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Application HR Excellence European Committee

Contents

Summary

1. Introducing Wageningen University and Research Centre

2. Towards HR Excellence: GoalAnalysis Approach InterviewsOverview sources (Appendix1)

3. Charter and Code: legislation, institutional rules and practices I Ethical and professional aspectsII RecruitmentIII Working conditions and social securityIV Training

4. Gap analysis

4.1 Evaluation of Tenure Track Wageningen University4.2 Workshop for researchers4.3 Evaluation Performance and Development Interviews4.4 Wageningen University: a critical reflection Institutional quality assurance assessment 20124.5 Gap analysis by the project group

5. Gaps, required actions and timetable

5.1 Gaps according to the Tenure Track Evaluation Committee5.2 Gaps according to the researchers5.3 Gaps according to the critical reflection (review committee of the NVAO)5.4 Gaps according to the project group5.5 Actions and timetable

Appendix 1 Overview of HR Strategy for Researchers incorporating Charter and Code (Excel file)

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Summary

The gap analysis has been carried out making use of the recommendations of the Tenure Track Evaluation Committee, a workshop organised for the researchers and the project group of corporate staff. The Committee consulted all the stakeholders within the most important evaluation and appraisal system of Wageningen University namely tenure track. The researchers and the project group focussed on all the EC codes.Three gaps in terms of EC codes were identified by one or two groups. They are described below:a. Evaluation/ appraisal systemsb. Postdoctoral appointmentsc. Gender balance

Based on the gap analysis an action plan including timetables was set by the Executive Board of Wageningen UR. The implementation of the action plan was assigned to the Director Corporate HR of Wageningen UR in cooperation with Managing Directors and HR departments of the Science Groups.

PublicationAlmost all documents will be available at the Wageningen UR Intranet in English; the Application will be published on the public website of Wageningen UR.

Gaps according to the Tenure Track Evaluation Committee

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems Change and improvement of the Tenure Track system is needed along three lines:

1. Clear choices for top talent and quality by:a) strong and independent BACs that reflect the required authorityb) a transparent BAC advice that includes both an advice to the General Director and a development advice to the TT candidatec) focus on the quality of BAC advice, instead of a more elaborate credit point systemd) more explicit recognition of the TT candidate’s competences and activities that benefit WU in the BAC advice

2. Organise the capacity for learning and improvement by organising possibilities for an exchange of best practises, synchronisation and tuning:

a. regular meetings by representatives of Departmental BACs and HR b. continuity in membership of Departmental BACs that allow for a memory of practices c. organising an exchange of experiences and best practises of supervising chairs

3. Better information & communication, and clarity on roles & responsibilities: a. All parties must take responsibility for being well informed about their roles &

responsibilities within the TT system, and approach each other on these in a pro-active manner: “Taking your Responsibility” is the key factor for improving Tenure Track.

b. The internet information needs improvement.c. Better communication is needed, esp. to inform existing and potential Tenure

Trackers and chair holders.d. One organisation-wide, uniform and clear procedure/regulation for BACs is

needed to clarify and sharpen uniform working procedures.

Gaps according to the researchers

During the workshop for researchers two gaps between codes and institutional policies. Gender balance was not experienced as a gap by the researchers.

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems Researchers underline the important of independent selection committees. It is important for the research institutes of Wageningen UR to further develop the career paths of the researchers. At this moment this is in progress.21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code) The post doc position has been discussed. Despite their ambitions most post docs do not get a permanent position within the Dutch universities. If the position is temporary the post doc knows when this ends. The number of extensions of a contract with an organisation is limited by law. But should be further limited. The researchers noticed that temporary contract can be a ‘danger’ for the strategic goals of the organisation.The coaching and supervision of postdocs and junior researchers can be optimized. “We do not have dedicated mentors. Mentorship is part of management responsible.”

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Gaps according to the project group

The project group identified two gaps between codes and institutional policies.

21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code)Policy on this issue has been developed taking in consideration the duration of the appointments. The policy points out the transitional position of ‘postdocs’ by the preparation to the next career step and the long term prospects. Only to a few excellent researchers Wageningen UR can offer a research career or a permanent position within the academic staff.Spin offs of further developed knowledge of Wageningen UR, aiming at commercial applications in cooperation with third parties, are part of the policy of starting new businesses (StartLife). Among others, students and PhD’s, postdocs are stimulated to entrepreneurial activities.

27 Gender balanceThere is a clear gender balance in the academic and supporting staff except for the associate and full professors and top management within the organisation. Measurements and activities are taken to improve the balance in gender equality, especially the numbers of men and women in higher positions.

5.5 Actions and timetable

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems Action 1 Introducing basic requirements for career trajectories, especially for researchersDeliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments December 2012)Checklist on agreed results according to job profile, programme reviews, internal and external project evaluationAction 2 Redefining long term strategic personnel planning due to aging and retirementDeliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments November 2012)Report holding the analysis of staff development 2012-2017Adjusted Strategic personnel plans of Sciences Groups and other unitsAction 3 Monitoring and annually reporting the improvement of performance and development interviews in terms of enlargement of the percentage interviews (80% to 85%) and individual career development plans Deliverables (Corporate HR March 2012 and 2013)Annual reports on performance and development interviews Action 4 Implementing the recommendations of Tenure Track Evaluation Committee Deliverables (Corporate HR March till December 2012)Improved website on tenure track policy Improved and uniform composition of assessment committeesBrochure Tenure TrackManual for the tenure track recruitment and selection procedure Format for the tenure track review committee agenda Format for the tenure track review committee recommendation Format for tenure track personal file including Models A and B assessment list achieved credits Personal tenure track development plan

21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code) Action 5 Recommendations on the development and management of track record, educational experience, development of networks

Career and duration of contract - to offer the absolute top talent an opportunity for a scientific career at Wageningen UR (based on European and national grants, scientific output and international experience);- post-doctoral researchers need to work on their track record; - assign other duties to develop the CV: the supervision of PhD and MSc students, education and project management;- no stacking of appointments of post-doctoral researchers (max one extension);- post-doctoral researchers need to be offered new prospects outside the university, Alternatives need to be initiated in good time, i.e. at least one year before departure. Spin offs of further developed knowledge of Wageningen UR, aiming at commercial applications in cooperation with third parties, are part of the policy of starting new businesses (StartLife). Among others, students and PhD’s, postdocs are stimulated to entrepreneurial activities.Deliverables (Corporate HR, Corporate E&R, Wageningen Graduate Schools June 2013)Top Talent programmes of Wageningen Graduate SchoolsWorkshops on Postdoc Career Development for postdocs and professors in order to:- Increase awareness of and start the dialogue between postdocs and their professors

about what is expected from a post-doc and the post-doc career development- Identify obstacles in career planning for post docs- Find possible solutions for the identified obstacles

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Talent as a researcher- post-doctoral researchers need to be practical and skilled in carrying out experiments, creative, and able to devise original questions to be addressed by their research. They need to be highly competent in scientific methods, the use of models, the synthesis of new ideas, succeed in raising funds (entrepreneurship) and possess an international drive;- the chair group needs to offer post-doctoral researchers an inspirational working environment.- the above can be implemented in recruitment and selection. The Talents & Topics programme is an example of a successful approach.Deliverables (Wageningen Graduate Schools June 2013)Top Talent programmes of Wageningen Graduate SchoolsRecruitment and selection- Recruitment and selection needs to be focused even more on the acquisition of top talent; - Female candidate post-doctoral researchers deserve more recognition. Female internal candidates must receive more support in the fulfilment of their ambitions.Deliverables (Corporate HR June 2013)Improved recruitment site Wageningen UR

Competence development and courses- competence and personal development of post-doctoral researchers - encouraging researchers to follow courses and providing career advice. Budgets for training and advice need to be granted generously.Deliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments June 2013)Format for Personal Development Plans for postdocs

Coaching- the P&D and career development interviews should focus on career development and career prospects.- a specific programme should be agreed with the post-doctoral researchers after two years which addresses the end of the contract, a three-year extension or tenure track.- coaches should be selected for post-doctoral researchers at the beginning of their appointment.Deliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments June 2013)Agreements on career development and coaching within the P&D interviews including the end of the contract, a three-year extension or tenure track

27 Gender balance Action 6 Every year management reports on the gender situation (facts and figures) are discussed with the local management.Deliverables Corporate HR and HR departmentsAnnual reports on gender situation Action 7 There is an active ‘Network for Wageningen University Alumni Women’ (VWI, Vrouwennetwerk Wageningse Ingenieurs). In 2011 / 2012 the Network took the initiative together with the Wageningen UR Science Shop (Wetenschapswinkel) to investigate why women are underrepresented in higher functions. Deliverables (Wageningen UR Science Shop June 2012)VWI Report on the underrepresentation of womenAction 8 Appointment of preferably two, or at least one woman in Recruitment Advisory Committees and Assessment Committees Deliverables (Managing Directors Sciences Groups June 2012).Revised composition of assessment committeesAction 9 In 2012 Wageningen University received two NWO-Aspasia Premiums. 25% of the premium is to be spent on the organisational level in terms at the benefit of diversity-policy, especially for improving the position of women in science. It will be used for developing and organizing a mentoring- and coaching system for women in science. Deliverables (NWO December 2013)Mentoring and coaching system for women in scienceAction 10 Together with other Dutch universities Wageningen UR is developing a course on gender awareness. Deliverables (VSNU December 2013)Developed course on gender awareness

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1. Introducing Wageningen University and Research Centre

‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. That is the mission of Wageningen UR (University & Research centre). A staff of 6,500 and 10,000 students from over 100 countries work everywhere around the world in the domain of healthy food and living environment for governments and the business community-at-large.

The strength of Wageningen UR lies in its ability to join the forces of specialised research institutes, Wageningen University and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences. It also lies in the combined efforts of the various fields of natural and social sciences. This union of expertise leads to scientific breakthroughs that can quickly be put into practice and be incorporated into education. This is the Wageningen Approach.

