The potential savings which can result from improved implementation are considerable, but this is not well appreciated or understood by many of those responsible for making investment decisions. The results of research are not always applied well. This is often due to a lack of dialogue between researchers, implementers, and end-users. The phasing of research and implementation needs to be improved. At the present time, they tend to operate in parallel, rather than in series.
Research is a cross-cutting issue which relates to a wide range of topics within the sector.
There is therefore a need for a focus which can both provide a forum for debate, and also champion the cause of research. There should be more dialogue between researchers, implementers, and end users. Implementation projects should themselves incorporate a research component wherever possible. Funding sources should critically examine the amount which they spend on research, as compared to the sums which they invest in capital projects. This is of course not the case, but the true nature of the problems facing us is not well understood.