Needs Assessment Questionnaires

As we mentioned earlier, the Needs Assessment survey was recently conducted among COT colleagues. The survey was conducted online, using a professional online survey solution which resulted in a quicker and better response from our colleagues in the field. We have now posted the questionnaires here for everyone's reference. You can find them here:

English: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_WebPages/NAQuestionnaireEng.html

French: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_WebPages/NAQuestionnaireFre.html

Spanish: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_WebPages/NAQuestionnaireSpa.html

We will soon share with you the survey's results. Meanwhile, we would like to hear from you your opinion about the survey mechanism itself. Do you think it was a better way of conducting the survey? What else can we do to improve it? Tell us!

Photos from the Focus Group discussions

As you know, Focus Group discussions were held in the HQs this week (Tuesday, 22 March) to give colleagues the opportunity to share their needs, experiences, preferences, and assumptions about GLOW. Colleagues discussed these in nine groups, facilitated by colleagues who have been trained in facilitation. We've posted some photos from the discussions. Check out the Photo section: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/Photographs

The Golden Glow or La inspiración da comienzo a la creación (a poem)

Glowing anxiously by the Rhein

Following its gentle flow

throbing hours and minutes

seconds for the GLOW.

Read the full poem: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2005/3/24/471695.html

Brown Bag Lunch held in HQ

The Communications & Social Team organized a Brown Bag Lunch last week (Thursday, 17 March) to share with HQ colleagues the latest information about GLOW preparations. Douglas opened the session with an overview of the GLOW process and the progress made so far in preparations. Kanti then presented the GLOW communications plan and demonstrated how the GLOWeb (site) can be used by everyone for the purpose. Needs Assessment Team coordinator Robert Toe talked about the online survey that had been conducted and the response it had received. He also explained the upcoming Focus Group discussions in the HQs. The Share Fair Team coordinator Leslie Loch then shared with us their plans. Emily from the Management Support Unit kept everyone fed and happy with delicious food. We've posted in the Photo section some pictures from the session.

Personal information questionnaire sent out

As announced by the Project Manager earlier this week, the second questionnaire asking GLOW participants for their personal information, such as passport details, their plans for the Share Fair and preferences for food, language and social events etc., has been sent out to COT colleagues. It will also be sent later to HQ colleagues participating in GLOW. 

If you have received the questionnaire, please fill it in by the deadline of 04 April 2005. This will help our Logistics and other Functional Teams to ensure timely and efficient arrangements.

What's this 'Glow' all about?

You ask the question, and you'll get as varied answers as the people whom you asked. So why not put together all the interpretations and ideas generating out of the word and concept of 'glow'? That's the idea behind creating a special section called "Work-a-part". It's slightly apart from the serious stuff, but at the same time part of the GLOW work, so the name...

Send all your creative and innovative ideas and creations - whether funny, inspiring or simply attractive and interesting - to us and we'll share them with everyone. They can be images, quotations, cartoons, poems, jokes... anything. You can also contribute such stuff that you found somewhere else... Join the creative fun!... 

Visit the Work-a-part section: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/Workapart

Share Fair proposal

The Share Fair Team has prepared a proposal of the activities that should take place at the fair and how they would be conducted. The team invites your comments and suggestions on the proposal, especially from COT colleagues who will have a major stake in the fair.

Read the proposal here: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_WebPages/ShareFairProposal.html

Heard anything in the Castle?

Castles are at all times a source of creative inspirations. Haven’t we heard of all those stories of ghosts, fairies, knights, princes and princesses that lived, loved and lied in castles?… So it’s no different with our own Castle in Haus Carstanjen. In the true GLOW spirit of inclusion, we want to also share with you what’s discussed (not always among the living us!) and heard in the castle corridors. So, friends, here’s introducing  a cartoon series Heard in the Castle. (See the cartoon on the right hand column of the GLOWeb site.) If you heard or overheard anything in the castle about GLOW, just let us know and we’ll try to capture it in these cartoons…Don’t worry, we’ll not give your names, as most of us will anyway recognize who said it! 

Special note for participants from the field

The GLOW Project Manager (Douglas) thanks colleagues from COTs/Missions who took the time to fill in the Needs Assessment online survey. In the course of this week beginning 21 March, another online questionnaire will be dispatched to all our COTs/Missions. This time filling the questionnaire is a must, as it deals with pieces of information required from all those who are to attend.

Read the message from Douglas: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2005/3/20/457048.html

Terms of Reference for Functional Teams

Here are the Terms of Reference for Functional Teams organizing and preparing GLOW 2005. Take a look and see if there is any in which you would like to take part and volunteer to help. This is specially important for COAs, PMs and POs who are desiring to help and take active part!

Read the TORs (in PDF): http://glow.civiblog.org/SummaryTORs_17Mar05.pdf

Found: A report on GLOW 99!

We found on the website of the UNV in Gambia a report on the Global Workshop of 1999. For those of us who were not part of the GLOW 99, it gives a brief but very good overview of what happened there. For the veterans, it can be a nostalgic moment, as they will recognize many a face in the photo therein.

Have a look here: http://www.un.gm/unv/129902.htm#global

GLOWeb now in French, Spanish & German

Because of lack of resources (time and people), we are unable to provide all information on GLOWeb in all three languages: English, French and Spanish. English will be the primary language of this site, however, we will provide all key information in French and Spanish too. To read information that we're publishing in French and/or Spanish, use the following links:

Information in French: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/enfranais

Information in Spanish: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/enespaol

You can also read all information on GLOWeb in French, Spanish or German (and other languages), using automated online translation services provided by AltaVista and others. Find out here links to translated versions of GLOWeb: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_WebPages/GLOWebTranslations.html

Do tell us how you find these translation features. We look forward to your opinion!

Who to contact for GLOW information

If you have a specific query about any aspect of GLOW preparations or if you have suggestions to make, you should contact the Team Coordinator of the Functional Team responsible for that aspect. Find here the list of Team Coordinators and their email addresses: http://glow.civiblog.org/blog/_WebPages/GLOWTeamsContacts.html