The ambition of Wageningen UR is to distinguish itself by offering education and research of excellent quality thereby becoming the European institute of knowledge within its domain. The domain of Wageningen UR consists of three related core areas:Health, Lifestyle, LivelihoodThe influence of people’s behavioural choices regarding health, food and living environment. The behaviour of consumers, citizens or recreational participants, the attitude towards risks and uncertainty, the perception of quality and safety, and the relationship between food safety and poverty, particularly in developing countries.Food and Food productionThe production and supply side in the food chain: sustainable agriculture/horticulture and fisheries/aquaculture, international food chains and networks, health aspects of food and the use of biomass within the scope of a bio-based economy. Living EnvironmentNature, landscape, land usage, water and ocean management, and the various competing claims on space. This also includes biodiversity and the sustainability of management and production. Wageningen UR has branches all over The Netherlands (and in China and Brazil, by the way). A large number of lecturers, researchers and other employees are based at Wageningen Campus.

Organisation Chart of Wageningen UR

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Top sectors in the Netherlands

‘Green’ education and research in the Netherlands remains linked to a line ministry, namely the new Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (EL&I) formed in 2010. With the establishment of this new Ministry, our research regarding nature, biodiversity and climate will have to be placed in a new perspective, and the economic interest thereof more clearlydemonstrated. Innovation will take a more central position, which will stimulate us to increase our focus on the implementation of knowledge: Science for Impact.When the government took office in 2010, it appointed nine key sectors that it deems crucial to the economy and employment in the Netherlands.These sectors have been highlighted in the innovation and stimulation policy for the coming years: (1) Agro & food (2) Horticulture & plant reproduction material (3) High-tech industry (4)Energy (5) Logistics (6) Creative industries (7) Life sciences (8) Chemistry and (9) Water. Sectors 1, 2, 7 and 9 are at the core of Wageningen UR’s domain, and there are also clear overlaps with 4, 5 and 8. This illustrates the extent to which Wageningen UR operates at theheart of the current and future Dutch economy.

Internationalisation

Science is an international activity and resolving major European and global issues will increasingly require international scientific coalitions that coexist for longer periods of time. In this respect international funding for research and infrastructure will become ever-more important. Examples are European initiatives such as Joint Programming, European Graduate Schools and the Knowledge & Innovation Communities.

Another clear development is that several growing economies in Asia and South America are making substantial investments in research and education. Over the coming years they will increase their presence, and start competing for talented students, employees and funds. We have to address this issue sooner rather than later, and intensify our cooperation with strong partners worldwide. Wageningen UR has an excellent starting position to succeed on this and, with a 20% share in Dutch research financed by the EU, is an internationally leading player with an extensive network.

Wageningen UR has an internationally leading position within its domain. In the coming years we will be strengthening this position with respect to both education and research. Wageningen University will enter into new cooperative ventures with leading non-Dutch universities, and, like Van Hall Larenstein, strengthen collaborations in emerging economies such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). This also applies to developing countries (especially in Africa).

And finally, although Wageningen University and Van Hall Larenstein are already very much internationally oriented with their large number of international students, it is the goal to further develop the internal culture in an international direction. This includes a larger share and better programme for and embedding of non-Dutch employees and students, as well as increasing the use of the English language for internal communication. This will allow Wageningen UR to continue to evolve from a Dutch institution with international activities into an institution with an international culture and modus operandi. A review will be carried out into whether the current growth in the share of non-Dutch employees should be accelerated.

HR policy

The HR policy of Wageningen UR is strongly connected to the ambition of the organisation to make an important contribution to the quality of life acting as a first European knowledge institution in its domain.

Thus HR policy is aimed at the improvement of quality of the employees and management. Strategic issues are the enlargement of DLO’s orientation at the private research market, the further internationalisation of Wageningen UR, the evaluation and adjustment of the career policy of the academic staff (tenure track). The introduction of ‘operational excellence’ is implemented by a new system for HR Workflow management system and by the extending of the HR Shared Service Centre.

Wageningen UR will continue to develop into a network organisation in which the working environment of the employees is not determined by the boundaries of their own research group or department. Employees will increasingly work in varying compositions as a result of larger and often multidisciplinary projects, strengthened by our international activities. This will affect the development of the organisation and our employee management, which will require the development of new competences.

Aiming at the enforced orientation at the private research market the account management will be reorganised focussing on the 25 most important clients. A development programme for

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commercial competences will be set up. Services regarding the internationalisation are concentrated in the HR Shared Service Centre.

Within the coming period, we will develop an employablity policy that creates space for the needs and ambitions of individual employees. Naturally the policy will be in line with the goals of the organisation and the changing social context, such as the ageing of the population. There will be an increased focus on the responsibility of the employee for his individual activities and employability. Wageningen UR aims to give its employees the opportunity to shape their growing individual responsibility via flexible management and by meeting their relevant requirements, while providing maximum clarity on what is expected of them: aiming for results. This requires a change in how we think about working relations and conditions, new flexible work concepts and new management competences.

2. Towards HR Excellence

The logo "HR Excellence in Research" will identify the institutions and organisations as providers and supporters of a stimulating and favourable working environment. To fulfil this ambition Wageningen UR wants to be an attractive employer, ‘an employer of first choice’. Part of the HR policy is to implement The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The implementation of this Charter and Code will render Wageningen UR more attractive to researchers looking for a new employer or for a host for their research project.

In June 2011 Wageningen UR received an invitation by the European Commission to join the Institutional Human Resources Strategy Group, a group of about 40 institutions committed to incorporate the Charter and the Code into their human resources strategy. A project group was established by the Wageningen UR Executive Board in September 2011, to conduct an internal analysis of Wageningen UR Code for Researchers, the Dutch legislation, institutional rules and institutional policies and practices and compare the results to the EC Charter and the Code for Researchers. See chapter 3.

The project group consists of Director Corporate HR Tineke Tromp, Romke Kuindersma and Johan Kanis, both staff members Corporate HR, Henrieke de Ruiter, staff member Education and Research and Peter Jongebloed, Wageningen International.

The group had five meetings in the period from September 2011 through February 2012. This group used the special template for internal analysis provided by the European Commission.

Beside the internal analysis of legislation, institutional rules, policies and practices, a special workshop for researchers was held in February 2012. The workshop addressed all codes, analysed by the researchers, indicating possible gaps. There was also a discussion about the possible solutions and actions. See chapter 4.

The two gap analyses were compared by the project group yielding an action plan was in order to fill the gaps. See chapter 5.

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3. Charter and Code

I Ethical and professional aspects

Wageningen Code of Conduct for Scientific PracticeThe Wageningen Code of Conduct for Scientific Practice is based on the Dutch Code of Conduct for Scientific Practice (Code of Conduct), which was approved by the General Board of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) on 17 December 2004 and which went into force on 1 January 2005. The Executive Board of Wageningen UR has declared this Code of Conduct to be applicable to all of Wageningen UR. At that time, Wageningen UR already had ethical guidelines for research and education in place. These guidelines also concerned the non-university research institutes that are part of Wageningen UR, while the Code of Conduct focuses on universities. Therefore, the Ethical Guidelines of Wageningen UR and the Code of Conduct of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands were compared and combined. This process led to the conclusion that the Code of Conduct can be declared as being applicable to Wageningen UR, but that supplementation or qualification was necessary regarding several points in the Code.

The Wageningen Code covers the following items of the European Charter and Code1 Research freedom2 Ethical principles3 Professional responsibility4 Professional attitude5 Contractual and legal obligations6 Accountability7 Good practice in research8 Dissemination, exploitation of results

Ethics Committee In addition to the Wageningen Code, with regard to the ethical principles, the Executive Board has appointed an Ethics Committee, which is charged with the following tasks:

- Advising the Executive Board, the Corporate Board and the various divisions about policy decisions which have an ethical component.

- Acting as a contact point for general ethical matters. The Ethics Committee evaluates whether or not an issue requires further attention and which people/organisations/bodies can best provide implementation/completion.

- Providing advice to/acting as a sounding board for the Executive Board on very topical, urgent or confidential ethical issues.

- Helping to ensure that ethics are suitably applied at all levels of the organisation.

Confidential Counsellors for Scientific Integrity In 1999, the Executive Board appointed Confidential Counsellors for Scientific Integrity. The reason for this was the observation by the Executive Board that under exceptional circumstances researchers and research staff could experience ethical dilemmas when performing their scientific work. This is especially the case when the research takes place on behalf of different clients and when many interests are involved. The designated advisors in such cases are the supervisors of the researchers. However, this does not always lead to a solution, and sometimes the supervisor is also an interested party. The Executive Board has therefore decided to appoint two Confidential Counsellors to advise researchers who are affected by an actual or potential moral dilemma. The Executive Board believes that it has thus filled a possible gap in the organisation and contributes to assuring the scientific integrity of our work.

Intellectual PropertyRegarding the contractual obligations, the protection of knowledge is very important for Wageningen UR because of the value of intellectual properties. The protection of knowledge is part of the general conditions for externally financed research and services of Wageningen UR. In order to protect and to make money the expertise regarding granting and validation of intellectual property is assigned to specialised staff within the Sciences groups. Spin offs of further developed knowledge of Wageningen UR, aiming at commercial applications in cooperation with third parties, are part of the policy of starting new businesses (StartLife). Both are supported by the Service desk IP. Procedures for the acquisition of patents are developed by Corporate Legal Services. The Executive Board (EB) set the rules on patents and findings of Wageningen UR for the DLO Foundation and Wageningen University. The rules aim at the stimulation of patent requests by sharing the profits with the researchers.

Accountability is also a goal of the evaluation/ appraisal systems (see item 11)

Good practice in research is the main issue of the Wageningen Code. In addition, the legal aspect should be mentioned. According to Article 5 of the Working Conditions Act, an employer, when formulating his working conditions policy during an Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RI&E), should provide a written statement of the risks to employees in carrying out their work. This RI&E may be quite general but if potential risks are likely to be serious, the inventory should be more comprehensive. In the Working Conditions Decree there is an explanation of which cases

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incur greater risks and which therefore automatically lead to a more comprehensive RI&E, with a number of special requirements. Employees are aware of the potential risks and act accordingly.

