Posts Tagged: program teams
Anticipation
If someone had told me even ten years ago that I would be watching a Governor's budget release as...
Workgroups, Program Teams and Strategic Initiatives - Where are we?
A major factor in job satisfaction is the extent to which people feel part of a wider supportive community. Such connections have historically been offered in UC ANR through various means, including our structural units (i.e., our 81 workgroups, 21 program teams and 5 strategic initiatives).
Healthy organizations should regularly look at their structure. Important elements of structure include how the pieces fit together and how people may better connect to more effectively implement their work. In the summer of 2018, we began a series of discussions and surveys to revisit aspects of our structure.
Thank you to the 120-plus people who provided input on our structure and suggestions regarding how we may connect.
Findings
1. Clarity of purpose:
The seeming fuzziness of the roles and goals of our Workgroups (WGs), Program Teams (PTs) and Strategic Initiatives (SIs) is not as great as people may think. Many consistent findings arose across the different structural groups. A summary of our findings follows.
Workgroups (our oldest unit of structure) are the most readily understood. They represent active “communities of practice” (that can come and go) and are the primary place where people plan and implement (noting that such groups are both formal and informal).
One point of interest is that people didn't realize they could close or start workgroups as needed.
Program Teams bring together people (typically from different workgroups) who are working on related but distinctly different topics to network, share and learn.
One clear observation is that PTs vary considerably in terms of the diversity of WG representation (e.g., 1 PT has 12 WGs and a few PTs have just 1 WG).
SIs are our highest form of aggregation (and currently the one that enjoys the least clarity). They function to unify, communicate and advocate as the umbrellas for the work we do. The recent addition for the SIs is the development of the Focal Areas and Grand Challenges, providing the opportunity to see the unifying focus in our efforts.
For more information about how workgroups, program teams and strategic initiatives fit together, see https://ucanr.edu/sites/StrategicInitiatives/files/295191.pdf.
2. Workgroups – Don't fix it if it ain't broken:
Of the 81 workgroups, quite a number are considered very active and effective (21) - while another 29 are somewhat active and 3 are new in 2019. The remaining 28 WGs have been inactive as reflected by personnel or goal changes. The inactive WGs will be officially closed (see list at end). These can be easily reopened if demand arises.
The goal is for WGs to align with a single PT which likely means realigning the PTs - see point #3 below. Currently some workgroups have no PT, whereas other WGs have aligned with many PTs.
3. Reformulate the topic areas for Program Teams:
The next step is to collect input and look at reformulating/reaffirming the PT themes. Currently, we have 21 PT themes. Some have no WGs under them. Others have many WGs under them. As indicated above, some workgroups have aligned under many PT. This creates uneven structure and at times uneven activity.
As we go forward, we encourage people to help identify needed PT themes to 1) better represent the collective work of UC ANR, 2) create or show clearer paths for people to connect at the WG, PT and SI levels, and 3) help us refine the SI Focal Areas and Grand Challenges – providing greater clarity of our efforts and clearer SI alignment with the reformulated PT themes and WG efforts.
Opportunity for more input on PT themes
The PT discussions will include a webinar and county visits over summer.
Thank you all for your efforts and we welcome input.
Sincerely,
Mark Bell (Vice Provost Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)
Strategic Initiative Leaders
HFC: Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty
SFS: Deanne Meyer and Neil McRoberts
Water: David Lewis
SNE: David Lile
Pests: Jim Farrar
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Workgroups to close
Note: If there is interest and leadership, workgroups can be readily opened by this simple new workgroup request.
1. Air Quality
2. Animals in Educational Settings
3. Bioenergy
4. Body Weight and Health
5. Building Food Security
6. Conservation Biology
7. Dairy Goats
8. Ecological Restoration
9. Economics and Mgmt in Food, Ag, Nat Res and the Environment
10. Environmental Observation Network
11. European Pear
12. Exotic Fruit Fly
13. Garden- Based Learning
14. Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
15. Mosquito Research and Extension
16. Pest Management in ANR
17. Postharvest Integrated Pest Management
18. Rangeland Watershed Program
19. Turfgrass
20. Urban Horticulture
21. Water Quality
22. Woody Biomass Utilization
23. Families with Young Children
24. Food Safety Horticultural Crops
25. Land Use
26. Linking Research & Education in Agricultural & Environmental Biotechnology
27. Peppers
28. Spray Application Technology
View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.
