I am pleased to introduce the first issue of Embracing Change in 2010.  Throughout 2010 the newsletter will feature different perspectives about the change initiative from across the wider community of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and provide updates on the reform process as we implement key elements of the new CGIAR.

This edition includes a statement from Carlos Pérez del Castillo, the new Chair of the Board of the Consortium of CGIAR Centers. With a long history of successful public service in both international and national organizations, Carlos brings to us valuable knowledge and expertise, which will serve the Consortium well in its initial implementation and beyond. I encourage you to watch the filmed interview to learn more about Carlos and what he sees as priorities for the Consortium over the next few months.

A Message from Carlos Pérez del Castillo

As the new Chair of the Board of the Consortium of CGIAR Centers, I am pleased to share with you some reflections on the challenges we face and to report on recent progress with the reforms that will enable us to confront them more effectively. First, though, I want tell you about what motivated me to take on the role of Consortium Board Chair. I believe that agricultural research is fundamental for finding solutions to the central global challenges of our time – food insecurity, climate change and persistent poverty.

Now that agriculture has been restored to its rightful place on the international development agenda, the CGIAR has an opportunity to demonstrate the value of research in addressing these challenges, based on its strong record of delivering value for money. I am committed to helping the CGIAR seize this opportunity, so that it can enter a new era of even greater success. 

In the face of today’s complex global problems, we need to find global solutions through collective action. Funders are eager to invest more in the CGIAR, but they clearly want us to get our house in order. We cannot continue with business as usual. The changes we are implementing today are essential for our success tomorrow.

Together, we will define a long-term, results-oriented research strategy, which should result in greater development impact on the ground. By bringing the Centers together, the Consortium will enhance the potential of their research, while reducing transaction costs and fostering a better policy environment through effective advocacy with a unified and strong voice. I am committed to leading the establishment of the new Consortium and to ensuring that it delivers clear benefits, which better position the Centers to do what they do best – international agricultural research.

Since accepting this position in December, I have immersed myself in the details of the CGIAR and of the reform process now under way. I have met with funders, Center directors, the Alliance Chairs, members of the Fund Trustee and Office, and many of our partners to develop a solid understanding of this initiative and of its origins. In February, I attended a workshop on the development of the Strategy and Results Framework and the portfolio of Mega Programs as well as the first Fund Council Meeting.

The full Consortium Board is now in place, and we held our first meeting March 1-3 in Nairobi. We focused our discussions on development of the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega Programs, defining the criteria by which program proposals will be evaluated and selected. We defined critical next steps on other key issues as well, including recruitment of the Consortium CEO and selection of a location for the Consortium Office. We set up four task forces to oversee those and other issues, and we assigned responsibilities among ourselves for visits to Centers and donors.

In just a few weeks, at the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development, we will obtain from our partners, especially representatives of national agricultural research systems and farmers groups, valuable further input to our Strategy and Results Framework. The success of our work hinges on our ability to work closely with them in delivering research results.

As we move forward, we need to act in the best interests of the CGIAR as a whole, with the Consortium and Fund working in close collaboration to deliver on our commitment to a renewed and rebalanced partnership. I have been involved in institutional reform before, and I have no illusions that this will be easy. The process is complex, and it will take strong commitment from all of us – including Centers, funders and national partners – to make it work. I look forward to working with all of you as we implement the approved changes in the CGIAR.

Carlos Pérez del Castillo
Chair of the Board of the Consortium of the CGIAR Centers

To learn more about Pérez del Castillo’s vision for the new CGIAR, click here to watch an interview during the first Consortium Board meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Strategy and Results Framework

The Alliance of CGIAR Centers during recent weeks advanced development of the Strategy and Results Framework and initial portfolio of Mega Programs. An important Alliance workshop was held February 9-12 in Rome. A team of Deputy Directors for Research from the Centers met just before this event to examine how to define impacts and outcomes in the Strategy and Results Framework and to consider the Mega Program portfolio as an organizational framework as well as potential activities within each Mega Program.

During the workshop, the Alliance discussed key themes with partners, who provided important feedback. Particularly useful were insights from the authors drafting a report on transforming agricultural research for development in preparation for the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD), to be held March 28-31 in Montpellier, France.

One message from the discussions was that international agricultural research should be better positioned within the wider framework of the partnerships and actions needed to achieve development impact. Another important outcome was agreement on regional priorities, as expressed by the authors of the global synthesis as well as in the Global Forum for Agricultural Research and Alliance strategic planning process.

Subsequently, the Strategy and Results Framework team briefed the Fund Council on progress in developing the Framework and Mega Programs to help guide their further development (more on this below). Feedback from the Fund Council was incorporated into a revised Strategy and Results Framework and initial set of Mega Programs, which will be presented for discussion with donors and partners at the forthcoming GCARD and informal donor consultation on April 1. Their feedback will inform the final version of the Strategy and Results Framework, which will go to the Consortium Board for approval at its meeting May 23-25 and subsequently to the Funders Forum for endorsement on July 15.

