan de la Cierva), pre‐doctoral personnel (FPI and FPU fellows) and Administrative Staff. The overall participation rate was 15 %. Results are shown in the Annex 1.
Strategy design
The gap analysis showed that most of the principles put forward in the Charter&Code have already been largely put into practice within the UMA. However, the UMA has also identified a number of aspects for which there is needed improvement, and has also elaborated an Action Plan to address the detected gaps.
Design of the action plan
According to the results of the survey and our internal analysis, the Action Plan will be implemented gradually in the next two years (July 2021‐June 2023). Nevertheless, he different Vice‐rectorates, Units and Offices of the University of Málaga involved in the implementation of the HR Strategy, have already started some preparatory actions. The actions proposed have been selected and defined to tackle the main weaknesses identified from the GAP Analysis, to contribute to the improvement of the institutional practices in HR in research, as well as to increase the awareness of researchers at all career stages about them. Some of the actions involve improvement and dissemination of already existing procedures and protocols, so they will be addressed at the beginning of the implementation period, followed by the ones requiring setting up new actions.
As a general conclusion, UMA commits itself to put into practice the attached action plan within the next two years (from mid-2021 to mid2023) and develop the required internal review protocols to monitor its progress.
LA UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA SE COMPROMETE A MEJORAR LAS CONDICIONES DE LOS INVESTIGADORES ADHIRIÉNDOSE A LA CARTA EUROPEA DE LOS INVESTIGADORES Y AL CÓDIGO DE CONDUCTA PARA LA CONTRATACIÓN DE INVESTIGADORES, E INICIANDO UN PROCESO DE ANÁLISIS Y MEJORA QUE PERMITIRÁ OBTENER EL PREMIO DE EXCELENCIA EN LA INVESTIGACIÓN DE LA COMISIÓN EUROPEA.
INTRODUCCIÓN
El 27 de junio de 2017 la Universidad de Málaga se adhirió formalmente a la Carta Europea del Investigador que, junto con el Código de Conducta para la Contratación de Investigadores, son los documentos de la Unión Europea que establecen los principios y requisitos generales que especifican las funciones, responsabilidades y derechos de los investigadores, así como los de las instituciones que los contratan.
El equipo directivo de la UMA considera esencial que nuestra universidad se implique profundamente a todos los niveles en la mejora de las condiciones en las que nuestros investigadores llevan a cabo su trabajo. Por ello, se ha creado un grupo de trabajo, formado por los Vicerrectorados de Investigación y Transferencia, el Vicerrectorado de Personal Docente e Investigador y la Gerencia, que elaborará un Plan de Acción para la aplicación de estos principios y exigencias en nuestra universidad, bajo los auspicios de la Comisión Europea.Este proceso, que consta de varias fases, permitirá a nuestra universidad obtener el "Premio a la excelencia de los recursos humanos en la investigación", un sello de excelencia concedido por la Comisión Europea a las instituciones que apliquen un plan de acción para cumplir las directrices de la Carta Europea del Investigador y el Código de Conducta para la Contratación de Investigadores.
El proceso de aplicación será evaluado periódicamente por expertos externos. La obtención de este sello aumentará la visibilidad y la confianza en la Universidad de Málaga como centro de atracción de talento.
La implementación de la Estrategia de Recursos Humanos para Investigadores - HRS4R tiene 3 fases:
1. Fase inicial para la solicitud del Premio a la Excelencia en Investigación de RRHH, que implica:
- La aprobación de la Carta y el Código.
- Un análisis interno (análisis GAP)
- La autoevaluación abierta y transparente del reclutamiento por méritos (lista de verificación del OTM-R)
- El diseño de un Plan de Acción Inicial
2. Fase de implementación de:
a) El plan de acción inicial (24 meses, seguido de una evaluación provisional)
b) El Plan de Acción Revisado (36 meses después de la evaluación provisional)
3. Fase de renovación del premio, que incluye una visita al lugar cinco años después de la concesión inicial del premio de RRHH.
PROCESO DE ANÁLISIS DE LA BRECHA: EL GRUPO DE TRABAJO Y EL COMITÉ DE SUPERVISIÓN
Siguiendo las recomendaciones y con el fin de definir su "Estrategia de Recursos Humanos para Investigadores" ("HRS4R"), se formó un Grupo de Trabajo interno de la UMA para llevar a cabo el Análisis Interno (paso 1 de la Estrategia) . Este grupo de trabajo interno se creó en octubre de 2017 por iniciativa del Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia. Este grupo estaba integrado por los principales interesados en el proceso: Personal docente e investigador de varios Vicerrectorados involucrados:
Rector
Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Enseñanza
Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia
Gerente
Vicerrectorado Adjunto de Investigación y Docencia
Vicerrectorado Adjunto de Investigación y Transferencia
Vicerrectorado Adjunto de la Oficina de Transferencia
Personal administrativo
2 Representante del Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia
2 Representante de la gestión (economía y calidad)
Los objetivos del grupo de trabajo eran:
- Analizar el estado actual de la aplicación de la Carta y el Código en la UMA, sobre la base de sus cuarenta principios y de la legislación vigente en los planos europeo, nacional, regional e institucional.
- Elaborar una propuesta de estrategia de recursos humanos para presentarla al equipo directivo de la UMA y posteriormente a la Comisión Europea.
El procedimiento de trabajo establecido fue el siguiente:
- Examinar en detalle los cuarenta principios de la Carta y el Código en diversas reuniones.
- Definir los puntos de análisis.
- Identificar los recursos disponibles y evaluar los puntos fuertes y débiles.
- Identificar los tipos de iniciativas a emprender y su nivel de prioridad.
- Supervisar las interacciones con otros Servicios/Unidades de la UMA y los proyectos ya en curso.
- Redactar un documento de estrategia HRS4R para presentarlo a la Junta del Rector para su aprobación.
Pretendemos que este esfuerzo de adaptación de nuestras condiciones a las directrices europeas, cuente con la máxima participación y consenso de la comunidad universitaria. Por ello, hemos abierto esta página web con un buzón de sugerencias para que cualquier persona o miembro de la comunidad universitaria pueda hacer las sugerencias de mejora que considere oportunas sobre estos temas.
Este comité ha estado trabajando, en una primera fase, para reunir la información de nuestros grupos de interés relacionados con la investigación, celebrando 6 reuniones de trabajo.
El trabajo de este comité consistió en:
Cuestionario de encuesta
Diseño de la estrategia
Diseño del plan de acción
