IPTRID TRIENNIAL EXTERNAL EVALUATION REVIEW

The Triennial External Evaluation (TEE) of IPTRID covered the period May 2001 to May 2005. It was done after four years, instead of three, because of the change in Programme Managers that occurred during 2002 and 2005 affecting the pace of activities. This Evaluation was an assessment of the extent to which IPTRID has fulfilled its mission and technical and regional priorities. The Evaluation included an assessment of the extent to which the recommendations of the Evaluation of 2001 were adopted and, if so, what results were achieved. It included an assessment of the resources made available to IPTRID and it made recommendations for how IPTRID might better fulfill its mission and improve its performance.

The specific objectives of the review were:

• Assess overall progress and achievements of IPTRID over the designated period; particular attention should be given to human and financial resources that have been available to the Programme in relation to proposed targets.
• Review the Programme's planning and implementation process, the quality of its deliverables, the relevance of its outputs and its impact on its partners; in reference to IPTRID's purpose, goal and mission.
• Assess the comparative advantage of IPTRID in relation to other international organizations; prioritizing strengths and weaknesses. In particular, assess the role of the Secretariat and its partners in strengthening the Programme's network.
• Provide recommendations for enhancement and improvement of the performance of IPTRID; identifying and suggesting priority areas to be strengthened and those to be curtailed or eliminated. This should include the role and structure of its Governance.

The Evaluation team, consisting of Dr Douglas L. Vermillion (USA) and Dr Alain Vidal (France), held semi-structured interviews with over 40 individuals. These included partners of IPTRID; existing and previous staff of the Secretariat; members of IPTRID's Consultative Group, Management Committee and ICID Advisory Committee; donors; beneficiaries; and other friends of IPTRID. The Evaluation also included analysis of responses by 45 individuals to a formal questionnaire. The team visited the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Sri Lanka, held a meeting with partners in Egypt, met donors in Paris (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and in Washington, D.C. (World Bank), and spent one week at IPTRID and FAO offices in Rome. The team reviewed publications, information systems and other IPTRID products produced during the Evaluation period, and met with representatives of other Special Programmes at FAO, to learn about their experiences with FAO.

The review team drew the following conclusions and recommendations, which are also summarized in the Table 1.

1. The Programme Manager appointed in 2002 promoted a revision in IPTRID's mission statement towards an emphasis on capacity building that led to a broadening of IPTRID's mission. The Evaluation recommended that IPTRID narrow its focus to research uptake and exchange of technology and management innovations. These activities can be promoted through training, workshops, information exchange and networking, technical assistance for strategic innovation and publications.

2. The Consultative Group (CG) and Management Committee (MC) are only semiactive. Although they are large (22 members of the CG and 8 members of the MC), it seems that each is run mainly by only one person. Meetings are held once a year and normally in conjunction with other international meetings, such as ICID, sometimes poorly attended. It is recommended that the IPTRID CG and MC should be replaced by a Steering Committee (SC) of 8 to 10 members. If existing arrangements for annual meetings are unrealistic, changes should be made to involve all members in decisions but perhaps more often by remote communications via the internet. IPTRID's Secretariat, some CG members and consultants should prepare a new charter of authority and by-laws to establish clear rules about IPTRID's new governance arrangements.

3. The IPTRID financial support has decreased during the period and thus the Evaluation recommends that IPTRID should seek to expand its number of donors, especially for core funding. Its communications with donors and the number of proposals that it prepares and submits should also increase. Special attention should be given for seeking funding from the Netherlands, Japan, Scandinavian countries and the European Union. In addition to the donor group meeting, IPTRID should maintain regular three-way communications with key and prospective donors and with partners in developing countries.

4. IPTRID should also aim to recruit at least three additional senior professional staff to fill its shortage. This could include one staff each for capacity development, information and communication, and technical expertise in irrigation and drainage.

5. There has been a sustained and increasing demand for IPTRID services in developing countries, representing a largely untapped opportunity for IPTRID. IPTRID's relationships with partners in developing countries have decreased in recent years, so IPTRID should place high priority on revitalizing its networking and collaboration with key developing country partners and its Central Network. It should also explore opportunities to collaborate with the CPWF and GWP.

6. IPTRID should also strengthen relationships with the host organization, FAO. There is still good potential for mutual benefit and joint activities. Close cooperation on this with the Chairperson of IPTRID's Management Committee will be needed in order to achieve this. IPTRID should develop a clearer division of labour between itself and FAO. IPTRID has been doing this in recent months.

7. IPTRID has produced a wide array of products, including issue papers, knowledge synthesis reports, R&D strategy papers, programme formulation reports, research project reports, training and other capacity building courses and guides, the GRID newsletter, and various networking and communication formats.

Table 1. IPTRID TRIENNAL EXTERNAL EVALUATION