My job: Study tracks Kiwi kids growing up

Bob Bulpin's project will interview parents, partners and eventually children. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Name: Bob Bulpin
Role: Executive director, Growing Up in New Zealand
Age: 50
Employer: UniServices
Working hours: 40 to 50 a week
Salary: Comparable to senior project manager or general manager roles.

Describe your job.

I work for Auckland UniServices, which is the commercial research and knowledge transfer company of the University of Auckland.

Among other things, UniServices develops partnerships ranging from small research and consultancy contracts to $30 million projects, drawing on the expertise of all schools and faculties of the university.

Growing Up is a large research project which UniServices won in 2005. The project is funded by various Government agencies led by the Ministry of Social Development.

Its purpose is to provide a relevant evidence-base of information about New Zealand's children for policymakers to use when creating child policy.

It's my job to lead the operational team and project manage the study.

The operational areas of the study that I am responsible for are: communication, marketing, participant recruitment and retention, field interviews, IT systems and administrative processes, quality assurance and, last but not least, financial management.

I'm lucky in that Growing Up has a very enthusiastic and experienced team who are passionate about the study.

I started with the project in February 2008 and we immediately put together a detailed plan for the establishment phase.

This included selecting and implementing a participant recruitment and management system based on standard Customer Relationship Management (CRM) features, finalising the laptop computer-based personal interview questionnaires, and creatinga community-based recruitment team.

What is your background?

I have an IT background, starting as a computer programmer back in 1978 - now they are called software developers. Yes, I'm 50 years old.

I have worked in project management and operational management roles with IT services organisations, with teams from 25 to 100 people.

What is the longitudinal Growing Up project?

We're enrolling the parents of babies due to be born between April 25, 2009, to December 25, 2009, in the Auckland, Counties-Manukau and Waikato district health board areas.

The study initially involves interviewing mums and dads/partners of the 7800 children every 12-18 months [eventually the children will be interviewed] for 20 years.

How many people report to you?

The operational team during this critical recruitment phase forthe main cohort of 7800 participants consists of about 22 FTEs (fulltime equivalent) Growing Up staffand an additional 50 outsourcedinterview staff who will be undertaking the 13,680 mother and partner interviews.

Christchurch and Dunedin ran longitudinal studies in the 1970s. How have technology developments improved what results can be achieved?

From an operational viewpoint we have the benefit of using technology to recruit, keep in touch with and retain our participants.

This technology may not have existed, or been so readily available or affordable in the mid-70s when those highly respected studies started.

For example, we are using SMS messaging to allow participants to enrol in the study and we will use the same system to send them messages and reminders.

With our use of tailored CRM software we are able to more easily keep in touch with and inform participants, and also respond to individual inquiries in a timely way.

We, like the early studies, are doing the best we can with the resources and tools available. I will be very happy if in 20 years our reputation and contribution is as good as theirs is now.

Does the study being run over 20 years mean you personally have to commit to the project for that time?

Given my age there's a good chance I'll be retired by then.

What skills are required to do this job?

I think the job is akin to a commercial general management role. You have to see the big picture and be able to drill down on the detail when required.

What is the best part of your job?

Working with a great team.

And the worst aspect?

Sometimes it can be difficult to explain to people why we can't change a particular aspect of the study at short notice, especially when we are midway through a data collection phase as we are now.

It takes time to explain the background planning, consultation and external review that the study has been through over the past four years.

The research team has regular stakeholder meeting with agencies and community organisations to understand the issues these groups believe we should be researching, and these are taken into account for future data collections.

What are your strengths?

I like people and I believe in team work and building trust.

Advice to someone interested in a similar role?

In some ways this role is unique but there are similar roles in research and not for profit organisations.

If you have a commercial background you can still apply your skills in these areas.