The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, or CGIAR, is facing unprecedented challenges. Today, rural communities across the developing world are suffering from sky rocketing food prices, the grave threat of climate change, energy shortages and unstable global financial markets. To continue to be relevant, the CGIAR has to adapt to the changing times and this video is about the revitalization process which is currently underway.
This video has been produced by the Institutional KS Project as a contribution to the socialization of the CGIAR change process. The script was done in collaboration with the CGIAR Secretariat. The multimedia was produced by a CIAT team and the original video style idea is from The Common Craft Show who kindly authorized us to use it.
ICT-KM Program 
February 22, 2009 at 3:55 am
Congratulations to ICT-KM for coming out with such a clear and simple video that explains the need for a change within CGIAR and how the emerging/new CG structure looks like. The best part of the video is the explanation of the new structure.
I have one suggestion to make for ICT-KM consideration. As part of change management, we have been receiving periodic updates on the process through email communications. This is very good. If the video can also have a clear explanation of the complexity of the present system of coordination between centers, alliance, Science Council, Funders, Partners and the CG, along with the major drawbacks, and then show the new system explanation as a contrast, this can be a wonderful video to be shared with staff down the line, at all CG Centers, in my opinion, it would be a good beginning to take ALL staff along in the change management process by being “inclusive”. May be such videos capturing periodic updates on the change process will help staff to “BE” with the process, which can make the transition much smoother..
Many thanks and best regards.
A J Rama Rao
Sr Manager – Human Resources
ICRISAT – Patancheru
February 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Hi Rama Rao
Thank you so much for your encouraging comment. We have been indeed thinking about making updates of this video, mainly to explain the progress of the different components, like the Fund, the Consortium, the Mega Programms.
The challenge is to keep them short so people take the time to watch them.
We also received the suggestion to have them at least with subtitles in other languages in order to involve as many staff as possible.
I hope we can work on this further.
March 7, 2009 at 2:28 am
Why not merge the 16 centers and create one organization?
March 9, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Hi Frederico,
This is a good question. I don´t think that our Program is the best to answer your question but as far as I understood it is very challenging to achieve agreements among 15 centers who have 15 Directors, 15 boards and 15 host country agreements. The CGIAR and its members saw two mayor problems, 1)more coherence in funding and 2) the need for a better and efficient decision making process. That is what the new structure addresses. Some would like to see some center mergers… but this will be part of the work of the new Consortium to elaborate proposals on the level of centralization required.
It would be great if you could post your question on the cgiar change management blog http://cgiarchangemanagement.wordpress.com/
April 23, 2009 at 2:19 am
Nice video! Thanks to the CIAT, ICT-KM and Secretariat teams that produced it. Is there a way to download and save the video for playing to groups etc?
April 23, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hi Susan, I am happy that you liked it! Please go to; http://ictkm.blip.tv/file/1507445/
This is our Blip.TV site where I saw at the bottom a download feature.
April 24, 2009 at 4:51 am
Cool! Thanks a lot. Will play to ILRI staff.
May 20, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Outstanding info,, Hope to visit again.