TAC expresses its thanks to the Panel for its Review Report covering, in a comprehensive manner, a large and complex Institute such as IITA. It wishes, in particular, to place on record its appreciation of Dr. Eduardo Venezian, Panel chair, for handling the Panel's work and interactions with IITA with objectivity and transparency. TAC offers the following commentary, prepared with inputs from the CGIAR Secretariat, to supplement the Panel's Report.
The Review Report is positive and optimistic about IITA. It is clear that IITA has been substantially strengthened over the past five years, and that the Institute is now well poised to proceed with its research. TAC commends IITA's Board, Management and staff for their sustained delivery of research results and collaborative activities with the NARS, achieved while the Centre was adjusting to new directions and organizational modes and at the same time strengthening its management and scientific staff.
The changes made by IITA include broadening of the geographic or regional scope of activities to include aspects of the mid-altitude humid and subhumid areas of East and Southern Africa; further decentralization of research; completion of transfer of rice research to WARDA; restructuring the Institute's management organization and procedures; and notable improvements in the internal work environment. In addition, IITA has reorganized its research programme into Divisions, as recommended in the last EPMR, and has made changes in the programme planning, budgeting and management system. As noted by the Panel, these changes have been very beneficial, and demonstrate the leadership provided by IITA's Board and Management.
TAC notes that the Review Report has made recommendations in many areas, so as to improve IITA's effectiveness even further. In general, TAC endorses the recommendations of the Review Report. However, while it is not appropriate for TAC to comment on each of the Panel's recommendations and the follow-up actions planned by the Institute, TAC notes that the quality of science in the plant health management and commodity improvement divisions meets the standards of an international institute, but, based on its level of impact, the research undertaken by the resource and crop management division needs to be strengthened.
In this context, TAC notes that although IITA's mandate emphasises an ecoregional orientation, its past successes have largely emerged from its commodity improvement and plant health management research. TAC trusts that in the future, the high standards achieved in IITA's more "traditional" commodity improvement research will also be achieved in sustainability-oriented research such as on resource management. TAC therefore urges IITA Management to strengthen its resource and crop management research, and its socio-economic studies, both of which, as pointed out by the Panel, are of vital interest both to IITA and the System as a whole, particularly in relation to Centres' ecoregional research initiatives.
The benefits of stronger relationships with other CGIAR Centres and the NARS are likely to increase in the future, as the System moves towards a more explicit "program" orientation, and begins to more forcefully implement its agreed Research Agenda. TAC notes IITA's strong relationships with CGIAR Centres such as CIAT, and expects that equally strong links will be developed in the near future with other Centres. TAC, in particular, points to the suggestion made in the Report on CGIAR Commitments in West Africa that IITA develop stronger relations with tree crop centres. In addition, TAC recommends increased attention to the NARS partnerships that are so essential to the success of every Centre within the CGIAR System.
With regard to the Review Report's recommendations on Governance and Research Management, TAC notes with satisfaction that the Panel assessed IITA's governance, structure, management style and research leadership positively. It is pleased, in particular, that the Institute has developed a culture of collegiality, fostered by the consultative processes encouraged by the Board and Management, and the straightforward manner of the Director General. It is encouraged by the Board's response to the Panel's recommendations to improve Board operations; and to the receptivity shown by the Institute to further examine such issues as the structure of research leadership, project-based research management, human resource management (HRM), and budgeting and financial reporting requirements.
TAC recognizes that both the research coordination function and the effective management of IITA's internationally- and nationally-recruited staff, are vital to the continued success of the Institute and is pleased that the Review Report has focused Management's attention to these issues. TAC notes that for the past few years the Director General has personally provided research leadership in IITA, and that his hands-on style of managing research has been much appreciated by the scientists at IITA. However, TAC also notes the Panel's view that the research management task at an institute such as IITA - which has a large and complex mandate, and undertakes research in several countries and various field locations - cannot easily be managed on a part-time basis, particularly since the research programs are being further decentralized, and the Divisional Directors operate from different countries.
On other research management-related matters - such as project-based research management; processes for planning, priority setting and resource allocation; and procedures for budgeting and financial reporting, etc. - it is TAC's view that the Panel's recommendations are sound, and should be implemented over the next few years by IITA's Management team. It is expected that implementation of these various recommendations will make IITA an even more cost-effective institution than it is today, and will further improve the efficiency of resource utilization. TAC also concurs with the "incremental" approach adopted by Management in recent years, and is pleased that a similar approach has been recommended by the Panel for the future as well, particularly in relation to the "pilot testing" of project-based research management in selected areas before extending its coverage to the entire research programme and research-related areas.
Finally, TAC is pleased that the External Review Panel confirms the positive findings of the report on CGIAR commitments in West Africa regarding the management and impact of IITA's research there. The Committee encourages IITA to continue to explore opportunities for devolving some of its production systems research to national research systems in the region.
