ASSESSMENT IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
( 1978 TO 1982 )
( INDIRECT ACTION )
1 . THE MAIN AIM OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEFINITION OF LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES AND THUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COHERENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY IN THE LONG TERM .
2 . WORK SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE FOLLOWING THREE PRIORITY AREAS : LONG-TERM SUPPLY OF RESOURCES , LONG-TERM TECHNICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE , AND LONG-TERM SOCIAL CHANGE .
3 . TO ACHIEVE THE AIM REFERRED TO IN POINT 1 , THE PROGRAMME HAS THREE MAIN TASKS WITHIN THE THREE ABOVE PRIORITY AREAS REFERRED TO IN POINT 2 :
( A ) ANALYZING EXISTING FORECASTING AND ASSESSMENT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ELSEWHERE WITH REGARD TO THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY'S SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL POLICY .
( B ) HIGHLIGHTING PROSPECTS , PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL CONFLICTS LIKELY TO AFFECT THE LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND DEFINING ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTION TO HELP SOLVE OR ACHIEVE THEM OR TO RENDER CONCRETE THESE POSSIBILITIES . THE RESEARCH IS TO BE SPECIFICALLY PROBLEM ORIENTATED AND GEARED TO THE PRACTICAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AND MEMBER GOVERNMENTS AND CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF APPROPRIATE CRITERIA . THIS RESEARCH IS NOT TO BE ONLY CARRIED OUT ON CURRENT OR LONG TERM PROBLEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST , NOT BEING STUDIED IN DEPTH ELSEWHERE , OR OF A MULTI-SECTORAL OR MULTI-DISCIPLINARY NATURE , THE SOLUTION OF WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY'S SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL POLICY AS A WHOLE . PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS ALSO TO BE PAID TO ADAPTING AND IMPROVING FORECASTING METHODOLOGY .
( C ) ESTABLISHING , IN COOPERATION WITH MEMBER STATES , AN AD HOC SYSTEM OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN SPECIALIZED RESEARCH GROUPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND SO CREATING A SERIES OF COMMUNITY FORECASTING NETWORKS . THE NETWORKS MUST BE AS FLEXIBLE AND INFORMAL AS POSSIBLE , CREATED AND ADAPTED TO THE PARTICULAR PROBLEM UNDER STUDY . THE NETWORKS MUST HAVE THE DUAL FUNCTION OF PROVIDING AN ACTIVE INPUT INTO THE PROGRAMME AND ENCOURAGING COORDINATION THROUGH THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND RESEARCHERS BETWEEN PARTICIPATING CENTRES .