Is technology transfer more than a “mechanical” process?

Editorial Advisory Board     

An evolving technology-transfer system in an R&D consortium: The EPRI approach

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is a consortium of utility companies whose existence depends on member perceptions that valuable technologies and information have been developed and transferred. This paper outlines eight issues that EPRI, after 17 years of operation had determined to be critical in transferring technology: [1] establishing a perception of value received, [2] creating a sense of full partnership, [3] balancing the R&D portfolio with projects for different members, [4] packaging results for easy understanding and use, [5] reducing information overload by using targeted media, [6] assuring that members have the needed infrastructure to receive and process transfer, [7] integrating EPRI's R&D program with those of the members, and [8] monitoring impact to be sure that value is being received.     

Can evaluations influence programs? The case of compensatory education

Evaluators have often had trouble providing analyses that are of practical use to policymakers. A major reason for this is that evaluators characteristically pay little attention to variables that are politically relevant. The National Institute of Education's evaluation of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education act, used extensively by Congress in 1977–1978, provides a clear example of how attention to political concerns can pay off for evaluators in increased utilization of their products.