Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers (CSAs)
- GO-Science produced a comprehensive revision in April 2008 of the 'Managing Successful Appointment and Induction of CSAs' 1[2] - this is 'essential reading' for understanding the role and importance of CSAs and their officials inside departments. Coverage includes:
- Recruitment; responsibilities; relationships within the Department, with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Scientific Advisory Committees, resources and broad good practice guidance. Induction material on wider government structures, bodies and relationships, participation in cross-cutting bodies like the Chief Scientific Adviser's Committee (CSAC) and other background material important to moving quickly into working as a fully effective CSA.
- Key elements of Departmental Science and Innovation Strategies,[3] (sometimes called Evidence Strategies).
- Departments need scientific expertise[4] in order to:
- interpret scientific issues simply and clearly;
- harness and synthesise existing research;
- identify their research requirements accurately;
- procure science of high quality and relevance;
- manage out-sourced research programmes;
- understand the findings of research programmes and appreciate their policy implications;
- evaluate scientific advice from external sources and identify the implications for policy; and
- monitor and evaluate the activities of their department's Science Advisory Committees.
- Appointment of CSAs should involve the GCSA to ensure the quality of scientific advice is being served[5], [6], including through the use of peer review[7] where time permits and ready access to experts at short notice where time is short[8].
- Scientific advice should be quality assured by the appointment of CSAs who have ready access to the Management Board and Ministers[9] and should regularly review the level of scientific expertise in a department, reporting to Ministers and the departmental top-level board[10].
- Major policy initiatives should engage CSAs early as part of getting the evidence base right and maximising opportunities for technology transfer[11], [12] and knowledge transfer[13].
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CSAs are responsible for ensuring the implementation of the 'Guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making'
(40 KB)(40 KB)(40 KB)(40 KB)(40 KB) (Revised Oct 2005)[14].
The Importance of Technology Transfer and Public Sector Research Exploitation Funds (PSREs)
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CSAs should ensure the freedom of PSREs to engage in technology transfer (restrictions on PSREs freedom should be cleared with Treasury, copied to GO-Science)[15], [16], [17].
