April 2005

WORKGROUP RATIFICATION

Only groups that have been funded as “formative” workgroups during the past year are allowed to apply for ratification as a new workgroup. Groups that want to form new workgroups need to contact the appropriate Program Leader.

Groups that were funded during the past year can request ratification and operations funding by submitting a report and requests at the NEWCOW website at http://ucanr.org/newcow/.  Program Leaders should be contacted if there are any questions. 

Requests should include a statement of the overall purpose of the proposed workgroup and the need for and value of workgroup activity, and should identify the individuals who have committed to active participation in the workgroup. The proposal should articulate the Division priorities to be advanced by the workgroup, the need for collaboration and/or integration and how the workgroup is or will be organized -- i.e., mechanisms for communication and coordination among members, annual schedule of activities, etc. The proposal should also include how workgroup members will be involved in identifying and prioritizing the workgroup’s purpose, goals and activities with projected impacts for the next five years.  Workgroup ratification is based on:

• Consistency with ANR Planning Assumptions and with current Division priorities (Refer to Strategic Directions for ANR, ANR Target Issues, 2002, ANR Critical Issues 2003 and ANR Core Issues and Target Opportunities, 2004);
• Extent to which the programmatic focus of the workgroup benefits from collaboration and does not duplicate other Division unit or workgroup efforts;
• Adequacy of membership to address the issue and achieve the stated goals -- in terms of research and extension expertise, representation of statewide perspectives, and sufficient number of active participants;
• Appropriateness of the overall workgroup structure, operational procedures and activities, and planned use of funds;
• Appropriateness of linkages with non-ANR cooperators -- to maximize coordination and impact and/or leverage resources.

RE-RATIFICATION

All workgroups first ratified in 2000 must submit a request for re-ratification during the FY 2005-06 cycle in order to continue as “official” ANR workgroups and receive operations funding. Workgroups that need to submit a request for re-ratification will be prompted in the NEWCOW system.

The proposal for re-ratification consists of three sections in NEWCOW:

• Overview of the accomplishments of the workgroups during 2000-2005 and a justification for re-ratification
• Goals and/or objectives for the workgroup for the next five years with projected impacts
• Action plan as to how the workgroup will meet its goals

Any workgroup that decides not to apply for re-ratification should notify the appropriate Program Leader to prevent any confusion.

NEW WORKGROUPS

Potential new workgroups need to contact their Program Leader.  Program Leaders have limited discretionary funds to support planning meetings for new workgroups addressing high priority issues.

WORKGROUP FUNDING

Workgroups may request funding for operations through an annual call issued by the Office of the Associate Vice President. Workgroup chairs (and conveners, in the case of newly proposed workgroups) submit proposals and reports using the ANR Newly Enhanced Workgroup Call on the Web (NEWCOW) website. Workgroups have access to a designated pool of ANR funds, which totals approximately $390,000 per year. These funds are intended to support start-up or ongoing workgroup operations, including meetings, communication, training and other services for members. Where appropriate, ANR workgroup funding should be used as “seed money” to leverage or match other sources of support. Workgroups are expected to expend their funding by the end of the fiscal year in which it is appropriated. All unexpended balances of operations and/or any remaining research and extension project funds held by the workgroup on June 30 will be returned to the central pool for reallocation for the following FY.  Unexpended funds will not be carried forward.

1. Funding for Workgroup Operations:

Upon ratification, workgroups are eligible to receive ANR funds for start-up and/or ongoing operations, based on the number of members and the number and size of events for members. These funds are intended to pay for: (1) costs of ANR workgroup members to attend workgroup events (travel, meals and lodging); (2) meeting room rental, reproduction of meeting hand-outs and other general meeting expenses, and (3) workgroup communication expenses (e.g., newsletters, mailing costs, long-distance telephone charges, etc.) and other general workgroup operational expenses. Workgroup funding may be used to pay for members’ attendance at a meeting of another organization only if a workgroup meeting is conducted in conjunction with that meeting; in such cases, travel expenses should be charged on a pro rata basis to the workgroup and the other organization. Workgroup operational funds may be used to cover subject-matter in-service training (the “Program Development” funding that CE advisors receive is intended for other types of in-service training.)

2. Workgroup funds may not be used for:

• Travel costs for non-ANR workgroup participants and external speakers/presenters at workgroup meetings, unless specifically included in the workgroup funding proposal and approved for funding;
• Printing costs for ANR publications (workgroup funding may be used to create or update publication content);
• Development or maintenance costs for web sites (workgroup funding may be used to create or update content posted on web sites);
• Conducting “out-of-state” field trips, except in multi-state workgroups where meetings rotate among collaborating states;
• Long-term support of breeding programs (workgroup funding may be used to “seed” start-up activities for breeding projects when there is a clear strategy for long-term support);
• Activities that are normally expected of established ANR program units including Centers, Research and Extension Centers (REC’s) and Statewide Programs (SPs).