See 24 also Working Conditions.

The Wageningen Code also rules the dissemination of results, mostly publications, laid down in the contracts. Exploitation of results was mentioned above.Moreover in the Job Classification at WU and DLO (according to the Hay-system)all employees jobs at Wageningen UR are classified in so called job profiles. The profiles of academic staff and researchers include the valorisation of research.

9 Public engagementWageningen has active policy to stimulate external communication to society, facilitated by Corporate Communication, Communication Services and communication staffs at Science Group level. Participating in the public debate is regarded as an important assignment to the university and research institutes. Food for you, Insects, Annual Academic Award are some examples. Plenty more examples can be found on the internet site of Wageningen UR.

10 Non discriminationDiscrimination by gender, ethnicity, age, etc. is forbidden under the Dutch Act on Equal Treatment. The national Committee on Equal Treatment advices in cases of complaints based on the act.

In the case of conflicts at the individual level within Wageningen UR professional mediation is offered. In the case of unacceptable behaviour by colleagues a confidential counsellor can be approached and a formal complaint can be made.

Researchers and research workers may find themselves in situations in which their tasks conflict with their own personal beliefs, especially if these take place against a background of different customers with varied interests. The Board of Directors has therefore appointed two scientific integrity confidential counsellors for researchers.See also 34 Complaints.

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systemsIn the next section the following subjects are laid out. Standard Evaluation Protocol for Public Research OrganisationsWageningen Graduate SchoolsWageningen University The Career Policy for Academic StaffPerformance and Development InterviewEmployee Monitor

Standard Evaluation Protocol for Public Research OrganisationsThis national evaluation system of the Dutch Association of Cooperating Universities (VSNU), the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences(KNAW) is a combination of retrospective and prospective analysis. The relationship between retro- and prospective evaluation is to some extent the result of acquired confidence for the future based on insight in the past.

Objective of the assessmentThe overall objective of the assessment is to get an accurate view of the Institute’s position in the (inter)national arena of colleague institutes and to find ways for improvement and to account for our activities to the Government and other stakeholders. With regard to the objective of improvement, the system is directed toward both the research and research training, and its management. Evaluators are explicitly asked to judge not only the performance of an institute’s research and researchers, but also its leadership, strategy and policy, and research organisation. If applicable, the quality questions also may refer to the socio-economic impact of research and to multi- and interdisciplinary research.Public accountability is a requirement in the case of publicly funded research.

The evaluation committee will report their findings to the board of the responsible research organisation. The responsible board will make policy decisions for the institute at hand based on the evaluation report and discussion with the institute. Together, the evaluation report and the decision of the board form the results of the evaluation. These results will be reported to the Minister of Education and Sciences as part of existing procedures in which the responsible research organisations report to the minister periodically (yearly) about evaluations conducted under their auspices. As such the results of theevaluation have a public character.

Terms of referenceThe committee is asked to assess both the whole institute and its separate business units in order to be able to give a comprehensive picture of the past performance of the institute and to get an indication of its future potential. The committee should take into account that different business units may have different missions. Some business units focus on applied research

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whereas other mainly deal with strategic research. Qualifications therefore should reflect the performance of the business units in relation to their own objectives and ambitions.Terms of Reference and the commission is requested to concentrate on these key elements:- Scientific impact of the research- Socio-economic impact of the research- Research management- Vitality and feasibility (viability)

Wageningen Graduate SchoolsThe graduate schools have three main tasks:

- To stimulate and coordinate the development of a coherent research programme for the university within the mission of the Graduate School

- To safeguard, monitor and stimulate the quality and the progress of academic research (PhD students, post-docs and researchers)

- To coordinate, develop and facilitate post-graduate educationOnce every six years, each graduate school submits its research (including the PhD education programme) for an assessment according to a national standard evaluation protocol (SEP).Researchers, post-docs and PhD students are required to participate in one of the graduate schools. The Graduate Schools of Wageningen University have been accredited by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and are thereby subject to quality control. Wageningen University acts as the secretary for six graduate schools. Some of these are national graduate schools to which Wageningen University contributes in a very substantial way, while the others consist entirely of research groups from Wageningen University.

Procedure for the selection, formal admission and supervision of PhD studentsThis procedure assigns the Graduate Schools of Wageningen University a prominent role in the PhD programme, where quality assurance is paramount. These procedures are monitored by the Dean of the Wageningen Graduate Schools and have been mandated by the Academic Board. During the PhD programme, there are four quality control junctures in addition to the annual progress discussions and the public defence of the thesis:1. The evaluation of the project proposal and Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) by the Graduate School2. Formal admission to the PhD programme3. Within 18 months, there is a go-no go decision4. The thesis committee determines if the PhD thesis satisfies the quality requirements.

Wageningen University The Career Policy for Academic StaffWageningen University The Career Policy for Academic Staff is developed within the framework of the Wageningen University strategy. The strategy aims at: • Enhancing the scientific quality as the most important goal;• Attracting (inter)national top-level academic staff;• Offering room for personal ambitions and a development perspective for staff.

The goals of the Career Policy for Academic staff are to ensure excellent quality of the academic staff, Wageningen University being attractive to top talent by offering timely career perspectives and keeping hold of the future professors (holding a personal chair). The characteristics of the Career Policy for Academic staff are:• a guided career pathway for top-level academics/talented young scholars.

Assistant professors will be coached individually by the chair holder or a professor of another chair group depending on personal coaching skills;

• a permanent appointment as associate professor after proven quality;• followed by an appointment as professor holding a personal chair on proven

quality;• the use of quality criteria for the intake, for promotion of assistant professors, for the

appointment to a permanent position, and for the appointment of professors holding a personal chair.

The basic elements of the career policy are:• Intake criteria in the recruitment and selection process;• Quality criteria for promotion or outflow decisions;• Assessment moments for career step;• Who gives advice, who actually decides;• Perspective after permanent appointment;• Consequences of a negative assessment. The quality criteria regard research, education, service and management: Course evaluation by students Teaching hours via Education & Research/onderwijs A-Z/Onderwijsuren (NL) Research credits for scientific output H-index Relative Impact (Choose Impact Factors of Journals) Personal file

Performance and Development Interview

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The Performance and Development Interview is the comprehensive human resource instrument regarding all subjects at the level of the individual employee and their leading staff, mainly related evaluation and assessment.The Performance and Development Interviews are ruled by formal regulations, enacted by the Executive Board.

During the performance and development interview, the functioning and development of the employee are discussed and evaluated, and agreements on these subjects are made, focusing on the employability of the employee inside and/or outside the organisation. In addition, the cooperation between the employee and the direct manager is addressed.In any case, a performance and development interview should address:• a review of the period under interview • competency profile• individual performance and development plan• career development• coach evaluationThe performance and development interview is considered to be the formal annual review referred to in the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch universities (CAO NU).

The employability of an employee is largely determined by the competencies required for his job, in addition to education, knowledge and experience. The performance and development interview must therefore pay attention to this aspect, among others, and is consequently an instrument for giving shape to competency management.

An assessment interview may be planned as a supplement to the P&D-interview, at the initiative of either the employee or their manager. In the assessment interview, much more attention is given to the person’s future career ‘the ambitions and capacities of the employee are discussed and linked together in relation to the employer’s needs in the long term’.

Employee Monitor The Employee Monitor is held every two year among all employees. The results of the Employee Monitor 2010 reveals that the cooperation between direct colleagues within Wageningen UR is good, but cooperation between different organisational units could be improved. This is clear from the most recent monitor with 47% of the employees as respondents. The Executive Board approved the recommendation to pay extra attention to the cooperation between different units over the next four years.Management of the organisational units will now take action based on the results and recommendations of the monitor. They will report their progress to the Executive Board. The Employee Monitor is a cooperative activity by the Executive Board and the participation structure.

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II Recruitment

12 RecruitmentNVP Recruitment CodeThe Dutch Association for Personnel Management and Organisation Development (NVP) is the network of over 5000 members for human resource professionals who are engaged in issues such as HR strategy, employment relationships, recruitment and selection, rewards systems, conditions of employment and training plans.

The NVP’s main objectives are to help determine and defend values and standards in the field of HR, to have an important say in the development of new social legislation, to set codes of conduct regarding HR, to meet professional training needs and to improve industrial relations in general.

The NVP Recruitment Code is NVP’s renowned document drawn up in 1979. The most important motive in drawing up the Code at that time was to better protect the applicant as the more vulnerable party in the recruitment process. The dependent position of both the applicant and the employee has changed substantially over the last few years. There is much more a sense of equality than there used to be. Applicants are also potential clients or ambassadors, who expect quality and clarity from an organization, not only when it concerns products and services, but also during a recruitment process.

A ‘new style’ of recruitment code fits into this context. In consultation with the national Labour Foundation (Stichting van de Arbeid), the NVP Recruitment Code has been amended to fit the current standards within the Human Resources professional area of expertise and comprises more than simply the application process. The purpose of the code is to provide a norm for a transparent and fair recruitment and selection procedure.

Wageningen UR adapted this NVP Code.

13 Recruitment (Code)Wageningen UR Recruitment and Selection Procedure In addition to the NVP Code Wageningen UR follows the set Recruitment & Selection Procedure taking into consideration the strategic choices in the Strategic Plan, such as increasing flexibility and mobility, internationalisation, career policy, etc. and translating it to the recruitment and selection procedures. The position of ill employees and the incentives with respect to groups in a vulnerable position at the labour market are also taken into consideration.

At the level of the chair group, business unit or department there is a set Strategic (long-range) Personnel Plan (SPP), along with a (long-range) business plan and budget. It is part of the annual planning and control cycle.

14 Selection (Code)The extension of an employment contract, the conversion of a fixed term labour contract to a labour contract for tenured position and the reallocation of positions within a unit are the responsibility of the management of a Sciences Group and institutes. A vacancy is defined as such in case of a fixed term of 6 months or longer.

Creation of a vacancy The management specifies the vacancy and starts the recruitment process, except for vacancies at the management and director level. In those cases approval of the Executive Board is required.

