Distinguished colleagues,
I need your professional opinion for my ongoing research on think tank industry. The outputs of the research and the best international practices will be used in elaborating development strategy of our think tank. Please, indicate the best examples and strategic steps, which could be important in this process! Any comment, which you think should be considered, will be appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
Regards,
Dr. Vardan Atoyan
Think tanks are political actors -let’s not pretend they are not. They need a polity. This may be local, sub-national, national, regional, or even global. Each will demand a different governance arrangement, skills, and strategy. Do not overlook this issue. Part of this step is to map out ‘the competition’. This is not so that you may avoid topics or policy audiences that are already being served by another organisation -we want more debate, after all. This is so you know who you will have to work with and that you begin to make (or burn) bridges strategically.
I think the following paper would be helpful even though it is an older publication:
The Development and Impact of Australia's “Think Tanks”
I Marsh - Australian Journal of Management, 1994 - journals.sagepub.com
Dear Dr-Ahmed M. Al-Baidhani د. احمد البيضاني , thanks a lot for your contribution!
Think thanks that are truly independent are few. They constantly generate ideas. It is for policy makers to sift through them and look for meaningful suggestions to consider and implement.
Dear Vardan,
My advice is not to look to the best international practices -- you cannot replicate the Conference Board, American Enterprise Institute, the Brooking Institution, the RAND Corporation or EIU.
In post-USSR countries there are just three types of striving thin tanks
1) extensions of particular ministries (ministry of finance, ministry of economy) performing outsourcing works to their major clients using the government money. The development strategy is simple -- to expand the basis of clients with gradual serving two, three ministries etc. The moment of truth in your strategy is to present or do not present in your report a point which totally contradicts the opinion of your client (minister, deputy minister etc.);
2) networks of researchers serving industry (employers) associations. Here you strategy is to extract data from participants of such associations and to present it back in a fresh interesting way with some assertive arguments for the benefits of the members of associations;
3) 'brain departments' of influential political parties. Here your strategy is dualistic -- be able to produce attractive populist ideas and assertive slogans and short texts (manifestos and political programs) and also to offer to politicians the real analysis of the current situation and the short-term forecasts.
For the first and sometimes for the third cases of think tanks do not expect that they will survive for a very long time. For the second case, you can work successfully for decades. In the second case you may also have a possibility to mutate into a consultancy company providing specified services for particular corporations.
Bests,
Igor Gurkov
Head of a think tank of the first type in 1994-2000, head of a think tank of first&second type in 2000-2006.
My pleasure. If you wish more info on Russian think tanks development over the past 30 years, you may write me [email protected]
Bests,
Igor
Dear Igor,
Thanks for the offer! I am mainly focusing on think tank industry research. So, if I need more information on Russian think tanks development I'll definitely write you! Thanks again!
Regards,
Vardan
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