SEVEN KEYS TO BUILDING A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP SYNTHESIS 280

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SEVEN KEYS TO BUILDING A ROBUST RESEARCH
PROGRAMNCHRP SYNTHESIS 280

• Thomas B. Deen, Consultant
• and
• Barbara T. Harder, B. T. Harder, Inc.

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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.

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SYNTHESIS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

• FIND OUT WHAT MAKES A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM?

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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.

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PRINCIPLES BACKED UP WITH STORIES

• INTERVIEWED 21 PEOPLETOP MANAGERS, RESEARCH
  MANGERS IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR AND
  INTERNATIONAL LEADERS
• FOCUS GROUP OF RESEARCH MANAGERS
• STATE DOT PEER EXCHANGE MEETINGS
• LITERATURE

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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

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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

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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

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IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS

• FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS IMPORTANT AT MANY
  POINTS IN RESEARCH ACTIVITY
• MAKE UP MAJOR POINTS IN RESEARCH MANAGERS JOB
  DESCRIPTION
• IN TYPE OF PERSON WHO SHOULD BE MANAGING RESEARCH
  
• IN RESPONSIBILITIES OF TOP MANAGEMENT TOWARD
  RESEARCH

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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
  CANT BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON CAO

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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

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FINDING

• A ROBUST PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTERS THROUGHOUT THE
  TOP MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
• THESE FOLKS WILL INFORM A NEW EXECUTIVE ABOUT THE
  IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

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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.

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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

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSMARKET IT BOLDLY

• SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH MANAGERS UNDERSTAND THAT
  MARKETING IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT
• PEOPLE DONT 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES

• HARDER TO RUN RESEARCH BY THE NUMBERS
• CANT 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

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSEMBRACE POLICY RESEARCH

• INTERVIEWEES DIDNT 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

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSEMPOWER THE STAFF

• CANT 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

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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

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSSUMMARY

• UNDERSTANDING THE SEVEN KEYS CAN INFLUENCE
• RESEARCH MANAGERS 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

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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

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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

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSRECOMMENDATIONS

• TRAINING MATERIALS TO ENHANCE SKILLS (MARKETING,
  ET AL)
• TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIOR DOT MANAGERS TO
  BETTER ACQUAINT THEM WITH ELEMEMTS OF ROBUST
  RESEARCH PROGRAMS

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSRECOMMENDATIONS

• 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

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ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAMSSeven Keys
  Found It on Trust Trust between upper
management and the research program is the
ultimate goal. Trust can be fostered through a
variety of attitudes and activities and can be
injured by the careless or inattentive action of
either party.   Market Boldly Research
managers must become effective advocates for
their program. Marketing is needed at every
stage of the process in soliciting problems, in
anticipating research needs, in selling the need
for research, in justifying the time and budget
required, in persuading others to test the
product, in arguing for deployment and in
advertising successful products.   Root It in
Economics Managers of robust programs are
sensitive to the need to use an economic
rationale to ensure appropriate programs and
their justification.   Make Deals Unabashedly
Directors of robust programs boldly cultivate
alliances of all types. Partnerships and
alliances add scale to programs struggling with
insufficient resources and expand the program's
constituency.   Insist on Accountability
Failure to insist on accountability gradually
erodes trust in the program, permitting it to
spin away from and become irrelevant to the
parent unit.   Embrace Policy Research Policy
research provides a communications channel
between research and top management. A research
unit that doesn't include policy research will
have a more difficult task marketing its
usefulness to a top management concerned
primarily with policy issues.   Empower the
Staff Robust research requires a climate that
fosters novel ideas.