In each subdivision the documentation required on a 

 project basis is extensive and similar in scope to 

 the other examples already cited. 



THE PLANNING SYSTEM AND ITS PARTS 



In principle, these numerous sets of plans, dif- 

 ferentiated along temporal and organizational lines 

 as well as hierarchical branch and functional program 

 lines, form an internally consistent and well inte- 

 grated "system" of plans regulating the research-to- 

 production cycle. In practice, however, there are 

 many "holes in the whole," and coordination falls 

 far short of its target. Given the scope and compre- 

 hensiveness of Soviet planning, this is not surpris- 

 ing. Perfect coordination is unlikely in any system, 

 partly because of the unpredictability of the results 

 of scientific research and development. But as Nol- 

 ting observes, "Soviet R&D planning has been poorly 



coordinated even if judged by standards less than 

 ideal. "136 



Only since the late 1960s, it may be recalled, 

 have Kremlin authorities pursued a policy of inte- 

 grated systems planning of R&D, innovation, and pro- 

 duction. Even today such a policy is applied, for 

 the most part, only in high priority projects. Soviet 

 planning is generally still of two kinds: "compila- 

 tion planning" and "implementation planning." The 

 former involves primarily a listing of assignments 

 while the latter entails more systematic and delib- 

 erate efforts to specify targets, to assign respon- 

 sible performers, and to coordinate tasks. Implemen- 

 tation planning is limited primarily to the inter- 

 branch S&T programs of national priority and to the 

 continuous plans in certain branch ministries. Com- 

 pilation planning remains the predominant form with 

 results that are less than optimal. Again Nolting 

 provides the best description of the system: 



RDI Cresearch-development-innovationU plan- 

 ning has often amounted to little more than 



159 



