The Strategic Framework forms an essential part of the enhanced programme-budget process, now approved for the Organization. When fully implemented, this process will include the Strategic Framework, with its 10- to 15-year time dimension, a Medium-Term Plan for a six-year period and a biennial Programme of Work and Budget. The Medium-Term Plan will ensure the link between the agreed strategic objectives and FAO's programme of work.
The essential functions of implementation monitoring and programme evaluation will continue in the new process, which includes a new evaluation regime. Among other things, this regime envisages streamlined reporting arrangements, allowing the submission of a more concise Programme Evaluation Report to Council and Conference.
The following table shows the elements of the new regime:
Document |
Period |
Frequency |
Purpose |
Strategic Framework |
10-15 |
About every |
To set the strategic direction |
Medium-Term Plan |
6 years |
Rolling plan |
To establish programme |
Programme of Work |
2 years |
2 years |
To appropriate resources and seek approval for the two-year programme |
Programme |
2 years |
2 years |
To provide quantitative |
Programme |
6 years |
2 years |
To provide a selective and qualitative analytical evaluation of programme implementation |
The following criteria will be taken into account when setting priorities for resource allocation:
Clearly, comparative advantage is an important criterion in priority setting and it therefore follows that this criterion needs to be more fully defined. FAO's major comparative advantages are derived from an analysis of the Organization's general strengths, recognizing that, while they are considerable, they constitute comparative advantages only when appropriately brought to bear on problems for which the intervention of an organization such as FAO is needed.
FAO's comparative advantage in the areas of its mandate can be summarized in the following points: