Revised February 15, 2006

WORKGROUP PURPOSE

The central purpose of Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) workgroups is to collaboratively plan and coordinate research and extension activities. Workgroup functions may include:

• needs assessment;
• communication and networking;
• planning collective research and extension programming;
• subject-matter outreach education;
• evaluation and reporting of program results;
• subject matter in-service training; and
• extramural fund development.

 Workgroups are a primary mechanism for accomplishing ANR’s high priority research and extension goals through collaborative grassroots leadership. They bring together Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) and Cooperative Extension (CE) personnel along with non-ANR partners to work on emerging and continuing priority issues in Division program areas.

ANR Statewide Programs (SPs), ANR Centers, and other existing Division groups that share these purposes, functions and characteristics and conduct workgroup type activities may be recognized as ANR workgroups provided that they are conducting activities not normally expected of the SP/Center under its charge. “Coordinating Conferences” may request ANR workgroup funds to support the coordination and development of workgroups. (See ANR Coordinating Conferences: Purpose and Operations).

Workgroups may be formed when an issue or program opportunity calls for ANR members and other stakeholders to come together and collaborate on an ongoing basis. Program Leaders may provide interim funding to support development of new workgroups, but workgroups must be formally ratified in order to receive operations funding on an ongoing basis.

WORKGROUP MEMBERSHIP

Workgroups should have appropriate membership to effectively address priority Divisionwide issues. Generally, workgroup membership should include at least ten ANR academics. Workgroups should make every effort to include the full continuum of CE advisors, CE specialists and AES scientists as members. ANR non-academic staff may be involved in workgroups as appropriate to their role. Workgroups should include non-ANR partners and clientele as active workgroup members or cooperators as appropriate. Workgroup membership may need to be restricted under certain circumstances, e.g., if the size of the group is too large for meaningful interaction of members. The concurrence of the Program Leader is required on any decision to restrict membership.

WORKGROUP LEADERSHIP AND OPERATIONS

Workgroups should organize themselves in a manner that encourages full and active participation of all members in planning and priority setting decisions. Workgroups may rely on face-to-face meetings or technologically assisted modes of interaction, such as teleconferencing, video-conferencing or e-mail list serves, to ensure communication among members and collective decision-making. While there is no prescribed internal structure for workgroups, each workgroup should identify a member to serve as chair; in some cases co-chairs may be an appropriate option. If there are co-chairs, one individual should be identified as the primary contact person, chair, for administrative matters. CE specialists, AES scientists, CE advisors and other ANR academics may serve as workgroup chairs. CE specialists have a unique responsibility to link campus and county programs and are in an ideal position to assume leadership roles and chair workgroups.

WORKGROUP CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES

Workgroup chairs are responsible for overall workgroup planning and operation as well as reports of actions and outcomes. Chairs are responsible for communication and liaison between and among the workgroup and the Program Leaders. The workgroup chair has responsibility for control of the workgroup’s funds. Chairs ensure that workgroup funds are expended in accordance with their approved budget and applicable University and ANR financial policies.

PROPOSAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL

Workgroup ratification and funding decisions are based on the importance of the issues or problems to be addressed, the merit of the proposed strategies for addressing them, and (for continuing workgroups) the workgroup's record of success. All proposals undergo comprehensive peer review by one of the ad hoc teams appointed by the Program Leaders for their respective program areas. Based on this review process, Program Leaders present recommendations for workgroup ratification and funding to the Program Council. The Associate Vice President, acting on the recommendations of the Program Council, makes the final decisions on workgroup ratification and funding, usually in July of each year. Decisions are announced and funds are made available for approved activities shortly thereafter.

ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR WORKGROUPS

The four ANR Program Leaders are responsible for promoting understanding, interest and involvement in ANR workgroups, serving as advocates for the workgroups and encouraging the formation of new workgroups and alignment of all workgroups around current ANR priorities. Program Leaders have limited funds available to use at their discretion to promote and support pre-workgroup planning throughout the year as critical needs emerge. The members of the ANR Program Council, including the Associate Vice President, Associate Deans, Regional Directors and Program Leaders, share responsibility for fostering productive workgroups. Each workgroup is assigned to one of the four Program Leaders for administrative oversight; however, the programmatic focus of a workgroup may span more than one program area. ANR members are encouraged to contact any of the Program Leaders for additional information and assistance in developing workgroup proposals throughout the year:

