TAC expresses its appreciation to Dr. Samuel Jutzi and his Panel for an outstanding report on the First External Programme and Management Review of ILRI. The report is highly analytical, constructively critical, and strategic in nature. It points out the strengths and weaknesses of the Centre in a balanced way, using a directness of style which is not found commonly in reports of this kind but which greatly enhances its value to the Centre and to TAC. The report covers ILRI's activities fully, except in the area of social science research which in TAC's view was not considered thoroughly. It contains fourteen recommendations with additional important suggestions throughout the text. ILRI agrees with most of the recommendations and has started to implement a number of them. TAC believes that the Institute's written response does not adequately address the issues raised by the Panel. While the response was supplemented by discussion at TAC 76, the Committee's commentary rests largely on ILRI's formal response. TAC endorses most of the recommendations of the Panel and offers the following commentary, which was prepared with inputs from the CGIAR Secretariat, to supplement the Panel's report.
Future Perspective on Tropical Animal Agricultural Research
The report is prefaced by a statement on the issues to be considered in setting a tropical animal science research agenda which TAC considers to be excellent. The role of animal agriculture in human food supplies for developing countries is likely to grow substantially over the next two decades. The demand for meat and milk in developing countries is projected to more than double. The food functions of livestock are becoming ever more important while the non-food functions, such as draught, manure, and asset creation, are diminishing in importance. The structure of animal production is also changing with industrial and mixed farming systems expanding, along with the occurrence of rapid technological shifts to intensive and more specialised systems. These shifts lead to increasing environmental concerns. TAC strongly endorses the Panel's view that a global animal science research agenda has a vital contribution to make towards the CGIAR's goals of poverty alleviation and natural resource protection.
TAC also endorses the Panel's view that in the planning of future livestock research greater emphasis needs to be put on market-driven elements and to linking them effectively to the relevant collaborative framework on the basis of comparative advantage. TAC agrees with the Panel that ILRI is best placed to carry out strategic research dimensions in the supply of products, methodologies, and technologies in the areas of biotechnology and genomics applied to livestock and livestock diseases, and to prepare for the post genomic era in livestock research. Strategic research on feed resources and animal nutrition is an equally important element of this international agenda. As argued by the Panel, ILRI is best positioned to address the improvement of tropical animal health and production in an integrated manner.
ILRI's Strategy and Priorities
ILRI was established in 1995 following a recommendation from the Group to expand the focus of CGIAR livestock research from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to a global agenda. It was also recognised that progress towards CGIAR goals depended heavily on exploiting the synergies between animal health and animal production. TAC recognises the considerable difficulties which were overcome in unifying ILCA and ILRAD, two Centres with widely different cultures, and commends the Board and management specifically for the progress which has been made since ILRI's foundation.
ILRI has not updated the strategic plan that was prepared prior to its establishment by the CGIAR Working Group under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation. The Institute has held many valuable consultations with its stakeholders and much additional information is now available on which the planning of international livestock research can be based. The dynamics of changes in tropical animal production and science, to which reference has been made, also make it important to renew the Centre's strategy at this time.
TAC therefore strongly endorses the Panel's recommendation that ILRI should give immediate attention to revising its strategic plan, showing how it expects to develop its programmes. An explicit priority setting process is needed, with clear links to resource allocation. This will be an essential aid to the Board and management in their response to the Panel's recommendations of improving and maintaining the focus of the scientific agenda, especially in the face of resource fluctuations. TAC expects ILRI to benefit considerably in this process from the results of the ex ante impact assessment studies which the Centre has already carried out.
The Panel raises again the question of whether non-ruminants should be considered for inclusion in the Centre's work. TAC recommends that ILRI explore this question, especially given the potential of pigs and poultry to draw poor farmers in Asia into a market economy. Careful consideration should be given, however, to possible alternative sources of the relevant research. In any case, ILRI should consider whether there may be applications of their work in ruminants which are relevant to smallholder pigs and poultry. TAC will welcome further interaction on this matter as the Centre prepares its strategic plan. TAC also urges ILRI to specify clearly in the strategic plan the proposed role of social science research, in view of the importance of socio-cultural research variables in animal husbandry.
Scientific Quality
The Panel applied a systematic scoring procedure in their evaluation of ILRI's science. Although nearly all of the projects were rated as good or better, TAC is concerned, however, that nearly one third of the projects were found unsatisfactory because of quality or because of output and that nearly a quarter were not considered well focused. Moreover, TAC agrees with the Panel that excellent, rather than 'good' or 'very good' standards must be expected from an international centre.
