The brief
The Veterinary Management Group (VMG) wanted support with processing and analysing the results of a self-assessment tool that veterinary leaders complete to identify their areas of strength and areas for development.
The project’s overall aims were to identify leadership skills gaps and training priorities in the veterinary sector. This analysis sought to provide VMG with a greater understanding of:
- The current state of leadership in the veterinary sector.
- Which values, behaviours, knowledge and skills do leaders report being most confident in?
- Which values, behaviours, knowledge and skills do leaders report that they require development in?
The approach
- Data-processing plan: We created a data-processing plan outlining the research sub-questions, how data was cleaned and coded, and established a data-processing plan.
- Processing the data: We processed and organised the data using Q Reader and created relevant derived variables, filters and banners. ‘Other’ responses were back-coded into existing options, with new categories only created if there was a significant enough proportion that stated it.
- Findings workshop: We organised a workshop to share topline insights and discuss potential hypotheses, surprising findings, relationships between questions, and any requirements for weighting. The output of this was a data-analysis plan.
- Data analysis and reporting: We developed a detailed report plan based on the research objectives, outlining our approach for each section and initial ideas around analysis.
- Final designed report: We designed a 15-page Word report for public use, adhering to VMG brand guidelines. The report presented our findings in an easy, digestible way, and an external designer was used to enhance its visual storytelling. It is accessible here.
The value
- This project provided the VMG with robust findings to explore the impact of the Veterinary Leadership Standards Framework, which is an evidence-based summary of the three domains required for an effective leader in the veterinary sector – professional values, behaviours and practices, and knowledge and skills.
- This project also provided the VMG with a robust benchmark to focus its future activities on.
