Opening Session
ICRISAT External Programme and Management Review
ISNAR External Programme and Management Review
IPGRI External Programme and Management Review
Centres' Medium-Term Plans 1998-2000
CGIAR Priorities and Strategies
CGIAR Activity Classification
CGIAR Research Priorities for Marginal Lands
Future Reviews
Future Meetings
Other Business
The TAC Chair Dr. Donald Winkelmann opened the meeting and welcomed the TAC Members present, giving particular attention to the five new members, representatives of FAO, Messrs. H. Carsalade and G. Beye; Dr. Hubert Zandstra, CIP Director General and Chair of the Centre Directors' Committee; Dr. Wanda Collins, IPGRI Board Chair and Chair of the Centre Board Chairs Committee; Director Generals from CIAT, CIFOR, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICLARM, ICRAF, ICRISAT, IFPRI, IIMI, IITA, ILRI, IPGRI, IRRI, ISNAR, WARDA; and observers from Belgium, France, Germany, USA, the Netherlands, Canada; and staff from the CGIAR and TAC Secretariats.
Mr. Henri Carsalade, the Assistant Director General of the Sustainable Development Department and representing FAO as a cosponsor, addressed the meeting emphasizing the active collaboration between FAO and the CGIAR. In welcoming the participants, he echoed the importance of international agricultural research in food security.
The report of TAC 71 was adopted with minor amendments. Mr. Alexander von der Osten, the Executive Secretary of the CGIAR reported on the major developments in the CGIAR System since ICW96.
TAC considered the report of the Panel that conducted the Fourth External Programme and Management Review of ICRISAT, together with the Centre's written response to the Panel report. The Panel Chair, Dr. Ronnie Coffman, presented the main findings and conclusions of the Panel. ICRISAT was represented by Dr. Rajendra Paroda, Board Chair, and Dr. James Ryan, Director General, who presented the Centre's response.
TAC expressed appreciation to the Panel for conducting an incisive, forward-looking and basically very positive assessment of the future role and importance of the Centre, while at the same time clearly defining some major issues that face the Board and management. The Panel recommended a strategic realignment of the Centre's research, to build on its considerable strengths in science as well as to develop stronger partnerships with NARS in Africa and Asia. It also recommended that ICRISAT's Board and management provide stronger leadership of the institutional change currently underway at the Centre. TAC shared the Panel's view that while the challenge, inherent in the changes recommended by the Review Panel is substantial, ICRISAT is capable of meeting it. TAC supported the major conclusions and recommendations of the EPMR, and noted that ICRISAT had also done so.
TAC, with inputs from the CGIAR Secretariat, prepared a commentary for consideration by the Group at MTM97.
TAC considered the report of the Panel that conducted the Third External Programme and Management Review of ISNAR together with the Centre's written response to the Panel's report. The Panel Chair, Dr. Samuel Paul, presented the main findings and conclusions of the Panel. ISNAR was represented by Dr. Amir Mohammed, Board Chair, Dr. Stein Bie, Director General who presented the Centre's response, and Dr. Howard Elliott, Deputy Director General. TAC thanked the Panel for a forward-looking, concise and analytical report and, in particular, the innovative format and structure. The Committee endorsed the recommendations of the Panel and noted that ISNAR agreed broadly with them. NARS and other stakeholders expressed satisfaction with ISNAR's work and services, which had resulted in a considerable increase of ISNAR's outputs and improvement in their quality over the last five years. Nevertheless, TAC supports the Review's findings that some important directional changes are required to help ISNAR respond effectively to a rapidly changing external environment and to develop a more coherent research agenda. The Committee strongly endorsed the recommendation that ISNAR should develop a new strategic plan and considered that the Centre should carefully review its priority-setting process. TAC also supports the recommendation that ISNAR move up the capacity building ladder, concentrating more on building institutional capabilities. The Committee, with inputs from the CGIAR Secretariat, prepared a commentary on the EPMR report for consideration by the Group at MTM97.
