Action plan

HR Award Process

1. Notification of the start of the process

The first step is to endorse the principles of the Charter and the Code and submit a notification to the European Commission regarding the start of the implementation process. From the moment the notification is submitted, TUZVO has one year to prepare the HRS4R Implementation Action Plan.

2. Preparatory phase

1. Gap analysis (a comparative analysis in which TUZVO assesses the current state against the 40 principles of the Charter and the Code, structured into four areas: ethical and professional aspects, recruitment, working conditions and social security, and training and development);
2. The so-called OTM-R checklist, which evaluates compliance with the principles of open, transparent and merit-based recruitment;
3. Action plan, which outlines specific measures to address the identified gaps, including defined tasks, responsible persons, timelines and expected outputs.

Not only the documents themselves are important, but also the process of their preparation. The university must establish a steering committee responsible for the strategic direction and monitoring of the process, as well as a working group responsible for implementation. The involvement of all stakeholders (academic and non-academic staff, researchers at all career stages, etc.) is essential. The gap analysis, OTM-R checklist and action plan are submitted through the online system.

3. Evaluation and Award of the Mark

The submitted documents are evaluated by an international panel of experts. The evaluation results are usually provided to TUZVO within two months of submission. There are three possible outcomes:

• Acceptance without reservations: The institution proceeds to the implementation phase and may use the HRS4R label in its promotion.
• Request for revision: Minor shortcomings are identified, and the institution is invited to revise and resubmit the documents.
• Rejection: Significant shortcomings are identified, either in the content or in the process (e.g. insufficient stakeholder involvement). In this case, the institution must restart the process.

4. Strategy implementation

If TUZVO obtains the HRS4R award, it will begin implementing the measures defined in the action plan.

After two years, TUZVO conducts an internal review of the implementation progress and may update the action plan if necessary.

After an additional three years, external evaluators conduct an on-site visit at TUZVO to assess the implementation and decide whether the institution will retain the award.

The process is repeated every three years, as the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers represents a continuous and long-term commitment rather than a one-time activity. Its aim is to create a more favourable and attractive working environment that supports the professional development of researchers and enables high-quality research.

Graphical representation of the branding process: