Research and Development Evaluation Remodelling in Malaysia: An Idealistic Framework

Abstract

This paper provides an idealistic conceptual framework for Research & Development(R&D) evaluation. R&D is very important in higher level decision making. In Malaysia,though the spending is on increasing term, only a small proportionate of Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) is allocated to fund R&D as compared to the required tasks in the vastfields of research. A lot of efforts were spent in R&D, the undertakings of which shouldbe monitored and well-funded to ensure the results of the research are consideredin making decisions that could be shared, implemented, improvised, and evaluated.Public research which focuses more on educational know-how in the developmentof human resource/human capital could be assimilated in R&D of private sectorswhich focus more on scientific, technology, material handling, and information andcommunication technology (ICT). The more advances occur in science and technologyfields, the demand for manpower in the related fields would increase. In spite of this,any improvement from the implemented research result could not be assured even withfunctional R&D systems if there is no constant evaluation and post decision valuation.The collaboration of public-private R&D institutions would generate a new breedof innovative entrepreneurs that could assist Malaysia to achieve developed nationstatus as set out in Vision 2020. The outcome of this paper is a proposed model ofthe Malaysian R&D evaluation in public agencies, private sectors, and universities toconstruct an idealistic R&D decision evaluation framework for future application. Themodel presents the interconnected interactions that take place within the stakeholderscircle in R&D network. Basically, the model is drawn up under the principle thatvirtually there are balanced interactions and the interested parties are inter-related.