OBJECT CLASS SUMMARY The estimated obligations for FY 1978, FY 1979, and FY 1980 are compared below and explained in more detail in the following narrative. An explanation of our requirements by object classification follows: 11.1 Permanent Positions This classification covers the salary costs of positions which are expected to exist for periods greater than a year. This classification includes public members of the OTA Advisory Council, members of assessment committees, panels, and individual consultants who are paid at a daily rate when actually employed. The increase in this object class provides primarily for increase in the number of assessment panels and panel meetings. 12.0 Personnel Benefits This classification provides for required employee contributions to the Civil Service Retirement fund, group life insurance, and group health insurance. 21.0 Travel This classification covers the cost of travel related to testimony, program operations such as monitoring technology assessment contracts, attendance at panel meetings, council hearings, and other purposes. The FY 1980 requirements of staff for travel funds are compared to that of panels and consultants, below: This classification provides for the transporting of technical documents to our committees and panel members and contractors, and for other miscellaneous transportation charges. 23.0 Rent, Communications and Utilities This classification covers the cost of rental of office space and equipment, telephones, postage, telegrams, etc. 24.0 Printing and Reproduction This classification covers the cost of printing assessment reports and other day-to-day printing requirements such as stationary, envelopes, and special reports. 25.0 Other Services This classification covers the cost of technology assessment contracts and other government and non-government services. 26.0 Supplies and Materials This classification provides for the cost of day-to-day operating supplies and materials. 31.0 Equipment This classification provides for the purchase of typewriters, adding machines, calculators and other office machines, and for office furniture and equipment, technical books and publications. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES Priority Setting and Reserve for The act establishing the Office of Technology Assessment provides that assessment projects may be initiated by requests of: o the chairman of any standing, special, or joint committee of Congress; o the OTA Board; or o the Director of OTA, in consultation with the Board. Prior to 1978, all CTA assessments were initiated in response to requests from Committee Chairmen or from the Board. The new Director of the Office of Technology Assessment decided in January 1978 to further implement OIA's mandate as established in its enabling legislation by initiating requests to the Board for priority assessments. The To do this, a formal priority list has been developed. priority-setting process is an ongoing one, with the formal list being revised yearly. The list is used as a guide in selecting projects for submittal to the Board for approval. Topics on the list reflect the ideas and views of Members of Congress and committee staffs, OTA's Board and Advisory Council, the public, and OTA staff. As a systematic process for selecting, comparing, and ranking appropriate and timely topics for OTA's agenda, the Office solicits suggestions on a periodic basis. As suggestions taken from the top of the list are acted upon, others are moved up. Project suggestions are evaluated and ranked according to a carefully developed and refined set of criteria. Periodic reordering of priorities is based on new inputs and changes in the world and congressional situation. The objective of the priority list is to define, in order of importance, specific, doable, feasible projects useful to the Congress. The priority topics are presented in project form. They can be completed within a 9- to 24-month period, cost from $300,000 to $600,000, and are manageable within OTA's normal staffing and consulting arrangements. OTA will maintain a permanent list of the 30 highest priority candidates for future assessment. As items are funded and studies begun, new items will be added and the priorities readjusted. It will be necessary for the Board to decide how many of the items of the priority list can be initiated with available funds. All assessments selected will be in accordance with specific requests and/or endorsements by interested Committees of the Congress. During fiscal year 1979, the list has been helpful in defining optimum choices for CTA's immediate program. The Technology Assessment Board, at its reeting on October 3, 1978, approved proposals to undertake seven - 7 assessments, six of which were from the priorities agenda. Further candidates will be presented to the Board during the 96th Congress. OTA PRIORITIES as of December 18, 1978 Impact of Technology on National Water Supply and Demand Alternative Global Food Futures Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Technology and World Population Productivity of U.S. Croplands, Forests & Wetlands Impacts of Technology on Productivity, Inflation & Technology and the Developing World Peace Technology Impact of Microprocessing on Society Designing for Conservation of Materials Future of Military Equipment The Impact of Technology on Movement of Goods Allocating the Electromagnetic Spectrum Globally Prospects for Increased Longevity Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion Technology and Mental Health Technology and Education Prescription Drug Use Forest Resource Technologies Third World Diseases Impact of Technology on the Electric Automobile R&D Priorities for U.S. Food Production Alternative Materials Technologies Deep Ocean Minerals Development Energy Efficiency in Industry Role of Technology in Meeting Housing Needs |