Council

Table of Contents

Introduction

ZRG Resource Tables

Chapter 1: General Policy and Direction

Chapter 2: Technical and Economic Programmes

Chapter 3: Cooperation and Partnerships

Chapter 4: Technical Cooperation Programme

Chapter 5: Support Services

Introduction

1. In his Introduction to the Summary Programme of Work and Budget (SPWB) 2002-2003¹, the Director-General emphasised that the real growth proposals contained in that document represented a middle path in the range of expectations from the membership, which would hopefully attract a broad body of support and eventually could lead to consensus. In this light, the SPWB embodies a set of proposals for the biennium 2002-2003, compatible with the main substantive thrusts of the Medium Term Plan 2002-2007, but at a lower overall resource level than that tentatively indicated in the latter document.

2. Mindful, however, of the interest of some countries in seeing alternative proposals, the Director-General has arranged for the present document to be prepared. It outlines a possible zero real growth scenario (ZRG) for the 2002-2003 biennium. It is emphasised that this is not a proposal by the Director-General, but rather a response to a request for information on the impact of a certain resources level vis à vis that proposed by the Director-General in his SPWB proposals.

3. In developing this scenario, the approach taken has been to reverse or back out all of those proposals made by FAO units when asked to allocate the additional resources arising from real growth. As such resources have been allocated directly in line with the priorities expressed in the Medium Term Plan, it follows that deductions which would result, if real growth proposals are not accepted, are made against some programmes.

4. It is further noted that neither the SPWB proposals nor the reduced scenario referred to in this document specifically reflect the outcome of recent meetings of the Technical Committees of the Council - that is, the Committees on Agriculture (COAG), Fisheries (COFI) and Forestry (COFO) - although in many cases the outcome could be and was effectively anticipated. An exercise is currently underway to identify the incremental cost of these recommendations and an information paper will be provided to the Council giving the necessary details. Such priorities will need to be reflected, to the extent resources allow, in the full Programme of Work and Budget (PWB). In addition, the level forecast for the field programme and, therefore, of support cost income currently assumed is, as already indicated in the SPWB², subject to some uncertainty and risk and may also need to be revisited in the preparation of the full PWB.

5. For the purposes of demonstrating the impact of a ZRG budget on the proposals presented in the SPWB, the tables in section IV of the SPWB have been reproduced below whenever differences are involved, showing the reduced levels at ZRG set against the real growth allocations in the main document. Narratives aim at explaining the eventual impact of lower resource levels, which at times need to go into a lower degree of detail than the highly summarised statements of planned outputs in the SPWB (particularly regarding substantive work under Chapter 2, Technical and Economic Programmes, and Major Programme 3.1, Policy Assistance).

ZRG Resource Tables

Overall Resource Table

6. In order to achieve zero real growth (ZRG) over the current total level of the Appropriation, US$ 650 million, the total level for 2002-2003 should equal this amount, before the eventual addition of anticipated cost increases. The breakdowns by budgetary chapter of both the Programme of Work and the Appropriation at ZRG levels are given below, set against the real growth (RG) proposals in the SPWB³.

Chapter 1: General Policy and Direction

Major Programme 1.2: Policy, Direction and Planning

7. While some start-up funds would remain, elimination of the substantial increase under Programme 1.2.2, Programme Planning, Budgeting and Evaluation, which is to meet most of the cost of replacing the current budget preparation and work planning system, PLANSYS, would imply further postponement of this much needed replacement.

Chapter 2: Technical and Economic Programmes

8. The lower ZRG provisions evidenced in the preceding table under the five major programmes imply reduced levels of activity and loss of outputs for the benefit of the membership, as explained below. In particular, the envisaged strengthening of professional capacity, one of the features of the real growth proposal in the SPWB, would fall short of nineteen additional posts, including nine in Regional or Sub-regional Offices, which aimed at redressing lack of sufficient expertise in key disciplines (e.g. statistics, animal production, aquaculture, rice-based systems).

