Research domains
This idea is especially relevant to career assessment, either hiring or promotion. It is a concept that is generally well applied in research funding applications, but that is not always targeted in hiring and career assessment.
Context and considerations
This could involve asking candidates to set up a plan for development, activities, and goals, with reflective monitoring and milestone development. It could look similar to a project proposal sent for funding, but aim to propose plans for an applicant’s career. Focusing the assessment process on forward and future elements can allow for development of an individual niche and enable them to follow new pathways that could be broader and/or different than traditional ones.
Challenges and mitigations
Challenge: The career aspirations of candidates may not be realistic.
Mitigation: Focusing on feasibility of the proposed plan can help assess the possibility of implementing the plan that the assessed would like to pursue. In some cases, having a discussion with the applicant on available resources and infrastructures could help applicants build a more informed and balanced plan before they apply.
Evaluating success
Relevant resources and literature
This section includes resources, literature, and reports relevant to this specific experimental idea.
Templates from funders and institutions
Case examples and literature
Some universities base career promotion on self-determined plans where researchers establish their desired goals and objectives and are assessed on these defined goals later in their career. This is the case for the Career path and evaluation policy for Professorial Staff (ZAP) at Ghent University, for example (see here and here).
The Dutch Recognition and Reward programme also supports a similar self-defined career path which could enable forward-looking assessments (see here).