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Revitalizing the CGIAR to do More and do Better
| Rural communities across the developing world are challenged today as never before. Volatile food prices, increasingly extreme weather arising from climate change, and the global financial crisis compound the obstacles they face. Economic growth in middle-income countries is spurring demand for food, while readily available arable land on which to grow more food is scarcer than ever and supplies of water and other natural resources are increasingly strained. The need has never been greater for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to effectively fill its role as a provider of science-based solutions for agriculture, natural resource management and rural development. |
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With great challenges come great opportunities. In 2008, the CGIAR launched its Change Initiative to identify how best to adapt to and anticipate these global changes and challenges and thereby ensure the continued supply of international public goods to help address them. This initiative culminated in the CGIAR’s decision in December 2008 to adopt a new business model that will enable the CGIAR do more and do better, as it fulfills its mandate to fight poverty and hunger while conserving the environment.
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A New Model for the CGIAR
Guided by a new vision and three people-centered strategic objectives (see box on left), the agreed reforms will strengthen the CGIAR by establishing a results-oriented research agenda, clarifying accountability across the System, and streamlining governance and programs for greater efficiency. Taking a more programmatic approach than in the past, research will be conducted through “mega-programs” that bring CGIAR scientists and partners together to address critical issues and deliver international public goods that advance global development objectives.
The core elements of the new CGIAR will be the Fund and the Consortium of the CGIAR Centers. The Fund will harmonize donor contributions to improve the quality and quantity of funding available, engender greater financial stability, and reverse the trend toward restricted funding. The Consortium will unite the Centers under one legal entity and provide a single entry point for the Fund to contract Centers and other partners for research products.
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A common strategy and results framework will lend coherence to the new structure and guide the development of a portfolio of mega-programs. The Consortium will take the lead in developing the strategy and results framework and mega-programs in partnership with stakeholders, including donors, partners and beneficiaries. Stakeholders will provide input into the formulation of the strategy and results framework through consultations and the biennial Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development.
The strategy and results framework will be endorsed by the Funders’ Forum, a biennial gathering of all contributors to the Fund. The representative Fund Council will meet more frequently, twice a year, to make decisions on behalf of all donors. Fund donors will be able to designate their funds in one of three ways: unrestricted funding to the entire CGIAR program portfolio, programmatic funding for one or more mega-programs, and institutional funding for one or more Centers.
The Consortium and Fund will enter into program performance contracts for the delivery of research through the portfolio of mega-programs. The Consortium will contract Centers and partners in turn to implement the research. These new contractual arrangements will strengthen accountability and the delivery of research results. Independent evaluation of the programs and the system will take place periodically.
The Consortium will have a chief executive officer (CEO) and be governed by a professional board. It will provide shared services such as human resources, information technology, intellectual property management, and finance and procurement to streamline Center operations and reduce costs.
The Independent Science and Partnership Council will provide advice related to the strategy and results framework and the development of mega-programs. The diagram depicts how the elements of the new CGIAR come together.
Where’s the Change?
The new model will bring significant changes to the CGIAR System. Separating the “doers” from the “funders,” the new model will establish clear and distinct roles for research management and research supporters. Clarified roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes will strengthen accountability across the System, and the implementation of research through contractual relationships will put greater emphasis on results on the ground.
The strategy and results framework and programmatic approach will harmonize Centers’ research agendas and strengthen their collaboration for greater efficiency and development impact. A more open System will cultivate new, stronger and more dynamic partnerships to generate high-quality research outputs and develop research institutions in beneficiary countries. The new model will foster an exciting research environment that will attract the best scientists from around the world. Most importantly, the new CGIAR will better meet the needs of poor farmers, fishers, herders and consumers throughout the world.
Implementing the New CGIAR
The CGIAR reforms are being implemented over the course of 2009, with the new CGIAR expected to be operational in 2010. CGIAR Members have appointed the Transition Management Team to oversee the transitional phase and bring about the agreed reforms.
For further details, read the full proposal and the Embracing Change e-newsletters, visit the blog or watch A Revitalized CGIAR: The Video, a five-minute video explaining the key features of the reform model.
page last udpated June 12, 2009
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