Lloyd Gregory_Profile_Photo.jpgIn today’s dynamic research environment, the ability to make timely, data-informed decisions is not just a luxury, it’s a necessity. The work ahead of our JRO is ambitious, complex and challenging. I know from previous experience that managing research operations within a complex strategic partnership can quickly become overwhelming without the right tools. That’s why over the last few months, the JRO Management Group and I have been designing a bespoke dashboard to monitor the progress of the JRO across its four workstreams.  

Why bother with a Strategic Dashboard?

At its core, a strategic dashboard is a centralised, real-time visual interface that aggregates key performance indicators (KPIs) across programmes of activity. From ensuring robust governance to delivering on our three efficiency programmes the JRO dashboard will provide a bird’s-eye view of our work. It will also enable us to assure our stakeholders of how we are progressing.

Enhancing Transparency and Accountability

Importantly, the dashboard isn’t just a leadership tool. An immediate benefit of our dashboard is enhanced transparency, where everyone involved in the JRO can access the same up-to-date information, and so therefore we will be placing it on the JRO Intranet. We hope this shared visibility will foster a culture of accountability and encourage proactive problem-solving.

In so doing, we will be able to make ‘in course adjustments’ in a timely manner to avoid amber issues becoming red issues. The JRO dashboard will help us quickly pinpoint the issue and enable us to take affirmative and corrective action.

Supporting Strategic Planning

In addition to its utility as a monitoring tool, we hope it will become a strategic compass, helping to align our KPIs with institutional goals, enabling us to track progress against our strategy in real time. Are we designing effective solutions, involving the right people? The JRO dashboard will help provide the answers. By utilising current progress data, we will be better able to forecast future performance and allocate resources more effectively.

Looking Ahead

As with everything we do within the JRO, the effectiveness of our dashboard will be continually reviewed to ensure it remains fit for purpose.  The goal with this tool is to move from reactive to anticipatory management, spotting issues before they become problems and seizing opportunities as they arise.

In conclusion, I hope that the JRO strategic dashboard will become an indispensable part of our strategic and operational infrastructure to enable us to monitor progress, make decisions, and drive excellence.