Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance

Curso: 2022-2023 Director/Directora: Toledo Gandarias, Nerea Estudiante: Ramón Rodríguez, Josu MANAGING OF R&D PROJECTS: PROBLEMS AND GUIDANCE MÁSTER UNIVERSITARIO EN DIRECCIÓN DE PROYECTOS TRABAJO FIN DE MASTER Fecha: Bilbao, 3 de Mayo de 2023 Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 2 DATOS BÁSICOS DEL PROYECTO  Alumno: Josu Ramón Rodríguez.  Directora: Nerea Toledo Gandarias.  Departamento: Expresión Gráfica y Proyectos de Ingeniería.  Título del Trabajo: Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance  Resumen: El presente trabajo se centra en la gestión de proyectos de investigación y desarrollo, los cuales han tenido un gran crecimiento durante los últimos años. A través de una revisión bibliografía se identifican los principales factores más comunes que afectan a la gestión. Se propone además un marco de actuación para la gestión atendiendo a la especial naturaleza de este tipo de proyectos. Finalmente, se identifican y describen una serie de herramientas y soluciones con la intención de evitar los problemas previamente identificados.  Palabras clave: Gestión de proyectos, I+D, Gestión de investigación y desarrollo, Innovación, Investigación industrial, Investigación en ingeniería, Proyecto colaborativo, Herramientas y técnicas, Buenas prácticas, Directrices.  Abstract: This paper focuses on the management of research and development projects, which have been growing rapidly in recent years. A literature review identifies the main common factors affecting project management. A framework for management action is also proposed, taking into account the special nature of this type of project. Finally, a series of tools and solutions are identified and described with the intention of avoiding the problems previously identified..  Keywords: Project management, R&D, Research and Development Management, Innovation, Industrial Research, Engineering research, Collaborative project, Tools and techniques, Best practices, Guideline Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 3 INDEX 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 8 1.1 What is R&D Project management? ......................................................................... 8 1.2 Project management: common methodologies ......................................................... 9 1.2.1 Traditional project management ............................................................................................. 9 1.2.2 Iterative method .................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.3 Incremental method .............................................................................................................. 10 1.2.4 Agile method ........................................................................................................................ 10 2 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK ............................................................. 12 2.1 Objetive ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Scope ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Success criteria .......................................................................................................... 12 3 CONTEXT ............................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Evolution of R&D in Spain ....................................................................................... 13 4 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 16 5 ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF THE ART ..................................................... 17 5.1 Key words .................................................................................................................. 17 5.2 Scopus research ......................................................................................................... 17 6 SOLUTIONS TO AVOID FAILURE IN R&D PROJECTS ............................ 23 6.1 Framework for R&D project management ............................................................ 23 6.2 Tools and procedures for improving R&D project management ......................... 25 6.2.1 Main problems identified ...................................................................................................... 25 6.2.2 Communication .................................................................................................................... 26 6.2.3 Tools for collaboration ......................................................................................................... 29 6.2.4 Cultural/Geographical distance ............................................................................................ 32 6.2.5 Setting goals ......................................................................................................................... 36 6.2.6 Tools for monitoring ............................................................................................................. 37 6.2.7 Tools for stakeholder management ....................................................................................... 38 6.2.8 Tools for dealing with unkowns ........................................................................................... 40 6.2.9 Tools for planning ................................................................................................................ 43 7 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 47 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 49 Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 4 LISTA DE ABREVIATURAS TFM .................. Trabajo de Fin de Máster R&D…………… Research and Development INE……………. National Statistics Institute (Spain) EU…………….. European Union PM…………….. Project Management US……………... United States UK…………....... United Kingdom IT………………. Information technology PMI ................... Project Management Institute WIP……………. Work in progress RACI…………... Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed SWOT…………. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats SMART……….. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound BSC…………… Balanced ScoreCard PERT…………. Program Evaluation Review Technique GERT…………. Graphical Evaluation & Review Technique WBS…………... Work Breakdown Structure CBS…………… Creativity Breakdown Structure DBS…………… Design Breakdown Structure Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 5 ÍNDICE DE FIGURAS Figure 1. Traditional life cycle process[5] ...................................................................... 