Session guide: International agricultural research: Organization and management
Reading note: International agricultural research: Organization and management
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DATE |
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Plenary participatory lecture |
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TRAINER |
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OBJECTIVES
At the end of this session, participants should have:
1. Developed an overview of how international agricultural research is organized under the umbrella of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.2. Acquired an understanding of the organization, financing, and management of international agricultural research centres.
3. Developed an appreciation for networking arrangements which link international agricultural research centres with national agricultural research systems.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
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Exhibit 1 |
CGIAR Centres and their research focus |
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Exhibit 2 |
IARCs - Objectives |
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Exhibit 3 |
Common features of IARCs |
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Exhibit 4 |
Organization of IARCs |
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Exhibit 5 |
Qualities of a Centre Director |
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Exhibit 6 |
Organization of research |
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Exhibit 7 |
Organization of research programmes |
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Exhibit 8 |
Research programmes |
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Exhibit 9 |
Networking arrangement |
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Exhibit 10 |
Review and monitoring |
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Exhibit 11 |
Impact of international agricultural research |
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Exhibit 12 |
Unique characteristics of IARCs |
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Exhibit 13 |
Agenda for the future |
BACKGROUND READING
Reading note: International agricultural research: Organization and management
RECOMMENDED READING
1. CGIAR [Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research]. 1991. Review of CGIAR Priorities and Strategies, Part I.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AND AIDS
Overhead projector and chalkboard
Initiate discussion by asking participants whether they are familiar with how international agricultural research is organized, and with how it is linked with NARS. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is the major agency for international agricultural research. Show EXHIBIT 1 and discuss the establishment of the CGIAR and the various international agricultural research centres (IARCs) under it.
CGIAR was established in 1971. In its early years it focused on improving the productivity of crops important in the diets of low-income people in developing countries. Initially, top priority was given to research on cereals, particularly rice and wheat, which are the most important food staples. Attention was also given to food legumes and ruminant livestock for their potential to improve the quality of diets, and to starchy foods for their potential in terms of energy supply per hectare. Gradually, the commodity base was broadened. Besides commodity-oriented research, the need for policy research systems was recognized. Observe that the CGIAR system is only one component in the global agricultural research system and commands only a fraction of its resources. The CGIAR system has to be very selective in choosing among the many demands for agricultural research. CGIAR has played primarily a gap-filling and bridging role in agricultural research. As a publicly funded, international entity, CGIAR tries to identify themes and opportunities where individual national programmes have little incentive to make a major commitment, either because of economies of scale or because the spillover effects are so large that they cannot be captured by them. The principal role of CGIAR is to strengthen the work of national programmes by undertaking activities that are complementary and non-competitive.
Show EXHIBIT 2 and discuss the objectives of IARCs. Their aim is to improve productivity in subsistence agriculture. The specialization and main activities of each of these research centres should be discussed to demonstrate their wide coverage. The common features (summarized in EXHIBIT 3) of these centres are:
· they aim to fulfil a global or regional mandate through sharply focused research on one or a few commodities or problems of importance;· they carry out all forms of research, viz. basic (strategic), applied and adaptive;
· they aim to have a catalytic effect on NARS;
· they employ internationally qualified professional staff; and
· they are financially supported and monitored by CGIAR, yet exercise full autonomy in matters of management and organization of research within their overall mandates.
Next discuss the organization and management of IARCs (EXHIBIT 4). Although these centres have an umbilical cord relationship with CGIAR, their mandate is specific. Their management is left to either a board of trustees or a governing board. The Director General (DG) of each Centre is the key person with management responsibilities, and has to possess several qualities (EXHIBIT 5) in order to efficiently manage a centre. Some centres use committee mechanisms for functions such as budgeting and finance, programme and research planning, or technology transfer. Organizational structures vary from Centre to Centre, but are oriented heavily towards scientific work.
For research programmes, most IARCs with a specific applied crop or animal production mandate have an experimental station, with research laboratory, library and research support facilities. Show EXHIBIT 6. Research work is organized either through interdisciplinary commodity research programmes, in which disciplinary units work as teams, or according to disciplinary functional considerations, as in single commodity research centres. In multicommodity IARCs, research is organized into various commodity research programmes, involving plant breeders, geneticists, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, etc. Special services are provided through functional and administrative units.
