5 MEASUREMENT OF R&D PERSONNEL

5.1.Introduction

289.Personnel data measure the resources going directly to R&D activities. Expenditure data measure the total cost of carrying out the R&D concerned, including indirect support (ancillary) activities.

290.The theoretical distinction between R&D and indirect support (ancillary) activities is discussed in Chapter 2. In practice, it is useful to introduce additional criteria concerning the location of the activity in the entity concerned and its relation to the R&D-performing unit, considered as an establishment-type unit that may differ from the statistical unit.

291.In compiling R&D data, it may be difficult to isolate the R&D activities of ancillary staff from those of other R&D staff. In theory, however, the following activities are included in personnel and expenditure data if they are carried out in the R&D unit:

–Performing the scientific and technical work for a project (setting up and carrying out experiments or surveys, building prototypes, etc.).

–Planning and managing R&D projects, especially their S&T aspects.

–Preparing the interim and final reports for R&D projects, especially their R&D aspects.

–Providing internal services for R&D projects, e.g. computing or library and documentation work.

–Providing support for the administration of the financial and personnel aspects of R&D projects.

292. The following are service or indirect support (ancillary) activities to be excluded from the personnel data but to be included in the expenditure data as overhead:

–Specific services to R&D provided by central computer departments and libraries.

–The services of central finance and personnel departments.

–Security, cleaning, maintenance, canteens, etc.

293. The activities identified above as indirect support activities should also be included in overhead expenditures if they are purchased or hired from outside suppliers (see Table 5.1).

90	FRASCATI MANUAL 2002 – ISBN 92-64-19903-9 – © OECD 2002

5 MEASUREMENT OF R&D PERSONNEL

Table 5.1. R&D and indirect support activities

	Treatment in R&D	Location in the institution carrying out		Categories	Activities in each
	survey	the R&D			category
R&D activities	In R&D personnel	In the R&D-	R&D units (formal	Direct R&D	Carry out
	and in R&D labour	performing unit	R&D) plus other		experiments, build
	costs		units (informal		prototypes, etc.
			R&D)
				Acquisition	Drafting, typing and
				and treatment of	reproducing R&D
				specific information	reports, in-house
					libraries, etc.
				Specific R&D	Planning and
				management	managing S&T
					aspects of R&D
					projects
				Specific	Bookkeeping,
				administrative	personnel
				support	administration
Indirect support	Not in R&D	Elsewhere in	Central finance or	Central	R&D share
activities	personnel or	the performing	personnel services	administration	of finance,
	in R&D labour	institution (firm,	On-site consultants		personnel and
	costs but in “Other	agency, university,			general operations
	current costs”	etc.) (or contracted
	as overhead	out)
			S&T-related	Direct centralised	R&D share
			support services	support activities	of support provided
					by computer
					departments,
					libraries, etc.
			Other ancillary	Indirect centralised	Security, cleaning,
			services	support services	maintenance,
					canteen, etc.
Not involved	Excluded	Outside the	Regional and		Collection and
in performance		performing	national authorities,		distribution of R&D
		institution n.e.c.	international		funds
			agencies, charities,
			etc.

Source: OECD.

FRASCATI MANUAL 2002 – ISBN 92-64-19903-9 – © OECD 2002

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