The Corporate Services section is responsible for coordinating financial, human resources and administrative policies and procedures across the Consortium. The section works very closely with directors of corporate services in Research Centers who make up the Corporate Services Executive, headed by the Director of Corporate Services, Consortium Office. The Corporate Services Executive meets once or twice a year, and plays a key role in ensuring that the changes arising from the implementation of reforms are managed in a harmonized, efficient and cohesive manner across the system.
The Corporate Services section has a particular oversight role in monitoring the financial health of the system, and carries out this responsibility by:
- Reviewing Center annual financial statements;
- Producing an amalgamated financial report for the whole system;
- Liaising with the CGIAR Internal Audit Unit; and
- Ensuring that the CGIAR Financial Guidelines (which form part of the Common Operational Framework) are updated regularly.
Boosting efficiency
The Corporate Services Executive provides a platform for sharing experiences and policies/practices.
The Corporate Services section is also very much involved in the development of One Corporate System (OCS), and the Consortium Office is one of the participants along with nine Research Centers. OCS began as a center-led initiative, and provides opportunities for efficiency gains in managing projects, finances and human resources.
OCS aims to create more automated and more efficient processes, thus saving personnel time. It also is designed to meet not only the information needs of the Research Centers and CGIAR Research Programs but also to provide a tool for aggregating system-wide information. OCS is a model for cross-organization collaboration and cost savings.