| Deadline: 30 January 2024

Call for Scientific Evaluators for Benchmarking of Energy related Research Organisations in Central Asia

The IncoNet CA (S&T International Cooperation Network for Central Asian Countries) project is conducting a benchmarking exercise of research organisations in Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) working in the field of energy. For the implementation of this benchmarking exercise we are looking for experienced experts from the field of energy with profound research management and research strategy analysis capabilities, who will act as scientific evaluators under this benchmarking exercise. IncoNet CA is an EU (FP7) funded International Cooperation Network project.

Introduction

The IncoNet CA (S&T International Cooperation Network for Central Asian Countries) is an International Cooperation Network project, funded under the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technology Development (FP7). The IncoNet CA targets the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Emphasis is put on Societal Challenges that have been identified to be of mutual interest for the two regions, namely: Climate Change, Energy and Health.

In particular the project aims at:

• Supporting the advancement of the bi-regional STI (Science, Technology, and Innovation) policy dialogue between the EU Member States/Associated Countries and Central Asia;
• Providing analytical evidence and monitoring to feed the dialogue and to support joint agenda setting;
• Capacity building of policy stakeholders and research organisations also with regard to innovation and Horizon2020;
• Putting emphasis on mutual learning, the project will identify actions and implement innovative pilot activities.

The IncoNet has started in September 2013 and will last until August 2016, and it is implemented by a consortium of 17 partners from the EU Member States and all the five CA countries.

Detailed information on the project is available at its website: http://www.inco-ca.net/

Information on INCO.Nets in general is available at the European Commission’s webpage: http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm?lg=en&pg;=inconet

One of the activities of the project, which is directly addressed by the Terms of Reference (ToR), is to organise a benchmarking exercise of research organisations in Central Asian countries working in the field of energy. For the implementation of this benchmarking exercise we are looking for experienced experts from the field of energy with profound research management and research strategy analysis capabilities, who will act as scientific evaluators under this benchmarking exercise.

This benchmarking exercise is based on a voluntarily participation of approx. four comparable RTDI1 organisations from the following countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) which work in scientific fields related to energy. The focus of this benchmarking exercise is on assessing the research performance of these RTDI organisations along the following three dimensions:

• knowledge generation
• knowledge utilisation and
• knowledge diffusion

Although performance benchmarking in these three dimensions is envisaged, it has to be stated quite clearly that due to the complexity, diversity and variability of RTDI organisations, the specific environments in which they operate and the pilot character of the exercise, the output is expected to provide signs of good practice rather than robust evidence of good performance.Thus, the idea behind this exercise is to learn from good practices of other comparable RTDI organisations from other countries rather than checking performance accountability.

The already pre-selected group of around four RTDI organisations will be benchmarked on the basis of the RECORD methodology (Borsi et al, 2004), which has been developed under the 5th European Framework Programme for RTD. This methodology can and has to be adapted to specific circumstances and needs by the Evaluation Team.

Tentative Timeline

• Kick-off meeting – tentatively between 9th and 13th March 2015 (in Vienna)
• Methodology adaptation – March 2015
• Collection of data (desk research) – March-April 2015
• Field trips to the 4 RTDI organisations – second half of May – June 2015 (possibly combined)
• Drafting of the report – first half of July-August 2015
• Finalisation of the report – first half of September 2015
• Final meeting to present results – first half of September 2015 (in Bishkek)

Funding and Reimbursement

The pilot exercise will be funded exclusively through the IncoNet CA project.

The maximum budget for each single evaluator for the above described tasks to be delivered (including reports etc.) is up to € 16,000. This maximum budget includes the consultancy fee, and daily allowances for the travels as outlined in the Terms of Reference.

At least six trips are foreseen, travel costs will be reimbursed based on further agreements with the evaluators (economy flight and hotel costs):

• participation at the kick-off in Vienna (March 2015, 1.5 days),
• benchmarking trips to 4 RTDI organisations, possibly combined (May/June 2015)
• final presentation meeting in Bishkek (September 2015, 2 days).

Delays are not acceptable.

Submission of application

Please submit the required documents (see Terms of Reference) for the application as a scientific evaluator from the field of energy sciences via e-mail to:

Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), Austria
c/o Gorazd Weiss
weiss@zsi.at

Deadline for the submission of an application is Friday, 30 January 2024, 17:00 CET (date of entry of the e-mail).

Selection

A committee will be convened to select the scientific evaluators from the field of energy and/or energy-sciences. This selection committee will be composed by representatives from the

• Center for Regional & International STI Studies & Support (scientific co-ordinator of IncoNet CA) and the
• Centre for Social Innovation ZSI (T1.2c task leader)

Telephone interviews with suitable candidates will be held at the beginning of February 2015, if deemed necessary.

Detailed call information

For the full call information, including task description, methodology, qualification requirements and selection procedure, please download the Tems of Reference.