SIXTY-FIFTH MEETING OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TO THE
CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON
INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
(IFPRI, Washington D.C., 18-22 October 1994)
REPORT OF THE MEETING
CGIAR Priorities and Strategies
CGIAR Regional Commitments: A Case Study of West Africa
Improving the External Review Process in the CGIAR
Future Reviews
Information Management in the CGIAR
Systemwide and Ecoregional Initiatives and Implications of Programme Budgeting
Future Meetings
Other Business
The Committee discussed the approach it would take in reviewing CGIAR priorities and strategies, namely: (a) to develop a new priority report to provide the basis for resource allocation during 1999-2003; and (b) priority considerations for developing recommendations on resource allocation for the period 1996-98.
TAC Members also discussed the structure and composition of the proposed matrix of CGIAR programmes. The Standing Committees on Priorities and Strategies and Resource Allocation were asked to consider the issues involved and report to TAC 66 on their findings.
The draft report on CGIAR Commitments in West Africa was presented by Dr. McIntire, the Panel Chairman. The Panel felt that the present organization of the CGIAR activities in the sub-region was efficient and reasonably cost-effective. Specific recommendations included devolution of CGIAR Activity Category 3 (Production Systems and Management) to the NARS of the sub-region; stronger emphasis on germplasm enhancement and breeding; reduced investment in institution-building; and the merging of IITA and WARDA Boards. The Panel noted increasing consolidation of centres' activities in Nigeria, especially of ILCA, IITA and ICRISAT, and observed that high costs of utilities in the sub-region largely accounted for the high administrative costs of centres' operations. In a bid to strengthen socioeconomics, policy and public management research in West Africa, the Panel suggested that IFPRI should be a strong convening centre for this activity.
The main comments by TAC Members and Centre Directors related to the controversial aspects of the recommendations, particularly in respect of devolution to NARS of production and management research, designation of IFPRI as a convening centre for socioeconomics and policy research, and other issues which bore Systemwide implications. A 13-point set of notes was transmitted by TAC to the Panel as a guide for the revision of the draft report.
TAC discussed a background paper entitled "Redesigning the CGIAR Review Process: A Progress Report". The main conclusion of the paper was that reviews should rely more on internally managed review mechanisms and that Boards should give more attention to improving the quality of the internal review processes and to impact assessments. This would enable a reduction in the use of the external inputs into the review process. The Committee agreed to present to ICW'94, as part of the TAC Chair report, a three page summary of TAC discussions and conclusions. The Committee agreed to finalize its deliberations on the review process at TAC 66.
The Committee noted the progress in the implementation of the external reviews of CIP, CIAT and IITA. TAC was also informed about the progress made in the implementation of the Mid-Term Review of ICLARM, which was scheduled to take place from 28 January to 5 February 1995. Progress reports on the implementation of the inter-centre reviews and studies were also discussed, namely: the Inter-Centre Review of Roots and Tubers; the Stripe Study on Public Policy, Public Management and Institution Building Research; and the Strategic Study of Natural Resources Management Issues and Research Needs in the CGIAR. TAC discussed the timings of the future external reviews of IPGRI, ICRISAT, ISNAR and IFPRI, and noted that a proposal for an inter-centre review of cereals would be considered at TAC 66.
TAC considered a discussion draft paper entitled "The Future of Information in the CGIAR: A Systemwide Strategy" prepared by the Centre Directors' Committee on Information and Documentation. TAC noted that the draft strategy called for six major actions: (1) a common electronic network; (2) networked information system and databases; (3) building information partnerships; (4) common technical standards for information products; (5) joint acquisition of inputs and production of outputs; and (6) staffing and human resource development policies. These actions reflect a radical change in the mode of operation in the CGIAR. Implementing these changes required action on the part of many actors. In addition to the need for a set of norms to provide answers to typical operational questions and for means of financing, an inter-centre working group mechanisms for ensuring that these action were coordinated well was also required. TAC raised a number of issues for consideration in finalizing the strategy, and offered an interim commentary.
The Committee, in joint session with Centre Directors, discussed a wide range of issues arising from the discussion of Systemwide and ecoregional proposals at the Special TAC Meeting in August 1994. The Chair of the Centre Directors' Committee noted that Centre Directors had also considered several of these issues and announced that a centre workshop would be convened to address them and to help operationalize proposed initiatives. The nature of TAC's funding recommendations was discussed, as well as the responses received from the centres to TAC's recommendations made at the Special TAC Meeting. The Committee finalized its recommendations on several Systemwide and ecoregional initiatives particularly with respect to recommendations for funding during 1995.
The following dates and venues for future TAC meetings were considered and approved.
|
TAC 66: |
13-25 March 1995, CIP, Lima, Peru |
|
TAC 67: |
10-20 July 1995, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya |
|
TAC 68: |
11-17 March 1996, IRRI. Manila, Philippines |
|
TAC 69: |
15-24 July 1996, venue to be decided |
A Research Agenda for the Future
TAC discussed a draft paper prepared by the TAC Chair and TAC Chair-elect on "A Research Agenda for the Future". TAC Members agreed that the paper was entirely based on earlier TAC documents and recommendations as endorsed by the Group and that it accurately reflected TAC's views to date. In discussing the paper, TAC Members raised a number of issues such as the need to develop options for an alternative research agenda in the event that NARS do not become stronger in the medium to long term. The paper would be finalized after ICW'94 for presentation at the Ministerial-Level Meeting of the CGIAR in February 1995 at Lucerne.
Postharvest Technology
TAC discussed the concern expressed by a major donor agency about the inadequate attention given by CGIAR Centres to postharvest research. TAC agreed to revisit the issue of the System's role in the context of the next round of CGIAR priority setting.
International Workshop on Soil, Water and Nutrient Management Research, 26-30 September 1994, Zschortau, Germany
TAC considered the Zschortau Plan whose key recommendation was that the CGIAR be approached to establish a facility and programme on sustainable land management, as a new venture, to link the CGIAR and non-CGIAR research efforts in soil, water and nutrient management. TAC noted that the Plan called for six consortia to be formed on problems of high priority, and for IBSRAM to advance further action.
The Committee felt that no clear case had been made in the Plan for setting up the proposed additional structural facility, and that the Plan did not relate to any strategic analysis of priorities. TAC concluded that the activities offered by the Plan were already included in the list of Systemwide and ecoregional initiatives. Also, the proposed activities were organized around a single resource, i.e., soil (including in situ water and nutrients), and did not appear to be sufficiently broad in terms of disciplinary mix. The Committee proposed that there should be a close interaction with the key participants at the Workshop during the course of the TAC's Strategic Study on Natural Resources Management Issues and Research Needs in the CGIAR.
