Articles

Enabling Factors and Performance of S&T Based Societal Projects: An Indian Case Study

Usha Dixit, V. C. Goyal

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze various intricacies and complexities of the S&T based societal projects, and to identify the enabling factors of such projects. An analysis was carried out to assess the benefits to the community of these funded projects by evaluating the impact of technologies on the project outcomes, and on the target beneficiaries. For the present analysis, the societal projects supported during a five-year period were considered. The analysis covered 491 projects sponsored to 306 organizations in different parts of the country, at a total cost of about INR 360 million. The analysis shows that such projects not only bring tangible benefits to the target beneficiaries and the area but also empower them in deriving benefits of the technological advancements. The analysis was conducted covering two major aspects- outcome of the projects and identification of the enabling factors which governed the design, management and performance of the projects. The second part of analysis focused on the identification of a set of enabling factors comprising input and output variables to quantify the design and management aspects as well as performance of projects in terms of productive outcomes, extent of sustainability and potential for replicability. The analysis also presents a methodology to the funding agencies as well as to the planners in designing S&T based societal programmes keeping in view the critical enabling factors so that the returns from the investments are optimally utilized and to make these projects successful in terms of ensuring their replicability and utilisation in various sectors of sustainable development. Based on the analysis, the paper suggests that a package of strategies can be adopted for the projects to be more focussed, productive and sustainable over the time, particularly for development of sustainable micro-enterprises, and for potential replication and scaling up.

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