parcom12_Internal+communication

=Partnership and Communication annual meeting 2012 = On 24-26 January, ILRI's P&C department held a meeting in Addis Ababa to review the highlights of 2011 and align plans and ideas around strategic priorities for 2012 and beyond. ( go back to ParCom12 home page) toc

Internal communication work at ParCom12
**Contributors**: Peter, Paul, Evelyn, Emaelaf, Tsehay, Abenet
 * Topic **: Internal communications
 * Topic owner **: Tsehay Gashaw

(View the recap from the follow up meeting to this discussion below)

Ideas where we could make a difference
Potential activities we can look at to make a difference in terms of internal communcation.
 * 1) Yammer (maximizing yammer use)
 * 2) Coffee morning (remodeling the coffee morning model)
 * 3) Scientific conference (revamping the scientific seminars)
 * 4) Physical and virtual Notice board (remodeling
 * 5) Campus and events calendars (improve content of information)
 * 6) Jimmy’s video (we have to think to make it regular) WE DONT NEED TO DISCUSS THIS; JUST MAKE A SCHEDULE WITH HIM
 * 7) Improving Townhall meetings
 * 8) Week-ahead email messages (make them more descriptive, e.g offer updates on objectives of events, vary listing order.etc).

Set up a time-bound TASK FORCE (Andrew, Milcah, Paul, Evelyn, Tsehay, Meron, Abenet, Ewen).
 * Action: **

By the end of February the task force will come up with ideas/ways to improve internal commmunication, identify a prioritized shortlist of the most important/most likely to have impact actions and how they could be rolled out [could be broader or narrower than the areas above]. Talk to any others as much as needed. Use our tools/channels to do and share this work. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Use a virtual comms meeting to validate/refine. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Report to Peter and Bruce -> then to Jimmy (who has another informal group thinking on this: Jimmy, Bruce, Shirley, Peter)

**Principles:**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">We don't look for change for the sake of it <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">We don't want to over-design or over-engineer existing tools; we want ones that work, pragmatic, not costly We don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Need to be clear on how to move forward with the 'Week-ahead email messages'. e.g a better systems of feeding into it. It is currently voluntary. Weigh the efficiencies vs effort required. Need to be consistent for it to catch on.
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Comments: //**

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">What are our destinations?

 * Internal communication that includes and integrates all staff
 * Repackaging information for all internal stakeholders
 * We need to create cohesive environment that makes everyone communicate well.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">What team and equipment do we need for the road (how, with whom, capacities, tools and approaches)?

 * Maximizing the already existing tools like Yammer and Skype communication
 * Change our communication approach
 * F2F meetings, informal gathering though coffee mornings, at Zebu ...etc.
 * Follow up and feedback mechanisms should be there.
 * All staff meetings, Virtual peer assist (via skype or video conference)
 * Management should work closely with Comms people to enable more sharing from the Management side.
 * Identifying champions and change agents
 * Capacities – more trainings, proper equipments especially for videos, software and hardware.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The roadmap to get there (who does what by when)?

 * Comms people should be proactive to collect and disseminate information.
 * Corporate communication should be engaging different teams.
 * Produce (quarterly, etc) project communication reports by comms people.
 * Regular communication meeting among the comms people.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Cracks, potholes and diversions (concerns and questions about the road)?

 * Our roles in terms of internal communication are not well defined/understood.

Actions from the follow up session

 * Yammer: maximise usage
 * Coffee mornings to review
 * Scientific conferences to modify
 * Virtual and physical notice board
 * Campus and event calendar to change
 * Jimmy Smith video to work on (video message)
 * Improving townhall message
 * Week ahead message to change (priority focus on
 * Task force: Milcah, Paul, Evelyn, Tsehay, Meron, Abenet, Andrew, **__Ewen__**.

Time frame: end of Feb to give recommendations.

