Medium-Term Plan (MTP)

MTP proposes activities that address each strategic objective in the Strategic Framework, with information on the planned outputs, indicative resource estimates, timeframes and indicators. The MTP takes account of the outcome of evaluations and implementation performance reporting.

Cycle

6 years; rolling plan revised every 2 years
Structure

The MTP 2002-2007 is structured as follows:

  • Part I: From the Strategic Framework to the Medium Term Plan 2002-2007 – General Presentation
  • Part II: Strategies to Address Members’ Needs (based on Programme of Work and Budget programme structure)
  • Part III: Strategies to Address Cross-Organizational issues

    • The "building blocks" of the substantive programme consist of the following entities (according to the new programming model endorsed by the FAO Conference):

  • Technical Projects (TPs), which cover a set of actions that can have a duration of up to six years, and are designed to work towards precise time-bound objectives, defined in terms of benefits to the target users and in terms of their relevance and contribution to FAO’s strategic objectives. The MTP concentrates on justification of the new entities proposed for introduction in the upcoming biennium, accompanied by a detailed explanation of the objectives, outputs, related timeframes, estimated lifetime costs, while presenting a whole picture for each strategic objective.
  • Continuing Programme Activities (CPs), which refer to the production of outputs that contribute to the strategic objectives, but are not amenable to the time-bound structure of technical projects (e.g. statistical series).
  • Technical Services Agreements (TSs), which refer to the provision of services, such as Field Programme support and technical advice to member countries, where the individual work activities cannot be defined far in advance. They may include servicing statutory bodies where the work is in general support of the sector (e.g. the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Fisheries).
Format

In Part II, for each of the TPs and CPs the following is stipulated:

  • Rationale identifying the need to be met and why it is important that FAO meet it;
  • Objectives;
  • Major Outputs, that will allow the stated objectives to be achieved;
  • Indicators, to facilitate subsequent evaluation of outcome and impact;
  • Indicative resource estimates and timeframe (for TPs).

In Part III, sets of planned actions to implement each strategy to address organizational issues are specified, with attendant organizational arrangements and resource implications.
Extra-budgetary

Directly related extra-budgetary inputs to programme entities are fully integrated. Technical assistance needs for funding under extra-budgetary resources are not considered.
Submission procedures

Submitted to the FAO Council for approval (November 2000) and subsequently to the FAO Conference (November 2001) for information.
Review bodies (legislative bodies) and their functions

Programme and Finance Committees (subsidiary organs of the Council) for advice to Council;

FAO Council (approval);

Technical Committees of the Council (for advice in relation to specific sectoral mandate);

FAO Conference (for information).

Responsible offices in the Secretariat and their functions

House-wide effort, with the Office of Programme, Budget and Evaluation in charge of coordination and production.
Management information system (MIS)

Data-base, covering the necessary fields of information for the design of the above entities (TPs, CPs, TSs).
Other methodological issues

An important innovative feature of the MTP is that major Priority Areas for Inter-disciplinary Action (PAIAs) are highlighted in Part I.