OTA reconsidered

摘要

While not arguing with the accuracy of Daryl E. Chubin's view of the positive contributions of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) ("Filling the Policy Vacuum Created by OTA's Demise," Issues, Winter 2000-01), I would point out that the article fails to deal with the fundamental problem that If d to OTA's demise. The agency was created as a tool for legislative decisionmaking. Its work, therefore, was only as valuable as the timeliness of its reports within the legislative schedule. Too often the OTA process resulted in reports that came well after the decisions had been made. Although it can be argued that even late reports had some intellectual value, they did not help Congress, which funded the agency, do its job. For that reason, I would argue with Chubin's characterization of OTA as "client-centered." Its client was Congress, and that client was not satisfied that it was getting the information it needed when the need existed. And so, in 1995, Congress decided to look elsewhere for advice and counsel on matters relating to S&T.