__Feedback__:
 * Also include someone from regional (e.g. Andrew);
 * For regional activities, every week, introduce an ILRI Asia team member etc. for others to find out - an idea for other regions?
 * Idea behind task force? -> Look into this programme and come up with rolling action plan / operationalise internal comms. Will also do a virtual comms meeting with Bruce and Jimmy perhaps?
 * On the //week ahead// email: We have to be conscious about how we want to move it forward. It's effective and it's been done at a very low cost/input process. This comment is valid for most tools/approaches. We have to be consistent with whatever we start.

**Some additional or complementary ideas**
(Ideas from Ewen, developed over Christmas holidays - presented here in general, not in detail) Some priorities:
 * Campus comms (in Addis, Nairobi and progressively Delhi, Hanoi, Bamako etc.):
 * Turn coffee mornings into (partly - and certainly not compulsory) more interactive happenings;
 * Organise thematic discussions with on-campus resident organisations participating/leading - to link up with town halls.
 * Develop Komms Klinic work:
 * Develop modular approach: different levels (beginner to expert), different audiences, teams or individuals;
 * Develop better marketing for Komms Klinic to generate demand (possibly partly recharged but not primordial) and to ensure better uptake and good practices around comms tools used.
 * --> Respond better to demand(s)
 * Develop FAQs and comms wiki generally:
 * Reshape FAQ section and appoint people to keep up specific sections;
 * Reshape wiki to help comms folks find all guidelines and external folks to know more about various comms functions/activities, how we do it, examples and how we can help them with it (charge for our consultancy services)
 * Other ILRI internal comms:
 * Systematic calendaring and mapping;
 * Alignment with town hall events, visits etc.;
 * Campus-wide thematic meetings with good documentation etc.;
 * Innovative Fridays: one Friday a month, have the morning dedicated to own projects that stimulate innovation, joint work / social learning.

View the recap from the follow up meeting to this discussion below.

Task force work February-March 2012
On Thursday 16th February 2012, the ILRI internal communications taskforce that was formed at the Partnerships and Communications Annual Meeting 2012 held a virtual meeting to assess the feasibility of the ideas that were initially raised at ParCom12 on Internal Communications, raise any new ideas and assign responsibility for the favored ideas.

(To view the MeetingWords notepad of the meeting notes as they happened, click here)
 * Attendees:** Paul, Evelyn, Tsehay, Meron, Ewen, Milcah, Abenet and Andrew

// Existing ideas //
(from ParCom12) // Assessment: Relatively high impact, relatively easy implementation // // Assessment: Relatively low impact, relatively easy implementation // // Assessment: Relatively very low impact, relatively very difficult implementation// // Assessment: Relatively low impact, relatively easy implementation // //Assessment: Mid-range impact, mid-range difficulty in implementation // //Assessment: Relatively high impact, relatively easy implementation // //Assessment: Relatively high impact, // //relatively difficult implementation// //Assessment: Relatively high impact, relatively easy implementation //
 * **Yammer (maximizing yammer use)**
 * Key discussion points:
 * How to get more individuals involved
 * Including how to approach different levels of people and different groups
 * Encouraging existing members to become more active
 * More corporate announcements - possibly from Jimmy
 * Increase KommsKlinic
 * Establish contact person/s in each department who specialize in Yammer
 * Review guidelines on Yammer use and how it is being disseminated
 * Possible prize incentives for //Yammerer// of the month
 * Consistent follow-up with individuals or groups
 * **Coffee morning (remodeling the coffee morning model)**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Go beyond routine announcements
 * Ensure all staff share project updates and across regions - in Addis and Nairobi
 * Present ations on yammer through coffee morning
 * Choosing different venues
 * Capturing and sharing the ideas and discussion from morning with other regions, possibly via audio recordings
 * **Scientific conference (revamping the scientific seminars)**
 * Key discussion points:
 * How to engage scientists from different regions (share on Yammer)
 * Field days
 * **Physical and virtual Notice board**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Use board to display announcements e.g. what's planned
 * Twitterfall-like/Yammerfall-like
 * Feeds from blogs...
 * Share 'week ahead' template
 * **Campus and events calendars**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Improve content on physical / virtual calendar
 * Staff moves, events should be ON
 * **Jimmy’s video**
 * Key discussion points:
 * We have to consider how to make it regular
 * Have someone to chase Jimmy up for sharing news?
 * Report on every MC meeting
 * **Improving town hall meetings**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Ewen and others working on it with feedback planned on 8th March 2012
 * Gender focus the whole day activity?
 * Ideas start stimulating better facilitating and engagement
 * Strategizing as to how we can collect feedback from the meeting
 * Short presentation
 * Mini buzz group
 * Technical equipment will need to be asses to allow people to follow from different regions
 * **Week-ahead email messages**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Make them more descriptive
 * E.g offer updates on objectives of events
 * Vary listing order
 * Changing structure
 * We need to be careful not to make it a requirement
 * Should be easy to be read
 * Something really working, no major changes needed etc) **.**

// New ideas //
// Assessment: Relatively low impact, relatively very difficult implementation// //Assessment: Mid-range impact, mid-range difficulty in implementation // //Assessment: Relatively high impact, relatively easy implementation // // Assessment: Relatively low impact, relatively very difficult implementation// //Assessment: Relatively high impact, relatively easy implementation // // Assessment: Mid-range impact, relatively very difficult implementation//
 * **Innovative Fridays**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Similar to the Google concept of allowing staff to spend time on Fridays on their own personal projects to foster continual innovation
 * Challenges:
 * Budget!
 * **Revamp Comms-Wiki**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Better organised FAQs
 * Also more emphasis on marketing our comms services
 * Make it available for others
 * How to improve it?
 * How we help others,
 * Marketing marketing marketing!
 * Promote our expertise
 * Access from ILRINET / website
 * **Komms Klinic series' revamp**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Packaging different tools for different audience and purpose
 * Link with other regions/staff
 * Locate expertise everywhere
 * **Informal coffee gathering**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Invite people for those bilateral gatherings because they might not attend formal events
 * Links with department coffee gatherings)
 * **Carry an institutional survey**
 * Key discussion points:
 * Maybe during Friday coffee, ask staff to vote on their best internal communication tools and give their feedback and suggestions
 * **Management team meetings** :
 * Key discussion points:
 * Communication to the whole staff without formal protocol

**Conclusions from the task force**
Based on the assessments, we have selected a few ideas to focus our efforts on. Each idea was assigned to at least one task force member with a deadline of **February 27th 2012** for a more detailed road map to be fleshed out and shared on this WIki and the Yammer.

Following this, we plan to provide a more concise report and action plan for each priority to the wider Comms community by **March 6th 2012.**

// **Main priorities** //
 * M axim i zing Y ammer Us e  -->  (Tsehay, Ewen, Andrew)
 * Jimmy's Video -> (Paul)
 * I mproving the town hall --> ( Ewen )
 * Week ahead email message --> ( Andrew + Meron )
 * KommsKlin i c --> (Tsehay, Abenet / Ewen )
 * Institutional survey --> (Evelyn + Milcah)

// **L** **ower priority** //
 * P hysical notice board +  C ampus calendar --> with week ahead email message
 * Coffee morning --> (Ewen)

** Questions and feedback from the task force presentation 22/03/2012 **
Comments from Bruce Notice boards:
 * Time frames for the notice boards –
 * How many monitors
 * Who is going to update it and
 * What is the content

(Peter): By the end of March we will have it tested
 * Content:
 * A lot of the content will be what happened on the week ahead appear on the monitors
 * Slow day with events post on the monitor Suzan’s blogs or important messages from Jimmy Smith (we can experiment on how we use it), photo of the week etc….
 * Internal Job adverts


 * Week Ahead: **
 * Week ahead to go on the notice boards
 * Make sure that it is simple and easy (keep it as simple as possible is an important criteria)