TAC considered the report of the Panel that conducted the Fourth External Programme and Management Review of IPGRI, together with the Centre's written Response to the Panel report. The Panel Chair, Dr. Calvin Qualset, presented the main findings and conclusions of the Panel. IPGRI was represented by Dr. Wanda Collins, Board Chair, and Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin, Director General, who presented the Centre's response.
TAC expressed its thanks to the Panel for a constructive report. TAC was pleased to note the progress made by IPGRI during the period under review, in both its management and programmes. TAC noted that while the report was strong and rich in describing and analysing IPGRI's work and progress, the full measure of the assessment given in the text was not always reflected in the summary and recommendations. TAC also acknowledged that some of the valuable comments in the text of the report refer to matters of importance well beyond the Centre under review.
TAC noted that in a formal sense, this was the first external review of IPGRI as the 1991 Review dealt with its predecessor organization, IBPGR. The Panel's report takes full cognizant of the achievements since then, namely that IPGRI has: become a fully independent entity within the CGIAR and has positioned itself well within the international community; established its role as a spokesperson in global fora dealing with plant genetic resources; developed linkages with a myriad of actors engaged in implementing measures aimed at conservation; and integrated INIBAP within its structure.
TAC prepared a commentary with inputs from the CGIAR Secretariat, highlighting the point that IPGRI had an important mission to fulfil in genetic resources conservation and in linking conservation and biodiversity to poverty alleviation and protection of the environment for sustainable food security. However, as also noted by the Panel, with its potentially wide spectrum of activities, further broadened by its rapid recent growth, framing priorities and maintaining focus will be a continuing challenge for IPGRI. TAC shared the Panel's perception that IPGRI would benefit from a period of consolidation during which its programmes could be given greater focus.
The Committee considered the Medium-Term Plan proposals 1998-2000 from each of the 16 CGIAR Centres that were introduced by the Director General of the Centre concerned. Discussions took place in open session and in working groups. In closed session, TAC discussed the congruence of the proposals with the programmatic criteria it had provided in the MTP guidelines and the financial analysis of the plans as prepared by the CGIAR Secretariat. The Committee also carefully considered the implications of centre plans for CGIAR priorities and strategies, particularly with respect to recommendations on activities, commodities and production sectors. TAC prepared a commentary on each plan. Overall, the Committee was pleased about widespread consultation used in the formulation of the plans and the efforts to develop partnerships with a wide range of actors in the global research community. TAC considered that these MTPs were discernibly better than those of the past but expressed disappointment about the general lack of a clear line of cause and effect between the CGIAR goals and centre priorities and the resource allocation ultimately made by the centres. Finally, the Committee made recommendations on the level of expenditure for each centre in terms of percentages of the total expenditure by the System. For some centres, the percentage increased while for others, it decreased. TAC's recommendations are presented in Table 3.1 (see record of proceedings) of its report on resource allocation.
TAC revised its draft 1996 report on CGIAR priorities and strategies for resource allocation 1998-2000 and finalized its recommendations on CGIAR priority by activity, commodity and production sector. The Committee thereby carefully considered comments made by the Group at MTM96, views of the NARS regional and global fora, and information collated in the centre medium-term plans and by TAC Members during their visits to the centres. Emphasis was placed on developments in science as they affect the chances of success and on alternative sources of supply. Special attention was also given to relevance for poverty alleviation and the outcome of the poverty-weighted congruence analysis. Increased priority was to be given to germplasm enhancement and breeding, in particular prebreeding, saving biodiversity, and also to training based on broadening the concept of improving professional development. Reductions were recommended for research on crop production systems and institution building networks. No overall change in priority for protecting the environment or improving the policies for strengthening national programmes was recommended although TAC encouraged some internal shifts. With respect to commodities, the Committee gave special attention to the relevance for poverty alleviation, in particular the poverty weighted congruence analysis including new science and alternative sources of supply. TAC recommended that resource allocation in the year 2000 be closer to poverty-weighted shares than the current allocations unless other factors intervene. Specifically it was recommended that the difference between the two be halved, other things being equal. Increased priority was recommended particularly for banana and plantain and cassava, and reduced priority for potato and maize outside of sub-Saharan Africa. With respect to production sectors, TAC reaffirmed its 1996 recommendation to increase priority on livestock, fisheries, forestry and water management research.
