About the role - Commissioning Board members
As a member of the SDO Commissioning Board you will assess research proposals for scientific merit, feasibility, and value for money before making funding recommendations.
The purpose of the Commissioning Board is to consider applications for funding from the SDO Programme, received via NETSCC SDO, to score applications and make recommendations on the basis of the scores for funding to the Programme Executive Group (PEG). The Commissioning Board should not revisit the question of NHS importance - the fact that an application is before the Board is sufficient evidence that it has passed the programme's threshold of NHS importance.
The remit of the Commissioning Board is to consider the scientific rigour and quality, and value for money of proposals taking into account the following:
- The clarity of the stated research objectives
- Whether the proposed study design will achieve the stated objectives in an appropriate, feasible and ethical manner
- Whether the successful completion of the study would lead to a reduction in uncertainty in that area of service delivery or organisation research
- Whether the proposed project would result in greater clarity of health-related outcomes which may affect patients or systems, and/or other benefits for the wider NHS community
- Whether the proposed team is capable of undertaking the suggested research
- Whether the requested costs and timescales are justified
Each member will score each application according to the scoring system provided. This score will inform the Board's funding recommendation. The scores provided will guide PEG as to the quality of each application.
The Commissioning Board may also specify changes to applications that are required before they are funded.
In the event of the Board needing to vote, this will be by majority - one member, one vote for any member attending the meeting eligible to consider any matter. The Chair for the particular agenda item will have the casting vote.
Commissioning Board Membership
Membership of the Commissioning Board is drawn from practising researchers in the field of service delivery and organisation (also including organisational behaviour specialists, specialists in public management, sociologists, health economists, psychologists, statisticians, health and social policy specialists, academic GPs and nursing researchers). As a member of the SDO Commissioning Board you will assess research proposals for scientific merit, feasibility, and value for money before making funding decisions.
Members of the SDO Commissioning Board will assess applications being considered at each Board meeting in order to contribute to general discussion of the scientific merits of each application. The Commissioning Board members:
- will decide which outline applications should be short-listed and score full applications
- will consider in detail a number of applications in readiness for each Board meeting for which they will act as Designated Board Members (DBMs), complete an assessment form in relation to each application for which they are DBM prior to the meeting, and give their views at the Board meetings
- will provide guidance to short-listed applications on the views of the Board in the development of a full proposal
