From cms-portalWed Oct 14 09:44:33 2009 Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:44:21 +0200 To: CMS members Subject: ACCU message ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sent to Groups: CMS ( 3559 people with NICE e-mail ) 14/10/2009 - 08:23:44 - by Nathalie Bleesz-griggs (CERN) for Francesco Navarria (BOLOGNA) -------- PLEASE SEND REPLIES RELATED TO THE SUBJECT OF THIS MESSAGE TO -------- the submitter ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear colleagues, I would like to inform you about the last Advisory Committee of CERN Users (ACCU) meeting which took place on the 9th September, 2009. Since the beginning of 2009, with the new management, there is a breath of fresh air at CERN. In particular ACCU has received a lot of attention and a link to it now appears in the middle of the CERN Web page. Last December the new DG asked for a prioritized list of ACCU topics, which, after consultation with the other delegates, I provided at the end of January. This was the starting point of the Web questionnaire in May, addressed to all members of the personnel, users and staff. There were 2058 replies. The results of the questionnaire were presented by the DG to ACCU in the June meeting and were used to prepare a lengthy action list for the management, mostly GS Department. The GS Deputy Department Leader, M. Tiirakari, now attends ACCU meetings. In the September meeting, both the DG and MT presented a long list of short- and medium-term points which have been attacked. In several cases the problems have already been solved, in many they will be solved in the next few months. Among the highest priorities for the users there is the possibility of finding (cheap) accommodation either in the Hostel or at least in the vicinity of CERN. Problems connected with mobility, reaching the lab from their residence and mobility within the lab, including the most remote points such as CMS, are also of the utmost practical importance. Restaurants at CERN have to face the increased number of users and the demand for quality standards. After several requests from ACCU, many discussions and a long waiting period, the possibility of booking the Hostel via the Web will be a reality in December. The rooms available for the following three months will be visible and they will be booked using CERN id and password, with a Credit Card as a guarantee. A penalty for cancellations, e.g. as a function of the approaching of the arrival date, is being studied. The problem with cancellations, often at midday on the arrival date, or, in limited cases, of no- shows (one to a few per day), is a serious one for the handling of the reservations and seems to make CERN a very special case, perhaps because so far no guarantee is requested for a reservation. The result, as it is well known, is a series of refusals, the infamous unofficial waiting list, and, surprisingly, an occupation rate, which in the busiest months reaches only 90%. In addition to Web booking, the Hostel Web site will contain a list of hotels in the vicinity of CERN available at corporate rates. In the long run, we are thinking about a possible hostel for students, e.g. to solve the problem with summer students, who visit CERN at a time of activity of the accelerators, thus clashing with users coming for shifts. An onerous solution has to wait for the repayment of the debt contracted for the construction of Bat. 41. In the mean time the renovation of Bat. 38 & 39 will start soon and will provide a few additional rooms. A fast intermediate solution for Restaurant 3 in Prevessin is being studied and should be operational by October with a much better quality of service. The project for augmenting the capacity of Restaurant 1 was shown. The first batch of work to renovate the terrace will take place in October-November. The contract for the construction of the extension should be signed in March, and the works could begin in April and be finished by October 2010. Concerning mobility, several solutions are being studied, since it is unthinkable to keep increasing the number of PH-cars with small CERN logos. For instance, CERN corporate rates were negotiated with Herz, both for official and private use. The management wants to improve the shuttle service with a few immediate actions, which will be complete by January (acquisition of two new shuttle buses, hiring three new drivers). A new timetable providing frequent transport to and from Prevessin, and to the LHC pits is being finalized. A special timetable will be operational to cover the needs of the periods when the experiments are running, CMS in particular. Among the other points on the agenda were the actions towards the preparation of the Code of Conduct, the activity of the Equal Opportunity Advisory Panel (EOAP), the availability of dosimeters and of radiation protection courses, and some information from the Users' Office (UO) given by C. Onions who acts as ACCU secretary. The Code of Conduct will apply to all members of personnel, staff, users, and contractors and will have a preventive role in a moment of enlargement of the Organization and of increased public scrutiny after last year's media events. It will be based on the concept of excellence, the AND of integrity, effectiveness, professionalism, diversity and commitment. The guidelines were developed by HR department following a request by the DG and by various committees (EOAP, ACCU). The next step will comprise discussions within several focus groups, including one comprised of users which was set up by K. Lassila-Perini. Approval by the extended directorate is foreseen in December. Also the EOAP has now a new perception and is addressing all the personnel, e.g. in the resolution of possible conflicts, including an ombudsperson function, which had been requested in particular by the delegates of the northern countries in ACCU. The problem with the lack of dosimeters which had happened in the past is on the way of being solved with some new acquisitions on ATLAS, ALICE, LHCb funds and others foreseen in the short-term on CERN funds. As from the beginning of 2010, 6300 dosimeters will be available, sufficient to cover the needs of the LHC experiments. Also the availability and frequency of radiation protection courses, necessary to receive a dosimeter, have been increased. The UO is exchanging the Swiss Attestations de Fonctions with Cartes de Legitimation Type P, and the persons concerned are receiving e-mails for this. Other e-mails are being sent to persons having only the Swiss card, without having also the French documents. The next meeting of ACCU is scheduled for 9 December, 2009: should you have any point of concern wrt topics addressed by ACCU and to be raised in the AOBs, please let your delegate in ACCU know. Best wishes. Francesco ACCU Homepage: http://ph-dep-accu.web.cern.ch/ph-dep-ACCU/