9 Figure 2. Iterative life cycle[6] ..................................................................................... 10 Figure 3. Incremental life cycle[6]................................................................................ 10 Figure 4. Scrum process [7] ........................................................................................ 11 Figure 5. Evolution of Spanish investment in R&D [8] ................................................ 13 Figure 6. Variation in Spain of R&D investment from financial crisis until 2021 [8] ...... 14 Figure 7. Variation in EU of R&D investment from 2020 until 2021 [8] ........................ 15 Figure 8. Outline of methodology followed .................................................................. 16 Figure 9. Keyword results obtained from Scopus search ............................................ 17 Figure 10. Evolution of documents publications related to the search ......................... 18 Figure 11. Main authors related to the search ............................................................. 19 Figure 12. Country with more publications related to the search ................................. 19 Figure 13. Graph of h-index for the search .................................................................. 21 Figure 14. Project life cycle approach ......................................................................... 24 Figure 15. Formality grade along the project life cycle ................................................ 24 Figure 16. Number of tools during the project life. ....................................................... 25 Figure 17. Communication tactics [33] ........................................................................ 27 Figure 18. Kanban Board example [34] ....................................................................... 30 Figure 19. RACI matrix example [35] .......................................................................... 31 Figure 20. Project organization chart example. [36] .................................................... 31 Figure 21. Country cultural comparison [37] ................................................................ 34 Figure 22. CAGE framework template[39] ................................................................... 35 Figure 23. Template for Balanced Scored C. [41] ....................................................... 38 Figure 24. Types of stakeholders and how to manage them.[42] ................................ 39 Figure 25. Map of stakeholder relationships.[43] ......................................................... 40 Figure 26. Stakeholder analysis template. [43]............................................................ 40 Figure 27. Fatal Flaw Analysis [44] ............................................................................. 42 Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 6 Figure 28. Planning when a task has an uncertain outcome [26] ................................ 43 Figure 29. Basic GERT network example.[45]............................................................. 44 Figure 30. Design Breakdown Structure example. [46] ............................................... 46 Figure 31. Simple Gantt Chart example.[47] ............................................................... 46 Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 7 ÍNDICE DE TABLAS Table 1. Top 20 documents with more citations related to the search ......................... 20 Table 2. Top 10 document more cited from 2018 to 2020 related to the search .......... 21 Table 3. Stakeholder register ...................................................................................... 28 Table 4. Communication matrix .................................................................................. 29 Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 8 1 INTRODUCTION Over the last few years, the globalisation of companies has led to an internal evolution of companies, in particular in terms of innovation and new developments, the change has been even more abrupt. International competition and new customer requirements and trends have forced companies to increase their R&D expenditures in order to offer products and services that are more customised and differentiated from their competitors. In this way, businesses have experience a transformation, becoming more collaborative [1] and more organised in projects [2] to adapt this new situation. However, increased spending on innovation projects does not always lead to satisfactory results. The uncertainty and risks involved make these projects time-consuming and costly if not managed correctly. Therefore, we will try to analyse and give visibility to the typical factors of these collaborative R&D projects and propose tools or solutions that help the project manager to carry out a special project management according to the nature of the project. 1.1 What is R&D Project management? Project management is a method and a set of techniques based on the accepted principles of management used for planning, estimating, and controlling work activities to reach a desired end result on time, within budget, and according to specification. A project is any series of activities and tasks that together achieve predetermined deliverables in accordance with:  defined start and end dates  funding limits  a quality definition  intermediate milestones  utilization of resources such as equipment, materials, people Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications.[3] One of the most difficult tasks in any organization is the management of R&D activities. These R&D activities are usually headed up by scientists, engineers, managers, employees, and even executives. All of these people, at one time or another, may act as R&D project managers. They start out with an idea and are asked to lay out a detailed schedule, cost summary, set of specifications and resource requirements such that the idea can become a reality. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.[4] Therefore, one could define R&D project management as the application of techniques, methodologies and best practices for the management of projects under the umbrella of innovation, where risk and uncertainty are high. