Of course, these four criteria should serve as the basis for
the entire integrated activities and projects of IUPAC. There
should be diversity and different emphases in the activities of
individual divisions. In the broad context, the major objectives
of the Union are the research goals and the mission-oriented goals.
II.4.3 Evaluation of IUPAC Projects
During the past few years the scientific activities of IUPAC
have been the subject of discussion inside and outside the Union.
The scientific bodies inside the Union seem to be quite satisfied
with their activities, whereas the chemistry community at large,
including the chemical industry, is critical of many of IUPAC
projects. For example, the US National Academy of Sciences commissioned
in 1995 a review of the international scientific unions. The resulting
report was highly critical of IUPAC's activities. Likewise, the
industrial and part of the scientific community does not value,
and sees little relevance, in many projects of IUPAC. Points of
criticism are that such projects have a low priority, are not
of sufficient international significance to warrant the involvement
of IUPAC and take too long to complete. Indeed, using the indicators
for project assessment (section II.4.2) quite a few suffer from
these weaknesses.
To some extent the Union has been a victim of its own success,
which reflects the remarkably broad scope of its scientific and
mission-oriented activities. Nevertheless, the restructuring of
the Union is necessary to fulfill its goals to cope with the complex
problems which science and society now face. The creation of the
two mission-oriented Divisions of Chemistry and the Environment
(VI) and Chemistry and Human Health (VII), in conjunction with
the recommendations presented herein for modifications in the
structure and function of the Divisions of Physical Chemistry
(I), Inorganic Chemistry (II), Organic Chemistry (IV), Macromolecular
(IV) and Analytic Chemistry (V), is of prime importance.
We must realize that a majority of the Union's projects, as listed
in the IUPAC Handbook for 1996-7, have remained unchanged in character
for some considerable time. This is not surprising, as IUPAC's
traditional role in chemical nomenclature remains significant.
However, the adverse perception of many of the Union's activities
should not and cannot be ignored. This calls for the evaluation
of the Division projects. It is recommended that the evaluation
of the projects will be conducted by the Divisions: