REFORM OF IAC: A STUDY OF INSTITUTIONAL REORGANIZATION

Abstract

This paper reports the experience of G.E.O.P. ¾ a group formed by researchers of the State University of Campinas dedicated to study institutional organization and reform ¾ in the restructuring process of the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC). The theoretical principles which guided the group's actions are pointed out, as well as the principal recommendations made to reorganize IAC's research system. Recent changes in R&D organizations in many countries have tended to preserve their dependence on public funds, despite of the increasing search of alternative financing sources. However, their connections with the demand have been strengthened, and new forms of administration and, specially, of financing, introduced in order to increase autonomy and flexibility. The changes proposed to IAC aimed to improve its competitivity by increasing its degree of organizational and financing autonomy, its institutional flexibility and its foresight capability. The main change concerns with research planning and administration, seen as an essential step towards the enlargement and intensification of the institutional links with the market, the users and other R&D organizations.