Much has been accomplished during this critical start-up phase. A management structure and strategy are in place, a diverse but cohesive portfolio of 14 projects is underway, groups and connections are being nurtured, considerable economic savings have been gained, and a significant consultation has taken place to determine how CGIAR could best move forward to ensure that its GPGs are used most effectively. Although several projects are nearing completion, no project has been in existence for more than 18 months at the time of this report; yet, the CIO has accomplished many things of which to be proud. Services, attitudes, and processes critical to achieving a "CGIAR without boundaries" have now been implemented.

Key Achievements in 2005

ICT-KM 2004 Investment Plan Implementation

The 2004 Investment Plan proposed a portfolio of projects designed to address the goals of the ICT-KM Strategy and to assist the CGIAR system in its efforts to strengthen the development and application of ICT and KM practices and tools. The 14 projects supported through this investment are grouped into three thrusts: "ICT for Tomorrow's Science," "Content for Development," and "A CGIAR without Boundaries." They address (respectively) connectivity, content, and work culture objectives. All the projects are making good progress and are mostly on track with their original plans.

The way in which 2004 Investment Plan was developed and implemented-through democratic processes and on the basis of serious and broad consultation-is particularly noteworthy. The ICT-KM Program is being implemented through a team approach, and the projects are following the same route. As a result, the program'sdepth and reach continue to grow to involve a large number of CGIAR staff and communities. This deliberate strategy was necessary to ensure sustained commitment to the program and its mandate. This commitment is growing in intensity and spreading.

Collaboration with Other SO Units

The implementation of the SO instrument and its strategy of forging intra-office collaboration is relatively recent. Such collaboration does not happen immediately. The commitment to and the rate of growth of SO collaboration is significant. To date, the most intense collaboration has been with the IAU and the G&D.

With the IAU, the program continues to develop and disseminate Good Practice Notes relevant to ICT and KM practices. Four Good Practice Notes developed in 2003 in the area of IT management were dejargonized into a reader-friendly template for the benefit of all CGIAR staff. Additional good practice notes on ICT management, system security, system development, and business continuity management are being finalized for distribution. Good Practice Notes are useful for avoiding unnecessary duplication and encouraging adoption of and adherence to best practices, standards, policies, and procedures. Collaborative work also is underway on a survey of Center financial and administrative IT systems and on a proposal for a shared procurement service.

In light of the success of the e-conferences organized by the G&D, the ICT-KM Program used the G&D's WebCrossing interactive online discussion forum as the platform for its ICT-KM2 Online Consultation from 28 February to 11 March. The two programs collaborated on documenting the lessons learned in setting up and running this and other e-conferences and are making those lessons accessible for the public.

Gaining Systemwide Efficiencies

As part of its goals of achieving a more unified, more effective CGIAR without boundaries, the ICT-KM Program is helping the CGIAR system work more effectively and efficiently as a true system rather than as 15 separate Centers. One approach to this goal is the program's Coordinating Actions activities. Highlights of those activities over the past year are as follows:

• With support from the ICT-KM Program, the CGIAR system has saved US$ 2.65 million over the past 3 years and saved a conservative estimate of US$0.37 million in 2005 through joint purchasing decisions (software this year); that amount compares quite favorably to the total budget for 2005 for the CIO Office (US$0.33 million). More important, the figure may be on the low side because ICT-KM communities at Centers are starting to forge agreements without CIO support; hence, it is difficult to calculate the full impact of the CIO's efforts. Centers and individual staff are beginning to offer invitations to others to join their smaller scale, more local agreements.
• Working with the IT managers, a common platform-the CGIAR Active Directory (AD)-has been implemented. It permits CGIAR staff to use a variety of software applications throughout the system, including the new CG-XCHANGE, with their own user name and password. The AD is a great boon for people challenged with remembering multiple user names and passwords and is an enhancement that will cut across communities and systems.
• Building on the AD, and also in coordination with the IT managers, the upgrade of Center e-mail systems to Exchange 2003 has been completed. The new Exchange server includes many new features that promise to make the life of "e-mail addicted" CGIAR staff easier, especially frequent travelers.

The CIO Office has collaborated with CIFOR, IWMI, WorldFish, and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to forge an agreement to implement the electronic Natural Resources Information Center (eNRIC) pilot project in 2006. This project will test the feasibility of shared and extended information-delivery services to internal staff.