Creating Jobs in Samoa Through Public-Private Partnerships

Samoa’s achievement in contracting out to the private sector the functions of its Public Works Department (PWD) is one of the most successful reforms to upgrade infrastructure; improve the effectiveness of public expenditure; and increase the overall employment, productivity, and capacity in a Pacific island economy in the past 20 years. The reform has resulted in the establishment of nearly 30 new Samoan road construction and maintenance companies. Directly and indirectly, the reform has led to the creation of more than 2,000 new jobs, making this a prime example of the power of public–private partnerships to promote economic development and increase employment.1 Prior to the reform, much of this work was undertaken inefficiently by the PWD, or by foreign companies under contract. All construction and maintenance in Samoa is now outsourced to Samoan companies, which are sufficiently productive and cost-effective that foreign firms now struggle to compete

Report of the Third Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the third meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee, held at CIMMYT headquarters in El Batán, Mexico, August 19-20, 1996. The Committee had a discussion of common interests with the TAC Chairman. It reviewed the results of a survey of the IARCs. It appointed a working group to prepare a statement of the private sector perspective on the status and needs of global agricultural research The Committee agreed in principle to hold a private sector summit on agricultural research, to be further considered at the next meeting. The mission statement for the Committee was revised, and would also be further considered.Agenda document, CGIAR International Centers Week, October-November 1996

Report of the Fifth Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the fifth meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee, held in London, March 31-April 2, 1997 and chaired by Andreas Büchting and Assia Alaoui. Matters discussed included funding cuts and staff reductions at ICRISAT and IRRI, a draft paper on a private sector perspective of agricultural research, plans for the third CGIAR System Review, and the possibility of raising the level of CGIAR investment in biotechnology. The Committee also discussed means of increasing awareness of the CGIAR and its activities in the private sector, including preliminary preparations for a high level conference with selected representatives of that sector. Committee members described their visits to various centers.Agenda document, CGIAR Mid Term Meeting, May 1997

Report of the Eleventh Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the eleventh meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee held at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. on conjunction with ICW 99, chaired by Sam Dryden. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Director General of IFPRI and incoming chair of the CDC, participated. The Committee discussed its role as revised by the system review process. Members agreed that it should provide policy advice to the CGIAR based on members' experience of private sector views and practices. The theme for the meeting was The Impending Impasse in Advanced Breeding and the Use of Proprietary Technology. Discussion utilized an ISNAR survey of proprietary science. The concern was that centers could face litigation if the properly licensed use of proprietary technologies was in question. There might also be a contributory infringement problem for donors. The public debate on biotechnology, and the danger that center application of advanced methods would be impeded was also discussed. A number of ways to overcome the impasse were explored, but each had some flaws.The Committee urged a complete inventory of center use of proprietary technology, and determination of ownership and the actions needed to permit dissemination of products. The planned high level dialogue between the CGIAR Chairman and major CEOs might help. The CGIAR could assist the private sector by providing public endorsements for biotechnology products. The Committee accepted a USAID invitation to cosponsor a workshop with IRRI and others on the impact of IPR on rice research.Agenda document, CGIAR International Centers Week, October, 1999

Report of the Thirteenth Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the thirteenth meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee, held in Washington on October 21-22, 2000, just prior to ICW 2000, Sam Dryden presiding. CGIAR Chairman Ian Johnson joined the meeting for an hour. He reiterated the imperative need for public/private partnerships. Dryden spoke of private sector perspectives and questions about the concept of global public goods and their relation to germplasm improvement activities at CGIAR Centers. World Bank representative Shawki Barghouti briefed the Committee on Bank plans for a high level policy dialogue with the private sector on new agricultural technologies and their significance to the global development agenda. The Committee discussed the future governance and organization of the CGIAR. It favored regional priority setting, and suggested changes needed to implement that approach. Use of consultants was suggested. Other items on the agenda were the future role of the Committee, the need to educate the public on the importance of germplasm improvement, and the review of plant breeding in the CGIAR. The Chairman briefed the CGIAR meeting on the work of the committee, and this written report was circulated as part of the summary report of ICW 2000

Comments of the Private Sector Committee on the CGIAR System Review Report

The response of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee to the third CGIAR system review. The comments deal with the importance of CGIAR collaboration with the private sector, and the mechanisms for ensuring collaboration. They urge definitional clarity, particularly of responsibilities, and urge the creation of a central legal/policy body for areas that define the operation of the system as a whole. The Committee finds the report lacking in concrete and realistic priorities, and urges more direct attention to the problems of Africa. It believes that the private sector may provide resources to the CGIAR in cases of mutual benefit, but doubts that companies will become members.Agenda document, CGIAR International Centers Week 1998

Report of the Second Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the second meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee (PSC) held at ISNAR, the Hague, April 29-30, 1996. Issues discussed included the role of the committee in the CGIAR and its representation at CGIAR meetings, biotechnology, intellectual property rights relating to genetic resources, implications of the international public goods nature of CGIAR technology outputs, and international cooperation in genetic resources conservation. Agenda document, CGIAR Mid Term Meeting, May 1996

Report of the Twelfth Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the twelfth meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee, held in Dresden, Germany just prior to the CGIAR Mid Term Meeting 2000, Chairman Sam Dryden presiding. The Committee met separately with the CGIAR Chairman and the TAC Chairman.The discussion was devoted largely to the TAC vision paper and its companion paper on priority research and related activity themes. The Committee encouraged proposals for development of a framework for project portfolio management, formation of technology partnerships with advanced research institutions, regional approaches to research planning, and the establishment of an independent body to handle intellectual property issues.Dryden reported on an international forum organized by CIMMYT in Tlaxcala, Mexico on making proprietary technologies available to subsistence farmers. Other topics were forms of possible interaction between the private sector and the CGIAR, and methods of diversifying the public discussion of biotechnology and its application to developing countries

Report of the Seventh Meeting of the CGIAR Private Sector Committee

Report of the seventh meeting of the CGIAR private Sector Committee held in Washington, D.C. October 25-26, 1997 in connection with ICW97, chaired by Andreas Büchting. The meeting included a session with the Chairman of the CGIAR. Discussion focused mainly on the role of the committee, and its future agenda. Topics identified were biotechnology, models of partnerships with private sector firms, and scientist to scientist partnerships. It was decided that there were more suitable sponsors for a proposed conference of private sector leaders. The committee could play a supporting role.The chairman reported orally on this meeting to ICW97, and the written report was distributed later