TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
Alex F. McCalla
Chair
19 April 1993
Dear Mr. Rajagopalan,
We are pleased to submit to you the Report of the Fourth External Programme and Management Review of IRRI which was conducted during September 1992 by a Panel chaired by Mr. David Bell of the USA. The Review Report and the Response of the IRRI Board of Trustees and management were discussed by TAC at its 60th meeting in March 1993 in the presence of Mr. Bell. IRRI was represented at the meeting by Dr. Walter Falcon, Chairman of the Board, Dr. Klaus Lampe, Director General, and Dr. Kenneth Fischer, Deputy Director General (Research).
This letter has two attachments in addition to the Panel's Report. The first contains the TAC Commentary, which is TAC's reaction to the Panel's Report. The second attachment is the Response of IRRI to the Report.
We are pleased to note that IRRI has gone through an in-depth institutional transformation and emerged as a very well managed Centre, with clearly defined and transparent priorities, a well focused research programme of high quality and a continued record of impressive achievements and farm level impact. The management problems that were evident at the time of the 1987 Review have been effectively resolved. TAC shares with the Panel the view that IRRI is still urgently needed to provide leadership in addressing the major challenges to rice research in developing countries.
Mr. Visvanathan Rajagopalan
Chair, CGIAR
The World Bank
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433
U.S.A.
Mail address: Technical Advisory Comm/CGIAR, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Tel: (916) 752-8648/8649 - Telex: 4900010239 UCD UI - FAX (916) 752-8572 Office Location: 219 E St., Suite 2C, Davis, CA
We recommend continued strong support to IRRI by the CGIAR. IRRI has an important mission to fulfil and the returns to CGIAR investment in rice research have been substantial.
Yours sincerely,
Alex McCalla
Chair, TAC
Alexander von der Osten
Executive Secretary, CGIAR
