Promoting Innovation 2002 Assessment of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (2003) / Chapter Skim
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4 2002 Assessment of PATH
4 2002 Assessment of PATH
Pages 28-43
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From page 28... ...
The committee's assessment of the PATH program critiques its implementation and the effectiveness of its activities to date and makes recommendations for its continuing evaluation and improvement. GPRA specified that performance evaluation should incorporate the following elements: 1.
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From page 29... ...
PATH goals and objectives are segments of a continuum that encompasses stimulating innovation, facilitating the diffusion of technology, and administering a true partnership of government, industry, and academic institutions. This evaluation considered all of the 56 PATH activities undertaken by 11 private contractors and 7 federal agencies from 1999 through 2001, a few of which are addressed here (all PATH activities are discussed in Chapter 2 and described in detail on the Web at PATHnet.org)
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From page 30... ...
Goal 1: To Remove Barriers to and Facilitate Technology Development and Adoption Field Evaluations, Demonstrations, and Pilot Projects PATH-sponsored field evaluation, demonstration, and pilot projects generate information that will nenefit manufacturers, builders, consumers and most other housing stakeholders by providing examples of how technologies perform and how barriers to diffusion of innovation have been eliminated. Information from the 27 projects so far undertaken, which employ more than 35 technologies, can help manufacturers improve their products (NAHBRC, 2002a,b)
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l he performance database of the results of demonstration projects can then be of value to participants in all stages of technology development and serve as the basis of reports for specific channels of communication. Research on Barriers Barriers research is needed to understand the impediments to development and diffusion of technology for housing, as emphasized in the industry implementation plan, which noted the importance of identifying and understanding barriers before implementing strategies or taking specific actions (NAHBRC, 1998~.
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From page 32... ...
Goal 2: To Improve Technology Transfer, Development, and Adoption Through Information Dissemination Technology Inventory and Scan The technology inventory and technology scan are lists of new technologies at various stages of development that have the potential to increase housing performance. The lists are created from information provided by manufacturers and researchers with no PATH-funded performance evaluation.
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From page 33... ...
The key to making the technology inventory and scan effective tools for information dissemination and technology transfer is consistent, authoritative, and reliable documentation. The technology descriptions need to be improved because the current technology fact sheets are more like marketing documents than unbiased factual descriptions (for example, "well suited for" and "quick installation" are used to describe aluminum-plastic composite water piping and "superior performance" and "ease of installation" to describe composite window frames)
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From page 34... ...
PATH should devote more of its resources to disseminating information in the full range of publications that reach its varied audiences. Five trade publications Builder, Journal of Light Construction, Fine Home Building, Construction Specifier, and Architectural Record serve as primary sources of information for the housing industry and help set opinions for our nation's builders, architects, and specifiers.
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From page 35... ...
Findings and Recommendations Finding: PATH-sponsored activities like the technology inventory and technology scan can be effective in disseminating information, transferring technology, and planning PATH programs. The current focus on technologies that have achieved less than 20 percent of their potential market share hampers PATH's effectiveness.
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From page 36... ...
Background Research The information provided on PATHnet categorizes the research activities conducted through the NSF as background research, also referred to as basic research. This classification is confusing because most of the funded projects are clearly applied or developmental research.2 Whatever the type of research, however, the program has been successful in engaging faculty and graduate students in 22 universities in research related to housing technologies (HUD, 2002~.
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From page 37... ...
The NIST program transfers about a quarter of the PATH developmental research funds to six private corporations as one-to-one matching funds for the development of new technologies, among them three types of insulated panels of concrete and wood, an automated thermostat, insulated photovoltaic roof tiles, and computer-controlled manufactured housing (HUD, 2002~. The committee has not seen the results of these undertakings but, as noted in the 2000 assessment, believes that in principle funding development of proprietary technologies should be a very low priority for PATH.
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From page 38... ...
Goal 4: To Administer the Program to Achieve Its Mission, Goals, and Objectives Partnerships PATH was conceived as a program that would achieve its goals by leveraging resources through partnerships with other government agencies, industry, and academic institutions. Intragovernmental activities were curtailed when the administration changed in 2001; PATH gives limited support for FEMA publications, DOE building technology programs, and the FPL Advanced Housing Research Center.
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From page 39... ...
For example, there is very limited direct PATH involvement by local sustainable housing organizations and homebuilder associations that could publicize the program and gather information on the adoption of innovations through community outreach. Although its limited budget makes it impractical for PATH program managers to have direct contact with local organizations nationwide, they could be reached through national organizations and trade publications.
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From page 40... ...
The strategy and plan were directed at achieving the housing performance goals established at the inception of the program. The committee noted in its 2000 assessment that those goals were too broad and influenced by too many factors to be used as performance measures for PATH and that they are equally inappropriate as a structure for program planning (NRC, 2001~.
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From page 41... ...
PATH should enhance its relationships with the broad spectrum of housing researchers, innovators, adaptors, and consumers by establishing channels of communication for collecting and disseminating information on housing technology. ASSESSMENT OF THE PATH PROGRAM AS A WHOLE The committee has described the goals assigned to PATH at its inception as inappropriate for a small technology-focused program (NRC, 2001~.
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From page 42... ...
2001. The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing: Year 2000 Progress Assessment of the PATH Program.
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From page 43... ...
2001. Takoma Village Cohousing Final Report.
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