STAFF COMMUNICATION
Dear Colleagues,
You asked for the presence and support of R&D as soon as you heard about senior management’s decision to move into L15 building and convert it to Open Space.
According to senior management, this option would be the most appropriate response to the objective of regrouping staff in a single building and thereby improving work, communication and mutual understanding within the DG.
We have responded to your request and we are now giving an account of what we have done
On 19 October At your request, R&D took part in a meeting of DG NEAR staff
Noting the absence of any real consultation organised by DG NEAR, R&D decide to consult all colleagues.
On 20 October R&D launched the survey entitled « OPEN SPACE DG NEAR »…
This survey was sent to 614 colleagues via EU Survey in secure mode. Only people having received a personalised link could reply. 380 colleagues (62%) took the time to reply to the questions and made comments about their fears with about this new organisation of their work.
We wish to once more thank all those colleagues who took part and for the confidence which they showed us.
On 28 November R&D published the negative results…
The results of this survey show that DG NEAR staff do not want to move to Open Space for strictly professional reasons (Survey OPEN SPACE: Results and Analysis).
On 1 December R&D called a meeting to present the detailed results of the survey and to draw up conclusions to present to your Director General, Christian Danielsson
On 12 December with our colleagues from the US, R&D met Mr Danielsson and his team…
During this meeting, we gave each participant the results of the OPEN SPACE survey and laid out the following points:
1. The negative results of the DG NEAR OPEN SPACE SURVEY
2. That open space is not adapted to the tasks of DG NEAR
3. The need to consult staff
4. The safety and security of L15 building
5. The quite low results of the 2016 STAFF SURVEY
Christian Danielsson confirmed the following points :
1. Thanked R&D for the quality of the survey carried out and confirmed that the results would be taken into account.
2. The objective is to regroup staff in a single building in order to “be together”.
3. The decision will be taken if, and only if, the best conditions are guaranteed.
4. Consultation with staff is underway in each unity and directorate, without any time pressure being imposed. The Director General intends to meet each unit and commits to leading a real consultation without any pre-established result. This commitments naturally also valid for DG NEAR’s management.
5. In reply to our question, Mr Danielsson firmly denied that in reality the consultation was only to decide how to implement Open space for which the decision had already been taken and could no longer be called into question.
In conclusion…
Christian Danielsson committed to giving up the collaborative space project if the results of this consultation are negative and optimal conditions are not obtained..
R&D encourages you to take part in this ongoing consultation and to bring your sincere contributions and fears concerning the organisation of the working space.
We will have a meeting with the Director General in January 2017, to follow up movement in this affair. As we have done since you first asked us to intervene, we will keep you informed of progress.
We remain at your disposal if you wish to send us any new information to submit to your Director General.
Cristiano Sebastiani,
President
Copie: Staff Commission