Proposing a portfolio model for performance management of Korea's Health Technology R&D Programme using DEA and MPI: a translational research case

Recently, the importance of health technology related to human life and health has increasinglygrown due to population ageing and desired improvements in the quality of life. The Koreangovernment has been continuously increasing its strategic R&D investments through theHealth Technology R&D Programme. Therefore, there is a growing interest in the efficiencyof public R&D investments. This paper measures and compares the changes in bothefficiency and productivity over time, analyses the cause leading to changes in productivity,and proposes a strategic portfolio model for managing the performance of the TranslationalResearch Programme by using data envelopment analysis and Malmquist productivityindex. The results conveyed that the productivity of six diseases, among 12 highly efficientdiseases, was increased while the productivity of the remaining six diseases was decreased. On the other hand, the productivity of six diseases was increased, among nine low-efficientdiseases, even though the relative efficiency was low. Finally, it is important to manage anR&D programme considering the two aspects together: producing higher performance withthe given inputs and continuously improving productivity over time. These results areexpected to have implications for policy in terms of effective performance management withregard to national R&D programmes.