Comparative Table of Parliamentary TA Institutions
GERMANY - OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AT THE GERMAN BUNDESTAG
Organisation
TAB is operated by the
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) under a contract with the
German Bundestag. TAB is an independent scientific unit of the
Institute for Technology Assessment and System Analysis (ITAS). TAB and
ITAS cooperate in conducting research as well as in developing concepts
and methods of technology assessment.
The Director of TAB is appointed by KIT in consultation with
the responsible Committee on Education, Research and Technology
Assessment. Professor Armin Grunwald, who also heads the Institute for
Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology, is responsible for the scientific results of
TAB´s work and represents them vis à vis the German Bundestag.
The director of TAB and his or her staff are, in matters of
content, not bound by instructions of the KIT with respect to any tasks
assigned to them by the Bundestag, and that the director of TAB has
responsibility for the scientific accuracy of the results produced by
TAB and also has sole responsibility for selection TAB staff. TAB is
located in Berlin. Currently, eight scientists from various disciplines
are employed there.
As TAB´s governing body, the Committee on Education, Research
and Technology Assessment is chiefly responsible for deciding on the
work programme, approving final reports, and communicating with the
Members of Parliament and its committees. It has a standing »TA
rapporteur group«,
with one member from each parliamentary political
party. This group prepares all the decisions on TAB to be taken by the
Committee, from the decision to carry out a TA project through to
approval of the final report. The Committee secretariat assists the
rapporteurs in their work.
© EPTA, version 20 Oct 2012; provided by ITA