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 9 1.2 Project management: common methodologies Over the years, project management has been able to adapt to the circumstances required by the industry. A clear example of this was the emergence of software developments, which are completely different projects to what the industry was used to. In the following, we will review the most important methodologies to assess where innovation projects could fit in. 1.2.1 Traditional project management Traditionally, project management focused in its beginnings on predictive project models, where objectives, milestones, cost and deadlines were perfectly defined, uncertainty was minimal due to the search for repeatability and control of changes, through statistical project control. The methodology that has traditionally governed traditional project management is known as the waterfall method. This methodology is described in the PMBOK extensively, and commonly used in projects where requirements and activities are identified, fixed for the project framework, then planned, executed, controlled and finally concluded. Figure 1. Traditional life cycle process[5] While this methodology works very well when activities and requirements are well defined, it presents difficulties when new tasks, uncertainties or requirements are added that were not previously planned. Moreover, a project that is well executed, planned and controlled but nevertheless not useful is a waste of resources. In R&D, the natural uncertainty of the project always leads to an outcome, whether positive or negative. And it will be that outcome that drives and directs decision making in the next phase of the project. Due to this and the development of new products and services, project management has adapted by creating new, more flexible and less structured methodologies. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 16 4 METHODOLOGY This section of the project aims to show the methodology followed for the development of the project, which will help to better understand the document. For this purpose, the following scheme is presented with the different phases that have been developed: Figure 8. Outline of methodology followed First of all, the aim of the project is to define the objective of the project in order to understand how far we want to go by defining the limits through the scope. After this, with a brief introduction, the aim is to situate the reader in the scope of the work with a brief explanation of the different methodologies most commonly used in project management. In order to justify the relevance of the work, the evolution of R&D projects in Spain is shown, offering results of the investment that has increased over the years. Afterwards, a bibliographic search is carried out to observe the contributions made by other researchers on the subject in question, looking at proposals for solving the problem and common factors of failure when managing innovative projects. Once the proposals and critical factors have been identified, the aim is to offer a framework for the management of R&D projects and different tools that can improve the problems that these projects present by their very nature. •Definition of what is expected from the project •Set a scope, definning what should be considered within the documents •Stablish a finish, where the document comes to its end OBJECTIVE •Basic overview of terms and concepts •Outline of the situation in Spain in terms of R&D projects INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT •SCOPUS search for relevant documents •Analysis of the papers, obtain useful information for the current project STATE OF THE ART •Framework - Life cycle •Problems identification from literature •Practices to avoid problems PRACTICES PROPOSAL CONCLUSION Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 17 5 ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF THE ART 5.1 Key words As the project is about project management in R&D environment, the following words have been initially identified as key: 1. Project management 2. R&D 3. Innovation 4. Collaborative project 5. Management framework 6. Tools and techniques 7. Best practices 5.2 Scopus research Once the initial keywords have been identified, the next step is to perform an advanced search in the SCOPUS database[9] (it could be done in another research databases like Google Schoolar). In order to have an accurate and advanced search, Boolean operators are used: TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "Project management" AND ( "R&D" OR "Research and development" ) ) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "Innovation" OR "Collaborative" OR "Management framework" OR "Tools" OR "Techniques" OR "Best practices" ) Then once the search is done, now keywords of the papers searched are analysed: Figure 9. Keyword results obtained from Scopus search Taking into account the initial searched keywords and the ones that appear in the paper search, the final keyword list is defined. This is done because the webpage SCOPUS allows to see which the most repeated keywords are used. Therefore, in order to prepare a more precise search the final selection is: 1. Project management 2. R&D Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 18 3. Research and Development Management 4. Innovation 5. Industrial Research 6. Engineering research 7. Collaborative project 8. Tools and techniques 9. Best practices 10. Guideline The Boolean search will be the following: TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "Project management" AND ( "R&D" OR "Research and development" OR "Innovation" ) ) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "Collaborative" OR "Industrial research" OR "Engineering research" ) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "Tools" OR "Techniques" OR "Best practices" OR "guideline" ) With this better and accurate search, the results has varied from 1564 to 305. Then, the results will be filter by the following boundaries: - Type of documents: only reviews, conferences and articles - Language: English This final search offers 279 documents, which are going to be analysed using Scopus to show the evolution of the publications: - Documents by year: It is interesting