Planning in a research institute

Purpose: As with any organisation, one of the most important prerequisites for the effective operation of a research institute is proper planning of its functioning – that is, accurately defining the future and establishing all the resources necessary for scientific, financial and economic activities. This paper is an attempt to illustrate the importance of planning the activities of a research institute over different time horizons for its proper functioning. Design/methodology/approach: To solve the research problem posed in this way, the following was used: (1) a method of analysing and critiquing the literature through literature studies leading to a possibly multifaceted presentation of the issue of planning the functioning of a research institute and (2) a document examination method involving the collection of source materials, which were: financial plans, prospective directions of scientific, development and implementation activities, thematic directional plans for scientific research and development work, the institute's strategy and the procedures and practices used to prepare the plans. Findings: The research shows that the planning process at the research institute is subject to the requirements of the applicable regulations. This implies the necessity to draw up four types of plans in terms of: prospective directions of scientific, development and implementation activities, directional thematic plans of scientific research and development works and annual activity and financial plans. Originality/value: In the article, the authors attempt to adapt universal planning principles to the specific activities of research institutes. This is a new issue and a response to practical needs.