Special Programme: management Each country participating in the Special Programme is responsible for setting up a steering committee that will have overall responsibility for the country's programme. The membership of this national steering committee will consist of high-level representatives from government ministries, the private sector and donors. In-country monitoring and evaluation systems will be established and progress reports will be sent regularly to all involved. A national team, headed by a coordinator, will be responsible for running the national programme. Farmers, NGOs, local officials, extension staff, scientists and representatives of private industry will be involved in decision-making at the local level, supported when necessary by technical expertise from FAO or other sources. Within FAO, the Special Programme is managed by a small group in the Field Operations Division, able to mobilize the broad range of expertise available throughout the Organization. This ensures that running costs are kept to a minimum and that FAO's technical divisions are fully involved in the programme. Representatives from FAO's technical divisions are members of supervisory bodies that have been established to guide and support in-country work. The highest supervisory body at FAO is a committee, chaired by the Director-General, which oversees and monitors the Special Programme. In addition, an external Oversight Panel, consisting of prominent independent experts on food and agriculture, provides advice and guidance. Continuous monitoring and evaluation, both within the country and by FAO, will ensure that any adverse developments are quickly spotted and corrective action taken. Periodic assessments of the programme's impact on food production, the environment, farmers' incomes and social equity will ensure that investment and assistance is channelled to where it is most needed.