Transparency data

DESNZ: annual statement of compliance with the Concordat to Support Research Integrity 2023 to 2024

Published 29 May 2024

Introductory statement and summary of actions

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is a ministerial department, supported by 14 agencies and public bodies. The Department works to secure our long-term energy supply, bring down bills, and halve inflation. The Department is responsible for:

• delivering security of energy supply;
• ensuring properly functioning energy markets;
• encouraging greater energy efficiency;
• seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries.

All policy and delivery are expected to be informed by, and based on, robust analysis of the best available science and evidence. The Department has active programmes of data gathering, analysis, and research. The Department is committed to embedding the principles of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity (‘Concordat’) across its programmes.

This statement summarises initial actions taken to support the integrity of research conducted or commissioned by the department, during the financial year 2023 to 2024. This is the first such statement produced by DESNZ, following completion of its first year of operation as a new department.

Governance

The Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Dame Angela McLean, the Head of Government Analysis Function, Sir Ian Diamond, and all departmental Chief Scientific Advisers (CSAs) have committed to implement the principles of the Concordat for research undertaken and commissioned by their departments.

Professor Paul Monks, DESNZ CSA and departmental Head of Government Science and Engineering Profession, is the senior member of staff in the department responsible for overseeing research integrity and implementing the principles of the Concordat. The CSA is supported by the Director of Analysis and science and analytical teams across the Department.

Process to support culture of research integrity

The Department has agreed processes to support and promote research governance and integrity, including the introduction of supporting documentation. Internal communications and an internal repository ensure that relevant advice and guidance is available to all staff members. Staff members are aware of routes and contacts to seek further advice, as required.

The Department has further communicated its commitment to research integrity externally, for example through publishing the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, which details the department’s long-term and strategic commitment to robust and proportionate monitoring and evaluation.

Compliance with the Concordat principles contributes to departmental implementation of the recommendations in the Government Science Capability Review, and align with professional expectations, such as those detailed in Section 4 below.

Guidance for researchers, employers and commissioners of research

The Department follows codes of practice from cross-governmental analytical professions, such as the Government Social Research Code and the Government Statistician Group Code of Practice for Statistics. Additionally, the Government Science and Engineering Profession Career Framework lists understanding and application of the Concordat amongst its technical skills expected to be demonstrated by scientists and engineers within government. In analytical activities, departmental processes are aligned with guidance from HM Treasury such as the Green Book, the Magenta Book, and the Aqua Book.

Internal resources and communications highlight the Department’s commitment to research integrity and relevant processes to meet these commitments. This enables coherent processes for planning, collecting, using, and reviewing evidence; undertaking quality assurance; and communicating evidence effectively.

The department has updated its invitation to tender documentation for contracted research to reference the Concordat principles and standards. This ensures that all externally contracted researchers are aware of the department’s expectation to comply with the Concordat principles.

Training and awareness raising

The CSA and Director of Analysis oversee and provide leadership to ensure appropriate access to training, resources, and mentoring. Information is available to all staff on updated processes that support research integrity, including the reasons for change and implementation guidance.

The Department has facilitated training on research integrity, including the promotion of training offered by the Government Office for Science (GO-Science). Recordings of these trainings remain available to staff members. The Department continues to assess where additional or department-specific training is required, including signposting opportunities provided by external bodies such as the UK Research Integrity Office. This ensures staff members continually update their knowledge and skills of research integrity processes.

The Department continues to develop a positive research integrity culture, with frequent and open communication; appropriate sharing of data; and an environment in which mistakes are acknowledged and result in improvement.

External engagement

The Department sits on cross-government working groups that aim to uphold research integrity, including the Concordat Working Group that discussed practical considerations for implementing the principles of the Concordat across government. GO-Science convene this Group and communicate on behalf of the Group with the UK Research Integrity Office and signatories of the Concordat. Additionally, relevant members of the Department engage with the GO-Science Science Capability Hub, which provides support and peer learning across areas of science capability that underpin the conduct of effective research programmes.

More broadly, we recognise research is a collaborative endeavour. Collaborating with diverse external partners ensures we remain at the forefront of research.

Open science and research protocols

The Department is committed to following the Government’s Open Science and transparency agendas. Where possible, underpinning data and details of research are made available. There will be instances where the release of data will need to be restricted or anonymised for reasons of commercial or personal sensitivities, but this will only occur when no other option exists.

Publication of research

The Department is committed to publishing research in accordance with Open Science principles, wherever possible. Research conducted or commissioned by the department should be published at the earliest appropriate point and in accordance with the relevant professional standards. Unpublished research may include commercially or personally sensitive information that cannot be feasibly redacted and therefore would not be appropriate to publish.

The Department has developed an internal system to monitor research projects from commissioning to publication. We will use and develop our research tracking mechanisms to support the publication of findings within the appropriate timeframes.

Research misconduct

The Department has tiered processes in place to manage levels of research misconduct. We are committed to ensuring that instances of misconduct are dealt with in a transparent, timely, robust, and fair way. The departmental disciplinary procedure has been communicated to staff. This ensures behaviour meets the standard expected in the Civil Service Code and includes guidance on raising concerns.

There were no reported cases of misconduct in relation to research conducted or commissioned by the department during the financial year 2023 to 2024, thus no investigations were conducted.