340 http://www.journal-imab-bg.org / J of IMAB. 2013, vol. 19, issue 4/

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF RESEARCHPROJECT ACTIVITIES PERFORMED AT MEDICALUNIVERSITIES IN BULGARIA

Svetoslav Garov1, Maria Dencheva2, Angelina Kisselova2

1) Department of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Public Health,Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria2) Department of Imaging and Oral Diagnostic, Faculty of Dental Medicine,Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria

Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers) 2013, vol. 19, issue 4ISSN: 1312-773X (Online)

ABSTRACT:Introduction: There are five Bulgarian medical

universities in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven andStara Zagora. A major priority of medical universities is toencourage research activities mainly aimed at preparationand implementation of research projects. Projects aremanaged by the participating organizations called“beneficiaries”. Beneficiaries develop projects, apply forfinances and if approved they implement those projects.

Aim: The purpose of our study is to examine theorganizational structure of research project activities on themacro level and on the micro level in Bulgarian medicaluniversities.

Material and methods: In order to define theseparate elements of the organizational structure and toanalyze the relations and interaction between them we haveapplied a documentary and sociological approach.

Results: During the last six years there was asignificant increase in the number and the overall annualfinancial value of the projects performed at medicaluniversities in Bulgaria. The reasons for such increase are:managers realizing the advantages of and benefits from theimplementation of research projects ensuring high qualitymodernization of research units’ equipment and facilities;access to innovative technologies; development ofinterdisciplinary relations, etc. Benefits arising fromimproved results motivate us to consider as appropriatesome additional investments aimed at increasing the numberof team members and further optimization of the currentlyexisting structures (research centers) in charge of researchwith the purpose of achieving even better results in thisparticular field.

Conclusion: The role of research project activitiesin medical universities’ research field is of vital importancefor the educational institutions’ success. Taking intoconsideration the changed conditions, European possibilitiesand the highly competitive environment, realizing this aspectwill be essential for the future research results for therelevant research institution.

Key words: Bulgarian medical universities, researchprojects, organizational research structure, project team.

INTRODUCTIONThere are five Bulgarian medical universities in the

cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven and Stara Zagora. Amajor priority of medical universities is to encourageresearch activities mainly aimed at preparation andimplementation of research projects. Projects are managedby the participating organizations called “beneficiaries”.Beneficiaries develop projects, apply for finances and ifapproved they implement those projects. So medicaluniversities and the relevant faculty as an institution inparticular are potential beneficiaries with regard to theprojects applied for and actual beneficiaries when it comesto already approved projects. Project participants are theentities taking part in projects and benefit from them, forexample project managers, project teams and patients.

AIMThe purpose of our study is to examine the

organizational structure of research project activities on themacro level and on the micro level in Bulgarian medicaluniversities.

MATERIAL AND METHODSIn order to define the separate elements of the

organizational structure and to analyze the relations andinteraction between them we have applied a documentaryand sociological approach.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONI. Research project activities on the macro levelSchematically, the structural characteristics of

research project activities on the micro level in Bulgarialooks like this:

http://dx.doi.org/10.5272/jimab.2013194.340

/ J of IMAB. 2013, vol. 19, issue 4/ http://www.journal-imab-bg.org 341

Fig. 1. Organizational structure of research project activities

The frame of the entire organizational structureincludes five key elements that have specific functionalcharacteristics:

1. Resources – financial and non-financiala) countryb) EU through programsc) private fundsd) others- donations by private persons;- companies - they prefer to invest resources and

funds in all important causes and activities considered ashaving fast and obvious results;

- foundations - foundations’ policy is different - theyprefer to encourage activities directly related to the civilsector development, which requires more time in terms ofcreating positive and obvious results that are often difficultto measure and estimate.

2. Facilitator (mediator)The meaning of the word comes from the verb to

facilitate [fa’siliteit] - to make easier, ease, assist the progressof, help forward, support. This is the literal meaning of theword facilitate. In practice facilitation is a process of makingeasier, assisting and supporting the development of somethingand the emergence of some change. The person performingthis process is called facilitator. This is not simply a role thatanybody can play. Facilitation requires certain skills that aresubject to being studied. In terms of significance a facilitator’srole equals the role of the project manager. [3]

3. Research teamsIn the broadest sense of the word science is

systematic knowledge that can be explained through logic.In a narrower sense this is knowledge that can beexperimentally checked on grounds of the scientificmethod.

Research teams perform research and development(i.e. advance, development, progress) activities that can betreated as systematic creative work aimed at producing newknowledge to be developed in a new application (products,processes, services.(6)

4. Research products (processes, services)Research products are the results from the research

team’s activities performed during a research project. Theyare meant to be innovative, i.e. they should offer somethingnew and be useful at the same time, i.e. they should satisfysociety’s specific needs.

5. NeedsEverybody has their own specific personal needs but

when such needs become a group of people’s needs thenthey are transformed into social needs (social interest).These are the entire society’s needs and they are defined,realized and controlled by:

- The government- Municipalities- Local authorities- Universities- IndividualsMedical universities belong to the Universities group.II. Research project activities on the micro levelThe research team and the consultants form a highly

qualified interdisciplinary group of experts that can come

342 http://www.journal-imab-bg.org / J of IMAB. 2013, vol. 19, issue 4/

from different institutions and countries. Between teammembers there are dynamic relations in certain projectrelated fields.

