Evolution
IPGRI was established as an independent Institute of the CGIAR in 1991 following its separation from FAO where its predecessor IBPGR, also a CGIAR Centre, had been administratively and physically located in Rome, Italy since its inception in 1974. IPGRI became an independent legal entity in Italy in 1994. IPGRI has located its Headquarters in Rome and manages its regional programmes from offices located in Cali, Colombia (for the Americas), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (for Asia, Pacific and Oceania), in Nairobi, Kenya (for Sub-Saharan Africa), in Aleppo, Syria (for West Asia and North Africa), and in Rome, Italy (for Europe).
IPGRI has experienced rapid evolution during the past few years in programme, staff numbers (60 to 137) and in budget (US$ 10.6 million to US$ 21.6 million) during the period 1991 to 1997. In 1994 CGIAR placed the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain under IPGRI's management. INIBAP retains it principal management office in Montpellier, France, moving into a new building in late 1996, and operates regional offices in Costa Rica and the Philippines, with new offices to be established in Uganda and Cameroon during 1997.
Following CGIAR decisions in May 1994, the System-wide Genetic Resources Programme was established with the Inter-Centre Working Group on Genetic Resources as Steering Committee and leadership assigned to IPGRI on behalf of all of the CGIAR Centres that maintain genetic resources or work on agro- or aquatic biodiversity. The SGRP Programme Leader is the Director General of IPGRI and the SGRP Secretariat is located within IPGRI. With its rapid growth, IPGRI's headquarters facilities are now a limiting factor and the Institute is evaluating alternative office space arrangements in the Rome area.
Strategy
IPGRI is truly a global Institute within the CGIAR System. IPGRI's mandate is to advance the conservation and use of plant genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Its strategy has evolved around its mission addressed through four objectives. It is the only Centre in the CGIAR System that is primarily concerned with biological conservation, mainly of plant genetic resources for use in agriculture. As a research-based service organization, IPGRI operates in a catalytic mode as a convenor, facilitator, and collaborator. It does not operate research laboratories and, with the exception of banana and plantain, does not curate genetic resources. It is a primary and leading developer of informational materials on genetic resources.
The CGIAR, with its more recent emphasis on natural resource management for sustainable productivity and by the formation of SGRP, has acknowledged a broader scope in biological resource management. IPGRI maintains its own programmes on plant genetic resources, but in response to this broader CGIAR scope, and as convenor of the SGRP, has extended its interests to those of other Centres, such as ILRI for domestic farm animals and ICLARM for aquatic genetic resources.
IPGRI has recently reorganized its operations into three broad programme areas: Plant Genetic Resources, CGIAR Genetic Resources Support, and INIBAP. The Plant Genetic Resources Programme has two Thematic Groups, Genetic Resources Science and Technology and Documentation, Information, and Training (each headed by a Programme Director), and five Regional Groups (each headed by a Regional Director). INIBAP has Programme Leaders in its four programme areas and Coordinators for each regional office. The Institute is supported by an efficient Finance and Administration Unit at Headquarters in Rome that provides administrative, budgetary and personnel service support to all Rome-based staff and regional offices.
IPGRI's strategy for plant genetic resource conservation is motivated by the need to protect genetic resources for future use. It directs its attention to national programme needs through its regional groups and, to a great extent, through a large number of international networks focused on specific crops, thematic emphases, or regional collaborations. It facilitates research on conservation and use through its technical "thematic" staff at Headquarters, and through its collaborators located in national programmes, specialized research organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
Accomplishments
The Panel has observed that the Institute is shifting more emphasis from 'conservation for use' to 'conservation and use' as illustrated by its leadership roles in networks or activities in banana and plantain improvement (with INIBAP), coconut (with COGENT), and in cacao and other crop plants as discussed in this Report. During the past two years it has organized an activity, planned for nine countries, on local or in situ conservation of crops and crop relatives in farmers' fields and home gardens. It continues its efforts to organize and support the collecting and conservation of seeds and plant materials in those countries where the threats of genetic erosion are great and conservation facilities may be limited. The Panel was pleased to note that more than 100 expeditions were conducted during the period of this review and training activities for more than 830 scientists and technicians in genetic resources management were completed, thus contributing significantly to human resource capability for conservation.
