SEVEN KEYS TO BUILDING A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP SYNTHESIS 280 Thomas B. Deen, Consultant and...

SEVEN KEYS TO BUILDING A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM

NCHRP SYNTHESIS 280

Thomas B. Deen, Consultant

and

Barbara T. Harder, B. T. Harder, Inc.

JUNE 2000 T. B. DEEN and B. T. HARDER 2

SOME BACKGROUND

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM SYNTHESIS 280

NOTES IN THIS TALK FROM RECENT TOM DEEN PRESENTATION -- HIS EXPERIENCES AND MY OWN

A BIT DIFFERENT REPORT THAN STANDARD NCHRP WORK – ANECDOTES, PEOPLES’ NAMES USED, EXPERIENCES DETAILED.


SYNTHESIS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

FIND OUT WHAT MAKES A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM?


SOMETHING STILL WAS MISSING

WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON RESEARCH PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH CONDUCT, AND GETTING USEFUL PRODUCTS PUT INTO PRACTICE

WE SAW THAT DOING GOOD IS NOT ENOUGH, RESEARCH PROGRAMS MUST BE PERCEIVED AS DOING GOOD.


PRINCIPLES BACKED UP WITH STORIES

INTERVIEWED 21 PEOPLE—TOP MANAGERS, RESEARCH MANGERS IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR AND INTERNATIONAL LEADERS

FOCUS GROUP OF RESEARCH MANAGERS

STATE DOT PEER EXCHANGE MEETINGS LITERATURE


WHY DO PROGRAMS DIFFER SO DRAMATICALLY?

WE NOTED THAT SOME RESEARCH PROGRAMS ARE SUSTAINED AT A HIGH LEVEL OVER TIME – OTHERS STRUGGLE, RELYING ON FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS TO DO RESEARCH


WE NOTED THAT…

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EFFECTIVE AND ROBUST

GIVEN: RESEARCH PROGRAMS MUST BE EFFECTIVE– MUST PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY

RESULTS– WELL TARGETED PRODUCTS APPLIED

TO REAL PROBLEMS


AND WE NOTED….

ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMS– WORTHY OF EMULATION; ARE MODELS

– FLOURISH AND THRIVE

– VIGOROUS, VITAL AND ENDURING

– CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THE TEAM THAT ACHIEVES ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

– ADD VALUE TO PARENT ORGANIZATION


IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS

FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS IMPORTANT AT MANY POINTS IN RESEARCH ACTIVITY– MAKE UP MAJOR POINTS IN RESEARCH

MANAGER’S JOB DESCRIPTION– IN TYPE OF PERSON WHO SHOULD BE

MANAGING RESEARCH – IN RESPONSIBILITIES OF TOP

MANAGEMENT TOWARD RESEARCH


IS IT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE…

SOME INTERVIEWEES WOULD SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY IS A TOP EXECUTIVE WHO BELIEVES IN RESEARCH– IF YOU GET A REAL BELIEVER, THAT CAO

CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN– BUT, WE NOTED LOTS OF TURNOVER IN

STATE DOT MANAGEMENT, AND SOME PROGRAMS REMAIN STRONG – CAN’T BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON CAO


IS IT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE…

TOP MANAGEMENT THAT IS NOT PREDISPOSED TOWARD RESEARCH – IS A TOUGH SELL

MOST MOST CHIEF EXECUTIVES BEGIN THEIR TERMS INDIFFERENT TO RESEARCH


FINDING

A ROBUST PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTERS THROUGHOUT THE TOP MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE – THESE FOLKS WILL INFORM A NEW

EXECUTIVE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH


SUSTAINING SUPPORT

THE 7 KEYS TELL HOW YOU GET RESEARCH BELIEVERS THROUGHOUT THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE WHICH PERMITS LIVING THROUGH THE INDIFFERENT EXECUTIVES WHILE THEY ARE BECOMING SUPPORTERS.


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSTRUST

TRUST IS MOST IMPORTANT– TRUST RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

RESEARCH PROGRAM AND PARENT ORGANIZATION

– TRUST EXTENDS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS UP AND DOWN -- CAN BE INJURED BY CARELESSNESS OR INATTENTION OF EITHER PARTY

– THE OTHER 6 KEYS ARE REALLY AIMED AT BUILDING TRUST


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSMARKET IT BOLDLY

SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH MANAGERS UNDERSTAND THAT MARKETING IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT– PEOPLE DON’T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT TO

EXPECT OR HOW TO EVALUATE RESEARCH– NEW SOLUTIONS ALWAYS REQUIRE

CHANGE – PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS RESIST CHANGE

– STATE DOTS ARE ESPECIALLY RESISTANT TO CHANGE


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSROOT IN ECONOMICS

ECONOMICS IS THE BASICS FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESS– RESEARCH MANAGERS OFTEN PICKED

FOR THEIR TECHNICAL ABILITIES AND QUANTITATIVE SKILLS BUT THINKING IN $$ MAY BE A MORE VALUABLE SKILL

– THERE IS A NEED TO USE ECONOMIC RATIONALE FOR RESEARCH PROGRAM INVESTMENTS


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSMAKE DEALS UNABASHEDLY

DIRECTORS OF ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMS TEND TO BE BOLD IN THEIR CULTIVATION OF ALLIANCES OF ALL TYPES

