Asmall step has been taken in the directionof a nationalagency with the creationof the CanadianCoordinatingOfficeforHealthTechnologyAssessment, fundedbyOttawaandthe provinces.
This is especially important after the demise of the OfficeofTechnologyAssessment, a research office within Congress that, until the mid-1990s, provided independent analyses on issues up for congressional debate.
Further, we should create an Officeof Innovation Assessment, with the job of staying current about innovation developments beyond science and technology, and outside our borders, and equipping Americans with the knowledge they need to stay competitive.