National Conference on the Advancement of Research

NCAR 47
Strategic Planning Committee
Report
(Dated 13 September 1993)

The Strategic Planning Committee addressed a number of specific questions posed by the chairman, responding by letter, telephone, and FAX. This report, which is based on those responses, was circulated in draft to the committee and to the NCAR Executive Committee for comment, and comments were taken into account in preparing this final version. This report provides an overview of the responses and offers several recommendations for action by NCAR now and in the future.

The questions were in three categories: fundamental issues, tactical issues, and operational issues. Committee members were also asked to offer any additional views outside the domain of the questions.

Highlights of the Responses

There is, on most matters, a surprising degree of agreement among the Strategic Planning Committee members regarding what NCAR should be and how we should conduct our affairs. Furthermore, on the whole there seems to be considerable satisfaction with the present state of affairs. Some interesting opportunities for change were identified, nevertheless.

On Fundamental Questions

Strategic Planning Committee Review

On fundamental matters, we agree that NCAR has it about right. We especially like the active participation by all four sectors, although most of us are concerned that industry is not sufficiently represented. Nearly everyone sees this as THE unique strength of NCAR. We like the openness and informality that a residential meeting of invited participants offers. The resulting combination of candor and security is appreciated. The focus on relatively senior members of the community is seen as correct, and we like the fact that many people return annually.

Interestingly, NCAR participants could be categorized in other ways as suggested by one committee member: policy makers, performers, managers, customers, investors, and advocates. Perhaps there are others. Looked at this way, we may need to attend to other kinds of balance in addition to that among industry, universities, government, and the independents.

The word "network" appears frequently in our thinking about NCAR. We see the present arrangement as the manifestation of an intangible and valuable network of leaders in R&D/S&T. Several people suggested that we think about making the network more tangible, mostly through imaginative use of electronic mail and/or bulletin boards. One specific suggestion to enhance the networking aspect of NCAR meetings is to urge host organizations to set aside an attractive spot to serve as a hospitality area throughout the meeting where people can deliberately or spontaneously meet. (A personal view--I prefer that the first evening mixer be free of planned events specifically to enhance its networking role.)

We view NCAR as cost-effective for participants and hosts. One person said that hosting NCAR is quite valuable for host organizations and suggested that we try to document how NCAR has benefited our hosts in the past.

Each of the topics I suggested for future substantive focus of NCAR meetings has great support. However, most people went out of their way to mention the top priority they would give to issues at the interfaces of the four sectors. Some additional topics were mentioned, typically by one member of the committee: education and training, organizational redesign, visions of the future R&D system, who owns new knowledge, integrity in the use of the research findings, and estimating the pay-offs to research investments. One person suggested paying attention to topics that other organizations are not treating adequately as one way to get a handle on future topics.

Recommendations

1. The fundamental nature of NCAR should remain essentially unchanged. We have a valuable and winning formula. We should keep in mind always our unique role in convening leaders of the four sectors to discuss issues of importance at the sectoral interfaces in an informal setting.

2. We should do more to enhance the networking value of NCAR participation, perhaps through maintenance of an E-mail group or a bulletin board. The agenda, invitations, and meeting reports could be posted on this network, and NCAR folks could also use it to inform each other of important news and opportunities. Hosts and program chairs could strengthen the network by ensuring that participants have considerable time and appropriate venues to build their networks at each meeting.

On Tactical Questions

Strategic Planning Committee Views

We don't want NCAR to get any more organized than it is, and we don't see any need or much use in developing a formal strategic plan to guide future NCAR leaders.

International issues and the international implications of domestic policy are seen as inevitable and important aspects of all NCAR discussions. People from other countries should be invited to participate on the same basis as people from the United States. NCAR meetings in other countries, other than possibly Canada or Mexico, are seen as impractical and possibly undesirable.

Most of us continue to value the inclusion of spouses and friends in the NCAR community, although we also recognize that times are changing and that we may want to revisit this question again in the future. No one thinks their involvement is undesirable.