ReappointmentAn employee, whose position has been abolished or redundant is called a Reappointment Candidate. He has a preferred position. A reappointment search will take place for a limited time to prevent involuntary unemployment. This means that the employee will be informed on all vacancies within Wageningen UR. The RC's case manager will contact the HRM department about the RC's possible suitability for a position.

The candidate is considered 'suitable' if the reappointment candidate, in the opinion of the employer, has the knowledge and expertise, necessary to perform the job properly or if the reappointment candidate, in the opinion of the employer, can be retrained within a reasonable period. Additionally, the new applicable salary scale for the position is max two scales lower.

If the case manager gives a positive advice to the RC with regard to suitability, the RC must respond to the vacancy within three days after receiving the advice. He/she will then be invited for an interview by the vacancy holder. If the candidate proves to be suitable for the position, he/she will be placed in the position. A rejection always is in writing.

Internal and external recruitment

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After the RC procedure a vacancy can be simultaneously released for internal and external recruitment. In every case, the vacancy will be internally communicated (on the intranet). With regard to the recruitment and selection process for crucial key functions, the Executive Board may deviate from the procedure.

If there are several suitable candidates for the position, the following order will be adhered to in the selection and appointment process:1. employee with a permanent contract at Wageningen UR2. employee with a fixed term contract at Wageningen UR3. external candidates; candidates with an unemployment/supplementary benefit at the

expense of the organisation preferably take precedence over other external candidates.

15 Transparency (Code)The job descriptions of vacancies including the terms and the requirements such as knowledge, education, competences, etc. are defined prior to the actual start of the recruitment procedure. It is all clear to the applicants. Applicants will receive a confirmation by email that the application has been received. Applicants short-listed for an interview will be informed once all applications have been examined. The interview date will be set within a reasonable time after the closing date for the applications, which is given in the vacancy notice.

Should the applicant reach the next stage of the recruitment process, he/she will be invited for a second round of interviews with people within the division or department. For some vacancies an assessment is part of the procedure. After successful completion of the interview rounds the applicant will receive a job offer.

16 Judging merit (Code)

Quality criteria regarding tenure trackThe intake and assessment criteria include aspects of teaching, research, management and service, as well as the competence to collaborate in teams. Quality of teaching and quality of research are equally important. The efforts to obtain teaching and research credits are comparable. • Quality criteria will be predetermined and transparent for candidates.Quality criteria will be differentiated according to sciences group or scientific domain.The framework will be approved by the corporate quality committee. • Obtained credits determine the admission to the assessment procedure. Candidates having collected the required number of credits have access to the assessment procedure. The BACs will judge the individual performance. Thus, promotion is not a right nor can it be claimed. It depends on the performance and the assessment. The credit points system will be based upon the working week of a full time academic staff member according to the CLA Dutch Universities. It will be clarified to candidates.• The personal file will contain the educational and research activities and results, including other specified educational tasks and scientific activities as well as contributions to the Wageningen UR-organisation at all levels. Such tasks are part of the overall performance. This will be recognized by the BACs. The SG general director/ Executive Board decides upon the proposed promotion after receiving the advice of the BAC concerning all quality aspects.• Competence to collaborate in teams is required as well as team leadership.• (Inter)national referees will yield the necessary information on scientific quality.• Chair group informants will assess the candidates performance and competences.• Bibliometric and other data on quality are available.

17 Variations in the chronological order of CVs (Code)According to the selection procedure every candidate writes a letter in which he or she motivates the application. In any case the candidate is entitled to give a personal reason for variations in the chronological order, if necessary. A personal file also gives room for a further explanation for variations or, if any career breaks. Most important is the selection of the most qualified candidate by applying quality criteria, set at forehand, such as knowledge, experience, competences, availability of a network. The overall judgement of the expected performance of the ‘most promising’ candidate is decisive.

18 Recognition of mobility experience (Code)In general mobility experience of applicants is highly valued. Knowledge and experience have been built up in quite a different setting, especially in case of international experience. In the tenure track in general international experience is required. It will most likely yield an important network for Wageningen UR.

19 Recognition of qualifications (Code)See 11 Evaluation/appraisal systems (for instance Tenure Track and SEP)

20 Seniority (Code)See also 17 Variations in chronological order for the general approach.

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In addition, for example the tenure track trajectory is seen as a career trajectory with well differentiated quality criteria for each career step in terms of contribution to educational programmes, number of scientific publications, the number of PhD students and graduations.

21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code)Policy on this issue has been developed taking in consideration the duration of the appointments. The number of appointments by the same employer is determinated by the Dutch law, but does not include appointments at other institutions. It is allowed to deviate from the number and terms of temporary appointments by rules set in the CLA. Of course, as mentioned, mobility experience is of great value. The policy points out the transitional position of ‘postdocs’ by the preparation to the next career step and the long term prospects. Only to a few excellent researchers Wageningen UR can offer a research career or a permanent position within the academic staff.

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III Working conditions and social security

22 Recognition of the professionSee also 1 and following codes on Wageningen Code of Conduct for Scientific Practice

Job Classification at WU and DLO (according to the HAY system)All employees’ jobs at WU are classified into one of the University job-plan (UFO) profiles. For DLO employees, their jobs are classified into the DLO job-classification system. Where the job is positioned in this system is based on the work carried out by the individual employee. Employees who would like more information about how their own job has been classified can ask the manager who is their first point of approach for information.

23 Research environmentBuildings and grounds, equipment, facilities, ICT and communication services are presented at the website of Wageningen UR (see Appendix). Here you will find information on all matters concerning new and existing buildings and the grounds at Wageningen UR, including regulations for access, management of facilities, cleaning, and plans of the campus. There is also information about personal details (Wageningen Basic Administration, We@WUR), workplaces and how it is furnished, corporate rules, reservation of facilities for work and study.

CommunicationsServices are described concerning the arrangement of events, translations and media contact. This web page also contains information about the Internet and intranet, gifts to business associates and everything that has been agreed on the corporate identity for Wageningen UR.

Facilities Wageningen UR employees can make use of various services such as the electronic bulletin board, an ordering/purchasing system, telecommunications, meals and refreshments, travel and the library. The Services ABC offers a complete catalogue.Services ITICT accountAfter being appointed to a position at Wageningen UR, all staff receive a WURnet account. A lot of ICT services at Wageningen UR are based on this account.-mailMicrosoft Outlook is the standard e-mail client on each PC at Wageningen UR. king wirelessIt is possible to work wireless at several locations.Personal data can be stored on a personal drive. Group data is stored on a standard available drive. SoftwareEvery PC at Wageningen UR is equipped with a standard set of workplace software. Additional specialised software is available. Phony

Safety and environmentInformation about in-house emergency and first aid services (BHV), fire safety and security and the rules which apply to environmental matters, use of radiation and to biological safety at Wageningen UR are presented as well as the ABC on working conditions.

Wageningen UR LibraryWageningen UR Library is in fact a network of several specialized, discipline oriented libraries, coordinated by the central organization at the FORUM-library. Library services are not restricted to staff and students of Wageningen UR, all libraries are open to the public.Wageningen UR Library has a large collection of scientific literature especially in the fields of Agro technology, Food Sciences, Plant and Animal Sciences, Soil Science, Geo-information, Landscape and Spatial Planning, Water and Climate, Ecosystem Studies and Social Sciences. The Wageningen UR Digital Library provides access to the collections of Wageningen UR Library, both electronic and in print. The website offers access to the major sources of scientific information in these areas mentioned above.

24 Working conditions

Working Conditions ActThe Working Conditions Act on health & safety (‘Arbo’wet) and an associated ‘Arbo’ decree concerning working conditions are most important regarding working conditions. This legislation determines for both employers and employees what the conditions are for ensuring that the risks involved in working are reduced to an acceptable minimum. This is done in the interests of the health, welfare and safety of the employees. Only by conforming to the standards for safe and healthy methods of working the employees can minimise such risks. In practice, this means keeping the risk of damage or injury to a minimum. In other words, one should aim for prevention as a means of managing risks. This A-Z of working conditions provides information on various topics related to ensuring good working conditions.

Risk Inventory and Evaluation RI&EAccording to Article 5 of the Working Conditions Act, an employer, when formulating his working conditions policy during an RI&E, should provide a written statement of the risks to employees in

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carrying out their work. This RI&E may be quite general but if potential risks are likely to be serious, the inventory should be more comprehensive. In the Working Conditions Decree specifies the cases in which greater risks incur, which therefore automatically lead to a more comprehensive RI&E, with a number of special requirements. These are:

work involving young people (Article 1.36); work involving employees who are pregnant or who are breast-feeding (Article 1.41); working with hazardous substances and biological agents in general (Article 4.2); working with carcinogenic substances and processes (Article 4.13); working with vinyl chloride monomer (Article 4.26); working with asbestos (Article 4.54 a); working with biological agents (Article 4.85); working at home with hazardous substances (Article 4.111); physical work (Article 5.3); working with computer monitors (Article 5.9); noise (Article 6.7); vibrations (Article 6.11b); personal protective devices (Article 8.2).

Health, Safety, Well-being and SustainabilityRelated subjects are presented at the website in alphabetical order.

Regulations Holiday and LeaveEmployees have the right to go on holiday, and, in certain situations, to have leave from work. All matters that have to do with taking leave, such as the number of hours of leave taken, flexible working times, leave in connection with adoption and caring for someone, etc. are all included in these regulations. Regulations Parental leave on partially continued payment of salary WU (in accordance with the CLA for Dutch universities)WU employees, as the natural or adoption parents of a child whose permanent care and upbringing is their responsibility, have the right to claim partially paid parental leave.

Employees of the Research institutes can, as the natural or adoption parents of a child whose permanent care and upbringing is their responsibility, have the right to claim partially paid parental leave.

