Help Wanted: Call for Proposals to Promote Innovation and Growth at INFORMS

In October 2008, the INFORMS Board approved development of a “New Initiatives Fund” to provide start-up resources for eligible projects and activities, with particular emphasis on encouraging new INFORMS strategic enhancement efforts to be initiated while at the same time seeking sustaining resources. The first set of New Initiatives proposals were reviewed and approved by the Board in October 2009 as part of the INFORMS annual budget process for 2010.

INFORMS intends to establish a regular, transparent process for soliciting and reviewing proposals for New Initiatives. We are about to enter the second round of what will become an annual process. The process for submitting proposals and INFORMS’ review and decision-making process are described below. I am writing like to encourage you to participate. The full Call for Proposals and the Proposal Form are available at http://www.informs.org/Announcements/INFORMS-Call-for-2011-New-Initiatives.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

This process is an important step forward for INFORMS. In the past, evaluation of new ideas has been informal, and new projects were considered one-by-one. Thinking about this like an OR/MS person, we have to recognize that our resources are constrained and we need to make sure we are funding those projects that get the most benefit possible. The only way to do this is compare the prospective projects side-by-side. We are also using a standardized proposal form for the first time, a contribution in its own right. INFORMS has never required a standardized template for project proposals – a common best practice in business planning. Most importantly, we now have a process that considers all projects on a level playing field, with clearly specified instructions on how to bring an idea forward, and how to secure funding to support it.

As we go forward, our goal is to link the evaluation process to INFORMS’ strategic needs, so our plans stay focused on what the Board and the INFORMS Strategic Planning Committee have articulated as our most critical needs. In a nutshell, proposals need to do one or more of the following:

• Increase INFORMS membership; or
• Support INFORMS’ mission to promote research, education, and practice of the field; or
• Improve INFORMS’ visibility and impact within a broader community.

These are fairly generic goals, but there are some areas of particular concern for INFORMS right now. Projects that address the following goals are most likely to receive support:

• Offering new products and services to practitioners, particularly by reaching practice communities not traditionally associated with INFORMS.
• Expanding INFORMS’ portfolio of scholarly publications by launching new journals.
• Developing innovative publications products and business strategies to anticipate and adapt to technological changes in scientific publishing.
• Improving the visibility and prominence of INFORMS and of the disciplines it represents among decision makers in business and government.
• Improving retention of student members following graduation.

This list is neither exclusive nor exhaustive, and projects of all types will be given fair consideration, so long as there is a clearly articulated vision of how the project will promote the overall mission of INFORMS.

To be honest, INFORMS has a mixed track record of innovation—we do it well, but infrequently. Our most significant successful innovations of the last decade were the reorganization of twice-yearly conferences into a single Annual Meeting and the launching of the Practice Conference—both of those were and are big accomplishments. Also, I was personally involved in the launch of our newest journal, Decision Analysis, but that project started almost a decade ago. Ambitious innovations like these are naturally going to be rare events, since they tend to be expensive and risky. But are we doing as much as we should to encourage the development and testing of smaller innovations that could eventually grow to become significant?

By creating a clear and systematic process and drawing attention to it, we hope to encourage our creative and talented members and staff to focus on innovation. New project development ought to be our routine mode of doing business, rather than something we do every once in a while. Ideally, many of these projects will also generate positive net cash flows that can be reinvested to fund further innovation. If successful, we will encourage an increasing stream of project plans, expand our portfolio of activities and services, and ensure we have a growing, thriving organization. Isn’t this what our profession deserves?

WHO, HOW MUCH, HOW, AND WHEN?

Who? Any INFORMS subdivision, or committee (established either under the bylaws or by the Board), or individual member (or group of members), or INFORMS staff member (or group of staff members) is eligible to submit a New Initiatives proposal. The Board recommends that proposals be developed through an established INFORMS entity, with additional support or guidance from INFORMS staff members and current Board members as appropriate, to ensure that proposals are well designed and complete.

How Much? Although there is no set cap on the amount of funds that may be requested in a proposal, the total amount that INFORMS Board can approve each year for all proposals combined is determined by the INFORMS Budget process. This amount varies from year to year, but is expected to total approximately $70,000 in 2011. Since the Board seeks to fund multiple proposals each year, requests of less than $30,000 per year are more likely to be successful than larger requests. IMPORTANT: Projects are eligible for funding for no more than three years, with the expectation that projects will be self-sustaining beyond that point. Any project plan should include a plan for how the project will become self-sustaining.

