Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1986 > Committee on Public Expenditure > Report No. 15 - Institute for Industrial Research & Standards

Appendix 2

N.B.S.T. Terms of Reference for Review of IIRS 1982

The Board, at the request of the Government, is undertaking a review of the functions and operations of the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. The project commenced in January 1982 and is expected to take one year to complete. The Board’s own staff are carrying out the review and are advised by a high-level steering committee composed of outside interests headed by a senior officer of the Department of Industry and Energy.

The terms of reference of the review group are as follows:

- to review the present role, functions and performance of the Institute;

- to evaluate how the IIRS carries out its role and functions in the context of the IIRS Act, 1961;

- to recommend what the future role and functions of the Institute should be;

- to state the organisational and resource implications of the future role of the Institute;

- to advise on how best the funding of the Institute might be structured;

- to assess the role of the Institute as an advisor to Government Departments, national agencies, State-sponsored bodies and local authorities;

- to consider the relationship between the Institute and the Department of Industry and Energy, the IDA and other State bodies whose functions are relevant, e.g. the NBST, AFT, AFF, etc.

- to examine the perception of existing and potential users of Institute services;

-to consider the regionalisation of the Institute’s facilities;

- to make recommendations on possible legislative and other changes.

The Review was carried out in two phases of 6 months each and was completed at the end of June, 1982. It concentrated on the identification of the problems and issues associated with the Institute and its services. It entailed a series of consultations with the IIRS Board and Management, with appropriate Government Departments and State agencies and and with IIRS users and user representative groups.

In addition extensive data relating to all aspects of the Institute and its services were gathered and analysed, and an examination was made of the systems used in certain other countries for supplying technical services to industry. The latter included visits to the appropriate institutes and State agencies in Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Planning of Phase 2 of the Review is now underway. It is envisaged that the attention will be focussed on the environment in which the Institute is expected to operate in future years with emphasis on the suitability of present programmes and the need for new initiatives. It is intended that, arising out of Phase 2, there will be clear perception of the desired future role of the Institute expressed in terms of resource and structural requirements.

Extracted from NBST Publication , Science Budget 1982