This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.
Program Team meetings, fire summit and programmatic orientation dates set
Vision 20/20: A fire-resilient California: April 16-17, and ANR-only follow-up meeting, April 18, Redding CA
The fire summit will bring together community leaders, policymakers, and movers and shakers—people like you!—from a wide range of disciplines on April 16-17. Vision 20/20: A Fire-resilient California will expand our understanding of California's fire problem and provide an opportunity to build connectivity, interaction, and integration across disciplines and better understand the complexity of and find solutions to California's wildfire challenge.
On April 18, we'll have an internal ANR meeting where we can share our own work in fire and strategize how together we can better respond to California's fire challenges at local and regional levels. We hope ANR academics and staff from a wide range of disciplines will attend. Travel funds will be available for ANR-affiliated academics and programmatic staff.
Open to ANR academics and programmatic staff – registration now open.
UC ANR Programmatic Orientation: April 23-25, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA
Plan to join ANR leadership for the Programmatic Orientation to discuss the mission of UC ANR and our varied roles in California and the University, as well as see examples of successful research and outreach programs. Take this opportunity to engage in discussions with colleagues about the resources and opportunities available through ANR as a division.
All early career UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists, academic coordinators and administrators are invited to attend – registration now open.
Upcoming Program Team meetings
Water Resources PT – March 5-7 – Registration
Positive Youth Development Meeting – March 18-20 – Registration
Pomology (PECC) PT – March 27-28 – Registration opening soon
Dairy Production and Food Safety PT – April 9-10 – Registration opening soon
Research to Policy PT – April 10-11 – Registration opening soon
View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.
This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.
ANR funding support update
Colleagues,
As mandated costs continue to outpace available funds, UC ANR is taking action to ensure financial prudence while continuing to devote our limited resources to our priorities. These include the approved systemwide merit program and the two UC ANR equity programs designed to improve the competitiveness of salaries for academics and staff, among other goals. As Vice President Humiston recently said, “People are our greatest asset; without you, we cannot achieve our research and extension mission.” Please see related programmatic funding updates below.
Program Team funding
- For FY2018-19, UC ANR is providing funding for Program Team meetings, during which related Workgroups can also meet. These meetings provide the opportunity to network, share, and learn. To find out about the meetings check the Program Team meetings web page.
- Over this coming year, UC ANR program leadership will continue to solicit input on opportunities to improve our Strategic Initiative, Program Team, and Workgroup structure and roles. Thanks to Program Team Leaders and Workgroup Chairs who provided input through the August survey.
CE specialist and AES travel funds to work with CE advisors or at the RECs
- Continuing in FY 2018-19, UC ANR is making travel support available for CE specialists to collaborate with UC ANR academics off-campus, including CE advisors in the counties and UC ANR academics at the research and extension centers. Each specialist may apply for up to $2,500. These travel funds must be expended by June 30, 2019, and used by the UCCE specialists only, and cannot be used for out-of-state travel.
- UC ANR continues to support travel by AES faculty to meet and work with UC ANR county-based or REC-based academics. Support is limited to $1,000 per AES faculty member with a cap on the total pool of funds available set at $25,000 for FY 2018-19. This travel support must be used by the AES faculty member for his/her own travel to plan and execute research or present research findings at meetings hosted by UC ANR academics. Additional support may be available through the campuses; AES faculty should consult their departments or colleges.
- Completing a short online survey is the only step in accessing these funds.
ANR funding opportunities/grants
- For 2018-2020, UCANR will not be issuing a call for proposals for the ANR Competitive Grants Program nor the High-Risk/High-Reward Program, and the Matching Program is on hold. These funds are being redirected given the current budget situation.
- UC ANR continues to accept submissions for the Opportunity Grants Program, which provides small amounts of funding to initiate and complete critical short-term research, outreach, or training efforts. Proposals are accepted at any time. For more information, see the web page.
Sincerely,
Wendy Powers
Associate Vice President
View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.
This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.
Finding value in meetings may be on us
This week I was fortunate to be invited to meet with the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Program...