The provisions in the Work and Care Act with regard to pregnancy, childbirth, adoption, foster care, calamities, other short absences, short and long-term care leave, and parental leave are applicable in awarding the right to special leave, with, in addition, further amendments as contained in the CAO for Dutch universities and the CLA DLO. One such amendment is that during leave for pregnancy and childbirth, the employee receives a supplement to her monthly benefit, to bring her total benefit up to the same amount as her normal monthly income.

WU employees have the right to work a number of hours, unless it goes against managerial interests.

25 Stability and performance of employmentWageningen UR guaranties the stability and performance by the use of Collective Labour Agreements. Wageningen University (WU) has a Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities, DLO Research institutes have a separate Collective Labour Agreement (Dutch version) and Van Hall-Larenstein (VHL) follows the CLA for Higher Professional Education (HBO) including the appendices (Articles 7 and 8) (on voluntary early retirement). The CLA for Higher Professional Education can be found in the intranet page for VHL or “HBO-raad, CAO's en regelingen” (in Dutch).

26 Funding and salariesSalary scales are a significant part of the CLA’s mentioned above and are based on the set job classification systems including all career stages and PhD-appointments. Salary scales are the same at all Dutch universities. So are other labour conditions, pension rights, sickness and unemployment benefits, partly subject to law (for an important part), pension fund (ABP), etc. Salaries and labour conditions are considered market based for Wageningen University, the DLO Research institutes and Van Hall-Larenstein. General conditions apply to externally funded research.Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) was awarded ‘silver’ in the survey Best Employer in 2009 and 2010. See also 24 Working conditions Regulations Holiday and Leave

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27 Gender balanceAs stated discrimination by gender, ethnicity, age, etc. is forbidden under the Dutch Act on Equal Treatment. The national Committee on Equal Treatment advices in cases of complaints based on the act.There is a clear gender balance in the academic and supporting staff except for the associate and full professors and top management within the organisation. Measurements and activities are taken to improve the balance in gender equality, especially the numbers of men and women in higher positions.

Every year management reports on the gender situation (facts and figures) are discussed with the local management.

Once a year the Rector Magnificus meets a delegation of the ‘Dutch Network of Women Professors’ to discuss the gender situation at Wageningen UR and discuss possible measurements for improvement.

There is an active ‘Network for Wageningen University Alumni Women’ (VWI, Vrouwennetwerk Wageningse Ingenieurs). In 2011 / 2012 the Network took the initiative together with the Wageningen UR Science Shop (Wetenschapswinkel) to investigate why women are underrepresented in higher functions. The report will be ready in spring 2012.

Preferably two, or at least one women, should be member of Recruitment Advisory Committees and Assessment Committees.

In 2012 Wageningen University receives two NWO-Aspasia Premiums. 25% of the premium is to be spent on the organisational level in terms at the benefit of diversity-policy, especially for improving the position of women in science. It will be used for developing and organizing a mentoring- and coaching system for women in science.

Together with other Dutch universities Wageningen UR is developing a course on gender Awareness.

Career development for women is an important issue during the annual Performance & Development Interviews.

The evaluation report of Tenure track advises that in the scouting of Tenure Track more attention is paid to female talent and female talents related to organisation, personal effectiveness and management. Additional HR rules for women in Tenure Track are not necessary and unwanted.

28 Career developmentCareer development within the framework of human resource management is based on the career development of academic staff and the job classification systems as pointed out earlier. There is a development programme for assistant and associate professors.For the professional and personal development of researchers management and team leaders act as coaches for all their staff. See also 11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems, Tenure track, Performance and Development InterviewsSee also 16 Judging merit Tenure track

29 Value of mobilitySee also 18 Recognition of mobility experienceIn general mobility experience of researchers and applicants is highly valued by Wageningen UR. Knowledge and experience have been built up in quite a different setting, especially in case of international experience. Wageningen UR researchers do have allowances for travel as well as daily allowances.For international researchers a welcome programme has been developed and the legal and administrative procedures are taken care of.

30 Access to career adviceEmployees are entitled to get a career advice every five year, based on the CLA. The Performance and Development Interview offers an opportunity to discuss the career advice and to take action. 31 Intellectual Property RightsSee 5 Contractual and legal obligations

32 Co-authorshipCo-authorship is taken into account as part of the number of scientific publications in the quality criteria regarding research output (for instance within tenure track).See also 11 Career Policy for Academic Staff 33 TeachingTeaching is taken into account in the quality criteria with regard to tenure track. If allowed by external funder researcher perform teaching to a limited extend.See 11 Career Policy for Academic Staff

34 Complaints/ appealsObjections and Complaints at Wageningen UR are shown in the next scheme.

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Confidential Counsellors for Scientific Integrity The Executive Board appoined two Confidential Counsellors to advise researchers who are affected by an actual or potential moral dilemma. The Executive Board believed that it has thus filled a possible gap in the organisation and contributes to assuring the scientific integrity of our work.

35 Participation in decision-making bodiesWageningen UR has a complex participation structure. At corporate level. Wageningen University, DLO Research institutes and VHL each have their own participation councils according to the Works Councils Act (WOR) or the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW). This results in three separate bodies: the Student Council (SC), the Joint Student-Staff Council (GV) and the Central Employees Council (COR). The councils work together in the Wageningen UR Council.At the decentral level Sciences Groups and Research institutes have their own employees council. Changes in the organisational structure, personnel or work-related issues are discussed with the directors of these units. The decentral Employees Councils are chosen by the employees. The decentralised Employees Councils choose the members of the Central Employees Council (COR).

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IV Training

36 Relation with supervisorsSee also 28 Career developmentCareer development is an important subject in the Performance and Development Interviews. Managers and team leaders act as coach for all staff. Teaching quality and research output are monitored in the interviews. See also 11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems, Tenure track, Performance and Development InterviewsSee also 16 Judging merit Tenure track

37 Supervision and managerial dutiesSee also 28 Career developmentAs mentioned management and team leaders act as coach for all staff. Teaching quality and research output are monitored in annual reports.See 11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems, Tenure track, Performance and Development InterviewsSee 16 Judging merit

38 Continuing Professional DevelopmentEducational Staff Development Educational Staff Development is a specialised unit involved in the professionalisation of the educational staff by providing courses, training programmes, workshops and advice to the teachers of Wageningen University. The University Teaching Qualification (BKO) is required for teaching staff. The BKO has been established as a national agreement between all universities in the Netherlands. EDUsupport facilitates the Wageningen electronic education environment: EDUweb/EDUclass. This is done by means of lunch meetings, flying visits and personal consultation processes. EDUsupport also contributes to the further development of ICT applications in the Wageningen education situation.

Wageningen Business SchoolWageningen Business School (WBS) provides post-graduate and ‘post-experience’ programmes and courses for individuals seeking to continue their education and further develop their knowledge and skills. WBS also offers programmes and projects that focus on knowledge management and entrepreneurship. A growing number of in-company programmes are also organised, in which the curriculum is geared specifically to the needs of an individual organisation or company. WBS is active in the agri-food, pharmaceutical, government, veterinary, consultancy and education sectors.WBS can offer consistently high-quality teaching and training in part because it invests considerable time and energy in the organisation of its activities and the coaching of participants. All of its activities are thoroughly evaluated, and the results of evaluations and market research are incorporated in the development of its programmes. High quality is also ensured through the dedicated efforts of our lecturers and staff.Wageningen Business School is also responsible for:Training Client Oriented AdviseTraining SPIN Selling Training Project managementTraining Financial ControlLeadership in management and innovation processesStakeholder management

Development program Academic Staff Wageningen UniversityLeeuwendaal, a professional company for training and advise on management development, and Wageningen UR developed a special programme for tenure track participants. It offers the opportunity, while working, to further develop the career of assistant and associate professors. The programme focusses on the necessary competences for the next career step.

Other professional education and courses Wageningen URTraining Performance and Development Interviews for employees and team leadersCourses on ICT applicationsLanguage Services and courses Courses Library Wageningen UR PhD-courses Wageningen Graduate Schools

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39 Access to research training and continuous developmentSee also 11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems PhD Training and Supervision Plan

Regulations Study Facilities Wageningen UniversityWU employees can make use of this regulation for training activities connected with their job or for developing their careers. The aim of this regulation is to stimulate employees to refresh their skills by offering the facilities, such as financial compensation or subsidy, study leave and study guidance.

Regulations to Stimulate Training DLODLO employees can make use of this regulation to follow a training course or education to keep the skills needed for their job up-to-date. The same regulation also applies to studies, courses, trainings, congresses, seminars and workshops. The regulation is also aimed at the increase of mobility and employability. The training facilities regard training leave, financial compensation for training, travel costs, etc.

40 SupervisionManagers and team leaders act as coach for all staff. This is clear to teachers, research and supporting staff. In general they are the experts regarding the content of education and research or supporting tasks.

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4 Gap analysis

4.1 Evaluation of Tenure Track Wageningen University Stakeholders are Executive Board, Managing Directors, Academic Board, chair holders, admitted and not admitted candidates, current staff and members of the Assessment Committees.

At the start of the Tenure Track system at WU in September 2009, the Central Employee Council has requested that the system would be evaluated after two years. This request was honoured by the Executive Board. This report contains an outline of this evaluation, which was done by collecting the experiences of those involved in Tenure Track, by means of structured interviews and meetings. These experiences were used by the evaluation committee as a basis for analyses and recommendations. A more complete overview of the input from the interviews and recommendations is available in the report “Working Document & Background Information - Evaluation of the Wageningen Tenure Track”.The evaluation committee concludes that the concept of a Tenure Track system at WU is widely supported, but that the implementation of the Tenure Track needs improvement: Compared to the past, where individual careers were dependent on vacancies for associate professorships (formatiebeginsel), the new system that takes individual merit and performance as its basis is generally accepted, by candidates who benefitted from the system (i.e. those entering Tenure Track), by those who were rejected based on the advice by the assessment committees (BACs), and by those staff members who contemplate to enter Tenure Track. Tenure Track is currently the only option for a scientific career at WU. Existing staff that do not want to enter Tenure Track see this as an impediment of their career and from this, a demotivating factor: an unwanted effect, mentioned by many we spoke. The chair holders attitude towards the system varies considerably. Some chair holders do not stimulate staff to enter the Tenure Track, do not see the benefits of the system and/or do not know the ins and outs of it.