Next discuss EXHIBITS 7 and 8. Research programmes are organized in the form of either projects or thrusts. The key to successful research is sharply focused objectives, supportive organizational structures, resource allocations to achieve goals, and monitoring. The criteria for project selection are:
· scientific significance and feasibility of seeking a solution and its likely effect in other scientific fields;· originality and technical soundness of the proposal;
· availability of facilities and support required; and
· professional standing of scientists.
Discuss networking arrangements. Observe that networking is collaboration. It is an outreach programme of the IARCs with other research institutes, both within the ecological region and further afield. Show EXHIBIT 9. Networking links individuals or institutions with a shared purpose into some sort of collaborative effort. Networking is cost effective since it avoids duplication, makes best use of available resources, and helps focus systematically on critical research issues.
Discuss the review and monitoring system and its importance in the CGIAR (EXHIBIT 10). Reviews consist of:
· annual consideration of budget and programmes of each centre;· periodic internal reviews by the centre staff;
· periodic External Programme Reviews (EPRs) commissioned by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC);
· periodic External Management Reviews (EMRs) instituted by CGIAR; and
· ad hoc studies.
As a result of these reviews, there have been significant changes in the organization, structure, quality, perceptions, administration and research environments of IARCs. The overall thrust has been towards highly dynamic, professionally sound and efficient administrative systems.
Show EXHIBIT 11 to discuss the impact of IARCs. Their mission has been to improve productivity, with emphasis on agricultural food crops in tropical environments. Discuss their achievement in increasing production by nearly 50 million t/year as a result of the introduction of dwarf HYVs of wheat and rice. IARCs have a symbiotic relationship with NARS, complementing their efforts and stimulating them to interdisciplinary teamwork. More specifically, IARCs have provided contacts, specialized services, genetic material and breeding technologies. High quality professional association, channels for exchange of germplasm, provision of genetic materials, broadening the horizon of breeders and transferring breeding technology to encourage applied research are now well recognized as important contributions of IARCs.
The success of CGIAR can be attributed to clearly defined, mission-oriented, high priority objectives, implemented by professional staff. For instance, the effectiveness of IARCs in varietal crop improvement programmes has been due to a well-thought-out strategic approach (EXHIBIT 12). It must be clearly accepted that, in the final analysis, the impact of IARCs depends mostly on the strengths of the NARS; without strong NARS, IARCs' impacts would be limited.
Before concluding the session, discuss future trends in international agricultural research (EXHIBIT 12). The 'Agenda for the Future' should include:
· basic strategic research in the commodities of common interest, beyond the cereals;
· research into production in unfavourable ecological conditions or stress environments;
· second-generation problems;
· post-harvest technology for value addition; and
· efforts to maximize returns from biological research.
EXHIBIT 1
THE IARCs OF THE CGIAR AND THEIR FOCUS
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IARC |
FULL TITLE, AND MAIN FOCUS |
DATE FOUNDED1 & HEADQUARTERS | |
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CIAT |
Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical |
1967 | |
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Crop improvement and improving agriculture in the lowland tropics of Latin America, focusing on Phaseolus and other beans, rice, cassava, forages and pastures. |
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CIFOR |
Centre for International Forestry Research |
1992 | |
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CIMMYT |
Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Máiz y Trigo |
1966 | |
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Crop improvement, with a focus on wheat, maize, barley and triticale. |
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CIP |
Centro Internacional de la Papa |
1971 | |
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Potato and sweet potato improvement |
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ICARDA |
International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas |
1976 | |
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Improvement of farming systems for North Africa and West Asia, focusing on wheat barley, chick-pea, lentil, pasture legumes and small ruminants |
