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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. |
 Foundation Documents for the new CGIAR (approved December 2009)
This report includes: |
With great challenges come great opportunities. In 2008, the CGIAR launched its Change Management 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. |
- CGIAR Joint Declaration
- Consortium Constitution
- Framework for the CGIAR Fund
- M&E Framework for the New CGIAR
Information on the development of the CGIAR Fund
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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 Stragegy and Results Framework (SRF) 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 SRF and Mega Programs in partnership with stakeholders, including donors, partners and beneficiaries. Stakeholders will provide input into the formulation of the SRF through consultations and the biennial Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD).
The perspectives and priorities of end users such as farmers, forest and fishing communities, and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) are essential to the development and implementation of the SRF and Mega Programs, and are sought in various ways, in particular through the GCARD. The SRF will be endorsed by the Funders’ Forum, a biennial gathering of all contributors to the Fund. For more information on the development of the SRF, see “Towards a Strategy And Results Framework For the CGIAR”, or click here to read more on the Alliance website.
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 also provide shared services such as human resources, information technology, intellectual property management, and finance and procurement to streamline Center operations and reduce costs.
The Consortium will have a chief executive officer (CEO) and be governed by a Consortium Board. At the CGIAR Business Meeting 2009, the Alliance of CGIAR Centers announced the appointment of Carlos Pérez del Castillo as Chair and Bongiwe Nomandi Njobe and Carl Hausmann as co-Vice Chairs of the new Consortium Board. Click here for the news release. The Chair and Vice-Chairs will provide leadership, strategic direction, fund-raising support and be the ultimate authority for the newly-formed Consortium of CGIAR Centers. Once the Consortium Board is fully formed in early 2010, the search and selection process for the Consortium CEO will commence. The Consortium CEO is expected to be in office by mid 2010.
The Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) will primarily provide independent advice and expertise to the CGIAR through services to the Fund Council and in support of the Funders Forum, as well as serve as an intellectual bridge between CGIAR funders and implementers, thereby seeking to improve the productivity and quality of CGIAR science, catalyze the partnering of the Consortium and Centers with other institutions of international agricultural research, and support the CGIAR by serving as an honest broker in relevant international fora. The ISPC will also provide advice related to the SRF and the development of Mega Programs.
The diagram below depicts how the elements of the new CGIAR come together. The Consortium, Centers, all CGIAR funders and their respective partners share responsibility for managing toward outcomes that benefit the end users and meet the strategic objectives.
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.
A New Joint Declaration
At the CGIAR Business Meeting on 7-8 December 2009, in Washington DC, CGIAR Members unanimously endorsed a Joint Declaration (Dec 8 revised version is forthcoming soon) sets out key principles of the new CGIAR:
- A harmonized approach for supporting and conducting research through a dual structure, which consists of a Consortium of CGIAR Centers and a new CGIAR Fund
- Management for results in accordance with the Strategy and Results Framework (SRF) and portfolio of Mega Programs that derive from the SRF
- Effective governance and efficient operations for better provision and use of resources
- Strong collaboration and partnerships with and among funders, implementers, and users of SRF research as well as other external partners supporting the SRF
Next Steps
The CGIAR will now enter into a new chapter as the agreed changes to its structures and processes are implemented. The Transition Management Team will disband having fulfilled its task of leading the change process up to this stage. Implementation of the reforms will take place throughout 2010, led by the Consortium Board and Fund Council. An overview of key events in 2010, presented at the CGIAR 2009 Business Meeting, is provided below (subject to further changes).
More updates and details
For further details, read the 2008 full reform proposal, CGIAR 2009 Business Meeting Documents, and Embracing Change e-newsletters. Please also visit the Change Management blog for further updates, and watch A Revitalized CGIAR: The Video, a five-minute video explaining the key features of the CGIAR reform model.
page last udpated January 11, 2010
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