Advisory groups

Technology transfer to local governments has often been accompanied by the formation of advisory groups of expert scientists and engineers. This paper argues that such groups are difficult to manage and that overcoming their weaknesses is more than a question of the good intentions, public dedication, and managerial competence found in the Mayor's Science and Technology Advisory Council of Philadelphia. The necessary management requires tough negotiation in focusing on a limited agenda of issues, formal preparation of experts by city staff, and follow-through on non-technical aspects of the innovation process. Such managerial requisites can seem contrary to the very notion of an expert panel of scientists and engineers. He also is co-editor of this journal. Previously, he was deputy assistant secretary for science and technology at the US Department of Commerce.