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ICLARM |
International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management |
1977 | |
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ICRAF |
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry |
1978 | |
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ICRISAT |
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics |
1972 | |
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IFPRI |
International Food Policy Research Institute |
1975 | |
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IIMI |
International Irrigation Management Institute |
1984 | |
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IITA |
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture |
1967 | |
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ILRI |
International Livestock Research Institute |
1995 | |
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INIBAP |
International Network for the Improvement of Bananas and Plantain |
1984 | |
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IPGRI |
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute |
1976 | |
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IRRI |
International Rice Research Institute |
1960 | |
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ISNAR |
International Service for National Agricultural Research |
1979 | |
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WARDA |
West Africa Rice Development Association |
1971 | |
1. Date originally founded; not necessarily the date of entry into the CGIAR system.
EXHIBIT 2
INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRES (IARCs)
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OBJECTIVES To solve problems of subsistence agriculture through multidisciplinary scientific research aimed at increasing agricultural productivity. This has the effect of: |
EXHIBIT 3
COMMON FEATURES OF IARCs
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BROAD THEMATIC MANDATE · Autonomous organizations |
EXHIBIT 4
THE CGIAR RELATIONSHIP
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES |
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BOARD OF GOVERNORS |
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DIRECTOR GENERAL |
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SCIENTIFIC STAFF |
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ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF |
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COMMITTEE MECHANISM |
EXHIBIT 5
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QUALITIES OF A CENTRE DIRECTOR |
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SCIENTIFIC LEADER |
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DIPLOMAT |
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PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT |
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ENTREPRENEUR |
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MANAGER |
EXHIBIT 6
ORGANIZATION OF RESEARCH
EXHIBIT 7
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FACTORS AFFECTING SUCCESS OF RESEARCH |
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PRIORITIZATION |
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SHARPLY FOCUSED OBJECTIVES |
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES |
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RESOURCE ALLOCATION |
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MONITORING |
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REVIEWS |
EXHIBIT 8
RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
* PROJECTS
* THRUSTS
* SELECTION CRITERIA:
- Scientific significance
- Feasibility of a scientific answer
- Opportunities for scientific investigation
- Reputation(s) of the scientist(s)
- Availability of facilities and support
- Originality and technical soundness
- Effects on other scientific fields
EXHIBIT 9
NETWORKING ARRANGEMENT
* Linkages with NARS for:
- Collaborative research
- Location-specific research
- Evaluation and adaptation of technology
* Models of networking
* Advantages:
- Cost effective
- Participative
- Collaborative
- Flexibility in use of resources
* Difficulty:
- Commitment of substantial funds
EXHIBIT 10
REVIEW AND MONITORING
PURPOSE
INTERNAL
- Consideration of budget and programme
- Staff review
EXTERNAL
Objectives:
- monitoring
- assessing
- improving
Types:
- Programme review, with a focus on the scientific programme
- Management review, with a focus on management systems
EFFECTS
- toning up of administration
- improvement in research environment
- strengthening Donor-Centre-Client relations
- changes in the organization, structure, quality and perception of the research
EXHIBIT 11
IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRES
KEY PERFORMANCE VARIABLES FOR IARCs
- Mission orientation
- Sited in eco-zone appropriate to mandate
- Autonomy and flexibility
- Professional management
- Interdisciplinary teamwork
- Core funding support
- International status
LINKAGE WITH NARS
- Flow of germplasm and segregating material
- Catalytic effects:· streamlining national priorities
· services of scientists
· professional advice
· improved, adapted techniques
· professional contacts
EXHIBIT 12
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF CROP-ORIENTED IARCs
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* The concentration of an interdisciplinary team of high scientific standing, with adequate funds, in a small unit focused on specific research problems |
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* The ability to collect international genetic variability with ease and speed |
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* The possibility of selecting genetic material - collected, or created by cross-breeding - under a broad range of ecological conditions |
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* The possibility of obtaining two generations in one year by working alternately in the northern and southern hemispheres |
EXHIBIT 13
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AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE |
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RESEARCH FOR UNFAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENTS |
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SOCIO-ECONOMICS, MARKETING, POLICY AND SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH |
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ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS |
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SECOND-GENERATION PROBLEMS |
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POST-HARVEST TECHNOLOGY AND VALUE ADDITION |
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ATTENTION TO NEW COMMODITIES |
Three outstanding, inter-related, developments of the last three decades are the emergence of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the emergence of the international agricultural research centres (IARCs), and the re-organization and strengthening of national agricultural research systems (NARS), all of which have revolutionized agriculture in the developing countries.
CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
The CGIAR - the umbrella organization for most international agricultural research - is an informal association of an international group of donors, agencies, eminent agricultural scientists and institutional administrators from developed and developing countries, which, as of early 1996, guides and supports 16 IARCs. CGIAR was set up in 1971, co-sponsored by the World Bank, FAO and UNDP, and later also UNEP. The aim was to get the international community to:
· earmark a small proportion of its concessional aid for agriculture in the developing countries; and· give sustained support for a well defined and closely monitored programme of research on food commodities.
