Accountability Trend for Government Supported Research Institutes : Evidence from the Institute Evaluation 1991-2005

출연연구기관 기관평가의 책임성 요소 변화 분석

This paper examines accountability trend for government supported research institutes through the analysis of what aspects of accountability have been emphasized in the institute evaluation from 1991 to 2005. We divided research period into pre-research council period(1991-1998) and post-research council period(1999-2005). In pre-research council period, we find four kinds of accountability for government supported research institutes, that is, compliance accountability for regulation, managerial accountability, performance accountability and social accountability and great emphasis has been put on compliance accountability for regulation and managerial accountability. In post-research council period, financial accountability for soundness has been added to the above four kinds of accountability and great emphasis has been put on performance accountability and managerial accountability, especially performance accountability. The concrete contents of an accountability has been also changed between pre-research council period(1991-1998) and post-research council period(1999-2005). Regulation accountability in the pre-research council period are related to conforming to government rules for institute operation and regulation defining institute function for reformulation, but in post-research council period, it has been focused on rules for the rationalization of management. Managerial accountability has been changed from emphasizing on management efficiency approximately to focusing on more specific management efficiency like the appropriateness of personnel management, the efficiency of budget management and project management, reasonableness of evaluation and compensation. Performance accountability has been changed in methods for measuring performance, in the pre-research council period, it has been taken quantitative method for measuring productivity, but, in post-research council period, qualitative approach like objective management has been complemented. Finally, accountability for government supported research institutes has been changed towards being concrete in many sided accountabilities and focusing on performance accountability.

본 연구는 출연연구기관의 기관평가요소 분석을 통해 최근까지 출연연구기관에 대한 책임성(accountability)이 어떻게 변화 및 발전되어 왔는가를 분석하고자 한다. 구체적으로 1991년부터 2005까지 기관평가요소를 연구회 설립 이전과 연구회 설립 이후 기간으로 구분하여 분석하였다. 출연연구기관에 요구되는 책임성을 법규준수 책임성, 관리적 책임성, 재무적 책임성, 사업성과 책임성, 사회적 책임성 등 다섯 가지 책임성으로 구분하여 분석한 결과, 연구회 설립이전에는 법규준수 책임성, 관리적 책임성 등이 강조되었으며, 연구회 설립 이후에는 사업성과 책임성, 관리적 책임성이 강조되었다. 법규준수 책임성과 관리적 책임성은 시간이 흐름에 따라 요구하는 구체적인 책임내용이 상당히 변화되었다. 최근에는 사업성과 책임성이 가장 중요한 책임성으로 강조되고 있으며 재무적 책임성도 연구회 설립 이후 새롭게 등장하였다.