Since 1994 IPGRI has also developed an innovative new activity in forest genetic resources, with collaboration established with other CGIAR Centres, including ICRAF and CIFOR, and several national programmes and universities. This work relates to conservation, monitoring, and restoration of useful biodiversity in forest ecosystems. The Panel is enthusiastic about this activity as a strong supporting component of the CGIAR efforts on natural resources management.
In its coordinating role for the CGIAR and its partners, IPGRI has taken initiatives to address the interpretation of, and research on, policies related to conservation, ownership, access, sharing, health and quarantine, and uses in plant breeding and biotechnology of plant genetic resources. This follows a significant role played by IPGRI in the 1996 Leipzig Conference on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which produced a Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This action plan is being used by IPGRI as it aligns its work programme to its strategy and long-term plans. The Panel was very pleased with this activity and urges IPGRI to continue to contribute in this arena, especially in partnership with FAO with whom it has forged excellent relationships. Also for the greater needs of the CGIAR, the System-wide Genetic Resources Programme is now beginning to emerge as a truly System-wide effort through IPGRI's leadership and coordination. The Panel recognizes this effort as an opportunity for the CGIAR to assume a substantially greater presence in global biological resources management for increasing and sustaining productivity, and urges greater System support for the activities of the ICWG-GR.
The Panel found IPGRI to be a vital, dynamic, and growing Institute that is well-managed with highly qualified and dedicated scientific and support staff. The Institute is commended for the development of its operational policies and procedures as it emerged as an independent institute. The Panel was extremely pleased about the productive partnership between IPGRI and FAO in many activities, since this complementarity is extremely important for protection and use of global genetic resources of plants. As FAO addresses its global strategies for forestry and for domestic animal diversity and conservation, IPGRI and SGRP can play an important role in the implementation of those strategies.
Future of IPGRI
The Panel is enthusiastic about IPGRI's programme directions and emphases as noted above. It is very pleased with the breadth and quality of INIBAP's work and that its integration into IPGRI had been accomplished smoothly. The Panel concluded that INIBAP was good for IPGRI and vice versa and therefore strongly recommended that the formal integration process now be concluded.
The Panel has made a series of recommendations that it believes deserves consideration as IPGRI continues to evolve. These recommendations concern: (1) strengthening the linkages between strategic programme planning and the resulting operational aspects, especially for the rapidly expanding regional group activities; (2) cautioning IPGRI in assuming new leadership roles in networks with respect to resources required; (3) strengthening collaborative linkages with CGIAR Centres, especially with IITA in relation to INIBAP; (4) building capacity for management of technical genetic information and for training of genetic resources specialists; and (5) continuing to provide strong leadership in the Systemwide genetic resources efforts.
Finally, IPGRI must be mindful of its mission in protecting global genetic resources indefinitely: this can only be done through strong partnerships with the holders of those valuable resources. Its programmes must be focused on, and reflective of, this guiding principle, for IPGRI's legacy will be the genetic resources that it helps to conserve for humankind.
LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS
CHAPTER 3 - THEMATIC ACTIVITIES
1. The Panel recommends that GRST undertake a systematic programme of appropriate diversity surveys in crops or groups of crops by country and region as a base line activity.
2. The Panel recommends that projects directed at developing and testing methodologies in genetic resources should be more than case studies, and should be linked directly to priority problems of actual conservation management in national and/or international programmes.
3. The Panel recommends that IPGRI strengthens its documentation unit and establishes, with SGRP, a Documentation Advisory/Support Group comprised of documentation specialists from various advanced institutions. The terms of reference for this Group should be to: provide programmatic guidance to IPGRI; advise on standardisation of codes, formats and data sets; facilitate documentation in support of surveys, GIS and farmers' data; assist in facilitating training opportunities; and incorporate the latest developments in information technology in the advice given.
