Background

The Strategic Advisory Service on Human Resources (SAS-HR) was reestablished in August 2006. Its main goals for the first year were establishing its functionality, conducting a customer survey and establishing a strategy on strategic human resources for the CGIAR based on advice from participating Centers. The strategic plan - called Global Solutions for Local Applications, and citing priorities that reflect needs - was endorsed in November 2006.

Key Accomplishments in 2006

Developing the HR Strategy. The HR strategy, developed following interaction with participating Centers, provides direction through three approaches:

• building an organizational culture and positioning the CGIAR for the future,
• harmonizing policies, and
• modernization and continuous improvement.

Providing Center-Specific Services. SAS-HR assists participating Centers and provides direct advice regarding structure, processes, and people and their roles. Where appropriate, advice can be shared with other participating Centers.

As contact was established, expert professional HR advice and support was provided to Centers' and the System Office to strengthen Centers' capacity to align their HR strategies with their vision and mission. Flexibility was preserved to meet emerging or urgent Center needs.

Center-specific advice for 2006 includes the following:

• Building Organizational Culture. SAS-HR has helped build organizational culturefor innovation and change. A values-driven organization has staff collaborate in teams to achieve goals with honest, open communication. The working environment is one of trust, fairness and integrity, in which people learn and strive for excellence.
• Reviewing and Giving Advice on Policies. SAS-HR has collaborated closely with participating Centers and advised them on revisions to personnel policy that reflect modern needs and cover the whole of HR management well into the future. This has been achieved by conducting complete reviews of new personnel policies, advising on performance-based remuneration, and approaching conflict resolution at the lowest level and as early as possible.
• Strengthening Staff Development. A number of training programs that strengthen values and behavior have been tailored to meet the needs of Centers. SAS-HR, Gender & Diversity (G&D), and CGIAR Secretariat have collaborated to provide demand-driven training. The First Level Leadership Program supports the development of administrators and managers (the backbone of the organization) in the areas of team leadership and project management, with the aim of complementing their existing functional expertise. The Senior Leadership Program is designed specifically for senior leaders of Centers and Challenge Programs, board members, and CGIAR Members. It features strategic thinking in the context of international alliances, creating and nurturing an organizational culture of innovation and performance, and leading change. This program includes a module on strengthening media skills.
• Facilitating and Advising on Monitoring and Evaluation. SAS-HR has advised on a method for identifying performance indicators for personnel administration services.It has also assessed the possible use of an HR information system, endorsing its possibilities for the accurate monitoring and data collection and processing needed by HR personnel in CGIAR Centers. A mini survey of the HR functionalities at participating Centers was conducted for input into the strategy, and the compiled information will be distributed for its usefulness in further developing the HR community.

Collaboration with Other System Office Units

Contacts between SAS-HR and the other SO units enabled streamlined and consistent service provision to the Centers. Extensive meetings for exchanging information and finding ways to collaborate took place during the SO gathering in October in Paris and were of utmost importance to building a foundation for further collaboration. Further steps were taken during the Annual General Meeting in December in Washington, DC. Below are examples of SAS-HR working with other SO units.

• Internal Audit Unit (IAU) and SAS-HR, for producing a draft of the good practice note on whistle-blowing. Discussions on the balance between an open, straightforward organizational culture and the use of whistle-blowing were conducted, and the note was taken for amendments.
• IAU and SAS-HR, for comments on a draft good practice note on an anti-corruption strategy.
• Central Advisory Service on Intellectual Property (CAS-IP), IAU and SAS-HR, for introducing new staff to intellectual property issues. Victoria Henson-Apollonio, head of CAS-IP, explained to new staff the importance of ensuring good understanding of intellectual property and what it entails in practice. Discussion regarding intellectual property was conducted as a module in a model induction program. The form taken for dissemination could be a good practice note or such other options as a self-instructing DVD.
• CAS-IP and SAS-HR, for introducing a lawyer specializing in genetic intellectual property rights.
• CGIAR Secretariat and SAS-HR, for a partial review of some CGIAR performance indicators, including a couple of documents advising on principles.
• SAS-HR provided input to the Systemwide Genetic Resources Program for formulating the concept of strategic staffing, and this was presented and welcomed in a project meeting in Nairobi.
• G&D and SAS-HR, as SAS-HR gave an introductory speech at a G&D seminar at WorldFish Center.
• G&D and SAS-HR together conducted discussions and established that good practice notes and advice from G&D shall be reviewed by SAS-HR.
• Information and Communications Technology-Knowledge Management and SAS-HR cooperated regarding CGXchange.