Its purpose is to contribute for the creation of a high

Fig. 2. Research team

quality research product that is to meet any relevant needs.McDaniel et al. state that „research design is not aprescription that defines what to do when but rather is thedevelopment of tentative guides for action”.[2]

Research teams include:• Manager having an academic rank• Team of scientists - professors, associate professors,

PhDs.• Service unit - PhDs, students, laboratory workers.To perform the second task we analyzed:III. Competition and project financing systemThe system of competition and project financing at

Bulgarian medical universities comprises of 5 key elementswith complex interrelations and interconnections:

1. Research teamMajor aim of the research team is to turn the original

research idea into a research product. The multidisciplinaryprinciple has to be applied, which allows participation ofspecialists from different spheres. Effective researchmanagement requires close collaboration of researchers,sometimes specialized in different scientific areas andresiding in various locations.[7,1] The challenges duringimplementation are often unpredictable and the effectivenessdepends on the quality team selection.[5, 4]

2. Base organization (recipient)The base organization is the academic institution where

the project activities are performed. It provides basicconditions for the team’s operation including any facilities –working premises, equipment, general expenses. Thanks to thefinancing, tangible fixed assets related to the projectobjectives are purchased during the project. Besides theirbasic units such as faculties, departments and medical collegemedical universities also include university hospitals that aretrade companies having an independent legal status. Thisallows them to perform a much wider range of activities.

3. Financing institution (financing body; assignor)The financing institution is the one providing

financial resources that are usually granted at different stagesin order to ensure monitoring of the resources being spentin compliance with the project objectives. With regards tomedical universities the assignor may be as follows:

- The medical university using budget resources ortheir own revenues.

- National research programs at the Ministry ofEducation, Youth and Science (through the Science ResearchFund), at the Ministry of Health, etc.

- International research programs.4. Control bodiesMonitoring is multidirectional and is performed by:- The base organization controls the way of using the

provided facilities and through its employees (legal advisor,accountant, etc.) monitors the compliance with all legal andstatutory requirements.

- The financing body controls the financial parametersby means of regular inspections, monitoring the proceduresspecified in the Public Procurement Act, checking interimand final financial statements, etc.

- Contractors are required to observe the principlesof professionalism and ethics and not to damage theeducational institution’s good reputation.

5. Statutory frameworkIt is institutional - containing all rules, regulations and

instructions at the relevant institution, i.e. medicaluniversityð and national - containing system related laws andregulations of the Republic of Bulgaria.

/ J of IMAB. 2013, vol. 19, issue 4/ http://www.journal-imab-bg.org 343

Fig.3. Competition and project financing system

During the last six years there was a significantincrease in the number and the overall annual financial valueof the projects performed at medical universities in Bulgaria.The reasons for such increase are: managers realizing theadvantages of and benefits from the implementation ofresearch projects ensuring high quality modernization ofresearch units’ equipment and facilities; access to innovativetechnologies; development of interdisciplinary relations, etc.Benefits arising from improved results motivate us toconsider as appropriate some additional investments aimedat increasing the number of team members and furtheroptimization of the currently existing structures (research

centers) in charge of research with the purpose of achievingeven better results in this particular field.

CONCLUSIONThe role of research project activities in medical

universities’ research field is of vital importance for theeducational institutions’ success. Taking into considerationthe changed conditions, European possibilities and thehighly competitive environment, realizing this aspect will beessential for the future research results for the relevantresearch institution.

344 http://www.journal-imab-bg.org / J of IMAB. 2013, vol. 19, issue 4/

Address for correspondence:Dr. Svetoslav GarovDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Public Health,Medical University - Sofia8, Bialo more str., 1527, Sofia, BulgariaE-mail: sv.garov@gmail.com

1. Jordon M, Lanham HJ, AndersonRA, McDaniel RR. Implications ofcomplex adaptive systems theory forinterpreting research about healthcareorganizations. J Eval Clin Pract. 2010Feb;16(1):228–231. [PubMed][CrossRef]

2. McDaniel RR Jr, Lanham HJ,Anderson RA. Implications of complexadaptive systems theory for the designof research on healthcare organizations.Health Care Manage Rev. 2009 Apr-Jun;34(2):191-9.. [PubMed] [CrossRef]

3. Mentes JC, Tripp-Reimer T.

REFERENCES:Barriers and facilitators in nursinghome intervention research. West JNurs Res. 2002 Dec;24(8):918-36.[PubMed] [CrossRef]

4. Millhiser WP, Coen CA, SolowD. Understanding the Role of WorkerInterdependence in Team Selection.Organization Science. May/June 2011;22(3):772-787. [CrossRef]

5. Simpson KM, Porter K,McConnell ES, Colon-Emeric C, DailyKA, Stalzer A, et al. Tool forevaluating research implementationchallenges: A sense-making protocol

for addressing implementationchallenges in complex research settings.Implement Sci. 2013 Jan 2;8:2[PubMed] [CrossRef]

6. Plesk PE, Wilson T. Complexity,leadership, and management inhealthcare organizations. Br Med J.2001 Sep 29;323(7315):746-9[PubMed] [CrossRef]

7. Zikos D, Diomidous M, Mantas J.Challenges in the Successful ResearchManagement of a Collaborative EUProject, Acta Inform Med. 2012Mar;20(1):15-17. [PubMed] [CrossRef]