Departmental BACs and General Directors indicate they are very satisfied with the current Tenure Trackers and their performance within their own Department. This suggests the Tenure Track system attracts the top talent sought by WU for personal chair positions, but it’s still too early to conclude this definitively. Nevertheless, General Directors express concerns about maintaining high quality standards for Tenure Track positions. These concerns relate to few interactions on quality standards and control between Departments and also CvP (Commissie voor Promotie, Academic Board), as well as the realisation that the Tenure Track system will lead to a much larger population of personal chairs.

Change and improvement of the Tenure Track system is needed along three lines:2. Clear choices for top talent and quality by:

a. strong and independent BACs that reflect the required authorityb. a transparent BAC advice that includes both an advice to the General Director and a

development advice to the TT candidatec. focus on the quality of BAC advice, instead of a more elaborate credit point systemd. more explicit recognition of the TT candidate’s competences and activities that benefit

WU in the BAC advice3. Organise the capacity for learning and improvement by organising possibilities for an

exchange of best practises, synchronisation and tuning:a. regular meetings by representatives of Departmental BACs and HR b. continuity in membership of Departmental BACs that allow for a memory of practices c. organising an exchange of experiences and best practises of supervising chairs



b. The internet information needs improvement.c. Better communication is needed, esp. to inform existing and potential Tenure Trackers

and chair holders.d. One organisation-wide, uniform and clear procedure/regulation for BACs is needed to

clarify and sharpen uniform working procedures.

Ad 1. Clear choices for top talent and qualityBACs play the central role in the selection for top talent and quality at WU. The central question BACs have to face is “is this candidate indeed the top talent WU is looking for and from this, is this person highly likely to achieve the position of personal chair in the end”. This is not an easy task: BACs must operate in an independent, objective and fair manner, and reflect the authority needed for decisions that set the very basis of the qualities and work of WU in the future. To this, BACs must find a balance between criteria that very much differ in nature: BACs must assess the accomplishments of candidates in the past (retrospective assessment), using both “hard” criteria (that can be quantified in a credit point system) and “soft” criteria on personal competences (that are described, not quantified), as well as assess the potential for development towards personal chair (prospective assessment).

From discussions with candidates the evaluation committee came to the conclusion that the candidates considered the “hard” criteria as more important than the less quantifiable and

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quantified criteria, as many of the questions and critique posed to the committee were related to the credit system. On the other hand, the credit point system was also considered by some as a straitjacket and many pleas for more flexibility were heard. From various meetings the evaluation committee noted that several TT candidates were aware of the importance of academic services, while they at the same time acknowledged that such services were not credited and therefore lower rated than publication and teaching credits; and that for that reason it was rational for them to de-emphasise such services.

The evaluation committee does not want to put such emphasis on “hard” criteria: suitability for a future position as personal professor can neither be derived from a credit point system alone, nor 100% objectively assessed. From this, the focus should be on the quality of the BAC advice, not on a more elaborate credit point system. The committee considers it imperative that BACs have a high level of authority and legitimacy and from this, can make and explain difficult decisions: The acceptability of decisions taken in the system depends crucially on the authority of the assessment committee. Improved procedural clarity and a transparent BAC advice is needed to safeguard the legitimacy of the system, as well as confidentiality with respect to personal reflections within BACs. We recommend to maintain the current credit rating system, instead of making it more refined or elaborate (with a few exceptions as explained elsewhere in the report). In addition, we strongly advice to give more explicit recognition of competences and activities that benefit WU in the BAC advice. This may also prevent unwanted strategic selfish behaviours, a side effect mentioned at many of the talks we had. Criteria are handled by many of the BACs with a certain degree of flexibility and compensation between the main assessment categories (teaching, research and management & academic services) or between subcategories within these is possible, provided the BAC is clearly convinced about the potential of the candidate for personal chair. The commission recognizes the value of such flexibility and recommends that BACs are explicit about such deliberations in their advice.

Ad 2. Organise the capacity for learning and improvement within the systemThe committee could not escape the conclusion that after starting the Tenure Track, implementation was to a too large extent taken up by the Departments separately. This has led to a situation where Departmental BACs developed their own forms, procedures and practices, with too few interactions across Departments. Such divergence can be perceived as unfair, and may lead to inefficiencies. From this, much can be improved by organising possibilities for an exchange of best practises, synchronisation and tuning.

Ad 3. Better information, communication, and clarity on roles & responsibilitiesThe committee was surprised by the many questions posed by Tenure Trackers and some of the chair holders on the set up and goals of Tenure Track and BAC working procedures. Apparently, too many of those involved in Tenure Track did not possess necessary information. Part of this may be due to the fact that at the start of Tenure Track not all parties, including HRM, had a good overview. To a large extent this has been remedied: HR should now be able to provide the required information when asked. The internet information, however, still needs improvement as available information is unclear, scattered, incomplete and sometimes only available in Dutch. Information can be more specifically geared towards (potential) tenure Trackers and supervising chairs. A BAC regulation will help clarify and sharpen uniform working procedures.

This situation cannot be resolved by improving available information or a BAC regulation alone. Even more so, it requires a pro-active attitude of all involved to inform oneself and to address each other when it comes to roles and responsibilities. In particular, a balanced work package that suits the Tenure Track is a shared responsibility between Tenure Tracker and chair holder, and an imbalance (e.g. too many education tasks, as suggested by some Tenure Trackers) can seriously impede a Tenure Tracker to proceed. Both Tenure Trackers and chair holders must take their responsibility and hold each other accountable to make sure the TT work package is balanced. This places high demands on R&O interviews, -reports and –agreements, as well as Strategic Personnel plans, to explicitly address the issue of a balanced work package and the sharing of tasks within chair groups.

Tenure Track and Career Policies at WUThe committee met with a number questions related to the Tenure Track as part of HR policies at WU, including:

consequences for those that cannot or do not want to continue all the way to personal chair: is there room for up-or-else (i.e. suitable non TT position within WU, including maintaining current position), in addition to up-or-out (position outside WU); Why does HR not develop explicit exit policies for Tenure Track?

The committee advices to stick to the line that, if the step towards personal chair at any moment cannot be made, the tenure tracker should be directed towards a different position within or outside the organization and therefore leave the tenure track system. The committee wants to emphasize that the possibility of up-or-else, in addition to up-or-out, does already exist for those having a permanent position, and is also meaningful to keep those valuable to the organisation. Strategic personnel plans should be the very basis of dealing with such issues. Specific TT exit

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policies may not be needed as personal situations differ and custom approaches (maatwerk) more suitable. In order to facilitate professors (in their role of manager) to motivate and stimulate their tenure trackers as well as those who cannot or do not want to continue in Tenure Track, HR needs to offer more training/peer-review/coaching for professors.

consequences and financial tenability of the TT and current TT policies in the long run

We recommend to investigate the financial tenability of the TT system in the long run and the consequences of a larger population of Tenure Trackers and personal chairs.

The evaluation committee noted that some Chair Groups of the SSG have difficulty to deliver their education tasks by Tenure Trackers who are keen not to spend too much time on education, as this may take away from other Tenure Track obligations. As a consequence the total education load of the Group can exceed the possibilities provided by staff. We make three observations here: 1. It may be that Tenure Trackers overestimate their input on the basis of the calculation rules

available, due to the fact that they overestimate their individual contribution to a course as compared to others participating in that course.

2. If Tenure Track staff only teaches for 30% of their time, for example, while in the past it was 50%, then the Group should be aware that it requires funding in line with the 50% which implies that this 20% difference needs to be funded other than by education.

3. This 20% funding for education can also be used to attract new staff. New staff should be hired in the Tenure Track. I.e., they should not be hired for teaching alone, but also for research. We recommend to be very hesitant in using teaching positions (versus Tenure Track positions) in such situations: temporary teaching positions may not deliver the quality needed and permanent teaching positions conflict with the strategic decision to provide Tenure Track positions alone. Teaching positions therefore, should only be allowed as an exception and with very good and explicit reasons, as outlined in Strategic Personnel Plans.

possibilities of combining a Tenure Track position at WU with a (research) job elsewhere

We do not recommend to allow this as a rule. Tenure Track at WU is top sport and a career development option that requires full commitment to the organisation. From this, the current practice of having a min. 80% position should be maintained. Deviations of this rule should only be allowed under very specific and personal circumstances, that clearly benefit the interests of WU.

explicit recognition for the challenges of raising a family by special HR rules for women in Tenure Track

BACs can pay explicit recognition of personal circumstances related to raising families in the BAC advice (maatwerk). We do not recommend to develop specific additional HR policies for women, as personal circumstances are central, not differences between men and women.

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4.2 Workshop for researchers

Gap analysis Researchers

In addition to the internal analysis of legislation, institutional rules, policies and practices, a special workshop for researchers was held in February 2012. In this workshop all codes and charters were discussed and analysed by the researchers in terms of what is well organised, which codes yield problems in practice and in order to indicate experienced gaps.

General Conclusion

In general the researchers recognise the aspects of the code and charter on the working floor and make a positive evaluation: with regard to the codes HR is well organised. There were discussions on the meaning, purpose and some gaps were identified. Discussion, remarks and gaps are listed below. If a code is not listed below, researchers find HR aspects of the codes well organised.

I Ethical and professional aspects

2 Ethical principles“The ethical principles are well defined and organised.” “For instance the procedures for animal welfare are followed completely”

3 Professional responsibility and 9. Public engagementThe researchers ensure that their research is relevant to society. It is published and presented to society in different ways, so it can be understood by non-specialists and the public in general. “All the research that we are doing, is relevant for society. Researchers are ‘judged by the criteria social impact’.“There is a lot of attention in the press for the research of Wageningen UR. And within the organisation we are aware of the social impact of our research”.

4 Professional attitudeThe researchers are aware of the strategic goals of Wageningen UR. “The strategic goals of Wageningen UR are translated into research themes. The project leaders (researchers) are well aware of research themes and refer to them in their proposals”.“It is the responsibility of the project leader to follow the budgets and to inform the contractor about delay of the projects”.

5 Contractual and legal obligations and 6. AccountabilityThe researchers are aware that they are accountable towards their employer and contractors. “We deliver results to our clients”.

6 AccountabilityMethods of collection, analysis and data are accesible for internal and external comments and discussion. Researchers refer to the the visitation procedures. “Once in the four year there is a visitation commission”.“We are responsible for the research and finance, supported by financial and HR professionals”.

8 Dissemination, exploitation of results“There is always freedom of publication, also in contract research within the research institutes of Wageningen UR). Sometimes there is a time delay between publication and ending of the project due to patents. But this means not that the results are not published”.

10 Non DiscriminationWageningen UR does not discriminate on the national origin.“EU candidates are easily admitted to the Netherlands in case of a successful recruitment for vacancies.

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systemsResearchers underline the important of independent selection committees. It is important for the research institutes of Wageningen UR to further develop the career paths of the researchers. At this moment this is in progress.“Individual reviews by the managers are held annually. “Peer review is part of tenure track”.“Within the research institutes there is a lot of focus on the contracted hours. There should be more focus on hours spent on acquisition”.“Attention is paid to creativity, but this does not lead to extra salary or bonus”.“Cooperation between the sciences groups of Wageningen UR is stimulated”.

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II Recruitment

13 Recruitment (Code)Applicant can find the vacant positions on the internet for at least five weeks.

14 Selection (Code)The selection committees are set up according to the required discipline and expertise.“But, it is not always possible or necessary to set up a broad selection committee. For the senior positions is well organised. For the junior position the chair group or research team is responsible for the selection”.

15 Transparency (Code)The application system used has the possibility to inform declined applicants about the choices that are made.

17 Variations in the chronological order of CVs (Code)Career breaks or variations in the chronological order of CVs are not penalised. A switch from education to research is a discussion point because it is less likely to occur. “A switch from education to research is less likely than a switch from research to education”.

19 Recognition of qualifications (Code)“An assessment may be part of the recruitment process. Development assessments are also used in order to judge the future performance.”

21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code)The post doc position has been discussed. Despite their ambitions most post docs do not get a permanent position within the Dutch universities. If the position is temporary the post doc knows when this ends. The number of extensions of a contract with an organisation is limited by law. But should be further limited. The researchers noticed that temporary contract can be a ‘danger’ for the strategic goals of the organisation.The coaching and supervision of postdocs and junior researchers can be optimized.“We do not have dedicated mentors. Mentorship is part of management responsible.”

III Working conditions and social security

26 Funding and salaries“The remuneration policy is not always clear at the start of the job. But information can be collected by HRM.”“In the case of parental leave the first 13 weeks are partially paid. The other 13 weeks are not paid.”

27 Gender issues Gender issues are not recognized by the researchers. An example is given; one of the sciences group of Wageningen UR takes further steps to reach gender balance.

28 Career developmentThere are career development strategies, for example the trajectory of Tenure Track. For PhD’s there is a specific training and supervision plan.

33 TeachingA lot of the positions of the university contains both research and educational tasks.“A large educational task results in less research.”

IV Training

38 Continuing Professional Development and 39. Access to research training and continuous development“The HR department stimulates development”“If you want, then there are a lot of possibilities. It makes you also flexible in terms of employability.

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4.3 Wageningen University: a critical reflection Institutional quality assurance assessment 2012

The academic programmes of Wageningen University were reviewed in order to acquire the national and international accreditation for all BSc and MSc programmes. The evaluation of the related features was carried out by a national review committee of the Dutch Flemish Accreditation Board (NVAO), the national accreditation institute. A comprehensive report was written including the vision of Wageningen University on education and an additional document for the assessment of the distinctive feature internationalization in the institutional accreditation. All our study programmes were accredited by the NVAO. Traditionally, we rely on the quality of our staff in an international scientific context. Recently, we started to introduce a “peer review” system in which an international peer group comments on the content and design of a course or a sequence of courses. Generally peers are staff of foreign universities.

Human resourcesWith regard to Human Resource the report states:In the human resource policy for educational and research staff focus is on attracting excellent scientists and offering them an inspiring working environment. This should contribute to the strong relation between education and research and high quality education and research. Over the last years, the main lines of our policy were:• The start of a tenure track system• Recruitment of international staff• Teaching quality and University Teacher Qualifications• High level of Performance and Development interviews

Tenure trackIn the 2007-2010 strategic plan we proposed starting a pilot in tenure track to test if this policy would contribute to the recruitment of excellent scientists. Soon we discovered that the contribution from a pilot was too small to measure and evaluate. We decided to introduce the tenure track for all our scientific staff. Newly appointed staff automatically start in tenure track, existing staff were given the choice to join the tenure track or to keep their earlier appointment. The policy’s goal is to enhance the quality of scientific research and education, by attractingtop level (inter)national academics, retaining top-talented staff and supporting their development. We now offer top performers excellent prospects. Academic staff recruitedfor an Assistant Professor position have the opportunity to become Professor holding a Personal Chair within twelve years, provided they pass the assessment procedures (every three years). For those who do not succeed there will be no tenured academic position, the temporary position will end. In 2020, we expect that more than half of the scientific staff will follow this tenure track.

Recruiting more international staffIn reviewing our policy on internationalization, we realized that the percentage of international staff did not match our aspiration to be an international organization. Since 2009 we have focused on attracting more international staff by using international channels and media. We plan to improve the support of internationals who would like to work at Wageningen by providing a service agency which will help new staff with visas, permits, and housing, aswell as by providing introduction courses, finding buddies, organising breakfast sessions and a digital meeting place.

Teaching qualityWe expect our lecturers to transfer their knowledge successfully, and to inspire students. They must be proficient in English. For all new permanent staff and tenure track staff, a University Teaching Qualification is required. After achieving the Teaching qualification, we offer an individual track of advanced training as opposed to a standardized SKO-track (Senior University Teaching Qualification). To stimulate good lecturing, a part of the bonuses for education is awarded to lecturers (the other part concerns courses) and there isan annual “lecturer of the year” election organized by the Student Council.

Performance and development interviewsStaff are the creators of quality at Wageningen University. To deliver quality, their personal ambitions and aims must be in balance with the goals of the organization. The Performanceand Development interview (P&D interview) is the most important instrument we use to focus attention on the performance, development and employability of staff. The P&D interview is a periodic discussion between employee and manager, and is held once per year. In the2010-2014 strategic plan we aim to increase the percentage of P&D interviews in the plan period to 85%.

The HR instruments mentioned above are discussed in 4.1 and 4.4. Recruitment of international staff and Teaching quality are not considered as gaps.

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4.4 Improvement of Quality and Quantity of Performance and development interviews

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems

1. Vision of P&D interview

The P&D interview has a positive basis: the dialogue between managers and employees about their development and performance.

Employees have a right to know what their manager thinks about their performance; they are given a performance review and assessment. Employees have the right to speak out about the quality of the leadership provided by their manager.

Managers must be clear about the contribution they expect from the employee during the coming year regarding the realisation of departmental aims.

The P&D interview gives employees the opportunity to discuss their wishes with respect to their work, career, employability and further training.

P&D interviews are held annually with all employees, and are a normal and natural component in the cycle of business planning, annual planning/budgeting and taking a strategic view of all non-financial developments/personnel discussions. If desirable or necessary, multiple P&D interviews are conducted. Moreover, intervention interviews can be conducted in exceptional situations.

Throughout the year, the manager periodically discusses the performance of employees with them; consequently the content of the P&D interview is never a surprise.

During the P&D interviews between a manager and his/her superior, agreements are made about the number of P&D interviews and their quality; the coach evaluation is included in this process as an indicator of the quality of the P&D interviews.

Processing the data in the digital system must be as simple and fast as possible, and should be properly facilitated.

2. Position of P&D in the strategy and operational management process

The strategy process is based on the: Strategic Organisational Plan (IP/OP) Strategic Plan of the Sciences Group Multi-year business plan of the organisational component (business unit, staff

department, Facilities and Services, Concern+) Annual plan

From here, there is a transposition to the budget, to the Strategic Personnel Plan (SPP) and possibly to other plans (facilities, institutional plan position).

To realise these plans, the organisation must answer the following question: what is required in terms of capacity and quality (i.e. number of staff and type of jobs), now (ist) and in the future (soll)? This capacity and quality are realised through optimal deployment and development of people to achieve the aims of the organisation.

The SPP first describes what jobs are needed, what the distinction is between these jobs, what results are expected for each type of job (e.g. acquisition, billable hours and publications) and what types of behaviour, skills and attitude are expected. In addition, the SPP summarises the current situation in an overview of all of the non-financial developments.

In the P&D process, both components of the SPP come together.

P = performance. This is what the organisation expects from the employee. D = development of the employee, also in the context of long-term employability.In addition, an assessment is made about the performance during the past year.

Input for the P&D interview can be obtained from:

a) job-related matters such as the Hay profile, a detailed description of the classification criteria in that profile in terms of work instructions and the job competency profile

b) organisation-related matters: performance agreements based on the annual plan/departmental plan which are based in turn on the strategic plan.

Figure 1 illustrates this schematically:

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TranslationStrategic plan; Summary SPP; Annual plan/Operational plan of department or unit; Hay job profile; Work instructions (DLO); Job criteria (WU); Job competence profile; P&D interview; Clear agreements (SMART); Clear expectations with respect to competences; Final score (assessment)

The performance agreements based on the annual plans as well as those based on the profiles are customised and will differ between departments, chairs or business units, depending on the corresponding aims and choices.

3. Plan of Approach

Discussion with the Directors of Operations about the objective of P&D within Wageningen UR and their own organisation component

Preparing heads of HRM for their role in the MTsBrief training sessions on advisory skills or on holding employees accountable

Optimisation of P&D Digital

Theme meeting for all HR officers and Heads of HRBrief training sessions on advisory skills or on holding employees accountable

All Management Teams of all components pay attention in their regularly scheduled MT meeting to improving the quantity and quality of the P&D interviews, All managers attend the workshop Which employees are going to attend the workshops (see below)?