 * Another question from Bruce **
 * How did you know that this is effective (Jimmy’s video)
 * Evelyn: From peers and word of mouth

In Addis try and go for once a week if it works Spontaneous which makes it more fun (a coffee hour and a half) the more it happens the less we start losing our clients (keep those in mind as you take it foreward) Group discussion:
 * Another comment from Bruce **
 * Coffee morning **
 * Comments: **
 * What improvements do you think we have
 * What is missing from all of this (approaches or tools that the group hasn’t given attention to)
 * Priorities again

Presentation was followed by 10 minutes discussions on the questions below:
 * What improvements do you think we have
 * What is missing from all of this (approaches or tools that the task force hasn’t given attention to)
 * Priorities (are the priorities or should we prioritize it better)


 * Group from Nairobi: **
 * Improvements: **
 * The week ahead – streamlining and include western Africa
 * Missing: **
 * Scientific seminars are very important to have more engaging seminars
 * Institutional survey is a priority and work on it soon to get a sense of what people feel as it helps to shape up our internal communications strategy
 * Set up action dates for the points raised


 * In Addis the CaSt group there are seminars Peter asked whether the same happens in Nairobi
 * Evelyn: There are seminars in Nairobi but not as such structured. We're hoping that Komms Klinic makes these seminars more engaging as Jimmy Smith mentioned that we need to prioritize it and make it more structured.


 * Groups from Addis: **
 * 1st Group **
 * Improve coffee morning and make it weekly
 * Staff joining only is heard at coffe morning what reseachers are doing is not heard often in coffee mornings.
 * Not much information from hosted institutions and we need to hear more from them.
 * E-mail asking for highlights should come from mgt to get priority
 * Bring the communications team in gatherings like this to share ideas from other institutions/departments

Improvements:
 * 2nd Group **
 * Including a guideline on how to use yammer and for what purpose (content - what should be posted on yammer)
 * Missing: **
 * Revamping the ILRINet is missing
 * Priority **
 * Scientific seminars should be high priority


 * 3rd Group **
 * Agreed with the priorities

Improvements:
 * No improvements suggested
 * Missing **
 * Going physically (a door to door approach) on how to use the different tools


 * General points from Peter: **
 * Can we use web-Ex as as an internal communication tool
 * For small groups it was much easier but foor large groups it is quiet challenging
 * Questions from the presentation (Zerihun): **

The prioritization Ewen: 6 members of the task force scored on both criteria (subjective scoring from one to 10) it is not scientific. Zerihun asked what the challenges from the last town hall meeting (International Women's Day)
 * Town hall: **

Comments from different people who participated:
 * Sound (audio) was a challenge
 * Not so many people attended – very disappointing (from Addis and Nairobi) In Nairobi less than 10 people at the JVC even less in Addis
 * The terminology was not easy to understand and audio was poor and people started leaving (Addis)Nairobi:
 * In Nairobi there were lots of activities around the International Women's day and people felt fatigued

Suggestion from Ewen
 * Make Town Hall meetings in the morning


 * Steps ahead from Peter **

Develop a Powerpoint presentation consisting:
 * Who and how we do it to be taken to Bruce, Shirley and Jimmy
 * Some of the suggestions can already start to be implimented
 * Updated presentation what is doable and what is feasible
 * What the tools would be but for what purpose and make the presentation more outcome oriented

Meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

**Work ahead: internal communication initiatives to develop**
On the basis of the 'internal communication' discussions held at the ParCom12, in the task force and with the wider ILRI comms group, the table below summarizes the various initiatives that we are working on, have to further develop or should consider in the future. This will be an __active table to monitor and update on a regular basis__. If you have further ideas to improve ILRI's internal communication please share them here.

Important: the people in charge of implementing the tasks __do not have to__ be the internal comms task force members.