Major Programme 2.1: Agricultural Production and Support Systems

Intra-departmental Entities

9. At the above ZRG resource levels, two entities in particular would be severely curtailed: 210A1, Sustainable Intensification of Integrated Production Systems, in particular through the elimination of critical inputs from decentralized offices to work on various regional agro-ecosystems (intensified rice-wheat systems in Asia and Pacific, arid and semi-arid production in Near East and Latin America, oncho-freed areas of West Africa, etc.), and 210S5, Central Support to PAIAs, the provision for which would be cut by half, hampering the adequate development of cross-sectoral programmes under these PAIAs. Other reductions would affect some of the proposals to further improve language coverage (e.g. planned publications on ethics in food and agriculture, or meetings and publications relating to conservation agriculture) and the planned expansion of FAO's website in connection with biotechnology.

Programme 2.1.1: Natural Resources

10. While this programme would be only moderately affected by the lower allocation at ZRG, it would not be possible, for instance, to pursue the establishment of a new P-2 post of Land and Water Management Officer in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (particularly relevant to entities 211S1, Direct Support to Member Nations and to the Field Programme, and 211P7, Land and Water Information Systems, Databases and Statistics, as well as several others). Work on guidelines on adjustment to climate variability (technical project 211A3, Integrated Land, Water and Plant Nutrient Management) and on several databases and water balance models under entity 211P8, Knowledge Management and Partnerships, would need to be abandoned or postponed.

Programme 2.1.2: Crops

11. In relative terms, lower resource allocations would impact basically on four entities dealing, however, with priority activities of keen interest to the membership. They would entail lower support to cooperation on Desert Locust Management in West Africa under 212A4, EMPRES - Plant Pests Component; reduced expert group meetings relating to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) implementation under 212P1, Secretariat of the IPPC; less work on recommendations for residues and quality standards of pesticides under 212P2, Pesticide Management, and on the refinement of reporting formats and indicators for monitoring the implementation of the Global Plan of Action on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GRFA) under 212P4. Support to a biotechnology network in Africa would also be undermined under technical project 212A3, Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Crop and Grassland Production Systems.

Programme 2.1.3: Livestock

12. The effect of lower ZRG provisions would be principally of a three-pronged nature: the abandonment of the proposed new P-3 post of Animal Production Officer in the Sub-regional Office for Southern and East Africa (affecting more particularly entity 213S1, Advice to Member Countries and Support to the Field Programme); much reduced work of synthesis and consolidation of country reports in relation to the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Resources and on local action plans for genetic utilisation and improvement (particularly in Africa) under technical project 213A5, Developing the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources; and the implementation of a pathway for verification of freedom from rinderpest (project 213A7, EMPRES - Livestock).

Programme 2.1.4: Agricultural Support Systems

13. The lower levels of activity under the two most-critically affected entities (214A2, Meeting Urban Food Needs, and 214A4, Agribusiness Development) would imply respectively: a) postponement of the development of training modules on peri-urban farming for food security in Central Africa, reduced dissemination of information through the Internet, and less balanced language coverage of publications on urban and peri-urban horticulture; and b) a reduced programme of workshops and expert meetings dealing with food biotechnology and consumer education.

Programme 2.1.5: Agricultural Applications of Isotopes and Biotechnology

14. The two technical projects (215A1, Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production Systems through Technologies and Capacity Building, and 215A2, Sustainable Intensification of Livestock Production Systems through Technologies and Capacity Building for Mitigation of Constraints and Risks) implemented by the joint FAO/IAEA Division (AGE) would have a reduced publication output, in particular a technical document on understanding genetically modified organism (GMO) technology for insect pest management and attendant risks, guidelines on molecular marker methods for characterising plant genetic resources, as well as other documents.

Major Programme 2.2: Food and Agriculture Policy and Development

Programme 2.2.1: Nutrition

15. Under technical project 221A6, Nutrition and Household Food Security in Emergencies, lower resource levels would imply reduced training for, and direct assistance to Members for addressing nutrition issues during emergency relief and rehabilitation. Collaboration with the working group on nutrition in emergencies of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Sub-Committee on Nutrition would also need to be curtailed. Under entity 221P2, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme (Codex Alimentarius), it was planned to have additional four volumes of Codex Alimentarius published in all languages, which would no longer be possible. Under entity 221P5, Food Quality Control and Consumer Protection, scientific evaluation and nutritional and safety assessment of foods derived from biotechnology and the provision of advice to member countries and to the Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology would be particularly affected. The impact on entity 221P6, Food Safety Assessment and Rapid Alert System, would be in terms of less satisfactory coverage of products and processes of topical importance. Under 221S1, Technical Support Services to Member Nations and the Field Programme, reduced volumes of activity would need to be contemplated as regards dietary assessment training workshops and food composition courses; formulation of project proposals on nutrition education and improvement in the nutritional status of populations; workshops on food control and food safety; as well as the envisaged establishment of additional National Codex Committees.

