CGIAR has ambitious development and environmental targets for its research and has committed to taking responsibility for not just producing research outputs, but also to ensure their use and to produce outcomes. These targets, known as System Level Outcomes or SLOs are: reduced rural poverty; improved food security; improved nutrition and health, and sustainably managed natural resources.
Many CGIAR Research Programs are working back from these SLOs to develop a theory for change or impact pathway which shows the research requirements. The SLOs are generic targets and CGIAR is currently considering creating more specific and measurable Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs) as part of its SRF Action Plan to mark the progress from research to outcomes. IDOs could also provide a measurement of progress and ambition which can be used for a Consortium Performance Management System. This would be a radical change in which payment is made for results and incentives are provided for over achieving.
The implementation of these changes would mark another step in the transformation of CGIAR and were the focus of a meeting of the Science Leaders (CRP leaders and DDGs Research) which took place in Montpellier from the 13-14th September 2012.
Working together will enable the changes to be implemented in a more efficient and effective manner. One major outcome of the meeting was the creation of working groups to provide guidance for the Consortium in the development of the Performance Management System (including the development of the IDOs). One working group will continue to develop the Strategy and Results Framework (SRF) Action Plan, particularly providing guidance on the development of IDOs, the factors to be used in CRP level prioritization — and how they should relate to system level prioritization.
Of particular interest is the agreement on IDOs which are common to more than one CGIAR Research Program (CRP). This will enable CGIAR to report on collated progress rather than in its previous, somewhat ‘fragmented’ manner. Common IDOs are likely to be based on common research areas or cross cutting issues; these were also discussed at the meeting (as they are progressing in parallel) and include:
- A Gender Performance Fund which hopes to boost gender research and show what CGIAR can do by 2014-15, will be allocated next year on the basis of CRP gender strategies and workplans.
- Agrobiodiversity has not been mainstreamed in all CRPs, resulting in a transition year in which a fund will be made available to all relevant CRPs, enabling them to increase their capacity prior to mainstreaming in future years.
- Data and Knowledge Management, which was the focus of a meeting held on the two days preceding the Science Leaders Meeting
A capacity building working group was also agreed to identify where there is a benefit to collective action and if appropriate establish across CRP network of leaders in capacity building in a similar manner to the gender network.
To illustrate the net return on investment in CGIAR research, progress needs to be made at the planning of the CGIAR Research Portfolio, as well as at an individual CGIAR Research Program (CRP) level. A first step has been made with the 2011 CRP annual progress report but the meeting agreed that this system needed to be improved.
The final working group established was to guide the development of the Performance Management System which will link with the work on the IDOs. Therefore it will only be able to pilot its work in 2013 with the full system being implemented in 2014.
CGIAR cannot achieve IDOs by itself. That is why CRPs have established partnerships and the quality of these partnerships will be critical to the success of CRPs. To support thinking on partnerships, a separate working group is developing and implementing a partnership perception study to review improvements to CGIAR partnerships. This will be officially launched at GCARD next month.
While the Science Leaders plan to meet annually, the working groups will meet more often, either virtually or face-to-face. We will keep you posted on their progress.