A Study of the Design and Functioning of a Program Performance Monitoring Platform for Science Technology Programs

Establishing a complete and innovative decision-making system may help budget-strapped governments control the overall operation of their science and technology (S&T) programs and integrate and maximize available resources to achieve optimal configurations for each program. This study, which is based on the theoretical framework of a national innovation system, establishes a fully optimized performance monitoring and evaluation (M&E) platform and provides recommendations for interim monitoring and M&E mechanisms. Based on meetings and interviews with experts, the results of the study show that an ideal process for performance M&E should include the establishment of a review committee, performance indexes for examination, interim monitoring and an M&E mechanism, and the effective tracking of program results. The results also indicate that a complete performance M&E platform for S&T programs should be based on the dimensions of functioning, data build, indicator input, data value-added, and user feedback and interaction. These measures not only help governments apply their performance budget systems and S&T resources, but also improve the efficiency and benefits of S&T programs, policies and systems, program review, and resource allocation.