CGIAR operates without a formal charter, relying on the consensus deriving from a sense of common purpose.
The World Bank provides the CGIAR's chairperson and Secretariat, located in Washington DC, USA. CGIAR is advised by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), whose Secretariat is provided by the co-sponsors and based in FAO, Rome. CGIAR has over 50 Member Countries, of which 34 were donors in 1995, with an overall research expenditure equivalent to about $US 300 million. The organizational structure of CGIAR is shown in Figure 1.
Source: ACIAR/AIDAB, 1989
INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRES
Systematic efforts at international agricultural research began long before CGIAR came into existence; In 1960, the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, with the support of USAID and a few other international aid agencies, took the initiative of formally establishing the first international research centre, namely the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), located at Los Banos, the Philippines, for research on rice, the staple food of Asia. It was followed by an international centre for research on wheat and maize (CIMMYT) in Mexico; the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), at Ibadan, Nigeria, and the Centro International de Agricultural Tropical (CIAT), at Cali, Colombia. These passed under the aegis of CGIAR when it was formally established.
The first IARC set up under the auspices of CGIAR was the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), at Hyderabad, India, in 1971. Today [1996] CGIAR includes 16 centres, including three service centres: the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), based in Rome, Italy; the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), based in Washington DC, USA, and the International Service for National Agriculture Research (ISNAR), based in The Hague, the Netherlands. Others, such as the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA), can be considered partly service and partly research. There is one livestock-oriented IARC, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), co-hosted by both Ethiopia and Kenya, with Headquarters in Nairobi, established in January 1995 by a merger of the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD), in Nairobi, Kenya. A full list of the IARCs (as of early 1996) is given as Table 1.
Table 1 IARCs of the CGIAR
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IARC |
FULL TITLE |
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION |
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CIAT |
Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical |
Cali (Colombia) |
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CIFOR |
Centre for International Forestry Research |
Bogor (Indonesia) |
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CIMMYT |
Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Máiz y Trigo |
El Batán (Mexico) |
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CIP |
Centro Internacional de la Papa |
Lima (Peru) |
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ICARDA |
International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas |
Aleppo (Syria) |
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ICLARM |
International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management |
Manila (the Philippines) |
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ICRAF |
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry |
Nairobi (Kenya) |
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ICRISAT |
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics |
Patancheru, Hyderabad (India) |
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IFPRI |
International Food Policy Research Institute |
Washington D.C. (USA) |
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IIMI |
International Irrigation Management Institute |
Colombo (Sri Lanka) |
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IITA |
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture |
Ibadan (Nigeria) |
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ILRI |
International Livestock Research Institute |
Nairobi (Kenya)/Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) |
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INIBAP |
International Network for the Improvement of Bananas and Plantain |
Montpellier (France) |
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IPGRI |
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute |
Rome (Italy) |
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IRRI |
International Rice Research Institute |
Los Baños (the Philippines) |
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ISNAR |
International Service for National Agricultural Research |
The Hague (the Netherlands) |
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WARDA |
West Africa Rice Development Association |
Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire) |
Associated centres
Several international centres engaged in factor-oriented research (such as water, fertilizer, insect, soil management, agroforestry, and vegetables) are also linked with the international agricultural research system. They are funded by the international community, but do not belong to CGIAR. Some of them are seeking admission to the CGIAR system. By their own work and vigorous collaboration with NARS, they are making valuable contributions to sustainable development in the developing world.
Objectives
All the CGIAR centres have the same common goal: to solve problems of subsistence agriculture through multidisciplinary scientific research aimed at increasing agricultural productivity. This has the effect of increasing farm incomes, reducing costs of food production and improving human nutrition.
Each IARC has a different mandate and performs diverse tasks (Baum, 1986). Of the crop-oriented IARCs, all except WARDA are independent organizations, located in developing countries, and funded principally through CGIAR. The sustained support of CGIAR has contributed to the success of IARCs through:
· coordination and counselling;
· mobilization of funds;
· setting priorities;
· policy making;
· ensuring accountability; and
· providing stability and legitimacy.
