AbstractRecognition of the increasing problem of communication in a growing Research and Development unit led to the development of a planning and progressing system as a means of directing management attention to those areas where it was most needed. With the system, a project is first defined and has precise criteria of success set. Progress is then reported to management at 4-weekly intervals in terms of an expected completion date and a technical feasibility index, together with costs, based on scientific effort expended, and the main factor determining rate of work. Thus with a minimum of communication management is provided with a guide to the state of projects under its control. Further summaries of the data at longer intervals serve to provide a broader indication of the problem areas in the laboratory.