that mainly the concern about the topic is growing. However, there is a decrease between 2008 and 2011, this could be due to the financial crisis during those years, it could be logical because the reduction in the investments of R&D project. Figure 10. Evolution of documents publications related to the search Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 19 - Documents by author: regarding the topic of R&D management, three are the authors that publish more documents in the recent years (G. Fernandes, Machado R.J. and Pinto E.B.). Figure 11. Main authors related to the search - Documents by territory or country: clearly US is the country that contributes with more documents to the searched topic, then there is UK and China and also different countries from Europe. So, this is also interesting because it is a global corcern. Figure 12. Country with more publications related to the search Now it would be necessary to define the most relevant articles within the area of knowledge searched. For this, h-index will be used, which is an indicator that relates the productivity and impact of the identified publications. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 20 First of all, all the publications are organized depending on the number of citations from higher to lower. In the following list, it is only show the first 20 documents most cited: Table 1. Top 20 documents with more citations related to the search Also the h-index graph is obtained and it indicates the authors that has publish at least h number of papers and at least has had h number of citations in each document. In this case, the h number is 31. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 21 Figure 13. Graph of h-index for the search Another important point to analyse from the bibliography is to identify new publications that could be relevant to the present research document, for which it is recommended to filter by publication date, with the most recent ones being the first in the search. The documents will be filtered by year (from 2018 to 2022) and then ordered by the number of citations received. The top 10 documents are: Table 2. Top 10 document more cited from 2018 to 2020 related to the search In addition, it could be useful to identify the journals that are more common publishing during the last years documents related to this area of knowledge, in order to clarify in which sources are more accurate information. For this reason, analysing the results, the following journals are the main ones: Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 22 - International Journal Of Project Management - Research Technology Management - IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management But apart from the sources obtained, here the important aspect is the documents that allow a better comprehension of the state of the art: - Mainly the most recent papers are about collaborative projects [10] [11] [12] [13]. That means there is an interest in the last years about managing collaborations in R&D. After that, within the results appear other topics in relation with R&D such as industry 4.0 [14], sustainable developments [15] and industrial research [16]. - Some authors try to analyse the success factor in R&D projects, for example, Rita Andrade, Gabriela Fernandes and Anabela Tereso identified that factors in relation with ‘inter-relational’, ‘scientific and technical’ and ‘strategic’ could have an influence on the formation of benefits [17]. This points could be interesting to focus on and search methodologies and tools to improve the management of R&D collaborations. - Regarding the framework of the innovative projects, it is clear that traditional methodologies do not reach successful results. For instance, this claim is proved in a case of study regarding a smart grid collaborative project [18], where traditional project management tools lead to fail. Authors say that to make rise of collaborative innovation between organizations of different nature, it requires defining a hybrid approach to manage this kind of project. Therefore, during this document it will be interesting to develop a concept of hybrid approach for R&D projects. - Also for analysing the points and key aspects of R&D projects, there is a research on PM IT tools [19], in which authors overview some functionalities of IT managing software and purpose a battery of functionalities that could be useful to take into account for the purpose of techniques during this investigation. - One of the most accurate papers with the current R&D management investigation is one made by Gabriela Fernandes, Sofia Moreira, Madalena Araújo, Eduardo B. Pinto, Ricardo J. Machado [20]. In this document, the authors state that the best option for managing this kind of projects is an hybrid approach, in which proposes a set of Must Have 24 well-known PM practices that are presented by the PM life cycle, divided into four phases: project initiation, project initial planning, execution, monitoring and control and re-planning, and, lastly, project closure. This 24 practices are taken from an intensive literature review and could be interesting to purpose during this investigation some tools to control them. - Another research that may be a source of information could be ‘Configurations of project management practices to enhance the performance of open innovation R&D projects’ [21], where the authors explain that a certain formal approach is necessary in the management of science-based projects. On the other hand, they review some literature and find aspects that should be taken into account through the life cycle of the project. However, the practices are not clearly defined, they explain what but not how. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 23 6 SOLUTIONS TO AVOID FAILURE IN R&D PROJECTS As seen in the context and in the analysis of the state of the art, there has been an increasing demand for innovation projects in recent years. In addition, the inherent complexity of these projects poses a management challenge. That is why, as a contribution of this work, a framework for the correct management of R&D projects will be proposed in this block. In addition, based on research published by other authors, key tools and solutions will be offered to avoid failure and improve management. 