ED Search Committee Report

The IAI Executive Director Search Committee reports a delay in the selection process due to ambiguities regarding term limits and eligibility, specifically concerning the current Director, Holm Tiessen. The committee recommends suspending the current search to establish a formal, open advertisement and review process, rather than relying solely on member nominations. Proposed guidelines include a clear definition of the Director's term of service, a requirement for a transition overlap between incoming and outgoing directors, and a set of professional qualifications including 5-10 years of experience in scientific research grant management and proficiency in English and Spanish or Portuguese.

• The search for the IAI Executive Director was delayed because of a lack of clear procedures and conflicting interpretations of the Director's term limits and eligibility under Article VIII paragraph 6 of the Agreement to Establish the IAI.
• The Search Committee recommends that the CoP adopt an open application process for the Director, moving away from a system where candidates are only nominated by CoP members, to increase transparency and attract a wider pool of candidates.
• The committee proposes a structured selection process involving the distribution of advertisements by the Search Committee, a review of applicants against desired qualifications in conjunction with the SAC, SPAC, and Directorate, and the production of a shortlist for interviews.
• To ensure organizational stability, the committee recommends a mechanism to allow for a transition overlap between the incoming and outgoing Directors.
• The proposed qualifications for the IAI Director include 5-10 years of experience in managing scientific research grant allocations and peer evaluation, expertise in the Latin America and Caribbean region, and proficiency in English and either Spanish or Portuguese.
• Legal input from Mr. Diego Malpede suggests that the current Director's term ends in 2016 and that further extensions would require a general agreement from the CoP based on special circumstances, as the Agreement's stipulations are considered clear.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2016). ED Search Committee Report. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-24-director-selection-comm-report-e.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. ED Search Committee Report. 2016. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-24-director-selection-comm-report-e.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=ED Search Committee Report |date=6 June 2016 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-24-director-selection-comm-report-e.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2016search, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{ED Search Committee Report}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-24-director-selection-comm-report-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }