Main
The Panel recommends that ISNAR
· define and interpret its niche both to guide its own future planning and to improve the understanding of its role by its clients and the donor community;· move more towards the research-based end of the service spectrum, gradually leaving the less research-based part to other service providers;
· move up in the capacity-building ladder, concentrating more on building institutional capabilities both within and outside NARS in countries and regions so that the functions/services being provided by it from a distance could be increasingly performed by appropriate organizations/groups in closer proximity to NARS;
· reformulate its strategy in light of the changes in its environment and its assessment of the emerging challenges, review the activities/functions it needs to divest in order to address the new challenges and tasks it plans to undertake, and specify the changes in the mix of skills it will attempt to put in place in support of its strategy.
Other
The Panel recommends that ISNAR
· Policy and System Development Program take steps to:- focus on a related set of problems and issues in a more integrated manner;- develop a research agenda that leads to better identification and understanding of key policy factors affecting the overall performance and effectiveness of the research system;
- build capacity to integrate lessons drawn from other parts of the program, from the Management Program, and from other sources, and contribute all this to ISNAR's institutional memory;
- improve quality through better conceptualization of research, better research design and teamwork, and in particular, interdisciplinary research;
- improve targeting of publications for policymakers;
- develop strong allies, both regional and international, including long-term outposting and secondment of staff, where this accelerates learning and/or implementation; and
- improve the staff mix of scientific disciplines in relation to major problems and issues identified.
· Management Program take steps to:
- expand its work on benchmarking, particularly with respect to experiences from the private sector;- define clearly what its future role would be in the development and implementation of information systems, in the light of developing-country needs, availability of alternative suppliers, and other demands for ISNAR services;
- plan its future activities in the management area through rigorous needs assessments and priority setting;
· develop and implement an explicit public-awareness strategy with the assistance of qualified public-relations professionals;
· benchmark best practices regarding spousal employment at other international organizations operating in The Hague, and actively search for a solution in order to enhance the center's ability to attract and retain the quality of professional staff it requires to fulfill its mandate;
· make every effort to attract internationally recruited staff with advanced degrees in management;
· develop mechanisms to link the annual staff performance appraisal to tangible forms of recognition and reward, and to replace the current seniority-based pay system with one which explicitly links pay increases to performance;
· design and implement an integrated strategy for human resource management at ISNAR with the benefit of input from a qualified human resource professional with experience in similar organizations;
· carry out a formal work-process reengineering study with regard to Central Files in order to understand its needs regarding the circulation and filing of written communications in today's environment, and design, utilizing today's advanced information technology (which is readily available from ISNAR's Computer Services Unit), a more appropriate system to satisfy the center's needs.
