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o Improve the linkage between various research and education programs which address 

 common critical issues. Establish a clearer vision of the contribution of "discovery" 

 level research (as exemplified in the National Research Initiative), applied research 

 and information delivery on common critical issues and assure better linkages at the 

 interface of these programs 



o Expand and improve linkages with other federal science agencies to improve the 

 efficiency of the use of USDA resources through cooperation and coordination. 

 Assure more meaningful commitments for interaction and support 



o Several specific functional changes would contribute to these more general goals: 



o Expand research on total farming systems to address the needs for sustainable 



agricultiu'e interests and general farming programs 



' o Develop mechanisms to more effectively identify and address emerging and 



urgent priorities using a "research contract" mechanism to purchase focused 

 effort on short term crisis needs 



o Develop a closer relationship in strategic planning between the elements of 



Science and Education 



OPTIONS FOR IMPROVED ORGANIZATION: 



This analysis has focused on functions that should be established or enhanced to meet the 

 goals of the proposed reorganization of the USDA. We suggest that the reorganization be 

 considered using modem management principles, which enable decentralized decision 

 making based on national strategies. These principles include the use of flexible 

 management structures that facilitate linkages and conmiunication between organizations 

 that perform and those that use the results of research and development. There is also a 

 growing need to more effectively link parts of the system that perform related or 

 complementary functions. The overarching principle is to develop the functional mandate 

 for administrators and scientists to communicate and collaborate within whatever 

 organizational fi-amework that emerges. 



This broad networking of related functions might best be administered using a matrix 

 management approach. Such an approach would facilitate: 



o Effective linkages between the Science and Education agencies and the action 

 agencies of the USDA 



o Effective linkages to related parts of the overall federal science estabUshment 



