Status of Reviews

This report was discussed at the 84th meeting of the iSC in June 2003. It provides an update on the implementation of External Reviews of Centres and a proposal for the evaluation processes within the CGIA

Changing Monitoring and Evaluation in the CGIAR System

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Progress Report on Regional Approach to Research

At AGM 2001, TAC presented to the Group a Progress Report on Regional Approach to Research (SDR/TAC:IAR/01/32) which recorded progress achieved during2001 in the implementation of Plank 4 of the new CGIAR vision and strategy endorsed atICW 2000. The progress report highlighted the action taken by GFAR, regional andsubregional organizations and CGIAR Centres to facilitate regional consultation processes to establish a regional approach to research priority setting and implementation for the CGIAR and NARS as envisaged by Plank 4. It also recorded the steps taken by TAC, in collaboration with GFAR, national and regional institutions and CGIAR Centres, to facilitate the implementation of the Group’s decision at ICW’00 for piloting an experimental bottom-up, priority setting approach in the Central America sub-region. In support of the regional approach to research, TAC prepared or commissioned several documents during 2001 and shared them with the Group at MTM 2001 and AGM 2001. These are summarized in Section 2.This progress report (SDR/iSC:IAR/02/27) of the iSC to AGM 2002 records the actiontaken by TAC/iSC and developments since AGM 2001 in further facilitating the regionalapproach to research in the CGIAR. This is described in Sections 3 and 4. The report endswith Section 5 which offers some concluding remarks and suggestions about the future.This report was discussed at the stakeholder meeting at AGM02, agenda item 7.2 annexes are catalogued separately

Report to the Annual General Meeting of the CGIAR from the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA) of the Interim Science Council

This is the last report from the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA) to the CGIAR annual meeting. It provides a picture of its activities from 2001 to 2002 and it offers suggestions for maintining continuity and an active program during the transition to a new impact assessment entity. The report discusses the Environmental Impact Study, the Germpalsm Improvement Impact Study, training evaluation and impact assessment, impacts of the CGIAR on poverty alleviation. The report also discusses the future of impact assessment.This report was discussed at the business meeting at AGM02

Consultations Toward Defining Priorities for the CGIAR : A Preliminary Report Submitted by iSC to AGM 2003

This report represents the progress report on CGIAR priority setting process by the interim Science Council to AGM03. The report was discussed at the Stakeholder Meeting 2003, under agenda item 5

Report of the Fifth External Programme and Management Review of IPGRI

The Fifth External Programme and Management Review of IPGRI was conducted by a Panel chaired by Dr. Mike Gale of the John Innes Institute, UK. The Review Report and IPGRI's Board and Management Response to the Report were discussed by iSC at its 84th Meeting at FAO in Rome, Italy, in June 2003. The Report is accompanied by two attachments. The first contains the Response of IPGRI to the Panel Report. The second is the iSC Commentary, which summarizes iSC's reaction to the Panel's Report and to the Response of IPGRI's Board and Management. The Report is highly complimentary of IPGRI’s many achievements and the Centre was found to be steadily growing in terms of finances, staff and programmes. It also noted that the steady growth in programmes has to be matched by appropriate adjustments in the Institute’s governance and management systems and procedures.This report was presented during the Business Meeting at AGM 2003

Report of the First External Review of the System-Wide Programme on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRI)

The review was commissioned by the interim Science Council and chaired by John Bruce, from the World Bank. A small Panel of three persons, which met for two days while the rest of the work was carried out virtually, conducted the review. The Panel Report was considered by the interim Science Council at its 83rd meeting held at FAO/IPGRI, Headquarters in Rome, August 2002. The Report was discussed in the presence of CAPRi Coordinator,Ruth Meinzen-Dick and the then Director General of IFPRI, Per Pinstrup- Andersen.The Panel report is accompanied by two attachments. The first contains the iSC commentary, which summarises iSC’s views onthe Panel report and on the joint response of CAPRi Steering Committee and IFPRI’s management. The report states that CAPRi has been an effective and productive programme considering its small funding base. The programme successfully managed competitive grants employing an independent peer review mechanism. Also, CAPRi developed a conceptual framework which shows how property rights and collective action affect the adoption of agricultural technologies and natural resource management practices.The iSC agrees with CAPRi’s decision not to aspire to become a Challenge Programme. Nevertheless, CAPRi is expected to contribute in several of the prospective Challenge Programmes. The Review Panel concluded in this report that CAPRi’s thematic foci are highly relevant to the CGIAR’s goals of sustainably increasing production through technology adoption. Furthermore, the strategies, criteria and instruments used to implement its activities have worked efficiently with low transaction costs. Two ingredients for CAPRi’s success have been transparency and participation. This report was discussed during the business meeting at AGM02

Report from iSC's Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA)

This is the last report to the CGIAR's interim Science Council from the current Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA). In addition to providing a summary of activities and progress during 2002-03, this report also provides SPIA's suggestions for maintaining continuity and an active programme during the transition to the new SPIA under the Science Council

Report of the First External Review of the Systemwide Programme on Integrated Pest Management (SP-IPM)

This is the first external review of the systemwide programme on Integrated Pest Management. The two members of the review panel were Dr. Andrew Gutierrez and Hermann Waibel. The first part of the report sets the scence for the SP-IPM. Major trends in pests with a world-wide dimension are studied as well as results of studies of crop losses on the global level and overall trends in pesticide use and at the institutional and policy situation as it affects IPM. Part 2 answers the questions as formulated in the TORs. Part 3 goes beyond the TORs and the panel argues for a future structure of SP- IPM as a programme with a technical and a policy dimension on the global level. This report was discussed at the 82nd meeting of TAC in Lima, Peru

Report of the Fifth External Programme and Management Review of CIP

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