Programme Committee

CL 124/14

Paras. 12 and 20

Programme of Work and Budget 2004-2005

The Committee agreed that it would be useful to review progress under PAIAs at a future session in the next biennium and felt that HIV/AIDS was a particularly suitable subject for a PAIA.

CL 124/14

Para. 57

Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and WHO Food Standards Work

The Codex Alimentarius Commission and both FAO and WHO management have already put in process a programme of work to consult further with members and move forward in developing strategies to implement the main thrusts of the evaluation recommendations. The Programme Committee will review the progress in two years’ time with a view to maintaining the momentum of change and requested a follow-up report at that time.

This follow-up report will be presented to the Programme Committee in May 2005.

CL 125/3

Para. 36

Progress Report on the Thematic Evaluation of Strategy A.3 (Preparedness for, and effective and sustainable response to, food and agricultural emergencies)

The Committee requested that the document on the use of the Special Fund for emergency and rehabilitation activities, which will be prepared for the Finance Committee, be also presented to the Programme Committee.

A document on this issue will be prepared for the Finance Committee and will also be presented for information to the Programme Committee at the September 2004 session.

CL 124/14

Paras. 63 and 64

The Thematic Review of FAO's Training Activities - An Update on follow-up action

The Committee noted that experience with the established corporate focal point and Training Network is still recent and it is thus too early to draw conclusions on their effectiveness in improving the quality of training provided by FAO. The Committee therefore requested a follow-up report on this topic to be submitted to the Committee in 2-3 years’ time.

A follow-up report is planned for May 2006. However, the Committee may wish to note that this aspect of the Programme has been severely affected by the recent budget reductions.

CL 124/14

Para. 60

The Evaluation of Programme 2.2.2 (Food and Agricultural Information) – Activities Related to Agricultural Statistics in the Context of FAOSTAT

The Committee requested a report, in two years’ time, on progress being made in improving coordination of statistical activities in the Organization.

This report will be submitted to the Programme Committee in May 2005.

CL 124/14

Paras.70 and 71;

PC 89/7

Paras. 4 and 7

Evaluation Topics for the period 2003 to 2005

Following biennial consultation, the Committee endorsed with two changes the priorities for evaluation as proposed in PC 89/7, recognising that this would entail some changes in the coverage of topics in the original work-programme. With flexibility for new and urgent demands it is thus proposed to initiate the following evaluations in the period to the end of 2005:

·  Programme 2.3.3 Fish Exploitation and Utilization

·  Decentralization of FAO's Programme and Services

·  Cross-organizational Strategy for Communicating FAO's Messages

·  Programme 2.1.3 Livestock Production, Information and Policy aspects

·  Cross-organizational Strategy for Broadening Partnerships and Alliances

And one or two of the following:

·  Strategic Objective B.1 (International instruments concerning food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, safe use and fair exchange of agricultural fishery and forestry goods);

·  Strategic Objective C.1 (Policy options and institutional measures to improve efficiency and adaptability in production, processing and marketing systems, and meet the changing needs of producers and consumers);

·  Strategic Objective D.2 (Conservation, rehabilitation and development of environments at greatest risk); and

·  Strategic Objective E.2 (Regular assessments, analysis and outlook studies for food and agriculture).

Will be presented to the PC in May 2004.

In progress.

Initiated.

Initiated.

Initiated.

Not commenced.

Not commenced.

Not commenced.

Not commenced.

CL 123/8

Para. 7

New Arrangements for Enhancing FAO’s Presence at Country Level

The Committees requested that the issues raised under this item be addressed in the Evaluation of FAO’s Decentralization Process.

The issues raised will be addressed in the forthcoming evaluation of the decentralization process to be submitted to the Committees in September 2004.

CL 124/14

Para. 73 &

CL 124/4

Para. 27

Meetings of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and the Committee on Agriculture (COAG)

The Committees requested that a revised proposal be prepared on this matter and presented to the next Joint Meeting in May 2004.

The requested paper will be submitted to the May 2004 Joint Meeting.

CL 125/3

Para. 47

Policy and Operational Framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP)

The Committee reviewed the paper which provided an overview of the TCP, including its underlying policy framework, and noted that it would return to this matter, if possible, in September 2004.

This will automatically be considered as part of the discussion of the MTP 2006-11 in September 2004, and the summary PWB 2006-07 in May 2005.

CL 125/3

Para. 40

CL 125/3

Para. 37

CL 125/3

Para. 42

Priority Setting

The Committee noted that in order to facilitate its discussion of relative priorities during the May and September sessions, the Committee would be provided with specific documentation covering three aspects:

·  an analysis of the balance of resource allocations between Strategic Objectives, including changes occurring over time and an analysis of evolving external factors that might necessitate a change in that balance;

·  a summary of preferences as to specific priority areas, as expressed by Members in a variety of fora which would be progressively developed; and

·  the results of an analysis highlighting programmes on which no priority has been expressed. It also noted that Priority Setting necessarily implies the identification of low priorities as well as high priorities.

The Committee agreed that it would return to this topic at its next session, with the benefit of additional information provided by the Secretariat on possible improvements to the internal methods and systems within the Secretariat, which could facilitate the process of prioritising resource proposals at Programme Entity level.

In order carry out the Committee’s cyclical Programme Reviews and devote the time required to Priority Setting, the Committee requested a programme of major events which might bear upon the priority setting process.

This specific documentation has been developed following internal consultations, and will be presented to the Ninety-first Session of the Committee in May 2004.

This represents work-in-progress but possible improvements depend in part on the Committee’s reaction to the latest paper on Priority Setting and to the data on criteria in the document on the adjustments to the approved PWB 2004-05.

An information document will be produced for the May 2004 session.

CL 125/2

Para. 16

CL 125/2

Para. 17

Independence and Location of the Evaluation Service

The Committees requested the Secretariat to make proposals to the Programme Committee as to how it could be involved in the appointment of the Chief of the Evaluation Service.

The Committees requested that the progress on the implementation of the recommendations in paper be reported back to the Committees in 2004.

Proposals and an update on progress will be reported to the Committees in September 2004 following the first meeting of the newly-formed Evaluation Committee.