Dear Colleagues:

Last week marked the anniversary of the Statewide Conference and the release of the Strategic Vision. Earlier last week, I had a candid conversation with members of the Executive Working Group to take stock of what has been accomplished and the work that still needs to be done.  As a benchmark, we referred to my closing presentation from the conference summarizing what we heard and the recommendations that came out of the working sessions. If you want to review the presentation, it is on the Web at the bottom of this page - http://ucanr.org/swcpresentations.

At the close of the conference, the recommendations and concerns we collected fell into five broad categories: Organization, Partnerships, Marketing/Branding, Internal Reward System, and Teams and Collaborations.

Organization
The changes we have made have been extensive. The Regional Offices and a number of Statewide Programs have been or will shortly be closed, with administrative tasks shifting to the Program Support Unit and the Business Operation Centers. While adjustments are still being made, these actions have generated administrative savings that have helped us meet budget targets and preserve more of our academic core.  Programmatically, four Strategic Initiatives are operating and their leaders have been appointed to Program Council so that program and resource allocation decisions are aligned with our objectives. We also consulted with a number of key external stakeholders and experts to incorporate fresh perspectives on our organization and operations.

We have acted to broaden the utility of the Research and Extension Centers and their potential to serve as focal points for integrated research and extension activities. Joint appointment positions have been developed for new directors. At Kearney, the process to initiate a search is under way for a Kearney director who will have responsibilities for the REC as well as the academic group known as Kearney Agricultural Center. These important steps will lead to improved linkages and collaboration across the organization.

Partnerships
We are at a key moment regarding our partnerships with county government.  Looking ahead, we face critical decisions to build efficient administrative structures while strengthening the local program delivery that is the core of UC Cooperative Extension. To start, we must initiate a contemporary model for our partnership with the counties.  Don Klingborg and I will meet with county directors on June 8 to discuss this effort and expect to move quickly to plan implementation in time for the FY 2011-12 budget cycle.

Marketing/branding
We’ve taken a significant step forward by designing an identity system that is based on the Strategic Vision and emphasizes the UC brand. The Strategic Vision Toolkit contains a growing suite of tools and templates to build our brand, communicate more effectively, and to demonstrate our impact.

We have also made progress in developing a strategic advocacy capacity.  ANR’s advocacy is a long-term effort aimed at creating and nurturing relationships at the local level with current and emerging policymakers.  We have included a number of key division supporters in the high level group of advocates upon whom President Yudof relies.  We have also taken steps to improve our internal communication tools and timeliness.

Internal reward system
Aligning our internal reward system with our Strategic Vision is a major challenge.  The Academic Personnel unit has been charged to lead our efforts to develop a consistent merit and promotion system, appropriate and transparent criteria, and a more efficient and streamlined process that reduces reporting burdens while improving the value of the collected data.  We will complete this effort with no interruption in the merit and promotion process.

Teams and collaborations
The Strategic Initiatives are working to build new connections and collaborations across the continuum, while also aligning leadership, resources and operations with our Strategic Vision. As the four Strategic Initiatives gain momentum and identify innovative research and extension projects, the Strategic Initiative leaders and their panels share an explicit commitment to fostering and supporting teams and collaborations that cross boundaries and build new relationships both within UC and with our external partners.  We have also been working at all levels to break down barriers and encourage multidisciplinary collaboration. This will include reworking our internal reward system.

Next steps and summary
The above are just a few examples of the significant progress we have made on a wide range of recommendations from the Statewide Conference.  The Strategic Vision has guided these changes and I'm pleased by our progress, but much remains to be done.

To show ANR’s direct and indirect impact, we are planning to build an expanded suite of tools and resources. We will be developing materials that can be tailored to demonstrate local impact to help build and maintain support.

Moving ahead on our internal reward system, Academic Personnel will be working with all of you to develop a proposed plan of action in this critical area.

On the administrative side, we will evaluate our actions to ensure that critical services are in place, staffed, and efficiently organized.

ANR has accomplished a great deal over the past 12 months. Many of the steps we’ve taken, and the recommendations on which they were based, have been discussed and debated for years. The resulting changes have not been easy, but they have laid a solid foundation for a more agile, sustainable, effective organization that can deliver policy-relevant science and effective solutions to Californians.

In the coming weeks, I will be in touch to discuss more specific steps we will be taking and about the goals and objectives we have set for the coming year.

Warm regards,

Dan

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