Purpose
- What is the need of the network addresses?
- What is the vision for the staff network?
- What are the aims and objectives?
- How will it link to your organisation’s vision, strategy, and wider?
- How will it link to your organisational or national equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy?
- What are the benefits for network members?
- Is there any data to support the need and purpose? Some data source examples:
Operating model
- How will the network be organised and run?
- How much time will be required to run the network?
- Are any specific roles required?
- What potential work groups or projects are required?
Governance
- What resources are required – budget, protected time, meetings, office space?
- How will the network influence policy and approaches?
- How will the board and chief executive connect with the network and ensure it is supported to influence organisational decision making?
- How will the network’s decisions be made?
Membership
- Is membership open, closed, or a mixture of both?
- How will the network recruit members?
- How will membership data be tracked and collected?
How will we work together?
- How often will the network meet?
- Which collaboration tools are needed?
- How will the network ensure all meetings and activities are accessible?
- How will the network share information and ensure it is secure?
- How does it link to other staff networks within your organisation and across the wider NHS?
Behaviours
- What are the expected behaviours of network members?
- What are network’s agreed ways of communicating?
- How does the operational and behavioural code of conduct of the network and its members align with the NHS values of the NHS Constitution and/or your organisational values?
Key topics
- What are the network’s focus areas and strategic topics?
- How do these link to your organisational or national equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy, and data?
Measuring impact
- What will determine the network’s success?
- For example, meeting the network’s specific objectives, growing its membership and influence, and linking to the NHS equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) improvement plan.