The moment when the CGIAR unanimously adopted the reform model at the CGIAR AGM08 in Maputo, it felt like we’d reached the top of the mountain after a hard slog during 2008. But, in the clear light of the next morning, I realised that we’d only just arrived on the first ridge – the summit towering ahead – to be tackled in 2009!A Transition Management Team (TMT) was formed to oversee and lead the expedition up “Mount CG Reform”. As a member of the TMT my role is to provide a donor perspective, help the CGIAR Secretariat develop the New Fund, interact with the Alliance on building the Consortium, work with GFAR on the process leading to the first Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) in early 2010. That seems quite like a lot, but that’s not all. I’m also leading the TMT workstream on “Accountability” which is the glue that binds the components of all organisations together.
Just to let you know – I ran a brainstorming workshop in Washington D.C. the first week of March to start getting some ideas on how to go about designing an “Accountability Framework” for the CGIAR – and maybe more importantly what traps and pitfalls to avoid. This will move ahead quite quickly now and if you have any views or suggestions on the principles and practice of accountability in the New CGIAR please let me know – or better still, post something on this blog so that others can see your views and comment as well.
Also – to remind everyone that a new newsletter, Embracing Change, was recently launched by the TMT to provide updates throughout the transition process. Please have a look at the first edition to learn about progress so far and tell us what you think.
Regards to all,
Jonathan Wadsworth
Senior Agriculture Research Advisor, Department for International Development, UK
Filed under: Announcements, CGIAR Change Management, CGIAR Embracing Change E-Newsletter
Jonathan,
Good to see that this blog has found a blogger after AGM08! I would like to link the readers to a current set of posts on the ICT-KM blog where we covered the meeting of the CGIAR communications group that took place at WorldFish very recently, and where we had the great opportunity to meet you and the Transition Management Team: Check out at: http://en.wordpress.com/tag/cgiarcommpenang/ and specifically the post entitled: Finally a CGIAR reform initiative with legs at: http://ictkm.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/finally-a-cgiar-reform-initiative-with-legs/
Dear Jonathan,
in your accountability workshop, did you discuss short-term and long-term dimensions of accountability? Finding practical approaches to ‘accountability for results’ might make it easier on programme people and researchers, whilst focusing them on what’s feasible in the short-term even though they are in a long-term business – and invite donors to categorise their expectations into what’s feasible in the ST and what’s hoped for in the LT.
Great and very informative blog! I wonder what type of implementation phase type activities are being planned for helping staff deal with institutional change. I remember being at an organization that completely overhauled its mission in under one year, which left the staff unsure of their new roles and dynamics. Management ended up holding detailed sessions with staff on how different individuals deal with change on a personal and professional level and what type of coping mechanisms are useful for this type of transition.