William Frost
Natural Resources Program Leader
UCCE El Dorado County
311 Fair Lane
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 621-5509
(530) 642-0803 (fax)
wefrost@ucdavis.edu

Timothy Paine
Ag Policy and Pest Management Program Leader

Entomology CNAS

College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences

239 Entomology Bldg.

Riverside, CA 92521
(951) 827-5835
(951) 827-3086 (fax)

timothy.paine@ucr.edu

Maxwell Norton

Ag Productivity Program Leader
Merced County Region 2
Cooperative Extension Merced County

2145 Wardrobe Avenue                                                    

Merced, CA 95340

(209) 385-7403

(209) 722-8856 (fax)              
mnorton@ucdavis.edu

Karen Varcoe
Human Resources Program Leader
UC Riverside - Cooperative Extension
139 Highlander Hall, Building C
Riverside, CA 92521
(951) 827-3419
(951) 827-5607 (fax)
karen.varcoe@ucr.edu

WORKGROUP FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Accounts are established in the Office of the Associate Vice President to hold funds for approved workgroups. Program Leaders maintain oversight of workgroup accounts in their respective program areas. Staff in the Office of the Associate Vice President handles financial processing for funded workgroups. (See Guidelines for Claiming Workgroup-related Expenses.) Guidelines and Procedures .

WORKGROUP REPORTING

All ratified ANR workgroups, coordinating conferences and “formative” workgroups must submit an annual report of actions and outcomes following the format on the NEWCOW website. Workgroup reports may be used to assist ANR achieve several purposes including development of UC Delivers success stories, completion of Federal reports and systemwide evaluation of ANR research and extension programs.  The following is a description of the annual report requirements.

1. Workgroup Operations Report

To include:

(a)     Activities: Listing of workgroup meetings, in-service training sessions, and other events and activities conducted for workgroup members, with statements of the intended purposes, the number of ANR members attending, funding or in-kind support received from non-ANR sources, and the benefits realized for each event.         

(b)    Accomplishments: Narrative summary of the workgroup’s accomplishments in each of the following areas:

• Addressing specific high priority issues or concerns affecting Division clientele;
• Enhancing collaborative planning and coordination of research and extension activities across organizational units of the Division, including AES and CE such as cost studies, publication planning, grant writing, etc.;
• Building linkages with non-ANR cooperators to improve coordination and impact and/or leverage resources;
• Increasing knowledge or skills of workgroup members; and
• Involving workgroup members in collective planning and decision making to identify and prioritize issues, goals and activities to be pursued by the workgroup.

(c)  Outcomes and Impacts: Identify workgroup’s outcomes in terms of new knowledge, technologies or practices developed and/or disseminated and the ultimate impacts of the workgroup activity, in terms of environmental, social and/or economic consequences attributable to the workgroup’s operations activity; include data and summary of methods used to assess immediate outcomes and ultimate impacts and description of audience affected.

2. Research/Extension Projects

Research/extension project reports are required only if the workgroup received ANR workgroup funding for an approved research and/or extension project. Reports must be submitted in the following UC Delivers format:

• Headline: A brief (no more than 10 words), vivid statement that captures attention and gives a sense of what the project is/was all about.
•   Project Summary: Abstract of 100 words or less.
•   The Issue - “Who Cares and Why?” Describe interesting and relevant background information about the specific issue, problem or situation that was addressed by this research/extension project.  Describe how the issue has affected the local environmental, social and economic community.  Describe the stakeholders, who have been affected, and what the impact has been on them as a result of the issue.
•   What has ANR Done?  Describe the inputs, i.e. what ANR invested in terms of staff, volunteers, time, money, materials, equipment, technology and partners.  Outline the general approach or methodology that was created to address this issue – in straight forward, non-technical terms.  Identify the major components / steps / overall time frame that were part of this project.  Identify and describe the demographics of clientele that were engaged and/or served by project.  Describe how individual elements of the AES/CE research & extension continuum contributed to addressing the issue specifying roles of AES scientists, CE specialists and CE advisors.  Indicate Federal and/or other funding sources that provided support in addition to ANR funds for this project.
• The Payoff: Any and all of the following:

3. Membership List

Updated membership lists are required for all workgroups.  Active members (based on attendance at meetings, involvement in workgroup activities and projects) must be distinguished from ‘information only’ members that just want to be kept informed of the workgroup’s activities.