 * **Initiative** || **What will happen** || **Next steps** || **Outcomes expected** || **Focus** || **Impact** || **Status** || **Additional information** ||
 * **Maximizing Yammer use**

Andrew (Ewen, Tsehay, Liya) || Develop a more visual guide to Yammer basics. Address existing fears and roadblocks to use amongst staff. Provide recognition to non-KMIS Yammer champions. Request management for more corporate messages || * Build upon existing content - including recently developed CRP5 guidelines - to build a basic Yammer guide with visual aids (Andrew) (First draft shared by **27**/4)
 * Address potential fears on Yammer use through blog posts hinting at solutions to them (Ewen) (Ewen to start with simple Yammer updates instead; commencing 23rd April)
 * Support this through very short interviews with (also KMIS but particularly) scientific staff on challenges/ opportunities of using Yam at ILRI (Ewen to tie this in with the point above)
 * Develop a simple system to monthly praise a Yammer (Discuss with Tsehay and Liya regarding best approach) and report the Yammer user of the month on 'ILRI announcements' blog
 * Ask Peter to again push mgt. for more corporate messages (Discuss with Peter) || More staff use Yammer. ILRI staff know what is happening across the institute and engage in relevant conversations || ILRI-wide || High / high || Draft of the guide being compiled by Andrew currently.

Ewen brainstorming Yammer concerns and solutions posts (stalled for 2nd half of May at earliest)

Peter will try to schedule a session on 'internal comms' at upcoming RMC (June 2012) including Yammer || CRP 5 Yammer instructions to improve upon:

Previous information about this activity: ||
 * **Improving town halls**

Ewen (Peter) || Monthly Town Halls

Interaction online on Yammer prior to Town Hall

Facilitated discussions with buzz groups

Good documentation and reporting on Yammer

Planning of future Town Halls || * Ewen and Peter to plan series of Town Hall meetings (opportunities to discuss) (27 April) o May: CRPs 3.7 (& 4?) o June: RMC; o July: Strategy; o November: Board meeting town hall o KRA/HRD? o Internal comms; o Impact assessment; o Science: more or less technological research? o Values; o Partnership approaches; o Effective ways to organise ourselves (joint appointment, boosting morale, outsourcing, efficiencies)? o Fundraising / cost saving?
 * Ewen to post calendar of past and future Town Halls on a Yammer page + update Google Calendar (27 April)
 * Terry Muindi and Abeba Zenebe to inform staff on a rolling basis + update Yammer page & Google calendar and liaise with Ewen, Peter and Jimmy related to content (27 April)
 * Ewen and Peter to discuss format with Jimmy and agree on the general formula (27 April)
 * Peter to discuss with Jimmy to discuss this generally (27/04) and then with Tom and Delia for upcoming Town Hall in May (27/04) || Make Town Halls more interactive, regular, structured, to share important information across the institute and develop a conversational team spirit across all locations || ILRI-wide || High / high || In test phase || Possible programme for monthly Town Halls:

||
 * **Week ahead messages**

Meron (Andrew) || Make minor tweaks to the ‘Week-ahead email’ to make it more interactive and descriptive without making it too wordy (it's quite functional as is). || * Potentially start with news from other regions and finish with ADD and NBO the largest activity centers Some of the facets have already been implemented.
 * More calls-to-action in the activities by including relevant hyperlinks (regional reps) (Regional reps have already been implementing this)
 * Improve the email design to bookmark the regions so it’s easier to navigate (HTML template?) (Meron to begin implementing this on 20/4 email)
 * Meron to share the print template of the newsletter with regional reps. so they can replicate what is being done in Addis with the print version (Meron to follow this up week beginning 23/4)
 * Regional reps to post the regional summaries of activities on the regional Yammer groups weekly (Regional reps to start this on 20/4 following a request from Meron)
 * Place more focus on regional activities as we presume ADD and NBO activities are always reviewed (Meron and Andrew to discuss options upon Meron’s return from leave 16/4)
 * Involve Peter or Bruce in securing updates from West Africa which have so far been hard to come by (Meron to follow this up with Peter/Bruce following her return on 16/4) || Increase the utility of the 'Week Ahead' email. More user friendly, more calls-to-action and greater awareness of regional activities. || ILRi-wide || High / high || Ongoing:

All others are scheduled to begin by 23/04. Relatively high ease of implementation.

