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Best Practices in Assessment of Research and Development Organizations (2012) / Chapter Skim
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3 Assessing Management
Pages 23-28

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From page 23...
... Definitions are arguable, but the point remains that an effective assessment determines whether the organization has developed a clear and meaningful identification of its set of customers and stakeholders and the means for identifying and satisfying their needs. Planning its research portfolio requires that the organization obtain inputs from stakeholders and customers.
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From page 24...
... Academic research focuses on generating new knowledge with relatively few mission objectives, whereas government and industrial research organizations have fairly clearly defined missions. An effective management assessment also recognizes externally imposed limitations, including but not limited to regulatory and budgetary restrictions.
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From page 25...
... Industrial organizations may rely heavily on metrics involving financial return, whereas government organizations may focus more on delivering needed value to stakeholders, consistent with mission statements. When more than one organization is involved in the portfolio being examined, because of differences in the missions, history, and/or policies, a more complex situation of portfolio management occurs.
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From page 26...
... Basic research typically requires a very flat management structure, significant individual freedom in selection of research directions, and a management very receptive to suggestions (although projects involving very large experimental resources such as accelerators may require more structure)
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From page 27...
... Other means of garnering input from staff include the following: a parallel organization exercise (a temporary arrangement whereby formal authority is suspended and people can speak openly without fear of retribution) , the purpose being to address issues not adequately addressed within the formal structure; and an informal relations survey (an organizational-network analysis consisting of a computer-generated map of the informal organization, identifying individuals to whom others reach out regardless of position or rank)
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From page 28...
... The future always brings improved science and technology, and so if the parent organization is to remain competitive, it is important that its R&D units continuously upgrade the skill sets of its workforce and match these with adequate research facilities.
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Key Terms

  • management structure
  • physical resources
  • external environment
  • skill sets
  • research organization

  • effective management
  • external reviewers
  • assessment considers
  • organizational leadership
  • typically requires

  • whereas government
  • industrial organizations
  • industrial research
  • army research
  • army basic

  • development typically
  • parent organization
  • future product
  • total organization
  • assessment determines

  • physical facilities
  • single organization
  • organization identifies
  • mission objectives
  • flat management

  • organization exercise
  • research directions
  • research phase
  • informal organization
  • management occurs


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