Importance of strategy in research programme

A strategy is not defined as a fixed object, a set of aims or a long-term plan. Understanding a process, activities and expected outcomes is important in a research programme. In other words, it is a unique way to ensure sustainability in a research programme.

Strategising Your Strategy

A well-defined strategy helps understand the what and how of a research programme or a project. The key points include:

1. Understanding your competencies, strengths and scope for improvements. For example, what is the knowledge you have on the topic? Why is your research unique?
2. Knowing your audience: What do they want to hear/learn from you?
3. Knowing the importance of your research project: What has been done? What is the wow factor you plan to address?
4. Will your knowledge add value to the topic?
5. What resources/references are available?
6. Risk factors: What could be the probable challenges that you may face? How will you overcome them?
7. What do you want to achieve through the said research?

Context

Typically, sustainability is important in a research programme or project since it addresses long-term value, resource efficiency and alignment with global challenges. Some of the benefits include:

• Create solutions that can address societal and environmental challenges and make your research project relevant and impactful
• Use resources well to make the research cost-effective and reduce the impact on the environment
• Promote collaborations across disciplinary to enhance innovations and ensure the applicability of findings to real-world problems
• Minimise ecological footprint and contribute positively to global challenges
• Ensure adaptability so that the research can continue to evolve, remain relevant
• Align with policy frameworks to ensure scalability

Why is it important in the policy-making process?

A well-defined strategy is important in a research programme or project since it provides clarity, focus and structure. Key reasons include:

• Provides clear goals and objectives and helps align activities to prevent deviations
• Defines a clear framework for making decisions by providing valuable data, building a strategic roadmap and making informed choices
• Coordinates efforts by outlining roles, responsibilities and communication processes
• Fosters interaction and encourages contributions from all to achieve common goals
• Reduces waste and optimises the use of available funding, personnel and equipment
• Enhances adaptability and resilience and increases success
• Anticipates and plans for risks
• Disseminates information to the intended audience for a meaningful impact and influences policies
• Involves planning for future endeavours and contributes to an ongoing process

Benefits

• Provides clear direction and helps in focussing on relevant aspects
• Manages risks by identifying challenges
• Ensures relevance and long-term sustainability
• Increases collaborations and fosters coordination

Challenges

• Creates delays due to complexity in decision-making and coordination
• Fosters bureaucratic processes and does not allow significant time
• Reduces focus on some elements due to prioritisarion
• Discourages exploratory research due to focus on research outcomes
• Requires more efforts to communicate the relevance of the strategy due to various stakeholders

In short, strategy in research provides direction, structure and efficiency, enhancing the quality and impact of the research outcomes. A robust strategy in research projects is more likely to achieve their objectives, make effective use of resources.