4. The Panel recommends the appointment of a training specialist officer in DIT responsible for all aspects of PGR training.
CHAPTER 4 - REGIONAL ACTIVITIES AND NETWORKS
5. The Panel recommends that IPGRI, and hence the CGIAR, should reconsider its facilitation role for COGENT unless greater emphasis is placed upon improvement of coconut productivity for smallholders.
6. The Panel recommends that IPGRI define more precisely the role and responsibilities of the Regional Groups in their interaction with the headquarters-based Thematic Groups in order to contribute to more efficient and effective operation of the Regional Groups and to more closely integrate Rome-based and regional activities.
7. The Panel recommends that IPGRI shifts its strategic priorities and support for PGR conservation and use towards Objective 2 (regional collaboration) while its Objective 1 (national programme support) would also be achieved through this regional dimensions.
8. The Panel recommends that the draft regional strategies be further clarified so that IPGRI's priorities are clearly articulated such that, when faced with an opportunity to work in a region, the proposal can be measured against the agreed strategy, and ranked in order of importance and its claim on resources.
CHAPTER 5 - INIBAP IN IPGRI
9. The Panel recommends that:
1. INIBAP be fully integrated into IPGRI as an identifiable Programme;2. The INIBAP Support Group endorse this recommendation and exercise its right to terminate the MOU between the Support Group, INIBAP, and IPGRI [dated 22 May 1994 under the provisions of Article VII (Final Provisions), Section 2] forthwith;
3. The Support Group remain as an advisory Group to the INIBAP programme within IPGRI; and
4. IPGRI should seek to conclude any necessary agreements with the Government of France to protect the privileges and immunities of the institution and its staff.
10. The Panel recommends that INIBAP/IPGRI and IITA carry out a joint strategic planning activity at the earliest possible date for defining the IITA-INIBAP input into the Musa Improvement Programme and to agree upon a revised MOU.
CHAPTER 6 - IPGRI's ROLE IN GENETIC RESOURCES IN THE CGIAR
11. The Panel recommends that IPGRI engage with the ICWG-GR in exploring measures to ensure that Centre representatives have authority to speak for their institute on strategic decisions and joint plans of action and, further, to appoint one or more external advisers to assist it to focus on long-term Systemwide programmes and strategies.
12. The Panel recommends that IPGRI initiate a consultation process among the Boards and Directors General of the CGIAR Centres with the objective of reassessing the System's genetic resources conservation responsibilities in the post-UNCED environment and to readdress structural options for better programmatic integration of the entire CGIAR efforts.
CHAPTER 7 - GOVERNANCE
13. With respect to the Board of Trustees, Panel recommends that the Executive
Committee consist of five positions: the Board Chairperson, the Director-General (ex-officio), two members who have been tasked with multi-year leadership responsibility for the Audit & Operations and Programme oversight functions, respectively, and the FAO Representative (as required by the terms of the MOU on Programme Cooperation with FAO).
14. The Panel recommends that an ad hoc Committee of Board members and staff be formed to translate the broad statement of the Diversity for Development document, and other, more recent draft strategy papers, into a set of operational statements that will guide the resource allocation and priority-setting decisions that must underpin the implementation of the MTP (1998-2000), and PPRC programme deliberations. The work of the ad hoc Committee could be completed by end-1997, and its report presented by Management to the full Board for its review and approval.
CHAPTER 8 - PROGRAMME ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
15. The Panel recommends that Management strengthen its programme planning and review process to articulate further the linkages between the institutional, thematic, and regional strategy documents, and the programme priorities that guide the implementation of the MTP (1998-2000), and the associated budgetary allocation processes.
CHAPTER 10 - INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
16. The Panel recommends that IPGRI develop a mode of subcontracting a part of its research programme through the issuance of calls for proposals for designated research topics, and after a peer review, select the most suitable proposals for funding.
