CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Alex F. McCalla
Chair
19 April 1993
Dear Mr. Rajagopalan,
We are pleased to submit to you the Report of the First External Programme and Management Review of ICRAF which was conducted in January 1993 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Bernard Tinker of the United Kingdom. The Review Report and the Response of the ICRAF Board of Trustees were considered by TAC at its 60th Meeting in March 1993 in the presence of the Panel Chair. ICRAF was represented by the Chairman of the Board, Director General and other members of senior management.
The review was undertaken through a single panel with both programme and management expertise. In line with current practice, the Panel submitted a single integrated report, an approach which has demonstrated the success and advantages of similar joint reviews.
In addition to the report of the Panel, we attach the TAC Commentary, which summarizes the reactions of members of TAC to the Panel's report and ICRAF's response to it, and the response of ICRAF's board and management to the External Review.
The review shows that ICRAF is making rapid progress in its transition from an information-gathering Council to a fully-fledged research organization, with strong training and information programmes and continuing good relations with NARS and involvement with farmers. The new ecoregional initiatives and the proposed Germplasm Centre for multipurpose tree species imply even stronger future ties with other CGIAR Centres and international organizations.
The panel has suggested that ICRAF should perhaps moderate the rate of expansion in order to consolidate the gains made in the research domain and prevent an erosion of scientific quality. The report contains many suggestions on how ICRAF's mandate and goals could be accomplished expeditiously. The Board is in agreement with most of these and has initiated a move to implement them.
We recommend continued support of ICRAF by the CGIAR. ICRAF appears to be set on a path that will yield tangible results in the near future and enhance the goals of the System.
Yours sincerely,
Alex McCalla
Chair, TAC
Alexander von der Osten
Executive Secretary, CGIAR
Mr. Visvanathan Rajagopalan
CGIAR Chair
World Bank
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