Organization and management
The CGIAR system recognizes that mission-oriented research requires a setting that is conducive to good idea generation, risk-taking and strategic thinking. It needs:
· adequate provision of resources and scientists;· an effective project management system that delegates decision making and fosters a disciplinary structure that facilitates collegial interaction and maintains a functional support system; and
· strong linkages with clients.
All the IARCs are founded on the basis of these considerations. They are concerned with international and regional research, specifically related to food production, and are devoted to a mission of removing food shortages from the world. Some have a worldwide mandate and others a geographical or regional mandate. Some also have systems research or farming systems research as a part of their programme.
All IARCs have international status. Within their host country, they have the legal status of an autonomous international agricultural research organization, with certain privileges and immunities, akin to quasi-diplomatic status, although details vary between Centres.
Although there may be some differences according to mission and mandate, by and large the organizational and management patterns in IARCs are similar. All centres have a DG or director as the head of the centre, and a board of trustees or governing board as the highest governing institution.
The boards have 12-15 members, representing developing and industrialized nations and CGIAR sponsors, with one or two members from the host country. Most board members are scientists or research administrators, and chosen for their eminence or competence, and function generally in a personal capacity. The DG of the centre is also a member of the board. A member is appointed for two or three terms of two years each. Once a board is elected it becomes self-perpetuating, as two-thirds of the members are elected by the board itself, which ensures continuous replacement. The board is responsible for establishing the policies of the centre and guiding the DG in managing the centre. One of the important functions of the board is to select and appoint the DG. Boards meet once or twice a year. Most boards have executive committees empowered to act on behalf of the board between meetings. Normally there are also:
· a programme committee, which evaluates the research programmes and makes its recommendations to the board;· a budget and finance committee and an audit committee, which make recommendations about financial matters; and, in some cases, also
· a technology transfer committee.
The boards are autonomous, and report to CGIAR through their chairpersons.
The director or DG is the leader of the centre and thus occupies a key position. Although appointed by the board and responsible to it, he or she enjoys a high degree of autonomy. This calls for a rare combination of skills.
A director must be:
· the scientific leader of a complex research system;
· a diplomat, adept in dealing with the host country and other developing countries;
· an expert in public relations, to deal with the media and public at large;
· an entrepreneur in promoting the support of donors; and
· manager of a large, often far-flung, enterprise.
The DG is usually assisted by a deputy director and several assistant directors, with responsibility for research, administration, international cooperation and other core activities of each centre.
Staff
The staff of each centre comprises administrators, scientists and technicians, from both industrialized and developing countries.
Research programmes
Every crop-oriented centre has an experimental station and physical resources, including research laboratories, library and other support facilities. The experimental farms are provided by the host countries. The physical facilities are developed by the centre, using resources provided through CGIAR funding.
Organization of research
IARCs are generally organized either along the lines of interdisciplinary, commodity research programmes, in which the disciplinary units work as teams to fulfil the mandate of the programme, or as disciplinary units. In single-commodity research centres, such as IRRI, the entire staff is organized into various disciplinary or functional units. However, in recent years the concept of interdisciplinary units has become more popular. In multicommodity research centres, the centre is organized into various commodity research programmes, which include breeders, geneticists, agronomists, entomologists and pathologists as part of each specialized team. The head of a programme - often called the programme leader - acts as coordinator, supported by scientific, technical and administrative staff at different levels. Special services, such as biochemical analyses, statistics, genetic resources and farm operations, are organized as separate administrative and functional units. Core research is carried out mostly on the campus where the centre is located, and outreach research off-campus in other countries, through a network of collaborative programmes with national or regional centres of research.
In commodity research institutes, such as IRRI and CIMMYT, resource management research (earlier called on-farm research) has become the vehicle for the adaptation and evaluation of technology, and for developing collaborative work with NARS. In these centres, interdisciplinary teams of scientists are also organized in disciplinary units.
Organization of research projects
Research activities of IARCs are organized in the light of recognition of the fact that the success of research depends on sharply focused objectives, organizational structures, resource allocation to achieve the goals and monitoring of progress through internal and external peer reviews. In interdisciplinary teamwork, it is the credit-sharing and devotion of partners in research which together determine the success.
