FP5's administrative burden leads to reforms
The implementation of the Fifth Framework programme (FP5) needs to be quicker, less complicated and more streamlined, according to an inter-service working group set up by Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin to monitor FP5's management procedures. Following its latest report, a statement by the group's chair and Director-General for research, Mr Rainer Gerold, highlighted these difficulties and proposed a number of changes. In addition to making the programme faster and more efficient, it was felt that further resources could be liberated if administrative procedures were streamlined. In response to these charges, the expert selection form will be reduced from 14 pages to two, with further reduction of the paper mountain planned by allowing an electronic evaluation of research premiums by 2002. Speeding up as well as simplifying the process was emphasised, and removal of the negotiation stage was a recommendation that should accelerate the process by four months. Removing the consultation phase by making the group of directors an inter-service coordination group will also help, said the report, and transparency will be enhanced by keeping bidders informed of the progress of their bid. Until now the procedure for projects has been uniform, regardless of their cost or subject matter. This was noted in the report, pointing out that the appropriate amount of time cannot be dedicated to larger, more expensive projects at present. Decisions are also made at too high a level and this too needs simplification. The report noted that there could be a danger of insufficient recording of statistical data if the FP5's administrative procedures were not properly followed. The search is on, therefore, to find an optimal balance which will allow the procedure to press ahead with both statistical data and urgency respected. While it was made clear that these reforms were designed to fine tune the FP5, it was conceded that more radical reforms would be applied to the Sixth Framework programme.