Inaugural Fund Council Meeting

Carlos Pérez del Castillo, Chair of the Consortium Board, attended the meeting as an observer and provided the Council with an update on progress in establishing the Consortium and refining the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega Program portfolio in the next few months. The day after the meeting, donors met with members of the Strategy and Results Framework team for an informal briefing on progress with the Framework and the portfolio of Mega Programs. Donors emphasized the importance of including a gender platform as part of the Framework and urged that a few Mega Programs be “fast tracked” for development, so they can be approved within 2010.  Importantly, donors emphasized that fast tracking some Mega Programs would not jeopardize the successful approval and funding of subsequent Mega Program proposals.

Donors emphasized that the Framework Team needs to accelerate its work and demonstrate clear progress to maintain donor support and momentum for the new CGIAR. They urged that a finalized Strategy and Results Framework and initial set-up of Mega Programs be provided to the Consortium Board in time for consideration at its next meeting, in May. Subsequently, the Funders Forum will be held in July to enable CGIAR donors to review and endorse the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega Program portfolio. Mega Program proposals will then be put forward to the Fund Council, which anticipates approving some fast tracked Mega Program proposals within the final quarter of 2010.

An informal donor consultation will take place on April 1 following the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development to provide further input and feedback to the Framework team. The consultation will help to advance the development of the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega Programs to the next stage where they will become operational.

Consortium Board Meeting

Dealing first with the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega Programs, the Board urged that the Framework be ready for discussion at the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development. It also defined the criteria by which the Board will evaluate proposals for Mega Programs and select a few of these to fast-track.

Turning to the recruitment of the Consortium CEO, the Board formed a Search and Selection Task Force and agreed to hire a consultant to support this process. In other deliberations, the Board emphasized the importance of communications and agreed on several steps to ensure that Consortium communications are frequent and informative, solicit feedback from our many stakeholders, and help bring the wider CGIAR community together in a shared vision.

Regarding where the Consortium Office will be located, the Board narrowed the field to five locations – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Delhi, India; Montpellier, France; Nairobi, Kenya; and Rome, Italy - and designed a procedure for taking a final decision, which will be based on consultations at the highest levels of government. The Board also reviewed the proposed design of the Consortium Office as well as its work plan and budget. Its next meeting, May 23-25, will focus particularly on the SRF and MP.

The Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development

The Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development will convene experts in agricultural research for development, including World Food Prize Laureates, government ministers, farmers, community development experts and leading scientists in Montpellier, France, March 28-31, 2010. To be held every 2 years, the event is being organized by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research. It is a key consultation event for engaging end users such as farmers, forest and fishing communities, and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in the development of the research program.

The Global Conference draws inspiration from recent major summits and reviews, including the L’Aquila G8 Joint Statement of Global Food Security in July 2009, which called for strengthening and refocusing agricultural innovation around the world. It aims to create a framework for the global agricultural research and development architecture, which is based on development outcomes and provides inputs into the Strategy and Results Framework and portfolio of Mega Programs. The GCARD will provide important input into the finalization of the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega Programs. A session on March 30 will be dedicated to consideration of the proposed programmatic themes in the Strategy and Results Framework.

During 2009, the priorities of those engaged in agriculture were identified by regional reviews, an electronic survey, open electronic consultations and face-to-face meetings in West Asia, the Asia Pacific region, Central Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 1,000 participants provided inputs to the process; analyses of these have identified regional research needs and changes needed in research and extension systems.

A team of internationally recognized consultants is producing a synthesis of all the regional analyses that takes into account outputs of major recent global reviews and conferences. This synthesis will provide a global picture of needs and issues common across the regions. The global team is composed of lead authors Uma Lele, Jules Pretty, Eugene Terry and Eduardo Trigo working with the authors of the regional analyses. The global synthesis, scheduled to be released in time for GCARD, will bring together the outcomes of discussions and analyses held both before and during the Global Conference and will distinguish changes required in agricultural research for development. The global synthesis and regional analyses together should provide a road map for driving forward the reform and for re-orienting agricultural research and innovation pathways around the world.

• Click here for a window on the regional consultations that preceded the Global Conference.

• The GCARD blog will feature regular updates before, during and after the Global Conference, including photos, videos, podcasts and interviews with spokespersons and other participants in Montpellier.

• The GCARD Newsletter will share important and relevant news about the Global Conference outcomes and next steps. Subscribe at: egfar-webmaster@fao.org.

GCARD on Twitter features alerts about event updates leading up to the Global Conference. During the Conference, it will provide news on what is happening

Upcoming Events 2010

Learn More About the Change Initiative

Visit the CGIAR Change Management Website where you can find more materials about the change.