Section 9 Duties of advisory board - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 9. The program advisory board shall:

(1) develop a short-term and long-term strategy to harness the best talents available to focus on technology innovation, extension, infrastructure, and education and training for product and process technologies of critical importance for the commonwealth’s economic competitiveness and future economic growth;

(2) review and monitor the technological development progress and potential of the various regions of the state and make findings and recommendations to the governor, general court, and program regarding state supported assistance to the regions;

(3) recommend to the program eligibility criteria for accepting applications for technical assistance and grants provided under this chapter;

(4) recommend as to the advisability and nature of, and the appropriate procedures for, any grant or endorsement regarding any program designed to support applications for assistance under the Defense Conversion, Reinvestment and Transition Act of Fiscal Year 1993 and Title IV of the Fiscal Year 1993 Defense Appropriations Act, and other federal defense conversion and diversification programs;

(5) review and make recommendations to the program on any request-for-proposals or solicitations for services or grants to be issued by the program, contracts between the program and regional consortia, and applications for public or private grants or aid to be submitted by the program;

(6) advise the program on the needs of small- and medium-sized manufacturers in becoming more productive and competitive and in addressing the challenges of global competition and the effects of reduced national defense spending;

(7) make recommendations to the program regarding the most efficient and effective means to help address the needs of small- and medium-sized manufacturers and assist the program in setting priorities in light of limited program resources;

(8) review the effectiveness of existing program activities and make recommendations regarding the extent to which such activities could be better directed to the actual needs of targeted companies and groups of companies in order to help the program maintain a “customer-driven focus”; and

(9) advise the program on strategic opportunities to create new partnerships and alliances in promoting manufacturing productivity and competitiveness.