Programme 2.2.2: Food and Agricultural Information

16. Under technical project 222A1, Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS), ZRG resource levels would entail elimination of the planned second edition of the State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI) publication within the biennium, and much reduced support to the needed start-up of FIVIMS in countries not yet covered. Technical project 222A4, Systematic Evaluation and Improvement of Statistical Data Quality, would need to be virtually eliminated, delaying the implementation of long awaited activities to improve data series. Two entities implemented by the Library and Documentation Systems Division (GIL) 222S2, Assistance to Countries in Capacity Building for Agriculture and Food Information through WAICENT, and 222P6, WAICENT Corporate Information Management and Dissemination Systems, would not benefit from the planned addition of two junior P-2 posts of Information Management Specialists, which were inter alia to support the regular Consultation on Agricultural Information Management (COAIM) organised by GIL and cross-sectoral information systems under the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT). Other entities implemented by the same division i.e. 222A3, FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System, and 222P7, Document Repository and Electronic Publishing Systems, and Integrated Documentation Activities, or in part 222P5, Programme for the Improvement of Language Coverage, would see less work on, respectively: the development of computerised country profiles; documentation standards and semantic tools; and the further multi-language development of FAO's website and CD-ROM products.

Programme 2.2.3: Food and Agricultural Monitoring, Assessments and Outlooks

17. Under technical project 223A1, Global Perspective Studies, it would not be possible to carry out the planned expanded language coverage for the shorter and more popular version of studies in the Agriculture Towards (AT...) series. The reduction to entity 223P3, Market Assessments for Basic Food Commodities and Impact on Global Food Security, would eliminate new information products on basic foodstuffs, particularly short-term forecasts of food market prospects and price outlooks. Under 223P5, Market Assessments and Food Security Reports for Tropical, Horticultural and Raw Material Commodities, proposed additional reports on food security and export earnings for the tropical, horticultural and raw material products, short-term market monitoring notes and reviews of current policy developments would be curtailed. Entity 223P6, Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture, would continue to suffer from a problem of chronic under-budgeting for crop and food supply assessment missions, including timely reports and alerts, which was partially remedied through the proposed real growth increase. Regional workshops for national consultants on GIEWS methodology to strengthen locally-organised assessment missions, would also be affected.

Programme 2.2.4: Agriculture, Food Security and Trade Policy

18. The most affected entity under this programme would be the critical Mid-term Review in 2006 of Progress Towards the WFS Target (224A3). There would only be partial country coverage for information on changes in the distribution of food consumption and the structure of agriculture, thus undermining the assessment of the impact on progress towards the World Food Summit (WFS) target. Other negatively affected activities would include: analysis of household surveys to map income distributions to the levels of caloric intake; planned report on the relationship between poverty and undernourishment, and degree of linkage between reducing poverty and reducing food insecurity; assessment of progress made in the integration of developing countries into the global trading environment; establishment of benchmarks for evaluating progress and defining future challenges; analyses of general trade policy areas as well as specific agricultural markets of high significance to developing countries. Entity 224P2, Contribution of Agriculture to Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Food Security, would not benefit from planned empirical studies on the economic cost of hunger, while entity 224P4, International Action on Commodity and Trade Issues, would experience much reduced capacity to deliver information on commodity and trade policy in a rapid and cost-effective manner to countries in their preferred languages, incorporating new advances in information technology and electronic dissemination to supplement traditional methods.

Major Programme 2.3: Fisheries

Programme 2.3.1: Fisheries Information

19. The major effort envisaged to bring to fruition the Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS) and parallel improvement in the collection and dissemination of fisheries statistics, would be undermined by the deletion of two proposed new posts of Departmental Technical Editor and Fisheries Statistician for the Asia and Pacific region, which could not be established under ZRG resource levels.

Programme 2.3.2: Fisheries Resources and Aquaculture

20. This programme would not benefit from the expected important technical contributions of two proposed new specialist posts dealing with marine ecosystem management and aquaculture (in the Latin America and Caribbean region) and attendant non-staff resources. Accordingly, entity 232S1 covering advisory services to countries would need to be reduced, as well as outputs under other entities where ecosystem management issues are critical. A minimal provision to support the new Sub-committee on Aquaculture endorsed by COFI at its March 2001 session, would not be included (under 232P1, Global Monitoring and Strategic Analysis of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture), leaving its operation basically dependent on extra-budgetary resources.

