Thoughts on the Professional Training of Scientific and Technological Management Team of High-level Talents in Provincial Agricultural Research Institutes

Lixian CUI, Qingming ZENG, Yingjie WANG, Guangyuan MA, Zheng CHEN, Jinli LIU*

1. Changli Fruit Tree Institute, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Changli 066600, China; 2. Institute of Plant Protection, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Baoding 071000, China

Abstract From two aspects: the composition of scientific research management institutions and the tasks undertaken by scientific research management departments, the present situation of scientific and technological management team in agricultural research institutes is expounded. Some problems existed in the scientific and technological management team of provincial agricultural research institutes are analyzed, such as uneven knowledge structure of scientific research management personnel, low degree of specialization, poor stability, lack of professional and systematic job training, etc. Professional development countermeasures are proposed, such as optimizing the structure of scientific research management team, establishing a professional management system with the characteristics of agricultural scientific research institutions, formulating corresponding evaluation mechanism for scientific research management personnel, and strengthening the training of agricultural scientific research management personnel.

Key words Agricultural research institutes, Science and technology management team, Professionalization, Countermeasures

1 Introduction

In the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19thCPC Central Committee, it is pointed out that construction of cadre team in the new era should be enhanced. The cadre team in the new era must be a high-quality professional cadre team. It must be politically competent, have a strong sense of reform and a high level of ability, and dare to venture and work. Agricultural science and technology management is the core of scientific research institutions[1]. How to select and cultivate high-level agricultural science and technology management talents is the top priority in agricultural science and technology management. The level of specialization determines the efficiency of scientific research management, and affects the quality of scientific research activities, the innovation ability of scientific and technological personnel, the output of scientific research achievements, the transformation benefits of scientific and technological achievements, the speed of scientific research personnel training and the level of scientific and technological services. Strengthening and improving the specialization of scientific and technological management personnel in agricultural research institutes should be an important subject in the management and construction of talent teams in leading groups at all levels[2].

2 Status quo

2.1 Organization compositionMost of the primary management departments of provincial agricultural research institutes set up functional offices such as scientific research offices, science and technology offices and achievement offices as the main scientific research management departments to uniformly manage their own scientific research projects, scientific and technological achievements, and intellectual property rights. Most of the personnel have master’s degrees and associate senior titles or above. The secondary scientific research management department is mainly composed of the leaders in charge of the institute and the office of the institute. The personnel also have a master’s degree or above and a professional title of vice senior or above. Seen from actual situation of each directly affiliated institute, most of the directors in charge of scientific research are technicians engaged in scientific research. In addition to managing the scientific research work of the institute, they also undertake multiple tasks such as scientific and technological innovation, scientific and technological services, discipline construction,etc.

2.2 Undertaken tasksThe independent science and technology management department is mainly responsible for the plan management, project management, intellectual property management and achievement management of the whole institute. The merged science and technology management department also undertakes the comprehensive management of various tasks, such as party construction, professional title declaration, subject files, personnel files, science and technology files, scientific research statistics discipline construction, science and technology condition platform construction, foreign affairs exchange and information reporting. Science and technology management personnel should not only be familiar with the rules and regulations of the work content, but also master the scientific research development trend of their own professional research institutes and the basic procedures of scientific research activities in the new era. They should not only have the ability of horizontal and vertical contact, to keep close contact with the scientific and technological personnel of their own units, and be familiar with their scientific research trends and achievements, but also maintain close contact with higher-level scientific research departments, and be clear about their policies and instructions. Moreover, they can coordinate all links of communication between the two, so as to promote the comprehensive and effective development of scientific research[3].

3 Existing problems

3.1 Knowledge structure of scientific research managers being uneven, lacking management philosophyRational knowledge structure is the basis of doing well in science and technology management. With the post setting and discipline adjustment of the research institute, the division of labor of full-time scientific management personnel and various departments of the scientific research department is often adjusted. The disciplines of scientific research management personnel in each institute are different, and their level and quality are also uneven. At present, the knowledge structure of the scientific management personnel is still dominated by the specialties of the professional institutes, lacking the knowledge of the management specialty. The work lacks initiative and creativity, and the management function is weakened. The management mode remains unchanged, and the refined management and professional services cannot be achieved.