How? All proposals must be submitted electronically by completing the New Initiatives Proposal Form (see http://www.informs.org/Announcements/INFORMS-Call-for-2011-New-Initiatives). Only proposals submitted through this mechanism will be considered for funding. Please complete the form, save the document, and then submit the completed document as an attachment directly to me, the Past President and Strategic Planning Committee chairman, Don Kleinmuntz (mailto:past.president@informs.org).

When? The deadline for submitting a New Initiatives proposal is June 30, 2010. Meeting this deadline is essential for a proposal to be considered for funding and inclusion in the 2011 Budget by the INFORMS Board. Late submissions will be invited to resubmit in 2011 for inclusion in the 2012 Budget. Proposals received prior to the deadline will be subject to the following process:

1. The INFORMS Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) will review and evaluate all proposals and solicit written reviews from INFORMS staff members, officers, and committees. This will include a calculation of expenses and financial projections by the INFORMS Finance staff.
2. The SPC will provide proposal authors with a summary evaluation and review comments following discussion by the INFORMS Board at their summer Board meeting. A written report will be provided to proposal authors no later than August 22.
3. Proposal authors will have the opportunity to “revise and resubmit” their proposal. Final proposals will be due on September 30.
4. The INFORMS Board will make final decisions on funding for each project by majority vote at the Board meeting scheduled to coincide with the INFORMS Annual Meeting in November.
5. Approved projects may start to expend funds on or after January 1, 2011.

WHAT EVALUATION CRITERIA?

The following criteria will be explicitly considered when evaluating proposals:

• Probability of Success: Will the project achieve the stated objectives if implemented as described?
• Mission Impact: Assume this project is successful. Will it have a significant impact on INFORMS’ mission “to lead in the development, dissemination, and implementation of knowledge, basic and applied research and technologies in operations research, the management sciences, and related methods of improving operational processes, decision‐making, and management?” The impact will be judged particularly significant if it addresses the critical needs discussed above.
• Financial Impact: Assume the project is successful. Does this project have the potential to generate net revenues (incremental revenues in excess of incremental expenses)? This criterion should consider both direct impact (e.g., fees collected, costs saved) as well as indirect impact (e.g., membership growth that in turn leads to increased utilization of other INFORMS-branded products and services).

Probability of success probably speaks for itself. However, how should INFORMS consider the dual objectives of mission impact and financial impact?

• INFORMS is a mission-focused organization. We are unlikely to undertake a project simply to make money if it does not contribute to our mission.
• Like many similar organizations, INFORMS is coping with a challenging economy, and our budget is feeling the strain. We are unlikely to undertake a project unless it has the potential to become self-sustaining over a three year period (bringing in at least enough revenue to offset the cost of providing the service). Projects may not pay for themselves right away, but is there a prospect for doing so in the not-so-distant future?
• Neither mission impact nor financial impact alone is sufficient – projects should have both elements present.
• The ideal project would make a strong contribution to mission and would also generate sufficient profits to fund future growth in programs and activities.

HOW WILL WE KNOW WHETHER THIS IS WORKING?

If you propose a project, you must be committed to seeing the project through to the conclusion. INFORMS is going to be committing time and money, but your enthusiastic ongoing involvement is what will make it work. However, you won’t be alone. Each project will have Staff and Board liaisons assigned to provide support.

As project leaders, you will be expected to provide timely progress reports (at least quarterly) to your liaisons. Projects approved for multiple years of funding shall be assured of only the first year of funding, with each subsequent year of funding contingent on satisfactory progress towards the project goals. The Board will vote on continued funding at each Fall Board meeting, when they are also considering new proposals. Material deviations from the original proposal are only permitted with explicit approval from the INFORMS Board.

If this sounds like a lot of work, you may be right. But most really worthwhile things require real time, effort, creative intelligence, and enthusiasm. And if you are reading this essay, you are probably as passionate about this field as I am. This is a real opportunity to help INFORMS better serve our members and our profession. I encourage you to get involved!