At the request of the MTs, training activities for managers and staff are provided at each organisational component. Possible topics are: 1. Holding employees to account, giving and receiving feedback2. Formulating SMART agreements3. Coaching on competence development and STAR methodology

Communication about P&D with extra information about P&D, tips, FAQs, best practices, usefulness and necessity of conducting P&D interviews. Each organisational component announces that the Management Council and MT believe that the percentage of P&D interviews should increase.

Finally:Monitoring by HR on behalf of the Management Council, refering to the numbers of interviews to be conducted and those that have already been conducted. The progress on these indicators is reported to the Management Council, which goes into action if the agreements are not met.

All the planned activities were carried out resulting in the improvement of the Performance and development interviews.

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Annual P&D report

Improvement performance and development interviews in terms of enlargement of the percentage interviews (80% to 85%) is part of the specific annual management report on the P&D interviews.The P&D report 2011 for the Executive Board is summarised below. This concerns a report from the Personnel Information System using data from P&D Digital (excluding VHL). The P&D data from VHL were provided by the Board of Directors of VHL. This report contains the P&D figures and final assessments for each Group, followed by the coach evaluations.

For Wageningen UR as a whole (excluding VHL, but including PhD students), the scoring percentage for P&D interviews in 2011 was 78.9%. In 2010 the scoring percentage for Wageningen UR as a whole (excluding VHL) was 66%. The percentage in 2011 can be divided into completed P&D interviews DLO (87.5%) and WU (70.5%). WU excluding PhD is 75%. The DLO components of PSG, ESG, RIKILT and FB scored well above the norm. Particularly striking is the difference in percentage between DLO and WU. This difference can be partly explained by the staff category of PhD students.

PhD studentsThe staff category ‘PhD students’ is included in the above P&D scores. Although a different assessment cycle is used for PhD students, the intention is for these assessment interviews to be registered in P&D Digital. The P&D score Wageningen UR-wide for PhD students in 2011 was 58.9%.

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5. Gaps, required actions and timetable

5.1 Gaps according to the Tenure Track Evaluation Committee

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems Change and improvement of the Tenure Track system is needed along three lines:

1. Clear choices for top talent and quality by:a) strong and independent BACs that reflect the required authorityb) a transparent BAC advice that includes both an advice to the General Director and a

development advice to the TT candidatec) focus on the quality of BAC advice, instead of a more elaborate credit point systemd) more explicit recognition of the TT candidate’s competences and activities that benefit

WU in the BAC advice2. Organise the capacity for learning and improvement by organising possibilities for an exchange of best practises, synchronisation and tuning:

a) regular meetings by representatives of Departmental BACs and HR b) continuity in membership of Departmental BACs that allow for a memory of

practices c) organising an exchange of experiences and best practises of supervising chairs



b. The internet information needs improvement.c. Better communication is needed, esp. to inform existing and potential Tenure

Trackers and chair holders.d. One organisation-wide, uniform and clear procedure/regulation for BACs is

needed to clarify and sharpen uniform working procedures.

5.2 Gaps according to the researchers

During the workshop for researchers two gaps between codes and institutional policies. Gender balance was not experienced as a gap by the researchers.

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems Researchers underline the important of independent selection committees. It is important for the research institutes of Wageningen UR to further develop the career paths of the researchers. At this moment this is in progress.21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code) The post doc position has been discussed. Despite their ambitions most post docs do not get a permanent position within the Dutch universities. If the position is temporary the post doc knows when the position will end. The number of extensions of a contract with an organisation is limited by law. But should be further limited. The researchers noticed that temporary contract can be a ‘danger’ for the strategic goals of the organisation.The coaching and supervision of postdocs and junior researchers can be optimized.“We do not have dedicated mentors. Mentorship is part of management responsible.”

5.3 Gaps according to the critical reflection (review committee of the NVAO)

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems See 5.1 Tenure Track Evaluation Committee

The P&D interview is a periodic discussion between employee and manager, and is held once per year. The 2010-2014 strategic plan aimed to increase the percentage of P&D interviews in the plan period to 85%. All the planned activities of the working group (see 4.4) were carried out resulting in the improvement of the Performance and development interviews to 80%.

Further improvement of the performance and development interviews in terms of raising the percentage interviews (80% to 85%) is part of the annual specific management report on the P&D interviews.

5.4 Gaps according to the project group

The project group identified two gaps between codes and institutional policies.

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21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code)Policy on this issue has been developed taking in consideration the duration of the appointments. The policy points out the transitional position of ‘postdocs’ by the preparation to the next career step and the long term prospects. Only to a few excellent researchers Wageningen UR can offer a research career or a permanent position within the academic staff.

27 Gender balanceThere is a clear gender balance in the academic and supporting staff except for the associate and full professors and top management within the organisation. Measurements and activities are taken to improve the balance in gender equality, especially the numbers of men and women in higher positions.

5.5 Actions and timetable

11 Evaluation/ appraisal systems Action 1 Introducing basic requirements for career trajectories, especially for researchersDeliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments December 2012)Checklist on agreed results according to job profile, programme reviews, internal and external project evaluationAction 2 Redefining long term strategic personnel planning due to aging and retirementDeliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments November 2012)Report holding the analysis of staff development 2012-2017Adjusted Strategic personnel plans of Sciences Groups and other unitsAction 3 Monitoring and annually reporting the improvement of performance and development interviews in terms of enlargement of the percentage interviews (80% to 85%) and individual career development plans Deliverables (Corporate HR March 2012 and 2013)Annual reports on performance and development interviews Action 4 Implementing the recommendations of Tenure Track Evaluation Committee Deliverables (Corporate HR March till December 2012)Improved website on tenure track policy Improved and uniform composition of assessment committeesBrochure Tenure TrackManual for the tenure track recruitment and selection procedure Format for the tenure track review committee agenda Format for the tenure track review committee recommendation Format for tenure track personal file including Models A and B assessment list achieved credits Personal tenure track development plan

21 Postdoctoral appointments (Code) Action 5 Recommendations on the development and management of track record, educational experience, development of networks

Career and duration of contract - to offer the absolute top talent an opportunity for a scientific career at Wageningen UR (based on European and national grants, scientific output and international experience);- post-doctoral researchers need to work on their track record; - assign other duties to develop the CV: the supervision of PhD and MSc students, education and project management;- no stacking of appointments of post-doctoral researchers (max one extension);- post-doctoral researchers need to be offered new prospects outside the university, Alternatives need to be initiated in good time, i.e. at least one year before departure. Spin offs of further developed knowledge of Wageningen UR, aiming at commercial applications in cooperation with third parties, are part of the policy of starting new businesses (StartLife). Among others, students and PhD’s, postdocs are stimulated to entrepreneurial activities.Deliverables (Corporate HR, Corporate E&R, Wageningen Graduate Schools June 2013)Top Talent programmes of Wageningen Graduate SchoolsWorkshops on Postdoc Career Development for postdocs and professors in order to:- Increase awareness of and start the dialogue between postdocs and their professors

about what is expected from a post-doc and the post-doc career development- Identify obstacles in career planning for post docs- Find possible solutions for the identified obstacles

Talent as a researcher- post-doctoral researchers need to be practical and skilled in carrying out experiments, creative, and able to devise original questions to be addressed by their research. They need to be highly competent in scientific methods, the use of models, the synthesis of new ideas, succeed in raising funds (entrepreneurship) and possess an international drive;- the chair group needs to offer post-doctoral researchers an inspirational working environment.- the above can be implemented in recruitment and selection. The Talents & Topics programme is an example of a successful approach.Deliverables (Wageningen Graduate Schools June 2013)Top Talent programmes of Wageningen Graduate SchoolsRecruitment and selection

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- Recruitment and selection needs to be focused even more on the acquisition of top talent; - Female candidate post-doctoral researchers deserve more recognition. Female internal candidates must receive more support in the fulfilment of their ambitions.Deliverables (Corporate HR June 2013)Improved recruitment site Wageningen UR

Competence development and courses- competence and personal development of post-doctoral researchers - encouraging researchers to follow courses and providing career advice. Budgets for training and advice need to be granted generously.Deliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments June 2013)Format for Personal Development Plans for postdocs

Coaching- the P&D and career development interviews should focus on career development and career prospects.- a specific programme should be agreed with the post-doctoral researchers after two years which addresses the end of the contract, a three-year extension or tenure track.- coaches should be selected for post-doctoral researchers at the beginning of their appointment.Deliverables (Corporate HR and HR departments June 2013)Agreements on career development and coaching within the P&D interviews including the end of the contract, a three-year extension or tenure track

27 Gender balance Action 6 Every year management reports on the gender situation (facts and figures) are discussed with the local management.Deliverables Corporate HR and HR departmentsAnnual reports on gender situation Action 7 There is an active ‘Network for Wageningen University Alumni Women’ (VWI, Vrouwennetwerk Wageningse Ingenieurs). In 2011 / 2012 the Network took the initiative together with the Wageningen UR Science Shop (Wetenschapswinkel) to investigate why women are underrepresented in higher functions. Deliverables (Wageningen UR Science Shop June 2012)VWI Report on the underrepresentation of womenAction 8 Appointment of preferably two, or at least one woman in Recruitment Advisory Committees and Assessment Committees Deliverables (Managing Directors Sciences Groups June 2012).Revised composition of assessment committeesAction 9 In 2012 Wageningen University received two NWO-Aspasia Premiums. 25% of the premium is to be spent on the organisational level in terms at the benefit of diversity-policy, especially for improving the position of women in science. It will be used for developing and organizing a mentoring- and coaching system for women in science. Deliverables (NWO December 2013)Mentoring and coaching system for women in scienceAction 10 Together with other Dutch universities Wageningen UR is developing a course on gender awareness. Deliverables (VSNU December 2013)Developed course on gender awareness

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Appendix 1 Overview of HR Strategy for Researchers incorporating Charter and Code (Excel file)

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