3.2 Low degree of specialization and poor stabilityOn the one hand, most of the scientific and technological management personnel in scientific research institutes have non management professional backgrounds and lack professional knowledge, resulting in the lack of corresponding theoretical guidance and practical experience in their work. On the other hand, due to their own professional limitations, their knowledge is relatively single, and they are unable to provide high-quality services in the face of different disciplines and research directions. Scientific management personnel who have been trained for many years in some institutes have been selected to new positions, and some of the scientific management personnel have changed their ways to engage in scientific research or take other positions in the research room. The professionalism and stability of the scientific research management personnel are seriously insufficient.

3.3 Lack of professional and systematic job trainingThe information received by the institute-level scientific research management personnel in terms of project application is relatively backward, and their understanding of relevant national, provincial and ministerial scientific research management policies and regulations are not in place. They mainly adopt the method of exploring while practicing to engage in management work. It is lack of awareness of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, the concept of market economy, means of knowledge management, and professional and systematic job training. They do not understand the development trend of scientific research management in the new era, can not put forward predictive scientific research ideas, and can not meet the requirements of the development in the new era.

4 Training countermeasures

4.1 Optimizing the structure and personnel allocation of scientific research management teamIt is the basis for improving scientific research management ability to build a management team composed of old, middle-aged and young people with complementary specialties to form a stable scientific research management team. First, scientific research institutes should strengthen top-level design, reasonably arrange personnel, optimize the allocation in terms of age structure, professional background, technical positions,etc., and build a management team that is dynamic, responsible and capable, and could learn from other’s strengths and close the gap. Meanwhile, it also should pay attention to ensuring the stability of the management group. Second, it is necessary to continuously introduce high-quality and highly educated professional management talents to serve as the staff and assistants of the leaders, set up corresponding departments, and allocate full-time personnel.

4.2 Establishing a professional management system with the characteristics of agricultural scientific research institutions

The role of scientific research management personnel directly determines the level of scientific research development of a unit. It is necessary to improve the management level, management consciousness and management concept of agricultural scientific research personnel. Planned professional training plays a very important role in improving the work quality of scientific research management team. Through planned, organized and multi-channel participation in relevant professional knowledge and professional quality and ability training, scientific research management knowledge and skills are gradually mastered, and they become professional scientific research managers. Moreover, it should promote the professional development of scientific research managers, enhance their sense of professional honor, and raise it to the level of laws and regulations, so as to gradually realize scientific, standardized and institutionalized scientific research management.

4.3 Conducting classified evaluation, and formulating corresponding evaluation mechanism for high-level scientific research management personnelProfessional title evaluation of scientific research management personnel should focus on management work. According to "whether the science and technology management methods are innovative, whether the formulated science and technology development plan and policy suggestions are adopted by the superior, management efficiency and service object satisfaction"[4], evaluation is conducted. Matched with the corresponding reward and punishment system, the initiative of scientific research management staff to serve scientific research is stimulated. Or the professional title classification of scientific research management post is established, and the competition and mobility mechanism of "setting posts according to needs, hiring according to posts, dynamic management and reasonable mobility" is implemented. It could give scientific research managers a certain pressure and motivation, set clear goals for agricultural scientific research managers, remove the worries of agricultural scientific research managers, and create a good working environment.

4.4 Strenging the training of high-level agricultural scientific research management personnelThe comprehensive quality of scientific and technological management personnel directly affects the improvement of scientific and technological level and the exertion of scientific and technological personnel’s enthusiasm. At the same time of introducing management professionals, regular training should be conducted for on-the-job managers to improve their quality. Scientific research management personnel should be arranged to study and exchange in a planned way to improve their professional quality, and relevant experts could be hired to teach new theories, methods and technologies of scientific research management. By holding scientific research management meetings, symposiums, experience exchange meetings and other forms, it provides a platform for scientific research managers to learn and exchange, so that managers can communicate new knowledge, new ideas and expand their work horizons.

4.5 Improving management mode, refining division of labor, and clarifying responsibilitiesThe three-level management mode of "academy-institute-research office" is implemented in the affairs of provincial agricultural research institutes. The division of labor of scientific research management personnel is not clear, and the division of responsibilities for specific affairs is vague, and the management efficiency is just like uploading and releasing. It is suggested to clarify the responsibilities, refine the division of labor, and carry out whole-process tracking management for the initiation of science and technology projects, review, contract signing, medium-term fund management, medium-term implementation inspection, management of acceptance application submitted at later stage of the project, verification of task indicators, identification and acceptance, reward, transformation and promotion of scientific research achievements[5]. In this way, the scientific and technological management team with division of labor and cooperation can creatively put forward the scheme of scientific research incentive and restraint mechanism, and put forward valuable opinions on the long-term planning and annual plan of scientific research institutions, so as to promote the high-quality development of agricultural scientific research.