Notice board related tasks will be reviewed by Meron on 16/04 with further discussion required || ||
 * **Notice Board (physical / virtual)**

Meron / Zerihun ||  || * Maintenance/monitoring to organize
 * Plan for NBO campus to organize
 * Peter to discuss with Meron and Zerihun ||  ||   || High / high ||   ||   ||
 * **Campus / event calendar**

Meron / Andrew ||  || * Plan to fill out
 * Peter to discuss with Meron and Andrew ||  ||   || High / high ||   ||   ||
 * **Komms Klinic revamp**

Tsehay / Ewen || Organize regular and interactive Komms Klinic sessions around broad areas of communication, for awareness-raising, hands-on training or tailored support

Involve all/most ILRI comms people and organize sessions across campuses (distance learning?) || * Fix the training wiki (27/04); - Campus-wide (ADD/NBO) - Beyond, for other organisations || High / high || Ongoing: Next session planned 1 June Flyer developed. First awareness-raising session (on effective meetings and conversations) done on 20 April For now no big push towards teams, strategic needs discussions happening with Peter on a regular basis anyhow. || ||
 * Plan session topics for each scheduled event;
 * Prioritise a tool session for AfricaRISING on wiki / blog / repository / website / calendar;
 * Go to Fanos to discuss comms needs for LIVES;
 * Later on, assess comms needs of NBDC, MilkIT etc. || ILRI staff and staff from other organizations better understands communication at large and in details, is able to use comms tools and to develop strong comms skills and activities, is able to easily find support for any comms needs. || - ILRI-wide,
 * **Video messages**

Paul (NBO) Zerihun (ADD) || Make them monthly (at least Jimmy's messages)

Widen scope of current messages to include conferences, ILRI workshops & MC meetings outcomes

Discuss equipment and training needs? || * Susan and Paul (PA) to discuss and agree on scope of video messages and equipment required (25 April 2012) To implement now. || ||
 * Paul to review ILRI Google calendar for key events in Nairobi and Addis e.g. MC meetings and draft possible events that could have video messages (share list with Addis - Zerihun & Ewen (4 May 2012)
 * PA to inform ILRI staff on availability of these services for use – Susan. Add info on Comms wiki (15 May)
 * On going use of video recording by Paul or Muthoni in NBO and Zerihun in Addis (based on schedule) || Staff of ILRI are able to access video recordings of internal updates, announcements and messages in the lead up to and following key events and meetings at the institute || ILRI-Wide || High / medium || Ongoing: Currently used in DG messages to staff.
 * **Coffee morning revamp**

Ewen (Peter) || Coffee mornings remain informal.

Option to have extra 15 min to map issues of interest and to discuss them – related to campus life.

If short lived/no interest, no further effort put into this || * Introduce teams every coffee morning (03/05)
 * If any interest from NBO, Ewen to discuss with whoever is in charge to think about possible improvements to NBO process too (as and when) || Make them more lively and useful while keeping the simple coffee & talk element - to encourage more thinking and conversation across campus institutes || Campus-wide (ADD) || Medium / high || Ongoing: A number of them (08/03, 22/03, 05/04, 19/04) have been tried quite successfully

No more effort for now. || ||
 * **Management team meetings**

?? ||  || * (to be filled by whoever has proposed this or has a strong knack for it at a later stage) ||   ||   || High / low || Unclear - Parked until further notice || ||
 * **Institutional survey of tools**

