Review of R&D programme 1997/98 : for the period April 1997 to March 1998 / Environment Agency.

  • Environment Agency Wales
Date:
1999
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Review of R&D programme 1997/98 : for the period April 1997 to March 1998 / Environment Agency. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    1.4 R&D Management Each commissioned programme (see Chapter 2) has been managed by a senior officer from the Agency function concerned, termed a programme officer. Each programme has generally been subdivided into a number of topic areas addressing particular aspects’ of the function’s business and co-ordinated by topic leaders with expertise in that area. Each R&D project is overseen by a project manager from the function, or a National Centre, with appropriate operational or business experience. The overall programme is planned, co-ordinated and supported through the R&D section, which comprises a small R&D unit in the Bristol head office, plus R&D management support officers located in each region and in the London and Bristol offices. External expert advisers are also employed to ensure that the Agency is aware of best scientific knowledge and is not duplicating work done elsewhere, and to confirm that the proposed approach is the most appropriate to the issue in question. The Agency is not in the business of carrying out all of the research itself. The bulk of the work is contracted out to the best available R&D contractors, taking into account both cost and quality. The R&D projects are managed by mainstream Agency staff, as project managers, who understand the context of the R&D and ensure that the results are suitable for the intended purpose. They also benefit from exposure to new knowledge and links to the external R&D community. The Agency recognises that R&D management requires special expertise and provides a support service to all the mainstream staff to assist in the planning and management of R&D projects and programmes. The R&D projects in each commissioned programme are developed and approved by the relevant functional management group. The progress of the Agency’s R&D programme depends on the effort of its staff in managing the projects, topics and commissioned programmes. Appendix 1 lists all staff involved in the R&D programme, together with their location. This management structure is more fully described in 4 Short Guide - Research and Development in the Environment Agency, available from the R&D unit or R&D service offices. 1.5 R&D Outputs The overall success of an R&D project depends upon the products of that research being delivered to the end-user in a manner that allows the information or equipment to be used. To facilitate this, every Agency output has a designated implementation plan for its uptake and use. Information on the background, results technical summary associated with each output. A output. Introduction Outputs for 1997/98 are listed by commissioned programme (with cross-references to frameworks and themes) in Appendix 2 of this review, along with their availability and where they can be obtained. Most outputs are available from the Agency bookshop at the Water Research Centre (WRc): The Bookshop Manager Environment Agency Dissemination Centre WERc ple Franklin Road Blagrove Swindon Wiltshire SN5 8YF el 01793 511711 Fax 01793 514562 e-mail: publications@wrcple.co.uk Website: www.wrcplc.co.uk/rdbookshop All R&D outputs are available for inspection by the public and Agency staff at our Information Centre in Bristol and through regional information centres (where they exist), or through the Customer Services Department at the British Library (tel 01937 546060). To ensure that all interested parties are aware of the R&D outputs produced by its predecessors, the Agency has published The Agency’s Research Inheritance - A List of Outputs and Guide to Their Availability. This can be obtained from WRc. 1.6 R&D Programmes for 1998/99 and 1999/2000 The Agency’s R&SD Programme 1998/99 - Schedule of Proposed New Starts has been published (May 1998) as a separate document. This lists all proposed projects due to start in the 1998/99 financial year. The Agency has also published the R&SD Programme 1998/99 - Schedule of Ongoing Projects and Proposed New Starts which lists the projects by frameworks and themes. For availability of these two documents, contact the R&D service at the Agency’s Westbury-on-Trym office. As previously, the Agency continues to carry out R&D for a range of purposes in support of its own business, covering strategic, policy-related and operational activities. The Agency’s R&D programme for 1999/2000 is planned for publication in April or May 1999, and will be available from the R&D service, as above. Li7 Partnerships in Science and Technology In managing various aspects of the environment, the Agency works in partnership with other stakeholders with which it shares an interest. This is reflected in the Agency’s R&D programme, where good co-operation and the development of partnerships with other bodies are recognised as important in terms of value for