How to Keep the Lights On: Strategic and Financial Planning for Sustainability in Community Engaged Research
September 20, 2024, 10:00 am to 11:30 am
This event is organized by “Partnering in Research” (PiR), a collaborative venture between the Knowledge Exchange Unit of UBC’s Vice President Research and Innovation, and the Office of Community Engagement under the Vice President External Relations.
In order to be successful in articulating a strong strategic case to seek support for establishing and/or expanding a program of community engaged research, it’s crucial to demonstrate value alignment, long term financial sustainability, and to clarify an operational roadmap.
In this introductory workshop, researchers and research staff who are involved in leading the establishment and/or expansion of a program of research focused on community engagement will have the opportunity to delve into how to develop a compelling business case. Participants will gain insights into the business case framework, receive practical tools and templates, and learn an approach to identifying and evaluating strategies to achieve financial sustainability.
Date: September 20, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free
Learning Objectives
At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe the importance of developing a compelling business case for community engaged research (CER)
- Develop the basis for a strategic plan for their program of CER
- Identify approaches to developing a financial plan for a long-term program of CER
Speakers
Lesley Charter-Smith, Director Strategy & Decision Support
Over the past 30 years as a working professional in both the public and private sectors, Lesley brings extensive experience in leading and supporting strategy development, financial sustainability planning, enterprise resource planning implementation, and project management to her current role as Director. Prior to joining UBC in 2010, Lesley worked in strategy and financial roles in public accounting, corporate enterprises and a start-up company. Lesley has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Chartered Professional Accounting designation.
Sophia Redmond, Associate Director, Strategy and Decision Support
Sophia has 18 years diverse public sector experience spanning BC Housing, the BC government, and the University of British Columbia. With nearly 10 years in Higher Education, 7 years in Housing and 7 years in Management Consulting, she brings extensive experience in leading and driving business strategy and transformation, strategic planning, finance sustainability, economic analysis, governance and continuous process improvement. Before SDS, Sophia was the Manager of UBC Faculty and Staff Housing Programs. Prior to UBC, She was a Senior Economist for nearly a decade across various sectors including housing, Health Care, Energy and Education. Sophia holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance, a Master of Arts in Economics, Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma (LSS) designations.