Delivering the strategy
NERC delivers its strategy through a series of interdependent processes. These ensure that our strategic priorities are translated into the right investments to deliver our science and organisational goals. Each key step in the process is highlighted in the diagram below. 
Large version of the delivery process diagram
The Strategic Management Tool combines how we deliver the strategy with how we will monitor progress and manage its performance. This is mainly used for management purposes within NERC and for reporting to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills.
Portfolio planning and management is the process for ensuring our investments are aligned to NERC's strategic priorities through clear action plans. It provides corporate visibility (eg to Council, the Chief Executive and the Science & Innovation Strategy Board) of NERC's entire investment portfolio.
Theme Leaders play a role in portfolio planning and management. They lead the development of theme action plans for research programmes and monitor NERC's progress in delivering these plans. A national capability advisory group played an equivalent role in developing a national capability action plan.
Once the portfolio planning process has identified a need for new investments to deliver NERC's strategic priorities, we then use the commissioning process to make these investments. The process sets out what needs to be delivered for each investment and then selects research suppliers.
Further information on research programmes currently being commissioned and the indicative timing of Announcement of Opportunities is available.
The funding, allocation and budgeting mechanisms we use ensure the way in which we plan, prioritise and deliver our strategy is effective. NERC funds investments through three funding streams:
- National capability
- Research programmes
- Responsive mode
It is important that NERC has strong and consistent mechanisms for governing and managing its investments. The governing process ensures that there is: clear accountability for performance against NERC's strategic objectives and a clear separation of management and advisory functions. Management of all NERC investments is in line with widely accepted project management standards (PRINCE2).
Ultimately, NERC funds independent research to deliver scientific knowledge and evidence to inform decision making policy, society and business. NERC reports on its achievements through the Annual Report, Delivery Report, Economic Impact Reporting Framework and the Economic Impact Report. A selection of these are available on the NERC/BIS planning and reporting documents page.