15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Overview of the Current Situation Richard Wade Where are we? How did we get here? Where do we go from here?

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Where Are We? If we put together a PP programme based on the current programme plus some new initiatives and R&D for the future, then we see two problems: –short term cash problem –long term unsustainability A favorable settlement from SR2002 would ease the second problem but not the first.

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting How Did We Get Here New peer review system, new Science Committee Over the last few months we have presented Science Committee with the detailed spreadsheets for the Astronomy and then the PP programme Science Committee and Council have agreed a restructured astronomy programme to enable ESO membership SCP4 set up to look at options for the PP programme.

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Role of Science Committee Take a view across the whole programme. Complete transparency. Guided by the past but not constrained by it. Receive advice and guidance from the peer review system and the Executive. Take decisions on the advice to the Executive.

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Where do we go from here? Understand the past. Correct any errors. Develop a robust plan for the future.

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Options Squeeze the current programme Cut the programme (restructure, reduce) Push the problem downstream Try to get more cash (SR2002)

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Pushing the Problem Downstream If we have a banker we can smooth out the short term cash problem. –other parts of the programme –delayed payments –other Research Councils –OST

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Pushing the Problem Downstream Worth thinking about to avoid unacceptable science loss but: –soon run out of banks –mortgage the future and possibly endanger it –builds up a debt that we cant afford to repay. Need to balance the current programme against investment in the future.

15th January 2002 Richard WadeHEPP Town Meeting Conclusions Need to work together to develop a robust plan for the future We have to avoid a blame culture We have to face up to the underlying nature of the problem and not just push the problem downstream.