TAC discussed a report on the outcome of the CGIAR Activity Classification Workshop held from 25-27 February 1997 in Feldafing, Germany. The Workshop was organized by TAC in close collaboration with the German Government and the Humboldt University in Berlin, and was attended by representatives of TAC and the broad CGIAR community. Professor Uwe Nagel presented the report on the findings of the Workshop which was generally considered a success. At the Workshop, the current CGIAR planning process had been analysed, an alternative CGIAR logical framework had been formulated and its consequences for priority setting and impact assessment evaluated. In the ensuing discussion, TAC Members expressed their strong satisfaction with the progress made at the Workshop and endorsed the proposed follow up. A joint working group composed of TAC Members, as well as representatives from centres, IAEG, Members, NARS and resource persons would be appointed to continue the work initiated at Feldafing. It is expected that a final proposal will be discussed at MTM98.
TAC considered the final report on the Study of CGIAR Research Priorities for Marginal Lands prepared by a Panel chaired by Dr. Michael Nelson. The draft report of the Study had been discussed by TAC 71 in November 1996, and the draft report was revised in the light of the comments made at that meeting. It was recalled that at TAC 71, the Committee supported the framework linking present use value of land to potential for production expansion based on research, and recognised that the framework captured how land quality can change with time and with research. However, TAC challenged the efficacy of the Panel's proposal that what mattered was marginal people and not marginal lands. TAC agreed with the Panel's conclusion that quantitative information on the location of poverty and on degradation of soil and water in relation to poverty was very inadequate.
TAC reaffirmed its earlier views made at TAC 71 to continue with the Study to fill these gaps, and to keep the Group informed on the dimensions of the problem. In the coming months, TAC will broaden the analytical process through two separate studies: (i) a study on relationships between land types and poverty; and (ii) a study on the relationship between poverty and land degradation. TAC will use the report of the Panel, as well as the outputs from the above two studies as an input into the preparation of a comprehensive TAC paper which will be presented to the Group at MTM98.
TAC discussed the progress on the organization and conduct of the external programme and management reviews of IFPRI, CIMMYT, IRRI and CIFOR. The Committee also discussed the progress on the organization of the Study of CGIAR Commitments in Latin America and the Caribbean, and agreed that Dr. Lucio Reca should chair the Study. TAC also considered the timings of the ICRAF, ICLARM and ILRI reviews.
TAC endorsed the proposal that the external review of the Systemwide Genetic Resources Programme should be conducted during 1998.
The Committee discussed revised draft Terms of Reference and Guidelines for External Programme and Management Reviews of CGIAR Centres prepared by the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on External Reviews. Particular comments were made on the status of internally commissioned external reviews. TAC subsequently finalised the Terms of Reference and Guidelines for use in the forthcoming external reviews.
TAC reconfirmed and/or amended dates and venues for the following meetings:
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TAC 73: |
22-28 September 1997 |
IFPRI, Washington D.C., U.S.A. |
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Special TAC: |
24-29 November 1997 |
Venue to be determined |
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TAC 74: |
20-28 March 1998 |
ICRISAT, Patancheru, India |
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TAC 75: |
20-26 September 1998 |
CIMMYT, Mexico, D.F., Mexico |
The TAC Chair, Dr. Don Winkelmann, reported on meetings he attended in London from 4-9 December 1996 organised by the Royal Society in association with the Rank Prize Funds. Dr. Winkelmann presented a paper on "Productivity, Poverty Alleviation; and Food Security" at the "International Symposium on Feeding a world population of more than eight billion people: a challenge to science". Sir Ralph Riley and Dr. Ted Henzell also attended the meetings.
Dr. Guido Gryseels reported on his participation at the case studies workshop organized by the IAEG and held at FAO, Rome from 18-20 February 1997 at which several CGIAR Centres were represented.
The TAC Chair also informed the Committee on its involvement with the CBC discussion on the CGIAR Science Awards. Several TAC Members, co-ordinated by Dr. L. Vaccaro, will contribute comments on the theme.