6.1 Framework for R&D project management Throughout this section, a specific methodology focused on the management of research projects is proposed. As it has been observed in the bibliographic review, there are many particularities in the nature of R&D projects, and that is why the traditional management framework is not completely adequate to be able to control the project. In fact, several articles refer to the need for a hybrid framework between traditional and agile management. First of all, in order to understand the proposed concept, the different stages that a project of this type normally goes through during its life cycle will be briefly defined: 1. Research phase: this is the first phase of the project, mainly arising from the appearance of a problem, technological challenge or improvement. It is usually an informal activity as it seeks the generation of ideas and creativity through collaboration. It tries to find potentially interesting hypotheses or theories to meet the objective of the project. Once a set of proposals is obtained, it is time to give shape to these ideas, trying to find answers to the following questions: How is the idea going to be transformed into reality? How is the idea going to be tested? Is it possible, interesting or can it be developed with the available means? 2. Development phase: second phase preceding the initial phase but which may overlap at some point. It starts when an idea has already been conceived and defined. With this stage, the aim is to design and carry out the tests or prototypes that will mark the final viability of the idea. This part of the life cycle can extend from the pre-production phase to the production phase. This is where R&D resides in the life cycle. Depending on the organisation, the discipline, culture and structure applied to projects in this phase may be strict when there is a tight deadline to deliver a new version. Or it could be applied in a more relaxed way, for example during research for a radical innovation, where time constraints may be non-demanding. In the pre-production phase, all efforts and resources are focused on proving that an idea is good enough to go ahead; in R&D, it is at this point when the prototype has validated the design and production can begin. It is common for activities to move into production before the design is sufficiently mature, which is often a source of unforeseen events, iterations or failures. This part of the life cycle is difficult to manage. Moreover, the quantity of risk which can be tolerated and external pressures to meet deadlines will influence decisions about when to move on. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 24 3. Control phase: as the project progresses, it approaches the control phase, where the number of iterations is reduced, the hypotheses are reduced and the changes disappear. It should be noted that in R&D it is possible for improvements to appear and be developed in this phase as knowledge is greater, however it is clear that the project moves from a more open tendency to something more structured. Taking into account these points, which are usually common in the development of innovation projects, we can have the following life cycle approach: Figure 14. Project life cycle approach On the other hand, in line with the authors' citations in their publications analysed in the state of the art, R&D project management needs both formal and informal tools and techniques. This will depend on the specific project and the maturity status of the project. Figure 15. Formality grade along the project life cycle This does not mean that it is strictly forbidden to use traditional or formal procedures in the early stages of the project. Indeed, they are also necessary for proper project control and management. However, what it is intended is to show that the use of more agile or informal tools is greater during the first stages of creativity and facilitates the progress of the project. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 25 Figure 16. Number of tools during the project life. For this reason, the next section will show different instruments, some of them with a more traditional nature and others more informal, that will facilitate the management of the different areas common to project steering, taking into account where the problems or failures appear. 6.2 Tools and procedures for improving R&D project management During this section, different tools and solutions will be proposed to improve the correct management of R&D projects. As it has been previously observed, both traditional and agile techniques are necessary during the management of these projects. Furthermore, in order to make an analytical and coherent approach, the main problems encountered in these research projects will be listed first. Once this overview has been achieved, it will be possible to search for and recommend the use of certain management techniques. 6.2.1 Main problems identified Thanks to the exhaustive search for information carried out in the state of the art of the project, very useful documents, authors and journals have been found for the development of this activity. Specifically, different causes of problems and/or factors that cause failure in research projects due to the difficulty and particularities of these projects have been identified. The most common and recurrent ones are listed below: - Communication between stakeholders, particularly project consortium [22] : In multi-organisational projects, correct communication is essential to be aligned at all times, however, without a well-defined communication strategy, information does not reach the project correctly and difficulties are generated in the project. - Collaboration [23] [17] [21] : In collaborative research projects, a certain amount of dynamics and attention among the participants is needed to maintain the motivation and involvement of the partners in the project. - Cultural/Geographic distance [23] [17] [21] : Although with new technologies the geographical gap between societies has narrowed, consideration needs to be Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 32 and engaged in the project. Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate achievements in your project: - Recognition: Recognition is an effective way to celebrate team achievements. This can be as simple as a verbal congratulations, a thank you email or a handwritten thank you note. Recognition can also be more formal, such as a certificate of appreciation or an award. - Lunch or meeting: Organise a meeting or lunch with the team to celebrate the achievement. This can be an opportunity for the team to relax, share their experiences and celebrate together. - Day off: giving team members a day off or extra time off is a way of rewarding them for their hard work. This also allows them time to rest and recharge. - Recreational activities: Organising a recreational activity with the team, such as a football match, a trip to the cinema or a spa session, is another way to celebrate achievements and encourage team collaboration. - Personalised gifts: A personalised gift, such as a commemorative T-shirt, a mug with the project logo or a personalised plaque, is a creative way to celebrate the achievements and keep the memory of the project alive. It is important to choose a way of celebrating achievements that is appropriate for the team and the project in question. Each team has its own dynamics and it is important to know the team members well in order to choose the best way to celebrate achievements together. 6.2.4 Cultural/Geographical distance When managing international collaborative projects, in addition to the already known obstacles, there are others such as geographical distance or cultural differences that can negatively affect the results of the project if they are not properly addressed. In order to overcome these differences and ensure that they do not affect the project, the following is recommended: - Letter of introduction: a dynamic way to make yourself known and to establish a relationship with the other participants is to hold a presentation session. The idea is to briefly explain where you are from, your hobbies, your professional portfolio, etc. A short presentation like the following one is enough: Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 33 - Comparison between countries: there are websites [37] that help to get an overview of the culture of a country. It is interesting as well as beneficial for project management to learn about other countries to see what their weaknesses are, where they stand out from the rest or from one's own country. In addition, it can be useful for assigning tasks or roles within the project. Below are the results obtained for a comparison between Spain, Sweden and China in the following aspects: o Power distance: the degree to which less powerful members of a country's institutions and organisations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. o Individualism: the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. o Masculinity: a high score means that the values being pursued are success, achievement and power. A low score means that quality of life and care for others are valued more. o Uncertainty avoidance: the uncertainty avoidance dimension is about how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? o Long term orientation: this dimension describes how each society has to maintain certain links with its own past while facing the challenges of the present and the future. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 34 o Indulgence: This dimension is defined as the degree to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were brought up. Figure 21. Country cultural comparison [37] - CAGE Distance Framework: Professor Pankaj Ghemawat developed this tool [38] that identifies the cultural, administrative, geographic and economic differences between the various countries that companies should address and take care of whilst working on and crafting international strategies. The framework can also be used to understand the patterns of capital, trade, the flow of people, and information that work as crucial factors for the organization. o Cultural distance: what characterizes the culture of the country (language, religions…). o Administrative distance: how the administration of the country works (currency, political situation…). o Geographic distance: what characterizes the geography of the country (timezone, climate…). o Economic distance: how is the economy of the country (income levels, infrastructure…). Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 35 Figure 22. CAGE framework template[39] With this tool, it allows to explore how these factors could affect your organization's collaboration or project to expand the partnership into a foreign market. It can also be used to compare the advantages that different countries present, and to prompt further research into whether expansion is viable. - Lack of language skills: Another problem that often arises when managing international collaborative projects is language. On the one hand, there is the obstacle of language level, as not all team members have the same level. this makes it difficult to transmit information, especially in meetings. It is often common not to understand all the information received or not to express oneself correctly when sending information. For this reason, the following is proposed: o Meetings by videoconference: the fact of seeing the face, the lips when speaking and the expressions or gestures makes communication much easier both for the person receiving the information and for the person sending it, as they can see if the other person is understanding them or not. o Slides: it is usually interesting to prepare a small presentation or document that only contains the relevant information so that the person concerned can grasp the main message and understand the basis of the meeting. It is also useful to send this presentation after the end of the meeting in case it requires a second reading. o Meeting minutes: this is a document that is prepared during the meeting, noting down the most important points agreed, next steps, participants, etc. In short, it allows us to have control and monitoring through a record. It facilitates communication as all participants must review it and see if they agree with what has been drafted. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 36 6.2.5 Setting goals The clear and shared definition of project objectives is fundamental to the success of any collaborative research project. - Kick-off meeting: It is important that stakeholders meet at the beginning of the project to discuss and define the objectives collaboratively. This can help ensure that all perspectives are considered and that all expectations are clear. - SMART: Defining SMART objectives is good practice in any project, including innovation projects. The acronym SMART refers to objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. o Specific: The objective should be clear and specific, avoiding generic and vague objectives. o Measurable: The objective should be measurable, in order to be able to assess whether or not it has been achieved. There should be a clear way to measure progress towards the objective. o Achievable: The objective should be realistic and achievable, taking into account the resources available and the limitations of the team. o Relevant: The objective should be relevant to the project and the overall objectives of the organisation. It should make sense in the context of the project and be important to the overall success. o Time-bound: The objective must be time-bound, which means that a deadline must be set for achieving it. With time, the definition of the SMART acronym has been updated, reflecting the importance of the efficiency and feedback. Some authors have extended it, including some focus areas: for example, SMARTER notion includes Evaluated and Revised. Sometimes SMART can be expressed with two A’s as SMAART. In this case, the first A means Achievable and the second is Action-oriented [40]. - SWOT analysis: is a useful tool for assessing the current situation of a project or company and provides valuable information for decision-making. The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Opportunities and Threats, and is used to analyse both internal and external factors that can affect the success of a project. SWOT analysis can assist in defining collaborative objectives in a number of ways: o By identifying internal strengths, the team can set realistic objectives that capitalise on these strengths and are in line with available resources and skills. o By identifying external opportunities, the team can set objectives that take advantage of market trends, customer demand and other external factors. o By identifying internal weaknesses, the team can set objectives that address these weaknesses and enable the team to improve its performance. o By identifying external threats, the team can set objectives that address these challenges and reduce the risks associated with the project. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 37 In the end, in projects where different entities are involved, it is interesting to perform this exercise to better understand the situation of our partner and to see where it can contribute more to the project. Ultimately, collaboration should reduce the weaknesses of each partner, compensating with the strengths of the others and thus reducing the threats. 6.2.6 Tools for monitoring Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a strategic management technique that can be used in research projects to set and measure strategic objectives in several key areas. The BSC focuses on four main perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Processes and Learning and Growth. In the context of a research project, one possible way of applying the BSC could be as follows:  Financial perspective: This perspective focuses on the financial and economic objectives of the project. For example, financial objectives may include securing funding, reducing costs, increasing revenues, and generating value for sponsors and investors. Financial indicators may include, for example, project budget, return on investment (ROI), cost per discovery and project profitability.  Customer perspective: This perspective focuses on customer-related objectives and end-user satisfaction. In a research project, objectives may include generating new knowledge, solving specific scientific or technical problems, improving people's quality of life, or creating value for society. Indicators can be, for example, the success rate in obtaining relevant results, end-user satisfaction, improved problem solving and the social impact of the project.  Internal Processes Perspective: This perspective focuses on objectives related to the efficiency and quality of project processes. In a research project, objectives may include optimisation of the research methodology, improvement of resource management, reduction of response times and quality of results. Indicators can be, for example, the number of relevant discoveries, the turnaround time for obtaining results, the number of publications and patents, and the quality of publications and patents.  Learning and Growth Perspective: This perspective focuses on objectives related to the development and growth of the research team. In a research project, objectives may include the improvement of the team's skills and competences, the promotion of teamwork and innovation in research methodology. Indicators can be, for example, training and development of the team, collaboration with other teams, and development of new products and services. Once the perspectives and objectives of the BSC have been defined, specific and measurable targets should be set for each indicator. This will allow you to track the progress of the project and make data-driven decisions. It is important to regularly review the BSC indicators and make adjustments based on the results obtained. Here is presented a simple template for BSC: Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 38 Figure 23. Template for Balanced Scored C. [41] 6.2.7 Tools for stakeholder management Having all stakeholders on board is the best way to lay a solid foundation for the design, development, and implementation of local strategies. But bringing the right people together and maintaining their support in a multi-stakeholder group can be a challenging task. It is also one of the potential realising factors that projects need to manage. 1. Identify who the stakeholders are. They may be important to the organisation but that does not necessarily mean they are important to the project. 2. Determine what power they have and what their intentions are with regard to the project. Basically, it is a question of assessing their capacity to influence the project, whether they have power and how much power they have over the project. 