Terms of Reference: Convening knowledge about Community Advisory Boards (CABs)

How can diverse knowledge relevant to the practice of public engagement be shared and developed? How can we combine practice knowledge and research knowledge in ways that can lead to better engagement work? Where is the knowledge already available and how can tacit knowledge, embedded in individuals’ practices and organisations be valued and shared?

Through ‘Convening Knowledges’ NCCPE aims to connect diverse knowledge resources and network the people and organisations who hold them. In doing this, we hope to help sector professionals address key questions and challenges. ‘Convening Knowledges’ plans to explore three topics of interest to public engagement practitioners. We will start with the question: What is known about designing and implementing Community Advisory Boards (CABs)?

As well as developing and sharing learning about CABs we are also interested in thinking about the mechanisms we choose to use to bring diverse knowledge together. The NCCPE is collaborating with researcher, Jude Fransman, to reflect on processes designed to convene knowledges, and how this influences who is included; how knowledge is valued and developed; and whether the process undermines or supports the outcomes.
We will therefore reflect on this process by iteratively testing and developing a framework which will include some of the following reflection prompts:

• Representativeness of the diverse types of knowledge. What is included or excluded and at which stage? How could conflicting information and power hierarchies be addressed?
• Usefulness in terms of the value of knowledge produced and the impact it enables.
• Accessibility to and inclusion of diverse of stakeholders (including different types of experts and users of knowledge); What capacity is needed to enable specific groups to engage? How can we overcome communication differences e.g. in terminology and language?
• Value for money in terms of the financial investment and capacity required and the impact on improving knowledge.

We are seeking a consultant to design, deliver and evaluate a ‘knowledge convening initiative’ on the topic: What is known about designing and implementing Community Advisory Boards (CABs)?

The consultant will be asked to meet the following objectives/deliverables:

• Devise and deliver an approach that will draw together diverse types of knowledge about CABs in a way that seeks to maximise and balance the criteria of representativeness, usefulness, accessibility and inclusiveness, and value for money. We would be keen to see approaches which go beyond desk-based research, and which involve interaction with practitioners and researchers in some way.
• Produce an output (event, document, artwork etc) that will share the CAB-related knowledge more widely, targeting public engagement professionals in higher education. [This will be with the support of the NCCPE communications lead
• Collaborate with the NCCPE team and Jude Fransman to reflect on the challenges, opportunities and trade-offs generated through the convening knowledge approach (supported by a reflexive framework which will also be developed and deepened in response to our collective thinking).
• Work with the NCCPE team to develop and deliver an Engage 2024 poster or ‘encounter’ session in May 2024. This will provide an opportunity to share the CAB-related work-in-progress as well as informing further iterations of the 'Convening Knowledges’ programme.
• Provide a summary of the process, findings and recommendations (in the form of a report or equivalent

We discussed the project with PEPs at a ‘provocation session’ at NCCPE’s online conference, Engage 2023. The session included a presentation on some of the ways that available knowledge about CABs might be mapped as well as inviting participants to reflect on four discrete approaches for convening this knowledge:

• A formal review process, which might or might not be systematic, might extend beyond the academic literature to include ‘grey’ literature and include elements of stakeholder participation;
• A digital resource, which might take the form of a website, wiki, blog or repository with the possibility of user-design and interactive elements;
• A small event, which might take the form of a roundtable discussion, participatory workshop or seminar series;
• A large event, which might be a conference, symposium, or a deliberative event.

We would like the consultant to pilot a ‘knowledge convening initiative’ that might incorporate elements from one or more of the above approaches or something else e.g. evidence submission processes, arts-based initiatives, experiential enactments of CABs…whatever sparks the imagination!

We envisage any approach would include the following stages:

1. A period of desk-based information gathering on the topic of CABs
2. The planning/design of a ‘Convening Knowledge Initiative’ approach to bring together documented knowledge with practical and experiential knowledge on CABs.
3. Recruitment of a diverse range of stakeholders to engage with knowledge on CABs.
4. Facilitation of engagement between stakeholders and knowledge sources (the ‘Convening Knowledge Initiative’).
5. Consolidation and curation of findings about CABs into an output targeted at PEPs.
6. Collective reflection with the NCCPE team and Jude Fransman on the approach itself (with the aid of our reflexive framework centred on the questions of representation, inclusion, usefulness, and value).

The consultant will work collaboratively with NCCPE and Jude Fransman throughout the process. We will also provide access to and share relevant communications with our professional networks including the PEP Network and Inclusion Advisory Group.
The consultant will maintain any intellectual property (IP) that they bring into the process; IP generated through the process will be owned by UWE but licenced under a CC BY-NC-SA creative commons licence) enabling others to make use of the outputs for their work.

Budget: The value of this tender is a maximum of £10,000 (inclusive of VAT/Tax).

Payments: The contractor will provide invoices on an agreed payment schedule.

Timetable:

The contractor must have the right to work in the UK and must hold professional indemnity insurance (cover up to the value of £5 million) and Public Liability Insurance (cover up to £10 million).

We will accept applications from an institution but will only be able to cover directly incurred costs associated with the project.

Please provide the following 

• A method statement of no more than two pages (see assessment criteria below - Quality and Value for Money) which includes:
• A proposed methodology
• Description and justification of proposed output(s)
• Ethical considerations
• Evaluation plans
• A budget including number of days and day-rate as well as other expenses;
• A Curriculum Vitae outlining your previous experience and a one-page cover letter highlighting, why you are interested in this piece of work and your capacity to deliver (See assessment criteria below - Capacity).

Both method statement and cover letter should be A4, minimum pt11 font.
Please also specify in your submission email whether:
 

1. You are willing for your method statement to be used by the ‘convening knowledge’ project for broader learning
2. You are unwilling for your method statement to be used by the ‘convening knowledge’ project for broader learning
3. You will consider this once the outcome of your submission is known.

Your response to this question will in no way impact the assessment of your submission.
Submissions will be assessed in an objective manner and applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submission once the assessment of all submissions has been completed.

Criteria (excluding Price) will be scored on a scale of 0-5:

1. no response given
2. response significantly unsatisfactory / a number of major concerns
3. response unsatisfactory / minor concerns / few major concerns
4. response has some minor concerns
5. response fully meets requirements with no reservations
6. response meets requirements and demonstrates added value/ innovation

Please send your submission to: sian.aggett@uwe.ac.uk

The deadline for submissions is: 5pm, 27 March 2024

If you have any queries relating to the process and your submission, or would like an informal chat in advance of applying please get in touch with Sian.