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Seminar on Commissioning and Managing Research

Friday, 9th December 2005

A seminar on “Commissioning and Managing Research” was held on the 9th December 2005 in the Gresham Hotel for the Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTFs).
The NACD and NDST, with the assistance of the DMRD agreed to provide information on planning and commissioning research to the coordinators of the LDTFs and Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs). Further seminars are organised for February and March 2006.
Dr. Des Corrigan opened the meeting and welcomed the LDTF coordinators and their guests. Key speakers on the day were Mairéad Lyons, Dr. Aileen O’Gorman, NACD, Dr. Jean Long and Brian Galvin of the DMRD and Patricia O’Connor of the NDST.
Key issues examined on the day were research questions, methods, data sources, ethics, Data Protection, procurement and contracts. The purpose of the seminar was to share the experience the NACD has gained over the last five years in:

• Developing research ideas through committee
• Refining research objectives
• Commissioning the research (procurement & contracts)
• Identifying capacity
• Mentoring the research
• Monitoring progress
• Problem solving
• Final reports, editing, sign off and deciding publication
  
  

Feedback from Participants

Overall, attendees found the seminar very beneficial, informative and the handouts very helpful. The information was presented simply and clearly, yet alerting the audience to many of the issues that might arise when doing research in this particular area. Dr. Aileen O'Gorman gave an excellent framework on which to develop research projects. Dr. Jean Long highlighted the value of surveillance systems and how the information can be used. Mairéad Lyons focused on pragmatic issues such as procurement and contracts. The Head of the National Documentation Centre, Brian Galvin was available to talk to people and demonstrated how their library can be accessed. Patricia O'Connor from the NDST closed the seminar with an outline of the Emerging Needs Fund. Some attendees expressed an interest in having more discussion on ethical issues and the role of qualitative research in the drugs environment. Others felt more discussion on deciding the research question would have been useful. Breakout groups on these issues would be most helpful or indeed another seminar to address problematic areas of research.

Procurement and Contracts (77KB)

DMRD_Surveillance (2MB)

Planning Projects (60KB)

Key issues in drugs research (94KB)

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