Philippine E-Journals

MARKET NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN S&T SYSTEMS AND R&D INSTITUTIONS FOR A MASTER OF R&D MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Jaine C. Reyes | Maria Dominique C. Velasco | Larry Cruz | Ellaisa Ruth B. Veluz

 

Abstract:

Professional development through formal and non-formal education has to adapt to a continually changing environment of the industry and technological trends in learning management systems. One of the pioneering post-graduate programs of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) is the Diploma in Research and Development Management (DR&DM) program, which aims to professionalize incumbent and potential R&D managers through formal education in an open and distance e-learning (ODeL) mode. With financial support from the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the DR&DM will be upgraded to a Master of Research and Development Management (MR&DM) in ODeL. Before the curriculum designing, an assessment is conducted through surveys (pen and paper and online), key informant interview (KII), and focus group discussion (FGD) in the national science and technology (S&T) system to determine the market demand for the MR&DM program, as well as the professional development needs of researchers, scientists, and managers in higher education institutions (HEIs), government, and private agencies. A total of 208 respondents from DR&DM students and alumni, members of the Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc. (PHILARM), personnel of various DOST agencies, and attendees of the R&D Symposium and Colloquium participated in the survey, KII, and FGD. Results showed a high (71%) market demand for an online MR&DM program, but 80% were not aware of any MR&DM program offerings elsewhere in the Philippines and abroad. Respondents expressed that they can support their studies by themselves or through scholarship, and that they preferred part-time study that they can finish in 2-3 years. They preferred special problem/project or thesis as their program output. The proposed topics/ titles for the MR&DM consisting of courses offered in the DR&DM program and those from related academic programs were ranked based on which are the closest to their learning needs in their workplaces. These topics served as the basis for the MR&DM curricular proposal. Educational service providers should be attuned not only in knowledge contribution to the state of the art in R&D management, but also to the needs of the market (organization and industry) and the learners’ professional growth.