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PolicyNet
Events
December 2003
December’s
PolicyNet meeting was hosted by Dr Angela
Wilson, Director of the Science Reviews at
the Office of Science and Technology.
The Science Review is
a new initiative and Dr Wilson covered the
aims and objectives, what the reviews entail
and how they are carried out. She also gave
some indication of how their first review –
of the quality and use of science in the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport was
going. The DCMS Review was begun in Sept 03,
and with Fieldwork now drawing to a close,
emerging findings will be reported in early
2004.
Dr Angela Wilson was
appointed Director of the Science Reviews in
the Office of Science and Technology in June
2003.
The new Science Review
Directorate is responsible for taking
forward a rolling programme of external
scrutiny and benchmarking of the ways in
which government departments use science and
manage research, and was created earlier
this year by the Government’s Chief
Scientific Adviser, Professor Sir David
King, in response to a recommendation in the
recent Government publication – ‘Investing
in Innovation: A Strategy for Science,
Engineering and Technology’ (July 2002).
She was keen to dispel
the myths that the Science Review would
duplicate the work of other reviews or
require additional documentary evidence. The
Review would not be disproportionate to the
OST’s science activities or tell other
departments what should be in a science
strategy or programme.
Part of the remit of
the OST’s Science Review is to establish
formal dissemination of good practice across
government, and to stimulate informal
dissemination between departments and
involving the CSAs.
The 10 areas of focus
for the Science Review are as follows:
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To develop a clear,
overall science strategy
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To horizon scan – to
identify future science-related issues
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Review and harness
existing research with a view to identifying
gaps and opportunities for future research
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Commission and manage
new research
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Ensure the quality and
relevance of department sponsored work
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Use research and
scientific advice in formulating policy
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Publish results and
debate the findings openly
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Share, transfer and
manage knowledge
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Have implemented
Guidelines 2000 and Code of Practice for
Scientific Advisory Committees
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Use, maintain and
develop scientific expertise (capacity and
capacity building)
Each Science Review
takes 10 months, and is overseen by a
Steering Panel, composed of
cross-departmental senior officials,
representatives from the department under
review and external scientists.
Dr Wilson highlighted
the point that the Science Review was not
intended to be seen as an isolated process,
but that the Review’s ‘newness’ meant that
it would take time to build up connections
and to identify areas of overlapping
interest and shared goals within government.
Further information on
the Science Review can be found on the
Office of Science and Technology website at
www.ost.gov.uk/policy/sciencereview/aim.htm
Or you can raise
issues or comments by sending an e-mail to:
Science Review team
at DTI
[E-mail Science Review team]
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