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The research programme BioSolar Cells is part of the large-scale research programme BioBased Economy. This is one of the two cross-cutting theme research lines within the Dutch Top Sectors Policy.
Dialogic conducted the baseline measurement for BioSolar Cells at an earlier stage. We are now also responsible for the interim measurement and final evaluation. This process has not been without challenges. In traditional (innovation) policy analysis, the three measurements are carried out as separate investigations. The downside of this approach is that data needs to be collected afresh each time, and the results of the studies do not align well. Therefore, from the outset, Dialogic advocated for a completely different approach - the continuous tracking of data. This requires a larger initial investment (in setting up the process and designing and implementing a data dashboard), but these investments pay off significantly in later stages. Another advantage of this approach is that the data can be used both for external purposes (evaluation, public information) and for internal purposes (program management).
Something that works well in theory and on paper still needs to prove itself in practice. Even more crucial is that the new approach is adopted by all parties involved. This is now the case. For us, this is a small victory because we believe that the continuous approach (with an online dashboard) can also provide clear added value for many other projects and programmes.
As the BioSolar Cells dashboard is initially used for programme management and evaluation (public information is provided through the website http://www.biosolarcells.nl/), the dashboard is not public. An example of a dynamic and interactive version of the dashboard can be found at http://www.diadashboard.nl/voorbeeld/