e-IRGSP Governance Report

\chapter{Executive Summary}

Governance in Research Infrastructures, and \ei{}s in particular, is

of growing importance, as the importance of the infrastructures

themselves is growing. At the same time, the global financial crisis

and belt-tightening in most scientific budgets in Europe and the

United States have pressed \ei{} providers to make their case more

forcefully, in order to justify the expenses to taxpayers. It has

therefore become more necessary than ever to connect with the users of

\ei{}s and ensure that \ei{}s serve them, and not their operators, and

that they are operated in the best interest of the public that trusts

them for carrying out their everyday work.

This push towards greater efficiency and accountability has a long

history in a related, but different field, that of \ac{it} governance.

In \ac{it} governance, entities such as corporations, companies, and

organisations have worked over the years models and norms to ensure

that their \ac{it} infrastructure serves their needs, is responsive

and cost-effective, instead of serving the \ac{it} department and its

relative standing in organisational hierarchies and value. Governance

mechanisms, methods for promoting effective governance and avoiding

agency problems, decision making regarding \ac{it} infrastructure

policies and development, have been researched in length both in

the academic and the business literature. 

In this report we endeavour to bring this material closer to the \ei{}

milieu: specifically, to go over work in \ac{it} governance, highlight

similarities and possible points of contact between \ac{it} governance

and \ei{} governance, and examine some particular examples of \ei{}s.

To do that, we provide an overview of the literature on the nature,

forms and mechanisms of \ac{it} governance. Current research in the

main areas is discussed, together with the latest empirical findings.

Then a comparative discussion between \ac{it} governance and \ei{}

governance themes is presented, as it is our premise that there are

similarities worth pursuing, since both \ei{}s and \ac{it} face similar

challenges. Hence, we proceed to a description of proposed actors and

\ei{} governance models and to a comparison between \ei{} governance

and \ac{it} governance. Finally we use the material we have gathered

in a closer examination of three large \ei{}s, \acs{geant}, \acs{egi},

and \acs{prace}. 

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