MANY ROBUST PROGRAMS WERE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN DOTS AND UNIVERSITIES AND OTHERS


DEALS AND ALLIANCES

– ADVANTAGES – BIGGER SCALE, MORE CONSTITUENTS, BETTER MARKET FOR OUTPUT, BETTER STAFF

– PRIVATE SECTOR HAS SET THE PACE– STATES WITH SMALLER RESEARCH

BUDGETS HAVE MADE GOOD USE OF ALLIANCES, E.G., NEW ENGLAND STATES, NE, DE, NEW MEXICO,

– NOT ALWAYS EASY – MEANS CROSSING ORGANIZATIONAL LINES, SUFFERING LOSS OF SOME CONTROL


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSINSIST ON ACCOUNTABILITY

THERE IS A TENDENCY TO NEGLECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF RESEARCH BY TOP MANAGERS – USE “STRATEGY OF HOPE” RATHER THAN CONSIDER RESEARCH AS AN ASSET THAT REQUIRES MANAGEMENT– GOOD REASONS FOR THIS TENDENCY


ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES

– HARDER TO RUN RESEARCH BY THE NUMBERS

• CAN’T ALWAYS INSIST THAT THEY MEET A DEADLINE

• OTHER UNITS RESENT RESEARCH BEING EXEMPT FROM THIS REQUIREMENT

– GOOD RESEARCH MANAGERS WILL FIND WAYS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE EVEN IF NOT REQUIRED BY TOP MANAGEMENT

• AT BEST ACCOUNTABILITY IS A TWO-WAY STREET; IT IS A BI-DIRECTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSEMBRACE POLICY RESEARCH

INTERVIEWEES DIDN’T MENTION POLICY RESEARCH WHEN ASKED ABOUT KEY ATTRIBUTES, BUT WHEN REMINDED THEY ALL HIGHLIGHTED ITS IMPORTANCE– ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMS INCLUDE

POLICY RESEARCH IN THEIR PORTFOLIOS– POLICY RESEARCH PROVIDES A

COMMUNICATION CHANNEL BETWEEN RESEARCH AND TOP MANAGEMENT

• STRATEGIC ISSUES


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSEMPOWER THE STAFF

CAN’T JUST PUT GOOD PEOPLE IN THE LAB, MUST “LET THEM ROAM”– INTERACT WITH THOSE THAT HAVE THE

PROBLEM AND KNOW RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY– WORK ACROSS ORGANIZATIONAL LINES – BECOME FAMILIAR WITH POTENTIALLY

RESEARCHABLE PROBLEMS OF PARENTAL UNITS

– INTERACT WITH PEERS – TO TRAVEL TO RESEARCH SITES, TO MEET WITH OTHERS WORKING ON SIMILAR PROBLEMS


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSSUMMARY

NOT ALL PROGRAMS USE ALL SEVEN KEYS, BUT WE FIND THAT USING MORE IS BETTER

APPEAR TO BE UNIVERSAL – APPLYING TO– PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AND

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS– LARGE AND SMALL UNITS– STATE AND NATIONAL IN SCOPE


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSSUMMARY

UNDERSTANDING THE SEVEN KEYS CAN INFLUENCE:– RESEARCH MANAGER’S JOB DESCRIPTION – WHO SHOULD BE HIRED FOR THE JOB– HOW TO SPEND RESEARCH MONEY– WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE RESEARCH

PORTFOLIO– CHOICE OF PARTNERS/COLLABORATORS– AND JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER FACTOR IN

RESEARCH


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSRECOMMENDATIONS

TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR RESEARCH MANAGERS FOR:– DEVELOPMENT OF MARKETING

EFFORTS – FORMATION OF ALLIANCES, TO

LEVERAGE RESOURCES, IMPROVE NEEDED SKILLS AND ENHANCE CONSENSUS BUILDING

– ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS


ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMS

RECOMMENDATIONS

TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR RESEARCH MANAGERS FOR:– APPROPRIATE & NON-CUMBURSOME

ACCOUNTABILITY METHODS– ANTICIPATING POLICY ISSUES BEFORE

THEY BECOME CRITICAL AND PERFORMANCE OF POLICY RESEARCH

– INCORPORATING RESEARCH INTO DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLANS



TRAINING MATERIALS TO ENHANCE SKILLS (MARKETING, ET AL)

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIOR DOT MANAGERS TO BETTER ACQUAINT THEM WITH ELEMEMTS OF ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMS



INVESTIGATING BARRIERS ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN DOT RESEARCH UNITS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR RESEARCH ENTITIES

METHODS TO DECREASE “CYCLE TIME” OF RESEARCH PROJECTS TO MATCH USER NEEDS

SEVEN KEYS TO BUILDING A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP SYNTHESIS 280 Thomas B. Deen, Consultant and...

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