The standing panel feels that its overarching recommendation to form an Inter-Centre Consultative Committee for Root and Tuber Crops Research provides a "Pareto optimal solution" for the CGIAR system's efforts. This assertion is based on the expectation that considerable synergies can be obtained from inter-Centre collaborations and new partnerships in carefully selected research areas. The operational costs should be minimal, especially when viewed relative to the anticipated research pay-offs, but this needs to be verified by more detailed study.
The standing panel was surprised by the extent of differences that apparently dominate discussions of priority setting for root and tuber crops research within the CGIAR system. Many of these differences appear to be based on different sets of assumptions, insufficient production and consumption data, and too little exchange of information about the science and technology of root and tuber crops. Individually, the Centres feel disadvantaged, and in need of defending themselves from what they perceive to be incomplete information and bias against their commodity assignments.
Even though the panel sees considerable opportunity for inter-Centre collaboration, this initiative will need the support of both TAC and the CG System if it is to succeed. The Centres appear willing to engage in specific collaborative research efforts, and they appear to be receptive to creating coordinating mechanisms to expedite these initiatives. There was true excitement at the Root and Tuber Crops Workshop for some of the specific research topics that were identified as strong candidates for inter-Centre collaboration. In some cases, there appears to be sufficient resources to begin some initiatives right away (e.g., policy analysis) but in other cases (e.g., post-harvest technology research), reallocation of existing resources, or perhaps even new resources, will be required.
