Download PDF version

Download ZIP version (1.9 MB)

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or of the International Fund for Agricultural Development concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non- commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to the Chief, Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Communication Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e- mail to [email protected]

© FAO 2006

The Science Council considered the Report of the Fifth External and Program Management Review (EPMR) of ICARDA, and the Center’s response, at the SC’s sixth Meeting in Cali, Colombia on the 11th of September 2006. The main findings of the report were presented (by videoconference) by Professor Elias Fereres, Chair of the EPMR Panel and brief responses made by Dr Guido Gryseels, ICARDA Board Chair, (also by video) and by Dr Mahmoud Solh, the new ICARDA Director General. There was a follow up meeting between selected SC Members and Dr Solh prior to the preparation of this Commentary.
The SC welcomed the indications in the Report that ICARDA had established excellent general and collaborative research relations with national partners in C-WANA, and had formed strong regional programs which were well positioned to tackle the problems of dryland agriculture. However, the Panel noted that the Center’s focus on regional adaptive research may have been at the cost of addressing the long term scientific challenge of the region viz improving water capture and efficiency of water use in the agricultural systems of the drylands region. The Panel’s major recommendation of the Report is for ICARDA to raise its focus to a more strategic global mission and to de-emphasize somewhat its purely regional activities. The SC endorses this important challenge for the institute. The Report noted that in many programs, scientific output had been below accepted levels.
The Report identified where further strides could be made by ICARDA to enhance the targeting and staffing of the scientific program and, by providing appropriate attention to human resource issues and governance processes, to improve the contribution and morale of Center scientists. The SC believes it is important that the Center regains its role as a world leader in dryland agriculture.
The Report makes 22 recommendations; one in relation to the mission of the Center, four in relation to the structure of research and possible changes that could be made, seven recommendations on science, one on science quality, seven on Governance and Board processes and two relating to financial management. The response of ICARDA’s Board and Management to the EPMR Report had been very positive, treating the Report as useful guidance in the further development of the Center under new management. The SC is pleased to note that ICARDA had accepted the recommendations of the EPMR Panel’s report virtually in toto, and was moving swiftly to implement the Panel’s recommendations.