Summary Outline of the Methodology
Before discussing in more detail particular aspects of the Methodology, it is useful to have a summary outline of the whole process. The Methodology has three distinct phases which encompass five development steps. These can be summarized as follows:
Research phase:
Desk research
Thorough and comprehensive research identifying the mandate of the IP office, its functions, management systems, and services. Research should identify in relation to the particular IP office any strategic and operational plans, all relevant IP legislation, membership of international and regional agreements, organizational structure and staffing information, IP application and processing statistics, IP office budget information, etc. Research should also be undertaken in relation to any governing legislation and regulations, either related to general administration, budgetary or human resource management, that have a direct impact on the management and operations of the IP office concerned.
Consultations
Detailed and comprehensive consultation meetings and interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the IP office. Meetings and interviews should be undertaken with senior management and relevant technical staff of the IP office. Consultations and interviews should also be held with IP practitioner representatives, relevant stakeholder groups and IP user community, IP enforcement agencies, and relevant government ministries and agencies.
Report development phase:
Initial drafting
Preparation of a detailed draft report is the next step. The draft report should set out specific recommendations based on the analysis of the information and data collected through the research phase, and tailored to the specific IP office. The report should identify the challenges of the particular IP office and the issues affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations. The report should also propose optimal business models and management practices that should be adopted by the particular IP office and set out a high-level implementation plan with suggested milestones and performance indicators. The report should also discuss the relationship between the mandate of the IP office and the overall resources available to it. In particular, regarding small IP offices, it should suggest ways in which shortage of resources can be mitigated.
Report validation
A further round of consultations to validate and finalize the draft report. The focus should be on ensuring that the findings are accurate and accepted, and that the recommendations and solutions are practical and pragmatic for the particular IP office.
Implementation phase:
Implementation planning and delivery
Implementation is an essential part of the IPOD process. It is the reason for doing the earlier research and consultation and preparing the report and recommendations. Implementation should ideally be managed through a project team under the direction of senior management. A suitable project management approach should be adopted to enable effective implementation with proper monitoring of progress and evaluation of the results achieved. Clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities should be documented for the project team.
Key aspects of the Methodology and each of the five steps are discussed in more detail below to outline and explain how to proceed through the three phases to harvest the benefits which should arise from undertaking the IPOD process and to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the IPOD activities. Appendix 1 identifies a range of specific Topics to be carefully examined in the IPOD process and gives detailed guidance on researching and consulting on them. For each topic, the Methodology addresses three issues:
- The Why. The reasons for addressing the topic.
- The What. The information necessary to form a judgement on how that topic is to be considered.
- The How. How that information can be gathered.