PC 92/INF/3

Programme Committee

Ninety-second Session

Rome, 27 September – 1 October 2004

Progress Report on the Follow-up to Past Programme Committee Recommendations

1. This Progress Report provides in tabular format the status on Programme Committee items for which specific follow-up action was requested by the Committee, or jointly with the Finance Committee, for information.

Schedule of the Programme Committee and Joint Meeting Recommendations and Status of Follow-up Action

Reference	Recommendation	Status
CL 127/11 Para. 22	Programme of Work and Budget 2004-2005 The Committee requested that the identified need for an additional US$ 1.34 million for Programme 3.1.2, should be found through reallocation of efficiency savings expected to be generated by measures to be taken by the Secretariat within the biennium.	The Secretariat will continue to monitor the level of efficiency savings generated in the biennium and apply them to this programme to the extent possible.
CL 127/8 Para. 7	The Committees jointly endorsed the above and also called for lower reductions than originally proposed in the document to Programme 5.2.1 Financial Services, which would also be achieved through redirection of efficiency savings to the extent that they could be generated in the biennium.
CL 127/11 Para. 20	The Committee was advised about an on-going internal review of the SD Department and its programmes in order to re-orient, refocus and revitalize the Department’s activities. It expressed interest in the findings of this review, when available.	The Committee will be informed of the outcome of the review when available. Programme structure changes will be proposed in the MTP 2006-11.
CL 124/14 Paras. 12 and 20	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.	Progress made under PAIAs will be considered in the PIR 2002-03 whereas additions and deletions to the PAIAs will be considered in the MTP 2006-11. Both documents will be presented to the Committee at its September 2004 session.
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 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:
	· The Evaluation of FAO’s Decentralization and also, a synthesis of the recent evaluations of FAO’s total activities in Afghanistan and southern Africa, including emergency and rehabilitation work	Will be presented to the Programme Committee in September 2004.
	· Cross-organizational Strategy for Communicating FAO's Messages	Initiated.
	· Programme 2.1.3 Livestock Production, Information and Policy aspects	Will be presented to the Programme Committee in May 2005.
	· Cross-organizational Strategy for Broadening Partnerships and Alliances	Will be presented to the Programme Committee in May 2005.
	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);	Not commenced.
	· 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);	Not commenced.
	· Strategic Objective D.2 (Conservation, rehabilitation and development of environments at greatest risk); and	Planned to be initiated in October 2004.
	· Strategic Objective E.2 (Regular assessments, analysis and outlook studies for food and agriculture).	Not commenced.
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 127/11 Para. 37	The Evaluation of Programme 2.3.3 (Fish Exploitation and Utilization) The Committee requested that a follow-up report should be presented in two years, describing how the evaluation recommendations had been implemented.	A follow-up report will be submitted to the Programme Committee in May 2006.
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 127/8 Para. 11	Meetings of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) The Joint Meeting expressed the preference for holding the two meetings back-to-back and requested that the Programme Committee be subsequently provided with an assessment of implementation of this new arrangement.	The requested report will be submitted to the Programme Committee in September 2005.
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.	The requested document will be submitted to the Programme Committee in September 2004.
CL 127/11 Para. 27	The Committee recalled that it should consider at its next Session a review of the TCP, including inter alia, an examination of the allocation and expenditure of TCP resources, its importance in relation to other Major Programme areas and the criteria that are used to determine TCP eligibility.
CL 127/11 Para. 47	Mid-term Review of the Strategic Framework The Committee recognized that renewed discussion among Members of major challenges facing FAO was particularly germane to the intended mid-term review of the Strategic Framework and requested the Secretariat to present at its next session a possible time table for such an exercise.	The requested timetable will be submitted to the Programme Committee in September 2004, for information.
CL 127/11 Para. 51	Priority Setting The Committee, having considered the documents put before it at its 91^st session, requested that it receive:	The Medium Term Plan 2006-11 will contain an analysis of priorities, as requested.
	· for possible endorsement as part of the Medium Term Plan 2006-11, an analysis of the priorities which had been addressed in the proposals; and
	· as originally foreseen, a document describing in some detail the internal processes followed in the Secretariat and a tentative assessment of their effectiveness. This document would also contain a critical review of the criteria for priority setting used in these processes, and suggest possible improvements.	Auto-evaluation reports will be made available to the Programme Committee from May 2005.
	The Committee noted that at its session in May 2005, it would start receiving summaries of the auto-evaluation reports (as well as attendant guidelines) for review, and the related decisions regarding termination, modification or extension of the entities in question.
CL 125/2 Para. 16	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.	An oral update on progress will be reported to the Programme Committee in September 2004 following the first meeting of the newly-formed Evaluation Committee.
CL 125/2 Para. 17	The Committees requested that progress on the implementation of the recommendations be reported back to the Programme Committee in 2004.