Programme 2.3.3: Fisheries Exploitation and Utilisation

21. This programme would be much less affected than the preceding two. However, planned work on the development of seafood-related information systems, particularly on food safety and processing technology, would need to be reduced (project 233A4, Consumption, Safety and Quality of Fish Products), as well as work on the environmental impact of fishing operations (project 233A1, Reduction of Discards and Environmental Impact from Fisheries).

Programme 2.3.4: Fisheries Policy

22. The impact of lower resource availability under ZRG would be felt principally in terms of much reduced support to the International Plans of Action endorsed by COFI under entity 234P3, Economic and Social Analysis of Fishery and Aquaculture Policy and Management, and associated services under entity 234S1, Promotion and Strengthening of Regional Fisheries Bodies and Arrangements and Field Programme Support.

Major Programme 2.4: Forestry

Programme 2.4.1: Forest Resources

23. The above indicated ZRG provisions would entail the need to abandon the proposed establishment of one new post of P-4 Forestry Officer (Sustainable Mountain Development) at Headquarters and one new post of P-3 Forestry Officer (Wildlife Management) in the Regional Office for Africa, hence the much reduced levels under entity 241A4, Environmental Conservation in Forests and Fragile Ecosystems, and also to the support services under 241S1. This would negatively impact on FAO's capacity to provide services in the two key areas of mountain development (in follow-up to the International Year of Mountains for which FAO is the designated lead agency for the UN system) and wildlife. The implementation of a coordinated international system in response to forest fires under project 241A1, Sustainable Management of Natural Forests and Woodlands, would also be affected, together with support to capacity building on forest surveys and monitoring under entity 241P1, Assessment and Monitoring of Forests and Woodland Resources.

Programme 2.4.2: Forest Products

24. Only marginal adjustments would prove necessary for most activities under this programme.

Programme 2.4.3: Forest Policy and Planning

25. Progress on the Latin American and Caribbean Forest Outlook Study would be in all likelihood slowed down by the curtailment of project 243A1, Forestry Sector Outlook Studies. However, the most critically affected entity would be project 243A3, Strengthening of Institutional Capacities at Country Level, as ZNG would imply the deferment of a new P-4 post supporting the implementation of National Forest Programmes (also impacting on services provided under entities 243P1, Formulation of National Forest Programmes, and 243S1, Interaction with Field Programmes and Advisory Services). A necessary substantial reduction of non-staff resources under the same entity 243A3, Strengthening of Institutional Capacities at Country Level, could hamper the functioning of the planned National Forest Programme Implementation Facility.

Programme 2.4.4: Forest Programmes Coordination and Information

26. The reduced allocation under entity 244P1, Forestry Information, would constrain the intent to increase language coverage for key technical publications and in the forestry section of FAO's website.

Major Programme 2.5: Contributions to Sustainable Development
and Special Programme Thrusts

Programme 2.5.1: Research, Natural Resources Management
and Technology Transfer

27. The substantially reduced provision under technical project 251A1, Integrated Use of Information for Sustainable Development, would affect support to networks to improve the use of geo-referenced information in relation to key international conventions, as well as capacity building in countries to implement environmental agreements. The same would apply to entity 251P3, Information and Communication Technologies in Support of Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Systems, in terms of facilitation of access to new information and communication technologies by rural communities at levels originally envisaged. It would also be necessary to reduce by half the FAO contribution to the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) Secretariat (251A5).

Programme 2.5.2: Gender and Population

28. Under ZRG, it would be necessary to forego the establishment of the proposed new post dealing with the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on food security, and associated planned activities on this important issue covered under project 252A2. Lower available resources under entity 252P1, Promotion of Gender and Population in Policies, Legislation and Civil Institutions, would affect planned Socio-economic Analysis and Gender Analysis Programme (SEAGA) workshops and detract from planned support to the implementation of the FAO Gender and Development Plan of Action (2002-2007) once approved by the FAO Conference.

