The foregoing discussion has raised issues which may have significant policy and resource implications for the CGIAR. As TAC pursues its discussion on the next round of CGIAR priorities and strategies it must necessarily address the issue of resource allocation to institution strengthening relative to the other programme activities, in the context of how an improved division of labour and responsibilities between the Centres, NARS, and other suppliers can be most efficiently realised. This poses challenging choices.
On the one hand, TAC is mindful of the discussions on institution strengthening in the 1992 Priorities and Strategies exercise when it noted "that the CGIAR centres should make their main contribution to strengthening national research systems through scientific collaboration and by providing the outputs of their work in the form of information and improved genetic material". The Group also endorsed TACs recommendation that the overall proportion of CGIAR activities in the category of institution building should be reduced from 24 percent to somewhere between 19 to 21 percent, with less emphasis on training, information and capacity building networks and greater emphasis on organization/management counselling activities,
On the other hand, TAC is conscious of the reality that the capacity of many NARS is still limited by inadequacies of: (a) funding for operations and physical capital, (b) management structures, (c) incentive systems, and (d) human capital. It also recognizes that the development assistance community provides extensive financial and technical assistance to NARS in a number of different ways with the CGIAR centres representing but one small part of the resources involved. TAC is also aware of the limitations of generalisations and the need to strengthen institution building activities in fields that have received relatively little attention, such as forestry, fisheries and food policy. Finally, TAC is aware that the Group encourages the transfer of research activities from the Centres to NARS when such transfers realize a greater overall efficiency and have good probability of a successful outcome in terms of NARS capacity (supply side) and NARS receptiveness (demand side).
TAC uses this opportunity to express its current thinking on these issues:
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1. |
Given the current support available from other sources for institution strengthening activities, TAC considers that the CGIAR should continue to emphasize the strengthening of NARS principally through collaborative research, access to its research products, and research management support. |
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TAC understands that the priority assigned to CGIAR institution strengthening activities should be anchored on the Group's goals of improving food security through poverty alleviation and conserving natural resources. |
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3. |
Whereas, through its external reviews, priority setting and resource allocation processes, TAC will continue to examine opportunities to effectively transfer research activities of an international public goods nature from the CGIAR centres to NARS, the Committee sees the ultimate responsibility for such decisions resting with the Centres as an ongoing part of their responsibility to ensure an efficient use of the System's resources. |
TAC will further consider the technical dimensions of these issues at TAC 68 in its discussion on the recently commissioned study entitled. The future role of the CGIAR in development of National Agricultural Research Systems: A Strategic Study of Institution-Strengthening Research and Services.
The Committee looks forward to the Groups views and counsel on these issues.
D/V8583
