RAND CEO Jason Matheny Gives a Masterclass on Risk and Organizational Design
Nov 9, 2023
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Jason Matheny, CEO of RAND and former tech advisor to President Biden, shares insights on designing effective research organizations. He discusses the pivotal lessons from RAND's 1950s heyday and dives into existential risks tied to AI and biosecurity. Matheny articulates the vital interplay between creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative decision-making within government. He also explores China's bureaucratic dynamics and how art can enhance our understanding of complex societal issues, all while emphasizing the importance of kindness and mentorship in team dynamics.
Rand fosters a productive research environment by combining intellectual curiosity with practical relevance.
Analyzing institutional design is crucial to create a world-shaping institution like Rand.
Expanding analytic efforts on China's economy and decision-making processes is vital for informed policy and strategy formulation.
Deep dives
Importance of Research as a Source of Practical Ideas
Researchers at Rand have the freedom to explore practical problems relevant to U.S. policymakers while also pursuing basic research. This combination of intellectual curiosity and practical relevance attracts smart and motivated individuals. The emphasis on self-determination and entrepreneurship within Rand further fosters a productive research environment.
Bureaucratic Design and Decision Making
Analyzing the institutional design and decision-making processes within organizations like Rand is crucial. Understanding how these organizations catch 'magic in a bottle' and foster innovation is key to creating a truly world-shaping institution. These organizations allow researchers the latitude to pursue both basic research and practical policy analysis, enabling them to work on highly relevant and intellectually fascinating problems.
The Expansion of Rand's Analytic Efforts
Rand recognizes the need to expand and update its analytic efforts to effectively tackle contemporary challenges. This includes building a larger team of China specialists, particularly those who can examine China's bureaucracy, internal decision making, and emerging threats. The goal is to provide deeper insights and expertise on China's economy, industrial policy, and decision-making processes, which are vital for informed policy and strategy formulation.
The Role of Competitiveness and Collaboration
Maintaining a balance between competition and collaboration is essential within research organizations like Rand. While the organization values intellectual competition and individual achievement, it also promotes a culture of collaboration and teamwork. The emphasis on fostering pro-social behavior and creating a supportive environment is crucial for successful research projects and the overall mission of the organization.
Challenges of Working in the White House
Working in the White House poses challenges due to the tyranny of the immediate, prioritizing urgent but not necessarily important matters over pressing issues. The time constraints and constant demands for immediate action can hinder working on more critical problems for the country. Balancing the tight timelines and attention allocation within the White House is difficult, often resulting in insufficient time spent on the most important issues.
Bringing Science into Policy Decisions
There is a need to incorporate more scientific methods and insights into policy-making processes. Utilizing concepts from fields like judgment and decision-making research, pre-mortem analysis, and adversarial collaboration can enhance the quality of policy decisions. By implementing these practices, the policy-making process can be improved, leading to better judgments and more effective national security and technology policies.
