Ministry of Education rarely evaluated the effectiveness of research and development investments
Press Release – October 9, 2008
Auditors from the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) performed an audit that focused on utilization of state budget funds, which were earmarked for research and development from 2005 to 2007, as well as an analysis of achieved targets. Among the audited bodies were universities in Prague (Charles University, Czech Technical University, Institute of Chemical Technology, Czech University of Life Sciences), the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň, the University of Pardubice, universities in Brno (University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Technology), VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, and the Silesian University in Opava.
“The institutional support of specific research at universities turned out to be questionable. The ministry vaguely defined objectives and conditions for utilization of the resources, which some universities misinterpreted“, said František Dohnal, president of the SAO.
The Ministry of Education poorly specified the priorities or focuses of the research projects that were set in since January 2005. In case of the research propositions, the effectiveness of the state budget expenses was not analysed. The ministry did not process any assessment document for evaluation of the long-term tasks’ accomplishment concerning the programmes of EUREKA, EUPRO, COST, KONTAKT, INGO, or programmes for international cooperation in the field of research and development.
“According to the existing regulations, the grant providers do not have to asses the aims of the institutional support of specific research, but I consider it desirable”, said Dohnal.
The ministry submitted a report on the National Research Programme two years after it had started, but did not include an evaluation of the achieved targets. Although the programme has been already implemented for 5 years, we miss an effectiveness analysis of the utilized amounts. The ministry neither scheduled such an analysis for the II period of the National Research Programme, which ends in 2011. By that time, CZK 7 milliard will have been spent on its implementation.
The auditing operation was included into the 2008 Audit Plan of the SAO under No. 08/03. Zdeněk Brandt, Member of the SAO Board, controlled the operation and drew up the audit report as well.
Radka Burketová
Press Speaker
Supreme Audit Office