2023 2023 CGIAR Annual
Report

At CGIAR, we actively seek to create and sustain inclusive and enabling workplaces. The People and Culture community works closely to deliver and continuously improve the quality of services through partnership with our stakeholders and harmonization and digitalization of People and Culture practices.

Create and sustain an Inclusive and Enabling Environment

We believe that diversity enriches the quality of our decision-making, deepens the relevance of our advice and outputs, and enhances our efficiency and effectiveness. Treating everyone with dignity and fairness is at the core of our values.

Significant progress has been made in implementing the new Action Plan for 2023–2024, led by the CGIAR’s Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion (GDI) Function.

More broadly, important foundational work was initiated that supports more shared approaches to managing talent across CGIAR.

Explore some highlights of 2023

Wellbeing & Me: Inaugural month-long holistic wellness campaign devoted to improving employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, with over 1,000 people from across CGIAR participating in 17 different sessions.

Connect@CGIAR: This supports connections between staff across different Centers, enabling participants to set up a 30-minute conversation with someone they don’t know. After a successful pilot with Women in Research and Science (WIRES), an employee-led resource group, the program was scaled up across CGIAR to create even more ways for staff to meet, build communities, and share ideas. Almost 400 people are currently participating in the program.

Mentoring@CGIAR: The program was launched in 2023 to accelerate learning, boost self-confidence, build personal networks, and facilitate career progression across CGIAR. The platform garnered over 350 active mentors and mentees.

The second edition of CGIAR’s Inclusive Workplace Awards drew 152 nominations from across CGIAR. Nominations were shortlisted by the judging panel including Leonie Nicks from BIT and Monica Oldham from the World Bank Group, among others.

Inclusive Leadership and Respectful Workplace training programs were piloted in New Delhi and Dhaka in May 2023. The training programs were subsequently delivered in Montpellier, Los Banos, Colombo, Lahore, and Penang.Over 800 staff members from nine Centers and the System Organization participated, with a satisfaction rate of 97 percent.

Launch of a digital learning solution for staff across CGIAR

Following a successful pilot, Bookboon, a digital learning solution for staff across CGIAR, was launched in 2023. Bookboon provides bite-sized, multi-lingual content, including eBooks and audio learning on business and personal development skills, accessible from computers and phones. During the pilot, over 6,000 materials were downloaded, and Bookboon has grown in reach and popularity since its launch.

Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (GDI) in the workplace

GDI data: In June 2023, the GDI function, in partnership with CGIAR Centers, collected and updated People Data, providing a global view of CGIAR’s workforce and its diversity, which continues to show steady progress toward improved gender balance (see below). While the proportion of women has increased overall, key areas such as senior research management (24 percent women) continue to require focus.

Delivering and digitalizing Key P&C Services

Staffing of CGIAR Research Initiatives TheP&C global team has improved efficiency and visibility and streamlined the Science Initiatives people planning and staffing process, which ensures greater outreach and inclusiveness. An interactive CGIAR Science Initiatives People Dashboard was developed and approved in 2023 and is now accessible to all staff.

• 2,776 CGIAR employees are participating in the CGIAR Research Initiatives.
• All CGIAR Centers are involved in the Research Initiatives. Ninety percent of Initiatives bring together CGIAR scientists from four or more Centers.
• Ninety percent of the assignments for the Initiatives are in the following regions: Central & West Asia & North Africa (CWANA), East & Southern Africa (ESA), West Central Africa (WCA), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), South Asia (SA), and Southeast Asia & the Pacific (SEA).
• Women comprise 41 percent of Initiative staff overall and 40 percent of Initiative Leadership.

In 2023, 46 staff members were appointed to the One-CGIAR operating structure, with 57 percent of the appointments being women candidates.

Launch of the CGIAR People Database project to design and implement the first People Database for all CGIAR staff. The People Database will enable reliable and real-time Reporting on Key Workforce Indicators for the entire CGIAR; it is an important foundation to build an array of shared digital solutions to better understand and manage the excellent talent across CGIAR. This project is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and will be live in mid-2024.