Measuring success
Over the course of the strategy, we will continually monitor and evaluate progress against our goals using a defined suite of key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs were selected based on four main criteria: their relevance to the Board and external reporting, the ability to set baselines and targets, the degree of HRB control or influence, and data feasibility.
As part of strategy implementation, we will develop an operationalisation framework for KPIs which will establish baseline values and set performance targets where appropriate. To contextualise performance, we will seek to benchmark our indicators against comparable national and international organisations where such benchmarking is feasible and meaningful. While a larger set of internal indicators will be used for tracking ongoing strategy delivery, reporting for the following high-level KPIs will follow a cadence agreed with the HRB Board.
The KPIs are presented in the table below, organised by goal and strategic objective, and accompanied by a rationale explaining why each indicator has been selected. Some KPIs span all five goals and are presented as crosscutters.
Goal
Strategic
objective
Key performance indicator
Rationale for inclusion
1
Create a thriving health research environment
We will build and support a strong research workforce to meet national, global and future health and social care needs
1.1 Percentage and type of health and social care researchers who, 2 years after completion of their HRB grant, are still research active
1.2 Percentage of
HRB-funded fellows who progress to clinical-academic posts or protected academic roles
A strong indicator of sustained capacity of the research workforce supported by HRB investment
Tracks career progression of HRB-funded fellows and is an important indicator of capacity of the system to support a clinical academic workforce
We will drive excellence in our health research funding policies and practices and support a healthy research and innovation culture
1.3 Percentage of HRB-supported peer-reviewed publications published over a rolling 5-year period that are open access
The indicator links strongly to the HRB’s efforts to support FAIR data principles and open data and is in line with the HRB’s open access policy
We will support research conducted in Ireland to be ethical, safeguarded, and in the best interest of research participants and
the public
1.4 Number of national research ethics opinions and consent declarations issued expediently, coordinated across the diverse NREC and HRCDC membership, with adherence to regulatory and standard operating procedures
(SOPS timelines)
Demonstrates timeliness and volume of outputs of the National Office and Secretariat
2
Advance Ireland’s clinical trials ecosystem
We will increase the number and quality of clinical trials available to patients in Ireland
2.1 Number of patients and participants enrolled in high-quality clinical trials in Ireland (disaggregated by commercial trials and investigator-led clinical trials)
An increase in this indicator over time will represent an increase in access to clinical trials for the ultimate beneficiary- patients and participants
3
Generate and support evidence for policy and practice
We will enhance our health information infrastructure to support health and social care policy, service planning and practice in mental health, disability, and drugs and alcohol
3.1 Percentage of users of National Health Information System (NHIS) databases who rate their value of the data and resultant products as high or very high
Measures value and utility of NHIS databases and products as perceived by key users
We will ensure that HRB evidence informs health and social care policy and practice within a coordinated evidence ecosystem
3.2 Progress in evidence synthesis delivery and capacity, measured by adherence to timelines and growth in individuals trained in planning, delivering and using evidence syntheses
Measures improvements in the timeliness of evidence synthesis delivery and the growth of skills needed to produce and apply evidence
4
Invest in innovative research
ideas
We will support innovative, investigator-led research
4.1 Percentage of HRB-funded publications published over a rolling 5-year period with a field citation ratio of ≥1
Measures quality of peer-reviewed publications through a field-normalised metric
We will support health research in themed areas focused on delivering policy/service impact
4.2 Percentage of HRB funding approved annually that is themed or targeted
This indicator is a strong measure of alignment of funded research with national and global priorities
5
Lead for impact through strategic research partnerships
We will support the Irish health research community, policy-makers and service delivery counterparts to compete in EU funding programmes
5.1 Competitive success rates in applications for EU health research funding maintained through influencing agendas and providing expert support
Success rates of applicants from Ireland for EU health research funding is a strong indicator of the impact of HRB expert support
We will embed international collaboration as a core strategic priority to accelerate and scale research, in order to build capacity and tackle shared goals or challenges
5.2 Increase in co-investment from EU and international partners
Indicates strengthened international partnerships and influence
We will work with our national and EU partners to drive harmonised, best ethical and data protection practices for regulated research, and all health and social care sectors
5.3 Number and type of national and EU engagements with National Office and Secretariat leadership, in order to advance efficient regulatory frameworks for best ethical and safeguarding standards
Measures leadership provided by the HRB to advance ethical and safeguarding standards.
Crosscutter
Crosscutter
C.1 Additional monies leveraged by the HRB from external sources per €1 HRB investment
Strong indicator of added value of the HRB investment
C.2 High level of public and patient involvement (PPI) integrated into HRB activities. (Composite indicator)
Measures level of PPI integration in key HRB activities including grant funding, consent and ethics committees and NHIS working groups.
C.3 Number of instances, measured annually, of HRB-supported research outputs used to inform legislation, policy, and practice improvement
Measures real-world impact of HRB-funded and delivered research
Alongside the KPIs, we will include illustrative evidence demonstrating the HRB’s contribution to health service delivery and patient outcomes. We will also undertake periodic targeted stakeholder ‘check ins’ (via feedback mechanisms such as surveys and consultations) at key points in the strategy period. This will enable us to gauge evolving sectoral needs and the perceived impact of our organisational activities and engagement as part of our KPI monitoring and evaluation framework. We commit to reviewing our KPIs on an ongoing basis in order to ensure continued relevance to key elements of the strategy and to reflect emerging priorities.