PC 93/INF/3


Programme Committee

Ninety-third Session

Rome, 9 – 13 May 2005

Progress Report on the Follow-up to Past
Programme Committee Recommendations


1. This progress report provides in tabular format the status of Programme Committee items for which specific follow-up action was requested by the Committee, or jointly with the Finance Committee, for information.

Schedule of the Programme Committee and Joint Meeting
Recommendations and Status of Follow-up Action

Reference Recommendation Status
CL 127/12
Para. 5, 10 and 14

Programme Implementation Report (PIR) 2002-03

The Committee felt that the section on the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) could have contained more deStailed information on implementation of the programme, including for instance on the beneficiary countries, and requested the Secretariat to take action in this regard in the next PIR.

The Committee expressed concern that the document was too large and looked forward to receiving proposals regarding possible further improvements to the format of the PIR.

 The Secretariat will take this into account in the PIR 2004-05.
CL 127/12
Para. 57

The Evaluation of FAO’s Decentralization

The Committee looked forward to considering at its Ninety-third session, a comprehensive response to the evaluation and an action plan for strengthening the effectiveness of the Organization through decentralization. This response would address the objectives of the decentralization and include:

  • a costed and time-bound implementation plan which would build on the recommendations and suggestions in the evaluation report but also include management’s proposals for addressing issues through alternative means, where it considered this appropriate;
  • the proposal of additional measures stemming from management’s own analysis;
  • analysis of areas of potential efficiency savings, noting however that some of the probable efficiency savings had already been foreseen and expenditures committed against them; and
  • management’s response to each of the recommendations of the evaluation.
 A document will be presented to the Programme Committee in May 2005.
CL 127/11
Para. 22

Programme of Work and Budget 2004-2005

The Committee requested that the identified need for an additional US$ 1.34 million for Programme 3.1.2, should be found through reallocation of efficiency savings expected to be generated by measures to be taken by the Secretariat within the biennium.		 The Secretariat will continue to monitor the level of efficiency savings generated in the biennium and apply them to this programme to the extent possible. The SPWB 2006-07 also contains proposals for reversing the reductions in these areas.
CL 127/8
Para. 7		 The Committees jointly endorsed the above and also called for lower reductions than originally proposed in the document to Programme 5.2.1 Financial Services, which would also be achieved through redirection of efficiency savings to the extent that they could be generated in the biennium.
CL 124/14
Para. 57

Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and WHO Food Standards Work

The Codex Alimentarius Commission and both FAO and WHO management have already put in process a programme of work to consult further with members and move forward in developing strategies to implement the main thrusts of the evaluation recommendations. The Programme Committee will review the progress in two years’ time with a view to maintaining the momentum of change and requested a follow-up report at that time.

 This follow-up is being overseen by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
CL 124/14
Paras. 63 and 64

The Thematic Review of FAO's Training Activities - An Update on follow-up action

The Committee noted that experience with the established corporate focal point and Training Network is still recent and it is thus too early to draw conclusions on their effectiveness in improving the quality of training provided by FAO. The Committee, therefore, requested a follow-up report on this topic to be submitted to the Committee in two or three years’ time. 		A follow-up report is planned for May 2006. However, the Committee may wish to note that this aspect of the Programme has been severely affected by the budget reductions in 2004-05.

CL 124/14

Paras.70 and 71; PC 89/7 Paras. 4 and 7

Evaluation Topics for the period 2003 to 2005

Following biennial consultation, the Committee endorsed with two changes the priorities for evaluation as proposed in PC 89/7, recognising that this would entail some changes in the coverage of topics in the original work-programme. With flexibility for new and urgent demands, it is thus proposed to initiate the following evaluations in the period to the end of 2005:

  
 
  • Cross-organizational Strategy for Communicating FAO's Messages

Will be presented to the Programme Committee in September 2005.

 
  • Programme 2.1.3 Livestock Production, Policy and Information aspects

Will be presented to the Programme Committee in May 2005.

 
  • Cross-organizational Strategy for Broadening Partnerships and Alliances

Will be presented to the Programme Committee in September 2005.

 
  • Strategic Objective D.2 (Conservation, rehabilitation and development of environments at the greatest risk)

Initiated in May 2005.

 

The Committee will consider the new plan for Evaluations at its May 2005 Session.

The Indicative Rolling Workplan of Strategic and Programme Evaluations 2006-09 will be presented to the Programme Committee in May 2005.

CL 124/14
Para. 60

The Evaluation of Programme 2.2.2 (Food and Agricultural Information) – Activities Related to Agricultural Statistics in the Context of FAOSTAT

The Committee requested a report in two years’ time, on progress being made in improving coordination of statistical activities in the Organization.

This report is now scheduled to be submitted to the Programme Committee in September 2005.

CL 127/11
Para. 37

The Evaluation of Programme 2.3.3 (Fisheries Exploitation and Utilization)

The Committee requested that a follow-up report should be presented in two years, describing how the evaluation recommendations had been implemented.

A follow-up report will be submitted to the Programme Committee in May 2006.

CL 127/12
Paras. 63 and 64

Policy and Operational Framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP)

The Committee would review the Secretariat’s suggestions regarding strengthening the TCP at its next session, including an independent review of certain aspects of the TCP undertaken by the Evaluation Service. The results of in-depth consultation on various aspects of the TCP within the FAO Secretariat, would also be presented for consideration by the Committee.

The requested documents will be submitted to the Programme Committee in May 2005.

CL 127/11
Para. 51

Priority Setting

The Committee noted that at its session in May 2005, it would start receiving summaries of the auto-evaluation reports.

Auto-evaluation reports will be made available to the Programme Committee from May 2005.

CL 127/8
Para. 11

Meetings of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and the Committee on Agriculture (COAG)

The Joint Meeting expressed the preference for holding the two meetings back-to-back and requested that the Programme Committee be subsequently provided with an assessment of the implementation of this new arrangement.

The requested report will be submitted to the Programme Committee in September 2005.

CL 125/2
Para. 16

Independence and Location of the Evaluation Service

The Committees requested the Secretariat to make proposals to the Programme Committee as to how it could be involved in the appointment of the Chief of the Evaluation Service.

Progress on, and experience in, the implementation of the recommendations will be reported to the Programme Committee in September 2005.

CL 125/2
Para. 17

 The Committees requested that progress on the implementation of the recommendations be reported back to the Programme Committee.