Managing Technology Transfer A Strategy for the Federal Highway Administration -- Special Report 256 (1999) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-10
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
, a special committee convened by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council and funded by FHWA, describes research, development, and technology transfer in the highway industry (TRB 1994)
|
From page 2... ...
The risk is that FHWA's technology transfer competence will be dissipated, and the advantages of locating the agency's technology transfer capability in a single management unit, such as ease of monitoring agencywide technology transfer activities and evaluating what does and does not work, will be lost. In addition, FHWA has not articulated how the flow of knowledge and information between researchers and technology transfer specialists in the five core business units, ORDT, the four resource centers, and the division offices will be managed.
|
From page 3... ...
More specifically, the management requirements that need to be addressed in the FHWA reorganization include the following: · Authority and responsibility for setting agencywide technology transfer priorities; · Coordination of technology transfer activities across the core business units; · Maintenance of internal expertise in the process of technology transfer; · Identification of what works in the long run, in terms of both new technologies and technology transfer methods, for research products and FHWA's customers; and · Means for monitoring and measuring the performance of technology transfer and progress toward goals. FHWA's technology transfer activities lack a strategic focus.
|
From page 4... ...
Procurement is often legally bound to a low-bid approach in which the emphasis is on design specifications rather than performance specifications, an approach that discourages bidders from offering innovative alternatives. While past studies report good practices and key characteristics of successful technology transfer, there appears to be no simple, universal recipe for successful innovation in the highway sector.
|
From page 5... ...
Successful innovation always requires senior management support and sometimes specific agency management action to organize that support. Previous technology transfer efforts have shown the value of having a champion for a new technology within the user agency; thus early attention should be given to establishing and supporting champions among the user agency decision makers.
|
From page 6... ...
The agency also needs to develop specific procedures and practices for carrying out the strategy. Basing Technology Transfer on Knowledge About Research Products and the Technology Users Much of FHWA's technology base originates in research conducted or sponsored by FHWA, state highway agencies, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, universities, and the Strategic Highway
|
From page 7... ...
Early user involvement can also help FHWA identify potential initial implementing agencies that may become strong supporters or champions for specific technologies, as well as assist the agency in selecting appropriate technology transfer methods. Setting Technology Transfer Priorities Faced with a wide array of both potential users and research products, FHWA must make critical choices about where and how its limited technology transfer resources will be used.The setting of priorities must precede the selection of technology transfer methods and the initiation of implementation.
|
From page 8... ...
Measuring the Effectiveness of Technology Transfer Efforts The purpose of measuring the effectiveness of technology transfer efforts is twofold: to determine whether those efforts are making progress toward the goal of widespread implementation, and to determine and document which methods work best for specific product customer combinations. Such measurements are necessary to achieve continuous improvement in the overall technology transfer program and to help satisfy agency performance requirements.
|
From page 9... ...
OTA's mission was to implement new technology.This recommendation is for an office with the mission of providing a strategic focus at the corporate level for technology transfer activities throughout the core business units. The recommended plan should describe how the office would coordinate future FHWA technology transfer activities across the core business units; the Office of Research, Development, and Technology service unit; and the field organization.
|
From page 10... ...
NOTES 1. Modification should be based on data on actual implementation benefits and infor mation on the effectiveness of specific methods of technology transfer.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.