PPI for Bureaucrats – Perks for Public Contributors

To see the other webpages in this discussion, click on the links below.

Using the term ‘perks’ is provocative, since it implies that these things are trivial or frivolous rewards. Whilst they may deliver some benefit to the person, they are not provided for that reason but because they are essential items that are wholly and necessarily required to enable the person to make their contribution. Since the Public Contributor is not waged, they are not terms and conditions of the contract of employment. Perhaps a better term will be suggested in due course.

This page reviews each of these perks in relation to the seven core roles of the Public Contributor and considers who should recieve each one. In most cases, it is assumed that the item is a limited resource that should not be offered to all without justification.

However, there is plenty to debate about each of these items. Take for example, offering participation payments for attending a conference. Most events would not pay ordinary delegates to attend, while speakers or other guests with specific responsibilities may be offered a fee. However, academic and clinical members of the research team will be attending in work time and so be paid for that day, so what about Public Contributors who have attended the day?

Each of the items below could stimulate a similar discussion, and the proposals shown in the tables below offer no more than a starting point for these debates.

Reimbursement of expenses

Unless special arrangements are put in place, people who attend conferences or focus groups may not be offered reimbursement of expenses. Reimbursement may be offered where funds are available and the claim is countersigned by a staff member. Public Contributors who review documents at home will not generally incur expenses.

Participation payment

Public Contributors who are involveed in research may be offered a participation payment. This would not usually be offered to conference delegates or participants in a focus group. See more details about participation payments here.

Photo ID badge

This may be offered where the Public Contributor has an ongoing relationship with the organisation that is sustained over time and staff support the reasons for issuing an ID badge. The commonest reason would be if the person needs to confirm their identity tostrangers and show that they are a representative of the organisation. If a photo ID badge is offered to non-executive directors, it may be seen as a declaration of status and the person’s standing with the organisation.

Keypass to the building

A keypass may be offered where the Public Contributor has a relationship with the organisation sustained over time and staff support the reasons.

The pass is activated for office hours only and gives access to relevant parts of the building only. It is demeaning to require an escort to use the toilet or get a drink, so people using the building should have unrestricted access to these facilities. Passes may be issued for a duration of a single visit or issued for the duration of the project.

Use of hotdesk

Some organisations provide a hotdesk in a public space which does not give the Public Contributor any opportunity to see any other screens where confidential information may be displayed. In other settings, the hotdesk is placed amid staff working in an open plan office. The Public Contributor will be carrying out activities that require them to be secure office space, such as interviewing, accessing confidential information on a computer or conducting a skype conversation with colleagues. In this latter situation, the Public Contributor should be within the direct ‘line of sight’ supervision of a staff member who carries responsibility for their activities. If the person needs to use a desk in an open plan office where confidential information may be seen, and is unsupervised, then they should be a contractor or an employee.

Email address

A company email address may be offered to a Public Contributor if their activity requires access to email and a staff member supports the person. This will be necessary if the person is also provided with access to a computer on the organisation’s premises and is sending out emails to strangers on behalf of the organisation. Many Public Contributors will, of course, have their own computer and email address that they are willing to use for internal correspondence within the team. For more information, see here.

Access to academic library

Where the research organisation holds an academic library, access may be granted to Public Contributors who have an ongoing relationship with the organisation and are carrying out activities for the organisation that will be enhanced by access. More information about how Public Contributors can access academic papers can be found here.

Car parking

This will vary by institution, but at one university, onsite car parking is granted to staff who are employed by the organisation and have support from their line manager. Contractors are not provided with car parking. Even where help is provided to employees, they have to pay a proportion of the parking fee. No such provision is made to Public Contributors who are therefore obliged to use the visitor’s car park, pay the normal tariff and reclaim the cost as part of their entitlement to reimbursement of expenses,, as set out above.

Research passport

This document authorises an individual researcher to enter NHS premises and interview patients while there, as long as all the the requirements of the research are met. Some bureaucrats would only provide a Research Passport to employed staff and refuse an application from a Public Contributor, while others would adapt the application form as shown here so that it recognised the distinctive skills and experience of Public Contributors.

Letter of access

The procedure for obtaining a Letter of Access can be adapted to permit Public Contributors who are carrying out interviews to collect data for the research project.