Abstract:
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Balancing projects supporting sustainability issues with economically driven proposals within the United Kingdom National Measurement System Amos H.L.1,2, Gunn R.J.2, Jones B.E.3 1 Brunel University, Uxbridge, England, helen.amos@dti.gsi.gov.uk 2 National Measurement System (DTI), London, England, robert.gunn@dti.gsi.gov.uk 3 Brunel University, Uxbridge, England, barry.jones@brunel.ac.uk The United Kingdom (UK) National Measurement System (NMS) uses a process of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to allocate its annual £60 million budget for advancing metrology through 20 research and development programmes. Metrology has historically been considered to impact mainly within trade and industry. The increasing importance of sustainability issues means this is no longer the case, and as such it requires the development of the MCDA process used to prioritise funding of metrology programmes in the UK. The decision making process used within the NMS uses an expert panel which is provided with information on the projects up for evaluation. Using the information produced by the MCDA computer model, the panel decides on how to allocate the prescribed budget for a given programme. The MCDA process uses five criteria to compare project proposals. These categories are; economic, NMS science, science impact on innovation, standards and technical regulation and sustainability. Mechanisms to identify the impacts of the first four have been created and are utilised in the current decision making process. Research is being conducted to create a mechanism to demonstrate the sustainable impacts of projects. The aspects covered by this category are: the environment, the medical sector, and more generally the wellbeing of workers including the public, and other non-economic areas such as law enforcement, defence and areas of high public concern. A two-pronged approach is being taken to create mechanisms for sustainability, due to the nature of the category. The first is based on human judgement while the other relates to the use of a more traditional economic model applied to non-economic variables in decision-making. The human judgement mechanism has been trialled and appears to offer a feasible structured approach to the decision-making process. Plans have been made to conduct the first actual trial in May 2006 when it is hoped test results will provide initial evidence of improved impact for sustainability other trials will follow. Development of the second approach is in process and information is being collected on the various options to discover the most suitable ones to be developed and trialled within the NMS.
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