Meeting of Meeting of Heads of National Forest Research Institutes (NFRI) Heads of National Forest Research Institutes (NFRI)

Dublin, 5-7 July 2010Dublin, 5-7 July 2010

Performance Indicators for NFRIsby

Niels Elers Koch

National Forest Research InstitutesNational Forest Research Institutes

In most European countries, national forest research institutes (NFRI, synonymous with federal or state forest research institutes) are important pillars of national research activities, covering research on forest ecosystems and their use, natural hazards, landscape issues and socio-economic aspects related e.g. to rural development.

NFRIs are mainly responsible for forest monitoring in European countries and contribute to the reporting to international processes (MCPFE, biodiversity, carbon, forest soil). These institutions are also in the centre of knowledge transfer to the practitioners in the field as well as decision makers in policy and administration.

1. Meeting: Vienna, July 20041. Meeting: Vienna, July 2004

At the meeting, representatives of:

Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia,

Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom,

EFI (European Forest Institute), IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organisations) and MCPFE (Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe)

discussed the present challenges, opportunities and problems of NFRIs.

Agreement related to performance measurements: A draft on processes and criteria for performance measurements of NFRIs will be elaborated to the next meeting.

2. Meeting: Riga, July 20062. Meeting: Riga, July 2006

Presentation of the working paper: Performance Measurement of National Forest Research Institutes, by head of BFW Harald Mauser

Agreement related to performance measurements: The working paper showing processes and indicators for evaluation of scientific activities can be used as a good base for evaluation of NFRIs. The work after it should be continued and distributed between the Institutes.

At the same time, it has to be noted, that all Institutes are not able to adapt the same criteria in the same form and dimension, there still is not a performance measurement system that applies to everyone.

3. Meeting: Nancy, July 20083. Meeting: Nancy, July 2008

Further discussions on Harald Mausers working paper.

Agreement related to performance measurements: Based upon the working paper of Harald Mauser Forest & Landscape Denmark should prepare a draft paper outlining a limited number of performance indicators to be used in the exchange of experiences (rather than benchmarking) between institutes.

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Table A: Identification of the institution

Table B: Resources related to forest research activities

Table C: Fields of forest research related activities in the institution

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Delimitation of forestry activities:

• Forest protection • Forest ecology • Nature hazards

• Silviculture • Forest operations • Landscape management

• Forest economics • Wildlife • Forest environmental

management data base

• Nature conservation

Indicator Data (2008) Explanation1 No. of employees total in Person years. No. of full-

forest research activities time equivalent employees

1.1 - research staff (1 = 1.1 + 1.2 + 1.3)1.2 - technical staff1.3 - administrative staff2 Total budget, related to Mio. €

forest research activities3 External competitive Mio. €

research funding (3 = 3.1 + 3.2 + 3.3)3.1 - revenues from EU funding3.2 - revenues from other public funding3.3 - revenues from private funding

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Table B: Resources related to forest research activities in the institution

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Guidance to table B:

1.1 Research staff Number of persons with an academic education (master degree of a university or an advanced technical college (Fachhoch schule)) and conducting research tasks of the institute. A research institute can employ academically educated people that are not active in research but in other activities, for example in administration, internal services (library …) or in training and education below university level, etc. These persons should not be counted as ‘research staff’

1.2 Technical staff Number of persons with a technical education participating in scientific and/or monitoring activities

1.3 Administrative staff Number of persons engaged in support activities (administration, internal services, etc.)

Field of activity Indicator Data (2008)4 Research Peer-reviewed publications per person

( = 4.1/4.2)4.1 - numerator No. of peer-reviewed publications4.2 - denominator = 1.1 5 Inventory Expenditures on inventory and

and monitoring monitoring activities (Mio. €)6 Knowledge transfer No. of popular publications per person

( = 6.1/6.2)6.1 - numerator No. of publications in non-scientific media6.2 - denominator = 1.1 + 1.27 Teaching, research Indicate part of the research staff time

based stated in 1.1 designated to teaching activities at university level (person years)

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Table C: Fields of forest research related activities in the institution

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Guidance to table C

4.1 Peer review publication Publication in a scientific journal with peer-review system after being published in the calendar year in question (and not only while being submitted or accepted)

4.2 Potential authors in 4.1 Use the data in 1.1

5 Inventory and monitoring Inventory: A short term oriented systematically inventory at a given point in time aiming at the description of the actual situation. Monitoring: A long term oriented systematically survey program aiming at the detection of changes

6.1 Non-scientific media Publication in popular magazines, books, newspapers, etc.

6.2 Potential authors in 6.1 Use the sum of 1.1 + 1.2

7 Teaching, research based If the research institution undertakes teaching at university level (i.e. research based teaching) that is part of the regular duties for some of the scientific staff members. Indicate how many of the person years stated in 1.1 that are designated to teaching

Questionnaire 2008 respondentsQuestionnaire 2008 respondents

Institution• BFW, Austria• COFORD, Ireland• Croatian Forest Research Institute• FAWF Rheinland-Pfalz• Forest & Landscape Denmark• Forest Research Institute, Poland• FVA Baden-Württemberg, Germany• Norwegian Forest and Landscape Inst.• NW-FVA, Germany• Skogforsk, Sweden• WSL, Switzerland

• Contact person• Harald Mauser• Alistair Pfeifer• Dijana Vuletic• Hans-Peter Ehrhart• Niels Elers Koch• Tomasz Zawila-Niedzwiecki• Diana Weigerstorfer• Bjørn R. Langerud • Hermann Spellmann• Jan Fryk• Hans Caspar Bodmer

Background of staff membersBackground of staff members

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Institution

Per

cen

tag

e

Research staff Technical staff Administrative staff

Total budget related to Total budget related to forest research activitiesforest research activities

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Institution

Mill

ion

Eu

ro

External funding as percentage of External funding as percentage of total budgettotal budget

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Institution

Per

cen

tag

e

EU funding Other public funding Private funding

Publications per personPublications per person

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

Institution

Research Know ledge transfer

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

I ndicator Min. Avg. Max. Explanation

1 No. of employees total in forest research activities

54 136 261 Person years

1.1 - research staff 20 49 72 % of 1

1.2 - technical staff 9 32 52 % of 1

1.3 - administrative staff 10 20 36 % of 1

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

I ndicator Min. Avg. Max. Explanation

2 Total budget, related to forest research activities

2 12 25 Mio. €

3 External competitive research funding

1 18

4 38

7 100

Mio. € % of 2

3.1 - revenues from EU funding

1 7 16 % of 2

3.2 - revenues from other public funding

6 27 100 % of 2

3.3 - revenues from private funding

0 4 17 % of 2

Questionnaire 2008 on Questionnaire 2008 on performance measurementsperformance measurements

Field of activity I ndicator Min. Avg. Max.

4 Research Peer-reviewed publications per person 0,1 0,6 1,5

5 Inventory and monitoring

Revenues from inventory and monitoring activties (Mio. €)

0,0 2,8 8,7

6 Knowledge transfer No. of popular publications per person 0,3 1,4 2,9

7 Teaching research based

Indicate part of the research staff time stated in 1.1 designated to teaching acticvities at university level (person years)

0,0 5,1 29,0