Rural Affairs and the Environment (RAE) Consultation on the Research Strategy for 2016-2021.

10. Knowledge exchange and performance

An essential outcome sought from the Scottish Government's investment in research is relevance and that it should deliver impact for end users beyond the immediate scientific community and especially for those developing and delivering policy. That is why RESAS places such importance on the two strands of the current portfolio review exercise which will assess:

• Relevance and Impact (for non-scientific end users);
• Scientific Quality & Scientific Impact.

10.1 Outputs

Successful delivery of this outcome requires that mechanisms are in place to deliver outputs and information that are usable for non-scientists; both in terms of content and timeliness, and that these are tailored to the specific needs of individual groups.

Research outputs are communicated in a range of ways through:

• Scottish Government's website;
• The websites of the CoEs and individual MRPs;
• Research briefings and other documents available on knowledgescotland;
• Policy briefings;
• Stakeholder focused events, e.g. 'Potatoes in Practice';
• Public exhibitions and contributions to Scotland's Science Centres, Science Festivals and through the Gateway building at RBGE.

Question 15: Are the research outputs from the RESAS portfolio of research readily accessible or can this be further improved, if so how?

10.2 Performance management

The direction and performance of the current portfolio of RESAS funded research needs to be transparent and accountable. The overall direction is steered by a Strategic Research Programme Board (SRPB) whose role remit and membership is set out in Annex C.

During the period of the current portfolio regular bi-lateral meetings are also held between RESAS and the MRPs, CoE and SPs to discuss and resolve any issues affecting performance in the portfolio.

A performance management framework focused on outputs and outcomes is in place to monitor progress with delivery. Quantitative and qualitative performance metrics are gathered on a regular basis through the annual reporting cycle. The metrics are organised around the strategic priorities for the portfolio. The monitoring of progress through annual reports is complemented by the on-going portfolio review exercise managed by RESAS.

Question 16: Is the current performance management approach fit for purpose or can it be improved, if so how?