3. Identify the relationship between the stakeholders. The aim is to see if it is possible to improve the chances of the project by working with your supporters to improve the views of those who oppose it. The figure below shows the options based on an assessment of the potential for cooperation and stakeholder threat: Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 39 Figure 24. Types of stakeholders and how to manage them.[42] Thus, stakeholders in the upper right quadrant (1) have a high potential to support the project, but a low potential to influence. Therefore, project managers need to involve these stakeholders to increase support. In the lower right quadrant (2) are those with low potential for support and low influence. They are marginal to the project, but must be monitored and informed to keep them up to date. In the lower left quadrant (3) are those who have little capacity for support, but potentially a lot of influence on the project. Managers should be wary of these stakeholders and defend the project from them, as they could become a major threat to the project if they are ignored. Finally, in the upper left quadrant (4) are those who have a strong supportive capacity and a great deal of influence. They are active partners and should be treated as such. In addition to influence and interest in the project, it is important to take into account in a collaborative project the relationships that stakeholders may have with each other. In other words, a project in which the different partners do not have good relationships or have had previous conflicts may pose a risk. The diagram below shows an example of such an approach to mapping stakeholders and their relationships. With this information you can draw an ideal map and define strategies to help you get there. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 40 Figure 25. Map of stakeholder relationships.[43] Now with this information and stakeholder overview, a stakeholder analysis template can be completed that will help define those strategies to improve your support: Figure 26. Stakeholder analysis template. [43] 6.2.8 Tools for dealing with unkowns Through careful planning, you can effectively manage uncertainty and minimize its impact on the project's outcome. On the other hand, failing to plan can result in uncertainty controlling the project instead of the other way around. So, when it comes to inventing something, it is essential to embrace the challenge and put in the effort to plan your project effectively. Remember, planning is not a hindrance, but rather a powerful tool for success. When it comes to planning R&D projects, it's important to start with a detailed plan for the near-term part of the project. For the rest of the project, even if you can only come Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 41 up with a rough plan that lists major milestones, it's better than no plan at all. As the project progresses, keep adding details to your plans as soon as possible. This means that your level of planning detail will gradually deepen over time, like a wave moving forward. Planning the unknowns: There are two major types of unknowns: known unknowns and unknown unknowns. Known unknowns are the things that you know you don't know. For example, you might be aware that you don't know whether a new technology will be useful for an untested application. Or, you might know that you don't know whether it will rain or snow on the day you planned to conduct an outdoor experiment in the future. In such cases, it's important to plan for the known unknowns as best you can, while also being prepared to adapt and adjust as the project progresses and new information becomes available. Unknown unknowns are the things that we are not aware of, and that we have no way of reasonably predicting. These events can occur unexpectedly and without warning, making them particularly difficult to plan for. For instance, a project manager who is doing an excellent job may suddenly become incapacitated due to a heart attack and be unable to work for several months. Such unforeseeable events are a prime example of unknown unknowns, which can happen at any time during the course of a project. While it's impossible to anticipate every possible unknown unknown, it's important to remain flexible and be ready to adapt as needed to overcome unexpected challenges. - Planning known unkowns: One useful tool for identifying potential problems is a "Fatal Flaw Analysis," which involves two steps. The first step is to hold a brainstorming session with key project personnel and perhaps other creative individuals not directly involved in the project. During this session, you should ask questions such as, "What could possibly go wrong with this project?" or "What might happen that could have a negative impact on this project?" It's important to list all ideas without judgment or evaluation at this stage, as the goal is simply to generate a comprehensive list of potential flaws. In the second step, you should evaluate and prioritize the brainstormed ideas with a qualified group of people. Each idea should be placed into one of several categories in following figure, based on its likelihood of occurrence and its potential impact on the project. This step will help you to identify the most critical issues and develop a plan to address them before they become major obstacles. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 48 o SMART o SWOT analisys - Monitoring o Balanced ScoreCard (BSC) - Stakeholder management o Assessment of the potential for cooperation – threat o Map of relationships o Stakeholder anlisys template Finally, it should be noted that the nature of each project may vary and it will be the responsibility of the project manager to know how to choose the best tools to suit each project. Managing of R&D projects: problems and guidance 49 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] H. W. Chesbrough, Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology. Harvard Business Press, 2003. [2] N. Kim, D.-J. Kim, y S. Lee, «Antecedents of open innovation at the project level: empirical analysis of Korean firms», RD Manag., vol. 45, n.o 5, pp. 411-439, 2015, doi: 10.1111/radm.12088. [3] OECD, Frascati Manual 2002: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development. 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