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EVALUATION OF THE MRSP PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 41 SUBPROGRAMS Recommendation M The MRSP should be empowered, within budgetary limitations, to conduct selective mineral-deposits research in foreign terranes. Such investigations should be conducted collaboratively with host-country agencies and scientists or as part of multi-partner international scientific programs. It should complement research on mineral resources and geological environments in the United States. INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SUBPROGRAM Evaluation of Components The panel strongly believes that activities related to information and technology transfer, including both the Data Bases and Information Analysis component and the Information and Technology Transfer component of the MRSP Plan, are appropriate and important for a mineral resource program in the USGS. In particular, the panel commends the MRSP Plan for its goal to make minerals information âeasily accessible and in a format for effective useâ by its customers. The Plan recognizes the value of digital formats and on-line access to its databases through information networks. Further, the panel commends the Plan for seeking to archive large data sets and make such information available to its users. However, several users who met with the panel stated that the information provided by MRSP is not always in a format that can be easily used, nor is it transferred in a timely manner. This was a particular concern for land management agencies when making land-use planning decisions. The Plan does not adequately address the relationship between the MRSP and USGS technology transfer programs. There is a need for greater internal consistency and standards for databases and technology transfer activities. The panel generally supports the specific objectives of the Plan (see pages 40 and 42), especially developing and maintaining databases in state-of-the-art formats (digital, on-line), facilitating the exchange of
