TAC expresses its appreciation to Dr. David MacKenzie and the members of the External Programme and Management Review Panel for a frank and forward-looking assessment of CIP.
TAC notes that instead of reviewing every aspect of the Centre in detail, the Panel focused on CIP's achievements and a limited set of issues considered by the Panel to be the most important for CIP's future performance and integrity. This approach has allowed the Panel to produce a short and focused report, although it would have been useful for the report to spell out the process by which the Panel identified and selected the issues, and the full list of issues that were analysed. The above notwithstanding, the Panel has conducted a rigorous review that is constructively critical.
The Committee endorses, in general, the recommendations of the Panel, and is encouraged that the Centre's response indicates satisfaction and broad concurrence with the Panel's findings and recommendations.
TAC expects that important additional issues, such as the balance of effort across CIP commodities in relation to their relative importance as food and feed crops, will be covered by the inter-centre review on roots and tubers research which is scheduled to be completed in July 1995. TAC offers the following commentary, which was prepared with inputs from the CGIAR Secretariat, to supplement the work of the Panel.
Recent Evolution
The Committee is pleased to note that the Centre has responded well to the recommendations of the Third External Review held in 1989. The Panel sees CIP as a well-managed Centre to address future opportunities in potato and sweetpotato research. The management problems that were evident at the time of the 1989 Reviews have been effectively resolved.
TAC is encouraged by the transformation of CIP which the Board and management has set in motion. Although the change process is not yet fully complete, much has been achieved, including: reorganized and improved Board oversight; increased documentation of programme impact; transparency and efficiency in research programme management; and the creation of a culture of collegiality, delegation of authority and participatory management. These improvements have been brought about against a background of political upheaval in Peru and funding uncertainties in the CGIAR. TAC recognizes the hardship CIP and its staff have endured during this period of institutional down-sizing and difficult security conditions in Peru.
Mandate of CIP
The Panel has recommended that CIP should identify its future roles in germplasm research and ecoregional activities for the Andean region. The Committee concurs with this recommendation and notes that the Panel considers CIP to have spread its efforts too thinly over the years. The Panel also points out that CIP does not have spare capacity that could be applied to additional responsibilities. This implies that if CIP broadens its operational mandate, it must very carefully weigh the resource implications, particularly for its germplasm improvement activity. In this regard, TAC notes and agrees that CIP has included the CONDESAN initiative within the CGIAR global programme on Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Development, with CIP as the global convenor.
Research Focus
TAC commends CIP for recognizing dangers inherent in overstretching the limited resources at its disposal, and is pleased to learn about CIP's continuing efforts to reduce the spread of its activities globally. TAC agrees with the Panel that there is a need to continue to enhance research focus and move to more strategic-type research. In this regard, CIP is strongly encouraged to develop its formal strategic planning process to identify and address the most important strategic research problems. However, TAC cautions CIP against moving into too few high risk strategic research activities.
Science Leadership and Quality
TAC is in agreement with the Panel that CIP's ability to provide global scientific leadership is closely linked with the quality of the Centre's scientific work. TAC notes that the Centre concurs with the need to continue to strengthen scientific quality at CIP, and encourages CIP to ensure that its research processes fully capture the needed scientific quality objectives. In this regard, the Committee fully endorses the need for CIP to assess the overall adequacy and rigour with which internal programme and staff performance reviews are conducted and, specifically, to strengthen its peer review mechanisms to enhance the quality of CIP's research, both at CIP-Lima as well as in the regions.
Genetic Enhancement and Breeding
The Committee agrees with the Panel's recommendation that the genetic enhancement and breeding strategy for potato and sweetpotato at CIP should undergo a mid-term review in 1997, but proposes that the Board of CIP mount an internally managed external review in 1997 and share the review's results with TAC. This would allow the Centre time to reorganize its genetic enhancement and breeding effort under the leadership of the Director of Genetic Resources who is expected to take over the programme in May 1995.
Germplasm Responsibility
TAC is concerned at the slow pace at which research germplasm is cleaned for international distribution to users. The Committee agrees with the Panel that CIP accelerate the clean-up and pathogen testing of potato and sweetpotato germplasm so that the work is completed before the year 2000. This course of action is crucially important for CIP's responsibility as a trustee of selected global genetic resources.
Partnership with NARS
The Committee notes CIP's close collaboration with NARS. TAC further notes that the Panel has highlighted the need for this relationship to evolve away from technical assistance activities and non-research technology adoption activities, and for CIP to divest some of its current research and training activities to NARS. TAC concurs with this view and joins the Panel in recommending CIP to increase its strategic partnership for collaborative research and training with stronger NARS.
Financial Resource Management
TAC is pleased to note that CIP has been able to overcome its financial difficulties and notes the improvement in the financial health of the Centre. The special assistance of the CGIAR in 1994 combined with solid financial management has enabled CIP to start to rebuild its reserves.
INTERNATIONAL POTATO CENTER (CIP)
Address: Apartado 1558 - Lima, Peru. Telex: 25672 PE. Cable: CIPAPA, Lima
Telephones: 366920; 354354. FAX: 351570. E-Mail: 157:CGI801
The International Potato Center (CIP) is a scientific, autonomous, and non-profit institution dedicated to develop and disseminate knowledge for greater use of the potato and sweet potato as basic foods in the developing world. CIP was established by agreement with the Government of Peru and is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) whose members provide funding for international agricultural development.
L-016-ES-95
February 28, 1995
Dr. Donald L. Winkelmann
Chairman
CGIAR Technical Advisory Committee
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Via delle Terme di Caracalla
Rome 00100, Italy
Mr. Alexander von der Osten
Executive Secretary
CGIAR
1818 H Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433
U.S.A.
Dear Dr. Winkelmann and Mr. von der Osten:
CIP's Board and management wish to signal their satisfaction and general concurrence with the Center's fourth external review and to acknowledge the outstanding work of Dr. David MacKenzie and other members of the Panel.
The review was conducted in an extremely positive manner and, we believe, represents significant improvements in efficiency and cost-effectiveness in comparison with previous CIP reviews. Working mainly from existing documentation and management instruments, the Panel conducted a thorough analysis of the Center's work with minimal disruption of day-to-day operations. Though pressed for time, it managed to produce an incisive and highly useful document.
The Panel members worked closely with staff and management to produce recommendations that CIP will use to improve its efficiency and impact. Many of the recommendations build closely upon the items listed in Chapter 2, "CIP's Achievements." The Center appreciates the Panel's acknowledgments and the manner in which past achievements have been linked to future challenges.
The only limitation that we perceived in the process was that, because of the Panel's size, some issues tended to receive greater attention than others. Our concerns, in this instance, relate mainly to the weight accorded to productivity issues compared with environment and national program issues. While we agree with most of the Panel's suggestion on productivity, we would have favored a review process that provided us with a more complete analysis of the natural resources and institution building issues that the Center faces. Our comments on these and on several miscellaneous recommendations are contained in the attached document. We hope they will be interpreted in the same constructive and open manner in which the Panel conducted the review.
Again, on behalf of the CIP Board and staff, our thanks to the Panel for making this an exceptionally productive, helpful, and well-run review.
Sincerely yours,Lindsay Innes
ChairmanHubert Zandstra
Director General.mel
