Research On The Operating Mechanism Of Public Geological Survey In China

Abstract: Geological survey as a public good is referred to the geological workthat is funded by the government and its results produced are provided for sharing anduse of the whole society. geological survey as a public good does not directly servethe economic interests of a certain business entity, but provide service for the urgentand long-term needs of the national economic and social development and providegeological information for the society and public (including business entities). Manycountries in the world have established their national geological survey whichengages in geological survey as a public good and carry out preliminary work of basicgeological survey and mineral exploration, geological environment survey andgeological hazard monitoring with mapping as the main task as well as collection,processing and transmit of geocientific information.In accordance with the requirements for establishment of the socialist marketeconomy mechanism, in1999China’s geological work mechanism witnessed asignificant reform, resulting in separate operation of public and commercial mineralexploration and operation of geological survey as a public good under managementmechanism of public institutions, establishment of China Geological Survey that isresponsible for unified arrangement and implementation of geological work as apublic good and operation of commercial geological exploration under marketmechanism.Under the influence of the planned economic mechanism, understanding andpractice of the limit between as public and commercial geological work become thekey problem, resulting in irresolution in the orientation of geological survey as apublic good and relative delay of the reform and new interlaced problems in itsoperation mechanism. The obvious phenomena include that unified arrangement ofpublic is not fully in place, division of work and coordination between the central andlocal authorities are not perfected, there is not a constantly increasing financial investment mechanism, geological survey does not combines closely with scientificresearch, and that service level of the achievements of geological survey need to beimproved, etc.On the base of study and reference of the previous research findings andcombining with the needs of present economic and social development, this paperanalyses the status of the operation mechanism of geological survey as a public goodusing theories related to public management and provides relevant thinking and policysuggestion on improvement of the operation mechanism of nonprofit geologicalsurvey. The main conclusions are as follows.(1) To realize prospecting breakthroughstrategy, it requires to accelerate improvement of operation mechanism ofgeological survey as a public good, raise the work efficiency and to enhance theservice function.(2) We should fully recognize the influence of the “Great Geology”idea, the new Hi-Tech revolution and economic globalization on geological survey asa public good and define the orientation and function of geological survey as a publicgood in a scientific manner.(3) We must follow the rules of market economy andgeological work and correctly handle the important relationship such as those betweenpoint and area, survey and research, the central and local authorities as well as apublic and commercial geological surveys in geological survey.(4) While operatinggeological survey as a public good under management mechanism of publicinstitutions, we must transform the ideas of work and make innovations in the workstyle with focus on the improving project management and operation mechanism andtaking demand as a drive and service as the objective.(5) We should Strengthensafeguard measures，expedite the buildup of team, establish a constantly increasinginvestment mechanism, improve the legal system of geological survey as a publicgood and establish and improve the incentive and constraint mechanisms.