We seem to prefer a meeting with around 200 participants. One person suggested 350 was about right and another said about 50-75. Other estimates from the Strategic Planning Committee were more than 200, 150-200, 200-250, and 200. It should be kept in mind that in order for a host organization to break even financially when sponsoring NCAR, an attendance of around 130-150 paid registrants is necessary, and a few more provide a welcome financial cushion.

It is important to maintain a flow of new faces into NCAR each year, while also creating a meeting that is sufficiently compelling that many regulars will return.

Recommendations

3. Do not formalize the NCAR structure and avoid engaging in a formal strategic planning process.

4. Continue to address international issues and to invite people from other countries to participate, but keep the NCAR conference at, or near, home.

5. Aim for a meeting of around 200 active participants, not counting spouses and friends--whom we should continue to welcome.

On Operational Questions

Strategic Planning Committee Views

We have very mixed views on whether we should survey various groups to determine why they do or do not participate in NCAR. Some think it would be a good idea and offered to help, whereas others have doubts of the value of a survey. One person suggested a focus group approach. Some members believe that the quality of the program is paramount and that we need to focus on program in all of our planning efforts to ensure that it is of high quality and available to potential attendees well in advance.

The sectoral balance is OK, but we need to work constantly at bringing more industry people into the meetings. A precise numerical balance among the sectors is not needed, but the views of all four sectors should always be well represented and persons from each sector need to know that others of like mind are present as well. One person suggested reaching out to include people in the financial sector who finance technology investments or who serve as brokers between technologists and financiers.

We seem to be agreeable to any kind of organization hosting NCAR so long as it is involved in the research and innovation process, with some preference for academic institutions and non-profit organizations. Co-hosting by industry and university was suggested by a couple of people. Industry hosting is seen by some as problematic as it may make it more difficult to sustain NCAR's image as an activity in the national interest, rather than in the interest of a specific organization.

We have a lot of views on how best to report on our meetings to ourselves and the larger public. Almost no one finds audio or video tapes of sessions interesting, except as marketing tools. There is also little interest in a printed proceedings, although they are preferred to tape. Instead, we seem to prefer production and distribution of a short summary of the meeting, although the precise form and purpose tend to vary. Some options mentioned include: a short highlights paper for a professional journal, a two-page press release of major findings, or distribution of a short summary to participants and the community via E-mail or FAX. Another interesting concept was to ask different participants to prepare 300-500 word summaries of various presentations and discussions, which could be gathered and edited into a brief manuscript by a single editor for distribution soon after the meeting.

We like the idea of some kind of tangible memento of the contributions to the success of NCAR for hosts, committee members, and others. Someone pointed out what should be obvious but isn't always--that the form of recognition should be perceived as valuable and meaningful to its recipients. One interesting idea was to create a distinct logo for NCAR that could be featured on whatever we do. One member suggested that speakers do not generally expect anything other than an appropriate letter of thanks for their contributions and the opportunity to present their views to a group of influential peers.

Recommendations

6. Conduct a modest survey to determine the factors that influence NCAR participation and to assess interest in post-meeting reports of various types.

7. Reach out more aggressively to industry. Asking each industry participant to bring another from a different company is one way to build up this, as well as other, sectors.

8. Work toward effective distribution of a meeting summary--perhaps of highlights--rather than printed proceedings or tapes.

9. Recognize individual and institutional contributions to NCAR with an appropriate memento.

Other Ideas and Issues

Several members of the Strategic Planning Committee offered other suggestions that the Conference Committee may want to consider:

• Involve more bench researchers as NCAR participants (one person disagreed).

• Seek to form "strategic alliances" of NCAR with other organizations that share a similar approach - several were mentioned.

• NCAR might convene a leadership meeting of other organizations that share our issue agenda.

• NCAR might serve as a "forum" at which the Administration or Congress might "float" ideas for response.

•  NCAR might be a facilitator of studies by overseeing studies done by, and funded by, other groups, although it should be recognized that such efforts can require a lot of volunteer work to be successful.

Christopher Hill
NCAR 47 Strategic Planning Committee Chair


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