The Panel Chair and a Panel member attended the ICRISAT Board meeting in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe from 1 to 5 February 1996, followed by visits to field locations in Zimbabwe and Malawi. The Panel Chair, together with the Chairs of the IPGRI and ISNAR External Review Panels attended a two-day briefing and discussion meeting in Washington on 10 and 11 May 1996 organized by TAC and the CGIAR Secretariat. The meeting was attended by the TAC Chair, the CGIAR Executive Secretary, two Panel members and a Panel consultant, and staff from the TAC and CGIAR Secretariats. The purpose of the meeting was to brief the Panel Chairs on the review process and to initiate discussion of key issues to be considered by the Panel.
The whole Panel visited ICRISAT Headquarters from 3 to 10 September 1996 for the initial phase to familiarize itself with the Institute. The visit was timed to coincide with the ICRISAT Board meeting. The Panel members interacted with the Board, management and staff, including representatives of the staff fora, and visited field locations in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh where they met with ICRISAT staff, national programme scientists, extension workers, NGOs and farmers. One Panel member stayed behind at attended the full Board meeting. The Panel Chair and a Panel member, accompanied by the Panel consultant on ICRISAT-ICAR relationships, met with the ICAR Director General and other government officials in New Delhi. The Panel Consultant visited India from 1 to 15 September 1996 and travelled extensively to meet with national programme scientists.
From 11 to 15 September, the Panel visited the ICRISAT Sahelian Centre at Niamey, Niger, followed by visits to ICRISAT's stations in Mali and Nigeria where they met with ICRISAT and national programme staff. The Panel consultant on financial management visited ICRISAT Headquarters from 20 to 25 October 1996 and the ICRISAT Sahelian Centre from 26 to 29 October. A Panel member also visited the ICRISAT Sahelian Centre and Mali from 20 to 26 October 1996. Subsequently, the Consultant and the Panel member interacted with the Director General and some members of the senior management at ICW'96. Two Panel members also met with some of the Board members at ICW'96. In October and November 1996, two Panel members met with the ICRISAT team based in Nairobi.
The whole Panel returned to ICRISAT Headquarters on 1 December 1996 for the main phase of the Review. Panel members interacted with management and staff, individually and in small groups, and also met with representatives of the staff fora. On 19 December, the Report of the Panel was presented by the Panel Chair to the members of the Executive Committee and management, and subsequently to the staff.
