Key Achievements in 2005

Launch of New G&D Fellowship Program

With a US$470,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for 2005-2007, G&D has launched a unique fellowship program designed to support professional growth in scientific expertise and people management. The goal is to facilitate development of women science leaders in East Africa. Eleven crop scientists were awarded fellowships in 2005, and another 10 awardees are to be selected in 2006. The program is guided by a steering committee composed of senior women agricultural scientists from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda; representatives of the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Development; and G&D staff. Each two-year fellowship offers the following benefits:

• A two-year mentoring relationship with a senior scientist in the awardee's field of interest and expertise;
• Funds to present each awardee's research at a major scientific conference each year;
• Development of team management and leadership skills through participation in the CGIAR's women's leadership and negotiations courses;
• Improved access to knowledge and support through linkages to regional and global networks of women scientists and researchers;
• Mentoring opportunities for junior women scientists in each awardee's institute during the second year of the fellowship.

Production of Inclusive Workplace E-Resource Center on G&D Website

An appealing and user-friendly animated online tool is making the work of G&D freely accessible to all. The Inclusive Workplace e-Resource Center allows staff to share their best recommendations for the policies and practices essential for good people management in multicultural organizations. It includes new and improved guidelines for diversity-positive recruitment; prevention of harassment and discrimination; and dealing with family, HIV/AIDS, and flexible workplace issues. Additional resources are under development. The e-Resource Center is organized to start from the core values of inclusion, dignity, well-being, and opportunity. With one click on a core value, the Web page opens and related topics are offered:

• Introduction: a brief overview of why this topic is important for an inclusive workplace and an outline of the information contained in the segment;
• Model Policy: a carefully honed sample policy with language ready for adopting or adapting into each organization's personnel manual;
• Practices: related good practices;
• Tips and Tools: examples and ideas for implementation, which often draw from CGIAR Center experience.

The Inclusive Workplace E-Resource Center was developed in direct response to Centers' requests for additional support to help them achieve their 1-, 3- and 5-year goals for results related to gender and diversity in staffing, policy, and practice.

10th Anniversary of the Women's Leadership Series and Impact Assessment

2005 marked the 10th anniversary of the first CGIAR women's leadership course, which was launched by the earlier Gender Staffing Program. The anniversary presented a good opportunity for G&D to take stock of its strategy for developing women leaders and to better prepare for the future.

Dr. Gelaye Debebe ( Ethiopia), a research associate of the Center for Gender and Organizations, was contracted to conduct an independent impact assessment, which used a Web-based questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The study sample focused on women who participated in the CGIAR women's leadership series over the past several years, including some who have left the organization.

G&D also took this occasion to pilot an advanced leadership course. The advanced course (hosted by the World Agroforestry Center in Kenya) focused on higher-level leadership skills such as building trust, leading change, dealing with territorial games, and handling difficult conversations. It also focused on ways to be both powerful and healthy, offering new ideas about energy management and work-life balance.

Because of increased demand, G&D conducted its regular women's leadership course not once but twice in 2005 (hosted by ICARDA in Syria and by ILRI in Ethiopia). In addition to CGIAR women, the courses included female participants from National Agricultural Research nstitutes, the FAO, and new G&D-Rockefeller women science fellows. G&D trained a total of 85 women in 2005.

Collaboration with Other SO Units

Internal Audit

G&D contributed comments on drafts for IAU's Good Practice Note on human resources (HR). After it was finalized, G&D staff shared and discussed it with HR managers from 14 Centers during the G&D annual workshop

ICT-KM

The G&D website hosted ICT-KM's global e-conference and, with ICT-KM, jointly published the lessons learned about running online events. G&D staff continued to serve on the ICT-KM Advisory Group. ICT-KM contributed an excellent session on knowledge sharing during G&D's annual workshop.

CGIAR Secretariat and CBC

G&D participated in the HR and G&D orientation of new Center Boards of Trustees members.