Critical Technologies Institute Annual Report: 1995-1996

Since its inception in 1992, the Critical Technologies Institute (CTI) mission has not changed. That mission is to help improve public policy that involves or affects science and technology by providing objective, independent research and analytic support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and, through that office, to other federal agencies and organizations.

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As our work has progressed, our understanding of that mission has continued to evolve and deepen. We have come to interpret it as one of informing a dialogue between the divergent worlds of science and politics, and, within the government, between various competing policy interests. Political leaders rightly observe that the field of science and technology (S&T) produces benefits for government and society. This does not mean, however, that the worlds of science and politics communicate easily or well. As the role of S&T in society has grown, so has the need for objective policy analysis to provide a factual grounding for debate and decisions affecting the S&T community. RAND and CTI have credibility in both of these worlds and so can inform and facilitate this dialogue.

In carrying out this mission, CTI relies on a diversified portfolio of analytic activities.

Conducting analyses that clarify issues and assess alternatives for potential national policies.

Regularly assessing science and technology areas to identify the need for policy action.

Identifying and developing relations with experts in critical technical and institutional areas.

Monitoring the interests of the Executive Office of the President and Congress to identify areas of analysis and fact-finding that should be considered by CTI and the rest of RAND.

Developing methodologies and acquiring and collating data to improve future analytic efforts.

Using a mix of communication means to inform a broad audience of stakeholders.

The challenge in carrying out these activities is to make high-quality analytic contributions while understanding the diverse character of the decisionmaking environment surrounding S&T policy. We look forward to meeting this challenge.

Bruce W. Don

Director

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