Managing Think Tanks: A Practical Guide for Maturing Organizations

Raymond J. Struyk

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Managing Think Tanks: A Practical Guide for Maturing Organizations

Informations

• Publié par: elysonev
• Nombre de lectures: 82
• Langue: English

Extrait

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any directors of think t rese M arch organization: expandin sary to fulfill the prima ered to address a nation’s proble small political parties and adv (NGOs) to empower smaller pla ing the public on key issues of th policy development process an searchers. By and large, think ta 1 tion to the policy process. The great majority of think- backgrounds—most have Ph.D.s careers at universities or researc served in their national governm then that they do not have an abi If this sounds like you or the tion supports, then be aware th one’s peril. Consider the followi

The institute director trusts research and control the qu quality control procedures i

1 tion ent?

sks neces- lic-policy ns consid- analysis to nizations nd inform- lay of the good re- contribu-

academic t of their are have e wonder t questions. organiza- issues at

h-quality there are no e quality of

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products being issued. A r problem is sent to the Minis the statistical analysis. Thes another organization after t The think tank loses signific other clients.
The think tank has adopted staff salaries. In practice, increases when they suspe another job. Often they out key staff members. The res the staff because they belie quantity and quality of wor only way to get a raise is to productivity, and several s tanks or commercial firms better appreciated.
There is no law requiring a think tank is located, and t one done. He trusts his acc for the organization. The th with a major multilateral d verify the overhead rates be tors discover that the overh a number of other financial another contractor to do th

These are real-world example But there is a more fundamental tanks to make time to address ba agement tasks: Their organizatio charismatic leadership cannot of Leaders of some think tanks r the autumn of 1999, the World (GDN) administered an on-line tanks’ needs for assistance and t One question asked, “how valua ties be for your organization?” R each type of training on a scale f

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the greatest value. The 104 think rating of 5.73 for training direct of policy institutes.” The same o training on “technical issues, qu pattern was highly consistent acr tors consider improving their or as important as strengthening th consistent with the author’s wor alized countries. This book provides guidance and as such it fills a yawning voi munity has worked on institutio ticularly in transitional and deve tended to focus on two needs of provided equipment to support puters, fax machines, and copie with Internet access and home p workshops typically addressing t erally. Workshops on the basics o ernance, fundraising, interactio have reached a large number of skills to new, comparatively simp But established think tanks re lored advice. Think-tank leaders als often turn to books and mate 5 tions, but the fit is not good. Th structure, and clientele from NG

WHO SHOULD READ THIS Leaders of think tanks constitute The number of think tanks, bot alized countries, has continued t building on a surge in the previo are now over 1,200 think tanks i dred from the 1980s. Freedom H such organizations in Eastern Eu A recent survey of over 800 th 62 percent of responding institu

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founded in the 1990s. In Africa, an equal share was created in the The figures for all regions d organizations founded in the 19 tifying new organizations so th Even so, the overall picture is of time, many longer-established t ing as the value of their analy process are more widely recogn national governments, parliame icy arena. Thus, a significant number of will soon reach what might be t ment.” Students of think tanks o researchers consistently employe development. “Second-stage” ins from a low and often highly vari number of sponsors to a higher projects, greater specialization in in the policy process and for ed 7 issues. Those in the third stage think tanks in the West, such as t and the Urban Institute and G Forschung (Institute for Econo As think tanks reach the seco their management and financial reach targeted audiences—if t Managing the transition to a hig excellent policy analyst cannot that does not permit the instituti 8 ible overhead rate. Think tanks at the first and s target audience for this book. B foundations and other supporte multilateral donors—for examp Development and the World Ba strengthening the management they will become a sustained r which they operate. Sponsors ar

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agement because well-managed and are less subject to corruptio agers at donor organizations ha tanks and are often unsure of h management. The chapters belo several key areas.

CONCRETE EXAMPLES AR In working with think tanks ove the best way to communicate an world example. Each chapter inc obtained from interviews with ta ing visits to think tanks. The guidance presented here i the author has gained in workin erable experience in studying an decade; in-depth interviews on leading Western think tanks and economies (see table 1-1); and a practices recommended for non the same management areas. Think tanks interviewed for included groups located in the U transition countries of Eastern Independent States. The author the transitional economies durin earlier book on the performance ment process in Bulgaria, Hung several think tanks from Asia ha agerial challenges they face are si in countries with transitional ec practices of the think tanks int broadly to those of think tanks i certainly cover “first-stage” and “ tries, including the United States It will be useful to have some think tanks in Eastern Europe w riences. Several important point