TAC is concerned that there is still weakness in the critical areas of animal nutrition and part of the systems work, and that there is a virtual absence of sociological research. TAC discussions emphasised that at the core of crop-livestock systems are the farmers-producers and welcomed ILRI's commitment to incorporate sociological capacity soon among its research staff.
Turning to related topics, the Panel noted that ILRI has an excellent scientific reputation in several areas (as for example in genetics and disease resistance), and comments favourably on its publication record. On the other hand, TAC is concerned about the fragility of output observed by the Panel in some projects, due to lack of critical mass. The Committee urges the Centre to develop stronger mechanisms to ensure scientific quality and to make much greater use of well focused centre-commissioned external reviews (CCERs) for the purpose of assessing science quality. TAC recognises the short supply of world class scientists in many areas critical to ILRI's agenda and urges the Centre to explore creative solutions to attracting and retaining outstanding staff.
TAC is grateful to the Panel for its dear analysis of the progress made by ILRI in its vaccine research. It is impressed by the progress made in developing a vaccine for east coast fever even though the task has proven to be far more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated until recently. With respect to a vaccine for trypanosomiasis, TAC notes the low chances of success of the research and would encourage the Centre to seriously consider whether further investments in this area are warranted.
Organisational Structure
The Panel makes several recommendations about programme integration and institutional organisation. TAC sees that the extent to which these are implemented by ILRI will depend on the outcome of the strategic plan. However, TAC would have reservation about the suggestions to merge Projects 11 and 12, doubts that Project 19 could maintain its momentum were several others project attached to it, and wonders about the viability of Projects 13 through 18 in the absence of a strong market orientation in their work.
Board and Management
The Committee commends ILRI's leadership for a successful integration of two very disparate institutions and for putting in place effective financial, human resources, and other administrative systems. The Board has performed well in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility, in providing overall financial oversight, and in developing well thought out Board procedures. The Committee is concerned, however, about the blurred lines of responsibility between the Board and management, the lack of progress on the development of a strategy and priority setting methods, as well as the problem of delegation of authority within the Centre. TAC considers that ILRI's research leadership team needs to be strengthened and appreciates the reasons for the Panel's suggestion about the appointment of a Deputy Director General in this regard. The present Board has outstanding expertise in programmatic areas and TAC looks forward to seeing this fully reflected as the Board carries out its policy setting and oversight responsibilities in the context of the ongoing strategic planning.
The Committee commends ILRI staff for its commitment and competence and believes that there would be considerable pay off from the development of a shared vision of the Institute's future direction. The Committee also considers that there would be greater pay off from effectively managing resources at hand, rather than trying to obtain additional resources. TAC also urges the ILRI Board and management to carefully consider the future of its Ethiopian facilities in line with the Panel's recommendations.
Accomplishments and Impact
TAC commends ILRI for the contributions it has made to science and for producing significant output with potential impact. TAC also commends ILRI for its strong capacity in ex ante impact assessment. The Committee was particularly pleased to note that there are some areas in which ILRI is seen potentially as world leader and about the very favourable views held by NARS of its work, particularly its activities in training, networks and information technology. TAC encourages ILRI, however, to place much greater emphasis on the research impacts of its collaboration rather than on institution building per se. The Committee is satisfied that ILRI has the capacity for effective impact assessment. While TAC is also satisfied that many of its current programmes have good potential for impact, the Committee is concerned about the limited amount of information available on ex post impact assessment. TAC would encourage ILRI to strengthen its efforts in providing evidence of impact obtained from past activities.
With respect to the Systemwide Livestock Programme, TAC would encourage ILRI to develop terms of reference for its convening role, to discuss these with its partners, and to report back to TAC 77. TAC will also revisit the matter in the context of its own ongoing review of Systemwide programmes. The Centre has always followed CGIAR norms with respect to reporting on Systemwide programmes, so TAC does not understand the Panel's recommendation (11 iii) in this regard.
Overall Conclusion
TAC commends the Panel for an outstanding report that identifies areas of significant strength and weakness at ILRI. TAC is in no doubt that ILRI has considerable potential to develop itself as an international centre and as a world leader in livestock research. In order to achieve this potential, ILRI will need to give immediate attention to strengthening its leadership and to the development of a strategic plan. TAC also urges the Centre to give serious attention and follow up to the remainder of the Panel's recommendations. The Committee will carefully monitor the situation and developments and expects ILRI to present a progress report on its follow up to each of the recommendations at TAC 77 in September 1999. As a part of this, TAC expects to interact with ILRI on the substance of its emerging strategic plan at TAC 77, looks forward to seeing the entire plan by the end of 1999, and to seeing its full implementation in the Medium-Term Plan submitted for consideration by TAC in March 2000. The Committee will then decide whether to recommend any additional actions.