Evelyn (Milcah, Tsehay) || To poll ILRI staff about their familiarity with ILRI comms tools || * (to be filled by Evelyn at a later stage) || Evaluation of the comms tool to better target our information and prioritize on tools to support || ILRI-wide || Medium / high || Parked until October 2012 (as part of planning 2013). This might have a wider scope than just comms tools || ||
 * **Comms wiki revamp**

Ewen (All) || Wiki FAQs regularly updated (with ongoing and latest practices)

Structure of the wiki updated to reflect important objectives and issues in ILRI comms work. || * Ewen to provide overview of new structure (27 April) - to be reviewed by Peter and beyond (any organisation) || Medium / medium || Initial structure proposed. **Needs serious work now** || ||
 * Ewen to prepare presentation explaining changes of the structure and inviting all to reflect on FAQ entries (27 April)
 * All ILRI comms staff to update FAQ section (31 May)
 * Ewen and possible volunteers to update wiki structure (31 May)
 * Presentation of new wiki together with Komms Klinic (1 June) to participants and virtually on Yammer
 * All ILRI comms staff to keep wiki updated for their section (ongoing)
 * Emaelaf to include updates on publication work (03/05) || Organise the wiki along with the idea of marketing our skills and helping people find Q&A and other resources more easily to support their own communication work || ILRI-wide
 * **Innovative Fridays**

Ewen? ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || Parked until further notice ||  ||
 * **Scientific seminar revamp (1): at ILRI**

Ewen / Peter || Streamline the series of seminars organised by ILRI by scheduling / organizing / facilitating / documenting (on Yammer / small video interviews?) them properly. Connect with TownHalls and campus seminars || * Ewen & Peter to draft process for mapping/scheduling/organizing/facilitating and documenting events (27 April)
 * Ewen & Peter to brief group of possible documenters for these events (4 May)
 * Peter to invite small group to schedule upcoming events (4 May)
 * Terry & Abeba Z. to keep events up-to-date on ILRI Google calendar (4 May onwards) || ILRI staff are better informed on important ongoing work and broader picture issues and converse and learn together with others on a regular basis. They are better able to contribute to strategic issues and to integrate their work and network || ILRI-wide || Medium/ low || Pending on discussion with Iain Wright || [[file:InternalCommunications_2012-TownHall_CoffeeMorning_CommsWiki_ScientificConference.ppt]] ||
 * **Scientific seminar revamp (2): on campus**

Ewen / Peter || Build on existing ILRI seminars and thematic meetings. Involve hosted institutes to explore joint interest & organization of collective seminars. Structure their frequency, organization, facilitation and documentation. Connect these campus seminars with ILRI seminars || * Ewen and Peter to invite reps from hosted institutes to join a discussion about this (20 April)
 * Organize discussion and map possible topics (12 May) + identify needs for follow up for planned seminars
 * Meron Mulatu and Abeba Z. to keep @ILRI Google Calendar up-to-date (12 May onwards)
 * Organize first genuinely collective seminar (14 June) || Campus staff are engaging on thematic conversations that inform their work and strengthen their relationships with one another. They have a broader understanding and better approach, and a wider network || Campus-wide (ADD / NBO) || Medium / medium || Pending on discussion with Iain Wright

Initial discussions with Addis-based institutes. Meeting to organise to formalise this idea ||  ||
 * **Personal effectiveness survey**

Ewen || Develop a personal effectiveness survey that looks into how people keep their expertise sharp, plan, implement and assess their work - focus on sharing good lessons || To be discussed / tabled || Keep communication skills and personal effectiveness sharp by assessing useful approaches and tools (that ILRI comms staff use) to plan, implement and evaluate their work || ILRI-comms wide || Medium / medium || Parked until July-August. || I jotted some ideas about this when I was at IRC: @http://km4meu.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/share-your-questions-the-personal-effectiveness-and-knowledge-survey/ ||
 * **ILRINet** ||  ||   || (Redefine the approach and integration within the internal comms activities) ||   ||   ||   ||   ||

Template used for final presentation: