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Organization/Structure ofThink Tanks

Dr. Martin ThunertHeidelberg Center for American StudiesHeidelberg University

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What is a think tank?

Think tanks come in all shapes and sizes

The term think tank stems from the U.S.-based RAND Corporation, which operated as

a closed and secure environment for U.S.strategic thinking after World War II.

Popular usage after 1960s for a group of

specialists who undertake intensive study ofimportant policy issues

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UNDP Definition (2003)

organizations engaged on a regularbasis in research and advocacy on anymatter related to public policy. They

(think tanks) are the bridge betweenknowledge and power in modern

democracies

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Mission StatementsConnecting researchers and decision-makers

Close to, but not part of the government

Brain trust, helping governments think

Idea brokers, idea agencies for the publicDecision-support, developing a vision forcountry X or policy field Y (IDSC)

Scientific methodology, information provider(IDSC)

Denken und Verkaufen (thinking and selling)

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Ad hoc think tanksThe term ad hoc think tank" can be defined as either

a structure or a process.As a structure, a think tank is defined in terms of atemporary organization or group focused on theresolution of a particular problem or task, particularly

in the reams of science and technology.As a process or technique, it is defined as an in-depthconsideration of issues and challenges whoserelevance reaches beyond the individual person or

program and the immediate time frame.

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Categories of Think TanksTaking into consideration the comparative

differences in political systems and civilsocieties, the following categories attempt

to capture the full range of think tanksfound around the world today

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Categories of Think Tanks (1-

2)Political Party Affiliated

Examples include Konrad Adenauer Foundation(Germany, est. 1964), Friedrich Ebert Foundation(Germany), Jean Jaures Foundation (France,

1990), or Progressive Policy Institute (U.S., 1988).

Government Affiliated

Examples include China Development Institute(PRC, 1989), IDSC (Egypt), and CongressionalResearch Service (U.S., 1914), Prime MinistersPolicy Unit/Strategy Unit etc. (UK 1971).

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4)Quasi-Governmental - Funded exclusively by government grants

and contracts but not a part of the formal structure ofgovernment. Examples include: Institute for Strategic & International Studies

(Malaysia, 1983), Korean Development Institute (Korea, 1971), andWoodrow International Center for Scholars (U.S., 1968, SWP(Germany 1962).

Autonomous & Independent - Significant independence fromany one interest group or donor and autonomous in itsoperation and funding from government. Examples include: Pakistan Institute of International Affairs

(Pakistan, 1947), Institute for Security Studies (South Africa,1990), and Institute for International Economics (U.S., 1981)

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6)Quasi-Independent - Autonomous from government but

controlled by an interest group, donor, or contracting agencythat provides a majority of the funding and has significantinfluence over the think tanks operations. Examples include European Trade Union Institute (Belgium, 1978),

Bertelsmann Foundation (Germany 1977) and Center for DefenseInformation (U.S., 1990), European Council of Foreign Relations(?), EU 2006), Avenir Suisse (CH 2001)

University Affiliated Examples include Foreign Policy Institute, Hacettepe University

(Turkey, 1974), The Carter Center, Emory University (U.S., 1982)and the Hoover Institution, Stanford University (1918), Center for

Applied Policy Research CAP (Germany 1995)

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Types of Think Tanks

Academic Think TankAdvocacy Think Tank

Contract Research Think Tank

(Party think tank)

(Legacy think tank)

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Five TypesIndependent civil society think tanksestablished as non-profit organisations orphilanthropic operating foundations

Policy research institutes located in oraffiliated with a university

Governmentally created or state-sponsoredthink tank

Corporate created or business affiliated thinktank

Political party (or candidate) think tank.

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Models of Think Tank StoriesAmerican model/UK model A private policy-analysis industry

Very strong independence from government,some independence from parties and associations,

but not from private and corporate donors(Continental) European model a publicly-funded policy-analysis industry and

publicly-funded think tanks Arms-length government think tanks, think tanks

aligned with parties and associations

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Asian Think Tank Story1st generation

Sounding board for government, set upwithin government

State-directedAmplify top-down messages to the rest

of societyRegime enhancing, rather than regimecritical

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My Impression / My QuestionThe story of IDSC resembles the Asian think

tank story:Analytical weakness of the bureaucracy as aresult of practises that rewarded loyalty andobedience, conservatism and conformityforced the leadership to solicit expertise fromreform-minded institutes and quasi-

independent experts.Should in-house policy advice remaininadequate or irrelevant, the leaders might beprompted to look outside the state for policyadvice

F h I fl Thi k

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Factors that Influence Think

Tank Development

Political/Institutional Environment

Legal and Financial Environment

Intellectual/Ideological Environment

Labour and Staffing Environment

Think Tank / Academic Environment

Technological Environment

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Key Choices and Trade-OffsFinancing Choices National donors/international donors

Public funding / private funding

Single payer / diverse funding sources

Agenda Choices Full-service think tank with broad research focus

Specialized think tank with narrow research focus

Image Choices Neutral/non-partisan or ideological/partisan image

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Key Choices (cont.)Locational Choices Nations capital, Brussels or member states etc.

Staffing Choices In-house research staff or adjunct and project

staff

Product Choices Academic books and papers, and/or policy briefs

Oral consultation (briefing seminars for policymakers and the media

Dissemination tools

P li D l t d Thi k

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Policy Development and Think

Tanks in Country XPosition in the world

Development model

Domestic problems

General features of existing think tanksThe policy-making environment Who makes policy?

State of policy research Universities and tenure system

Accessibilty of important data

Is there a third or philathropic sector

T d b f ThT i

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Types and numbers of ThT in

EuropeLargest numbers of institutes are beingfound in UK and Germany

Marketplace of Ideas Model

Think tanks compete, serving business andpublic sectors

Corporatist or Academy Model Partisan foundation research

Research institutes tied to academic world

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Consequence(s)There is no single model of operating asa think tank

Think tanks must clearly define the

added value that they provide tocarefully identified stakeholders

ThT are expected to add analyticalrigour to an otherwise politicizeddiscussion of hot issues

Institutional Profile: Think

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Institutional Profile: Think

Tanks...... sometimes bring together varioussides of the debate to a common table

... ensure access to the key speakers

for different sides of the argumentwhile maintaining an appropriatedistance to any of them

... need a clear definition of purposeand profile of the organization

Can you run a think tank like a university

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Can you run a think tank like a universitydepartment or a pure academic

research institute?

Think Tanks need to react quickly to policy

initiatives of governments in a nearlyjournalistic manner

ThT need to come up with answers based on

in-depth analysisIdeally, think tanks are one step ahead of thepublic in knowing upcoming policy initiatives

The voice of a think tank must not bemistaken for that of the government, party,or a specific interest group

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Management guidelineManagers of think tanks cannot lean tooheavily towards either the academic,

journalistic or bureaucratic mode of

operation,but instead, they need to use the

required elements and as a result comeup with a distinctive and customisedbusiness model for their organisation

Learning from the U S and

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Learning from the U.S. and

Europe

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Management IssuesStaff-related issues

Quality control

Productdevelopment

Team leaders andmiddle managers

Board of Trusteesand Board ofDirectors

Structuring research

staff

Communication

Overhead

Staffing Arrangements &

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Staffing Arrangements &

Research Team StructureVery dominant

resident staff (somevisitors are present,but not integral forthe institutesoperations

(Brookings model)

Resident staff with

associates (AEI)Resident staff withvisiting scholars

(PIE)Blend of residentstaff, visitingscholars andassociates (CEPS,CFR)

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Discussion points: StaffFixed vs. variable

structure of researchareas

Donors demand moreflexibility

Expertise areas shouldmatch the topics ofcurrent debate or

contempory fields ofdomestic andinternational policy (e.g.DIW)

Loyalties of experts

Experts should beclosely identitied

with their homeinstitution

Avoid dual careers

for experts

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Discussion Points: Staff (2)Size and

Composition ofresearch teams

Drive towards

reducing costs mustbe offset by theneed to take on,

retain and provideincentives for high-quality experts

Form teams of

researchers atdifferent levels ofexperience

The ratio of seniorto rank-and-file

permanent staffmembers standsaround 1:2 or 1:3

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Staffing choicesEuropean think

tanks prefersalaried, full timeemployment as a

standard form ofemployment

Payment of hourly

or daily consultantfees is not lessexpensive

Most think tanks use

internships to screenpotential team members

Technical expertise and

the advantage ofbringing in fresh bloodspeak for the occasional

reliance on additional,non-permanent staff

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RecruitmentSome organisations

prefer to codify theirexpectations in internaldocuments, such asstaff regulations, work

guidelines etc.Some organisationsdevelop their own

distinctive culture, i.e.An unwrittenagreement, executedthrough daily practise

More mature

organisations are insearch for mid-career professionals

Custom-madecontracts

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Methods of RecruitmentDo you advertise

positions in the press?Rare for entry levelpositions

Vacancy information onthe website

Everybody in a think

tank is on the lookoutfor suitable additions toresearch team

Potential candidates are

located via their outputsor through word-of-mouth

Many Europeaninstitutions agree that itis preferable to hirecandidates with little or

no experience ofworking at anotherthink tank

fresh staff is preferred

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Supervision and TrainingInformation overload

and conflictingcommitments

Analytical methods andtime management

Coaching by moreexperienced researchers(mentors)

Director of researchmust solve intra-teamconflicts

Conflicts may result

from unclearallocation ofresponsibilities andauthorities

Formal training or

learning by doing?

Retention and Incentives to

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Retention and Incentives to

Expert StaffSalaries should be high

enough to reduce theincentives for engagingin other non-core

activitiesUniversities andgovernment service

usually serve asreferences for salaries

In U.S. And Europe

tht-researchersmight opt for thepolicy analysissector to thetemporary or

permanent exclusionof academia

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Profile of ideal staffGraduates from top

universitiesInsightful and rigorousanalysts whocommunicate findings ina concise andunderstandable mannerto the media and the

general public, and arewell connected topolicy-makers

Are you looking for

hard qualificationsonly, or rather for amix of soft skills?

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Dissemination: GeneralThink tanks - not

academic researchinstitutes - makedissemination anessential part oftheir mission

How important are

books (=monographs) in theproduct line?

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Diversity of ProductsWorking papers

Background to key issues

Shorter issue papers

Policy briefs

Diagnosis and forecast ofcurrent developments

Regular newsletters to

membershipPost-event analyses

A public policy journal

Online publishing (up to

75%)blogs

Measure downloads,

media visibilityPricing and subsciption

Distribution of products

is closely tied tomembership policy

Discounts for members

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Media RelationsApproach media

proactively tocommunicate yourgeneric positions on

issuesUse opportunities to beassociated with specific

topics on the publicagenda as your fieldof expertise

Experts rarely

contribute to the mediawith op-eds or lettersindependently of theirthink tank affiliation

Make sure that expertsof your organisationprovide their affiliations

in the by-lines andensure properreferencing

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Publication processIn-house publication

via website and in-house publicationdepartment

Some offer theirpublicatiopn via a

third party, e.g. apublishing house

(Blind) Peer review

other than inacademia?

Everyone commentson everyone elseswork

What is, then, a successful

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, ,

think tank?Analytical rigour without

getting slowed downand violating the timeframes set by donorsand required by the

publicCommunication ofcomplex ideas and

presentation of viablepolicy choices withouttrivializing them toomuch

Avoids day-to-day

political conflictOne that makes clear asto why it is needed on acompetitive market ofpolicy ideas and whosemission is apparent toanyone working for it,

sponsoring it, readingits publications, orattending its events

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Managers must be

able to read thesign of the timesand proactivelymodify thestructure, operations

and externalrelations, ifnecessary

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ConclusionsDevelop strong

teams of in-houseexperts, if you can

They areindispensable in thedissemination of

research results andpolicyrecommendations

The quality of core

experts will largelydetermine the ThTsreputation

Even small teams ofexperts require the

distinction betweensenior and juniorresearchers

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Core funding not

only project funding- is essential, thusmembership can bethe solution

Project work

requires researchersto becomefundraisers

Design a benefits

package for members(with e.g. Privilegedaccess to events,

publications etc.Integrate research anddissemination

Diversify theinstruments ofdissemination

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Experts should have

good communicationand dissemination skills

Event and publicationmanagers should havea good understandingof the policy issues theexperts are working on

Think more aboutdiscussion forums,blogs etc.

Think tanks need to

be manageddifferently thanother organisations

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