Dear Colleagues:

There is a rapid process of change in the nature of the problems which the CGIAR must address, the context where it is working, and the instruments which it can use in its research. To be maximally effective in reaching its goal of poverty reduction and natural resource protection to achieve sustainable food security, the CGIAR needs to continuously adjust its vision and strategy. Changes in vision and strategy must also be translated into an optimally adapted structure and governance for the System as a whole.

TAC has been instructed to develop a new Vision and Strategy for the CGIAR and to analyze the changes in structure and governance that may be needed to implement the new Vision and Strategy. To do this, it proceeded in two steps. First, a new Vision and Strategy was proposed. Development of this document capitalized importantly on the inputs received from you in a first electronic consultation. After extensive discussions and revisions, the document was approved by the members of the CGIAR at the Mid-term Meeting in Dresden. It was distributed to all participants to the first electronic consultation and is available on TAC's homepage.

To remind you, the new Vision and Strategy document centers on the following seven propositions:

CGIAR focus

1 - The CGIAR will stand firm in its commitment to the goal of reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition.

2 - The CGIAR will give highest priority to developing a new concerted approach to addressing the research needs of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where poverty is concentrated and growing and where the CGIAR can have a major impact via technological breakthroughs and ensuring the sustainability of natural resources.

Strategy for implementation

3- In order to address more effectively the heterogeneous nature of poverty in the regions the CGIAR, in close collaboration with its partners, will adopt a stronger regional orientation in its research planning and implementation.

4 - The CGIAR will develop and use state of the art science to address those problems which have proven intractable in the past, in both favorable and marginal agricultural lands.

5 - The CGIAR will diversify and expand its partnerships to ensure that its limited resources are effectively used in addressing the problems of the poor.

6 - For some specific global or cross-regional issues, the CGIAR will use a task force approach to the organization and delivery of its products and services.

7 - The CGIAR will play a stronger facilitating and catalytic role within the overall global agricultural research system.

We now need to address how the CGIAR's structure and governance should be adapted to successfully and efficiently implement this strategy. To do this, TAC will be working closely with the Directors and Boards of the Centers. TAC would also like to again obtain recommendations from the broad constituency of the CGIAR. This is the objective of this second electronic consultation. We are looking for bold and imaginative recommendations that can be incorporated in the thinking of TAC and of the Centers' Director and Boards. The consultation will again be managed by Julio Berdegué and his team at RIMISP.

Several participants to the first consultation addressed the themes of structure, partnerships and management. To capitalize on these contributions for this new round of discussions, you will receive a separate message with a compilation of the main statements received.

The consultation will run from July 24 to August 25, 2000. The subject is huge and discussions should purposefully concentrate on implications for structure and governance. We propose to focus each week on a specific theme according to the agenda that follows. Julio will prepare weekly summaries and a synthesis document that will be available for discussion in the last week of the consultation.

We look forward to a creative discussion on this vital theme for the future of the CGIAR. On behalf of TAC, we want to thank you for your efforts and collaboration.

With regards,

Alain de Janvry and Guido Gryseels

 

 

TOWARDS A NEW VISION AND STRATEGY FOR THE CGIAR
IMPLICATIONS FOR STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE


Second Electronic Consultation
July 24 to August 25, 2000
Proposed Agenda


Week1: MANAGING GENETIC RESOURCES AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  • How should the CGIAR and IARCs organise themselves to manage the genetic resources in their care?
  • How should the CGIAR manage its IPR in ways that will facilitate partnerships and optimise the prospects of benefits reaching poor farmers and people?
  • Are there alternative ways of funding the genetic resources activities?

 

Week 2: MANAGEMENT OF GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND ECO-REGIONAL PROGRAMMES

  • How should the CGIAR organise itself to conduct and manage partnerships in global, regional and eco-regional programmes?
  • Research on integrated natural resources management presents particular challenges: how might they be addressed?
  • How can science quality be maintained in participatory, multi-partner research and where should responsibility lie for impact assessment?

 

Week 3: MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE CENTRES

  • What should be the criteria for any changes in the current organization of centers and what would be the advantages/disadvantages of these changes?
  • Are there opportunities for programme synergies through integration?
  • Are there ways by which the Centres might reduce their transaction and overhead costs?
  • What are the main staffing implications of the proposed changes?

 

Week 4: REFORMING THE CENTRAL BODIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE CGIAR

  • Is there a need for restructuring the CGIAR system as a whole? What are the main drivers for change? If there is no need, what are the advantages of maintaining the status quo?
  • If the CGIAR system were to be restructured, what options might serve the system best in the future? What would be the advantages and disadvantages over the present system? What single change in the organisation of the CGIAR is most important/urgent?

 

Week 5: OTHER ISSUES AND SYNTHESIS

  • What roles should the CGIAR and TAC Secretariats perform, and for whom?
  • What should be the future role of the Co-sponsors and of TAC ?
  • Are there suggestions for alternative priority setting mechanisms for the CGIAR?
  • Can the CGIAR make do with fewer committees?
  • What should be the future roles and size of the Consultative Council?
  • How might donor co-ordination be improved?
  • How can the CGIAR diversify and stabilise its funding?
  • Discussion of RIMISP's synthesis paper.