Pitch
Applying Climate Research needs Nation management
Description
Summary
Favorable research findings will initiate development for climate change activities.
Although costs considered, development performance will prioritize the environment.
Several industrial and academia organizations set up foe such "other than profit" development. Defense and other Federal government for example.
A wide range of alumni experience in these and others to provide climate change actions.
Introducing other than for profit elements in for profit commercial, and individual lifestyles needs close rapport.
Climate Change National Authority needed, or assignments to existing Agencies? What level and size.
MIT interests beyond current Plan?
What actions do you propose?
Applying Climate Change Plan Research.
Sources and Development Conditions
MIT's Plan for Action on Climate Change will be a moving instrument as research results emerge. As well as understandings of climate change driving functions. Need for action to implement new or modified mechanisms and operations, including software, will come from promising understandings in energy/emissions generation, or mobile or fixed base user functions. With priority building, numerous other sources, academia, Industry, users and individuals will be adding more to the list, perhaps some competing with MIT's. Thinking of MIT alumni actions as both individual specialists, and organizational identifies wide ranges of experience, usually user market place rules. As noted below, Climate Change actions likely will shift away from "cheap oil" rules.
Development Process Test and Use
Once a finding and a decision is made for an environmentally helpful change in equipment or operation, experienced develop and test process is widely available.
In cooperation with industry or prototype builders, a design and a work statement are the bases for (sometimes competitive), initial product contracts. Tests before operation may require re-designs before operational use. Originators are directly involved.. Nature of operation determine volume and site choices.
Some examples of non-market place products are military or NASA Space. Their monolithic nature and significant early stage participation by operators is likely "smoother" than products entering individual or commercial use, with environment has priority.
Examples for Alumni Participation
Objective evaluation of net value of new concepts to total national system of which it would be a vital part in estimated developed form.
Acceptable performance tolerance from construction methods.
Construction considering environmental impact including materials.
The politics and patriotism of profit modification.
Fabrication and tests competitive contracts.
All source proprietary information in national interests.
Financial adjustment to individuals and normally market place driven organizations.
Search for reduced cost and operating interactions with other system components. (User impact mitigation).
What is the Federal government "Business Plan"?
Relation with existing Agencies---USDOE, USDOT, etc.
Basis for user/operator added cost?
Human relations analysis/consultation when off market operations required?
Devices and operations/software to accomplish environmental goals with minimum impact on productivity/competitiveness o the economy, is highest priority for active alumni.
Management Options
Sloan School and alumni management-experience valuable for:
Process and criteria for research transition to development.
Degree of Federal oversight for all aspects Climate Change activities. Interaction with existing Agencies: USDOE,USDOD, USDOT, NASA, etc. Wide range in major system management experience.
What responsibilities will MIT "Corporate" take beyond
close industry interaction described in Climate Change Plan?
Factors in Development Plan
1) After realistic development for service in appropriate numbers, elements derived from new findings, and modification of present elements will need to show net favorable climate impact. Modest cost increase will be tolerated.
2) Productivity, competitiveness, mobility, safety, national defense, health and numerous issues in lifestyle enter the overall system analysis for the developed operational products. Public and commercial enterprise participation in optimizing operation and use under the environmentally shifted performance priorities. Expect politics and public's slowness to respond.
3) A valuable associated analysis of course will identify ways and developments for re-arrangements to minimize undesirable impact to productivity, etc.
4) Elements of human relations and factual objective evaluations/rationale will be needed and through media for public understanding of favorable aspects of Climate Change actions. Plans for mitigation of cost/lifestyle changes are important.
Performing the above levels of system functions outside the profit driven marketplace are not rare. There is experience within the MIT government support scope, as well as others listed, providing tangible equipment.
Examples: Lincoln Lab., Draper Lab, MITRE Corp, Applied Physics Lab/ Johns Hopkins, NASA, Singapore 3 University Transport Research Centers, USAF Western Development Division/The Aerospace Corp., Rand Corporation.
Having retired as a Vice President at The Aerospace Corp. with nearly 20 years service, perhaps some comments that apply. Applied Physics Lab, and MITRE are similar for National level "cutting edge" technology programs:
A core not-for-profit, barred from building competitive hardware/software in related fields protects proprietary information as it performs system technical management. Teamed with experience from academia and industry, including all advanced concepts, topocs 1) 2) 3) above as the basis for government contracts at appropriate levels of development. Work statements are prepared by the not for profit, but the contracts are government, which has final say in settling infrequent differences. Close but separate work space is preferred. The not for profit operates as a unit, not a scientist/engineer pool or list of consultants. Government thus has a full time experienced organization responsible for "Systems Engineering Technical Direction" in appropriate phases, including proof tests for major elements. Johns Hopkins APL, initiated this "Associate Contractor" system, and has had extensive experience with technical management for the US Navy. Though the organization form may differ, the same functions are usually present.
Where there is a critical element, Draper Lab is an excellent example as inertial guidance produced a dramatic improvement for strategic missiles and central support to space navigation. This concentration along with overseeing industry activities is a research and development application warranting separate consideration. Also a numerical proof for Professor Draper's success in convincing the value of change.
*All respect to academia research, some experience has shown value of full time participants for major undertakings. Faculty, and independent consultants are valuable in some special situations.
Summary
This is not a 1, 2, 3, step Plan. It lists and discusses functions them seem relevant to making Climate Change activities, with emphasis on evaluating development phases for promising research findings.
There is ample management and related organization experience unrelated from the "Business World" to handle large system Climate Change activities.
"How can MIT alumni be active?" Principally applying their training and experience on other large technology challenging systems.
Two areas of difference compared to large systems optimized for-profit:
Cost not ignored, but environmental improvement has priority, Climate Change caused or not.
Hopefully in a democracy, personal and commercial interests will agree to the environment rationale accurately and objectively presented.
Alumni actions will be significantly determined by MIT level of participation in Climate Change activities, both research induced, and from other sources.
MIT should initiate if necessary and participate in evaluation and decisions about organization and leadership authority of National/International Climate Change activities.
At least a total system process is needed to identify findings favorable to develop.
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