Preparation and prioritisation
2010 Vitae Researcher Development Framework
descriptor B2.1
- What is preparation and prioritisation?
- Why is it important?
- How can I develop my preparation and prioritisation skills?
- Embracing preparation and prioritisation as a researcher
What is preparation and prioritisation?
Preparation and prioritisation involve strategic planning, anticipating the unexpected, prioritising tasks effectively, spotting gaps and opportunities, and making informed decisions to achieve long-term research goals.
Why is it important?
Strategic planning might not be the most exciting task, especially when you’re balancing a heavy workload. But without clear goals, it’s easy to lose direction, become reactive, and miss valuable opportunities. Effective preparation and prioritisation keep you on track, ensuring you focus on what truly matters and make the most of your time, resources, and expertise.
Benefits of effective preparation and prioritisation:
Maintains focus on strategic goals: With a clear plan, you’re less likely to drift off course or become distracted by daily tasks.
Promotes confidence and leadership: A well-organised approach demonstrates professionalism and encourages respect from colleagues, funders, and collaborators.
Enables flexibility: Regularly updating your plan helps you adapt to changes in your field or funding landscape, keeping your research relevant and impactful.
How can I develop my preparation and prioritisation skills?
Here are some practical strategies to help you build stronger preparation and prioritisation skills:
Identify your priorities
Focus on high-impact tasks: Success isn’t just about working hard; it’s about working smart. Prioritise tasks that directly contribute to your research goals. Reevaluate your to-do list regularly and remove or delegate tasks that don’t align with your core objectives.
Create a detailed project plan
Break down goals: Use your overarching project milestones to create weekly and daily goals. What do you want to accomplish by the end of today, this week, or this month? A tool like a Gantt chart can help you visualise project timelines, dependencies, and resource allocation, ensuring everyone on your team has clarity on priorities and deadlines.
Involve your team: Share your project plan with team members and schedule regular check-ins. This fosters a sense of ownership and clarifies each person’s role in achieving shared objectives.
Stay informed and anticipate trends
Monitor developments in your field: Regularly read journals, industry news, and attend conferences to stay aware of new trends and developments. An annual PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legislative, Environmental) analysis can help you evaluate external factors that may impact your research and prepare accordingly.
Engage with thought leaders: Networking with experts in your field provides valuable insights and can help you identify opportunities to collaborate or pivot as new challenges and trends arise.
Be flexible and back your decisions with evidence
Adapt when necessary: Sometimes project priorities need to change. When this happens, make sure you have clear reasoning and evidence to support your decision, especially if you’re leading a team. Clear communication and rationalisation make transitions smoother and help maintain team morale.
Embracing preparation and prioritisation as a researcher
Mastering preparation and prioritisation not only helps you manage complex research projects but also enhances your effectiveness as a researcher. By developing a flexible, goal-oriented approach, you’re better positioned to handle new challenges, make informed decisions, and lead with confidence.
When you take time to set clear priorities, you’re investing in the success of your work, your team, and your impact in the research community.
Examples of evidence
- Statement
I prepare and plan research projects to meet their objectives. - Situation
At the start of my PhD I had the title for my research projects and some high-level objectives. - Task
As an action point from my first meeting with my supervisor, I was asked to develop a project plan and timeline to demonstrate that my research would be completed within the timeframe of my PhD. - Action
I had previously attended a workshop on project management so was familiar with the basic principles. I also did some additional research to gather examples of good research project plans. I took each of my top-level objectives and broke them down into smaller time-bound and manageable tasks. This formed the basis of my project plan. - Result
I discussed my project plan with my supervisor who suggested some modifications. However, the project plan document remains my main point of reference for monitoring and managing the progress of my research project.
- Statement
I plan, balance and respond effectively and appropriately to change and the unexpected. - Situation
One year into our 4 year research project there was a general election and change of government. As a result, a number of national research priorities changed and less money became available to us in the final stages of our project. - Task
I needed to identify how we could adapt our working practices within the resources we now had available, whilst trying to ensure the project was not significantly compromised. - Action
I initiated a series of meetings with our research funders, department heads in our institution and my research team to review a number of practical steps to meet the gap in our resources. I had proactively undertaken an annual PESTLE analysis to identify the key external influences that may impact on our project so was able to draw upon this to help formulate a contingency plan. - Result
As a result of some forward planning, we were able to respond more quickly to the situation and adapt our project plan so that our main research goals would be only slightly modified within the timeframe.