Programme 2.5.3: Rural Development

29. Under project 253A2, Improved Rural Institutions and Services to Promote Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, it would be necessary to reduce a number of planned case studies and inter-regional consultations, as well as training activities on institutional reforms, including the new roles of farmers and community organizations. Similarly, under entity 253P1, Management and Support to the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security, several activities would be negatively affected, including: prototype network systems for the national thematic groups affiliated to the broad-based ACC network; seminars for capacity building of these thematic groups and advisory missions particularly in the Horn of Africa sub-region.

Programme 2.5.6: Food Production in Support of Food Security in LIFDCs

30. The elimination of the net increase under 256P3, SPFS Implementation, would be to the detriment of the further expansion of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS).

Chapter 3: Cooperation and Partnerships

Major Programme 3.1: Policy Assistance

Programme 3.1.1: Coordination of Policy Assistance
and Related Capacity Building

31. While still being strengthened even at ZRG, entity 311S2, Technical Support to Capacity Building in Food, Agriculture and Rural Development Planning and Policy Analysis, would not be able to sustain, as fully as desirable, the range of demands for capacity building in food and agricultural planning and policy analysis.

Programme 3.1.2: Policy Assistance to Various Regions

32. As mentioned in paragraph 462 of the SPWB document, the bulk of the net increase in resources under Major Programme 3.1 was precisely to strengthen key supportive activities of the decentralized policy assistance branches and units. Its virtual elimination under ZRG would hamper its capacity to contribute to a reinvigorated field programme.

Programme 3.1.3: Legal Assistance to Member Nations

33. Similarly, the elimination of the net increase from the provision (admittedly not substantial in absolute terms, but still important given the small resource base of a programme well appreciated by the membership) would reduce the capacity of the Legal Office to meet pressing demands for assistance.

Major Programme 3.3: Field Operations

34. The curtailment of the provision made under the real growth proposal to support the full-scale implementation of the Field Programme Management Information System (FPMIS) would critically affect a potentially essential tool in the development and management of the field programme⁴.

Major Programme 3.4: FAO Representatives

35. The resource level indicated in the above table under ZRG would obviously negate the benefits expected from the more substantial increase factored in the real growth proposal. As stated in paragraph 511 of the SPWB, this was essentially for two purposes: a) augmenting FAO's contribution to the functioning of the eleven new country representations, based on the outposted technical officer arrangement introduced in 2001, beyond the cost of the latter officers; and b) strengthening the human resource capacities of FAO representations, through additional staff to fill critical gaps and the extensive training required by ever-increasing responsibilities, and for the necessary substantial upgrades of telecommunications and computer equipment for their efficient functioning. It would, however, still allow for the addition of US$ 1.6 million from administrative and operational support services (AOS) resources to compensate the current network of country offices for increased workload due to decentralization measures taken in the 2000-2001 biennium.

Chapter 4: Technical Cooperation Programme

36. Again, the elimination of the substantial increase in resources contemplated under the real growth proposal would negate the expected benefits. This would reduce TCP's share of the total budget appropriation from the called for 14.9% back to the current level of 14.1%. It may be noted that the strengthening of the TCP Unit (Major Programme 4.2) has been maintained as it is critical to the good performance of the entire programme, entailing an even lower provision available for projects than that included in the current PWB.

Chapter 5: Support Services

Major Programme 5.1: Information and Publications Support

37. This programme has been severely cut in recent budgets despite the cross-organizational strategy on Communicating FAO's messages. The additional allocation under real growth is aimed at redressing the situation. Without additional resources, the Information Division (GII) would not be able to carry out highly desirable qualitative improvements to its information and publication support activities. While the new post of Arabic Editor can still be covered under the above allocation, the new post of Exhibition Curator (to make full use of the Atrium at Headquarters) would not be accommodated, as well as the intended strengthening of media outreach in decentralized offices.

Major Programme 5.2: Administration

38. The reduced provision under ZRG would virtually cripple the Organization's ability to meet, at least in part as envisaged under the real growth proposal, the development costs of subsequent phases of the Oracle project from the normal source which the Regular Programme Appropriation should represent. This would leave this project basically dependent on funding opportunities from arrears, which are not yet entirely certain. Alternatively, it would imply postponement of Phase II of the project until such time as adequate resources can be released.

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1 CL 120/3

2 cf. CL 120/3 paragraph 76 c)

3 cf. CL 120/3 table after paragraph 125

4 cf. CL 120/3 paragraphs 498 to 500