The National Workforce Roundtable plays an integral part in the development and execution of the Center's research agenda. Over the years, members have been involved in several exciting initiatives with areas of focus including corporate leadership, best practices in work/life, global work-life practices, work-life measurement, and community involvement. Roundtable members have been actively involved in this work from advising to providing a "reality check" to funding and serving as research sites. Highlights of recent Roundtable initiatives include:

The Standards of Excellence in Work/Life Integration
In 1995, the National Workforce Roundtable developed a set of principles for organizations striving to create a work environment that maximizes both organizational and individual effectiveness. In 2000, the Roundtable launched a project to "move beyond" principles and define the Standards of Excellence in Work/Life Integration. The goal was to influence the national dialogue on work/life integration and set a standard to guide the development of this core strategy in the business community. Through assessment, discussion, and best-practice examples, the Standards of Excellence Project shows that there is no one "right" solution and that achieving excellence in work/life must be consistent with an organization's culture and business climate. The Center and the Roundtable are pleased to announce that the first core component of the Standards Project, The Excellence Index, was released in November of 2002.

The National Work/Life Measurement Project
Roundtable members, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Honeywell, Kraft Foods, Lucent Technologies, and Motorola, along with Amway Corporation sponsored and participated in this project to assess the effect of workplace flexibility. In October 2000, the Center released Measuring the Impact of Workplace Flexibility, the summary report from the National Work/Life Measurement Project.

The Work/Life Certificate Program
Since 1998, The Center for Work & Family and the Alliance of Work/Life Professionals collaborated to define what it means to be a work/life professional and what core bodies of knowledge and skills are required for competent practice. The competencies outline what professionals need in order to create and implement a company-wide, cross-functional strategy that delivers measurable results and provides sustainable impact. The Work/Life Certificate Program provides the training to successfully achieve these competencies. The four courses offered cover strategic management; measurement; organizational influence; and work/life responses. This program is currently administered by AWLP/WorldatWork. For more information, visit the Work/Life Certificate Program.