To perform this inventory and analysis of lessons learnt and knowledge gaps, the OECD relied on its past work, which began in 2019, and drew upon the considerable cumulative expertise of those whose main activities are to “think” and “do” missions. The objective of the process developed for this exercise was not only to consult each community in specific threads but also, and especially, to organise a dialogue between mission academics and mission practitioners.
The process followed the broad guidelines provided by the Stakeholder Advisory Board to the “European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation” (Eu-SPRI Forum), an interdisciplinary community of researchers in the field of STI policy.1 In its first reflection paper, the Stakeholder Advisory Board proposed to run a pilot of a science-policy dialogue platform on mission-oriented policies for societal challenges (Eu-SPRI SAB, 2024). The pilot consisted of a staged process to promote and “mesh” the various contributions of mission academic researchers and policymakers, with a light steering and monitoring governance structure. The primary rationale underpinning this pilot was that transformative innovation policies, such as MOIPs, require shorter, more frequent, experimental and iterative linkages and learning feedback loops between research and policy. This tighter intertwining should enable researchers in science policy and policymakers to jointly identify the relevant knowledge and evidence needs, develop a common understanding and language regarding this policy approach, and agree on best practices and pitfalls to avoid.
A first step was the creation of two groups:2
1. The Policy Support Group, composed of a select set of policymakers involved in missions, was tasked to guide the work and serve as a reference group for the whole process (see Annex B).
2. The Mission Academic Board (MAB) included selected academic experts among the most active in the research on MOIPs. They provided and discussed the state of the art of academic knowledge on MOIPs through various activities (see Annex C).
The OECD then developed a process composed of the following stages and components to multiply the number of opportunities for mission academics and mission practitioners to discuss clearly defined issues:
A template-based consultation of mission academics: A template with probing questions for each key issue was sent to the members of the MAB to solicit their thoughts and relevant literature. Based on the voluminous input from academics (more than 50 pages of text altogether) and past work, the OECD analysed the templates and produced a draft “Key issue note”. The note was discussed with the MAB and the Policy Support Group then shared with the broader community of mission practitioners.
A template-based consultation of mission practitioners. The mission leads of the MOIPs identified by the OECD were asked to gather their teams and complete a template that provided strengths, challenges and good practices concerning each of the four key issues and for the entire MOIP initiative. A total of 30 responses were received, representing as many MOIP initiatives. Based on these inputs, the OECD developed a series of posters, validated by the mission teams (see Annex D for an example). The results of the survey were later coded by inference by the OECD to identify common themes across the key issues. In total, the responses yielded 720 unique data points of strengths, weaknesses and good practices.3 The results of the survey are presented in a box at the end of each corresponding “key issue” chapter.
Thematic online seminars: Three online seminars were held in October 2024, led by voluntary members of the MAB to discuss transversal issues: capacity and capability needs of public administrations for MOIP; the potential gains and challenges in taking a mission-oriented approach; and mission-oriented and industrial innovation ‑policy.4
An update of the OECD MOIP toolkit: This online knowledge platform on MOIPs, created in 2020, provides systematic and in-depth information on MOIPs based on frequent interactions with mission policymakers, managers and experts in the context of OECD mission thematic and country studies. The toolkit underwent a significant overhaul in 2024, including an update of the MOIP initiatives already on the platform, and the addition of a series of new ones.
A bibliometric analysis of academic and grey literatures on MOIPs performed by the Center for Strategic Management and Studies (Brazil).
The Mission Forward Conference: The process culminated with the first-ever conference of mission practitioners, held in Vienna in October 2024. The event was by invitation only, reserved specifically for managers and policymakers directly involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of MOIPs.5 The conference programme6 centred around three main types of sessions: 1) overall plenary sessions provided context and drew implications on future mission practice and research; 2) in key issue sessions, inputs from pre-conference activities fed into discussions during two series of eight breakout sessions where small groups of mission practitioners shared and discussed their experience of managing missions; 3) in poster sessions, each mission team presented the poster they had prepared with the support of the OECD to small groups of attendees who could ask questions and engage in discussions.
Figure A.1 provides a schematic view of the overall process. It illustrates the various steps and rounds of interactions between the OECD, researchers and policymakers.