Every IARC has identified priorities for researchable problems, through a process of international consultation, workshops and in-house discussions. Every centre has formulated its strategic plan, which is approved by its board and TAC. Research programmes relate to these strategic plans and are organized in the form of projects or thrusts. In the final analysis, projects are the building blocks of the plans.
As the researchers select problems germane both to developing countries' needs and to the IARC'S mandate, the perception of the developing countries and their participation in the programme, from planning to evaluation, adaptation and transfer of technology, is crucial for success.
Networks
Most IARCs are heavily involved in networking arrangements, which have become an important system for:
· developing linkages for collaborative research;
· evaluation and adaptation of technology; and
· transfer of technology to client or target groups.
A number of international, regional and national networks are active, linking IARCs and NARS. The networking system has become an effective tool of collaborative and cooperative research between international and national agricultural research. Some IARCs have regional centres in the countries of major concern for their particular commodity programme. Location-specific research has to be sharply focused, and is thus best carried out at national as well as regional level. In fact, new research systems are also establishing many sub-networks or national networks for evaluation of technology or its transfer to farmers.
In its broadest sense, networking links individuals or institutions with a shared purpose into some sort of collaborative effort. Baum (1986) describes three models of networks typically associated with IARCs (Figures 2a, 2b & 2c, based on the figures on p. 241 in Baum, 1986). The first model is the simplest form of network, where information and materials flow from the central hub, along the spokes, to the nodes. In the second model, participants are not only recipients but also participate actively in planning and implementing the programme. Information flows back and forth between the hub and the nodes, as well as along the rim. In the third model, the cooperating countries establish sub-networks, which are of regional and local importance.
Networking has both advantages and disadvantages:
· By relying on existing institutions, costly expenditure on new central facilities is avoided and cost effectiveness is achieved. However, strong collaborative centres are those which have been strengthened under some programme involving capital investment and human resources improvement. Thus, resource-poor centres are neglected.· Beneficiary countries are fully involved in programme planning and priority setting, which assists them in developing strong national research programmes.
· Networking helps in maintaining the momentum of collaboration over a wide range of scientific knowledge and plays a catalytic role in bringing together resources to focus systematically on an important research topic, and thus establishes a critical mass of scientific activity at relatively low marginal cost.
· Flexibility in use of resources in a programme provides a mechanism to link the research of the centre to that funded by donors through other channels. It thus helps the developing countries in attracting more aid.
· The main difficulty in managing networks is the involvement of many independent organizations. Its effective operation requires substantial commitment of funds for communication and travel.
Figure 2a First network model
Figure 2b The second network model
Figure 2c The third network model
Review and monitoring system
In the CGIAR system, reviews are important for monitoring the quality of research, assessing the relevance of research and evaluating policy effects. Reviews are conducted both internally within a centre and externally, commissioned by TAC. CGIAR as a whole is also reviewed periodically. Ad hoc studies of activities common to more than one centre may also be conducted from time to time, according to perceived need.
Within an IARC, the internal review function comprises:
· annual consideration of budget and programme; and
· periodic internal reviews by the centre staff itself, commissioned by the DG or the board.
In addition, the CGIAR system commissions external reviews of programmes and management. These reviews are conducted by small, multidisciplinary teams consisting of eminent scientists and administrators from developed and developing countries. They aim at critical evaluation of scientific performance and management efficiency. Normally, both an External Programme Review (EPR) and an External Management Review (EMR) are done simultaneously, once every five years, but there are two separate reports.
EPRs (formerly called Quinquennial Reviews) focus on the scientific programme of a centre. The review team does not include a staff member of the centre. The draft report is prepared after visits to the centre and its constituent research sites, and following extensive discussion with the management of the centre. In the centre itself, considerable preparatory work would have been undertaken prior to the visit of the EPR team, reflecting the importance attached to the programme review function. The draft report is discussed with the management of the centre and then transmitted to TAC. The team report is reviewed closely by TAC and then thoroughly discussed in the CGIAR system in the presence of the DG concerned. EMR reports are prepared and discussed in a similar manner.
The EPR and EMR review reports serve as important instruments for monitoring, assessing and improving:
· the research activities;
· the management system of the centres; and
· their excellence and relevance.
Measures for removing shortcomings and introducing improvements are also discussed.
Both EPR and EMR reports are generally frank, rigorous and critical. In some situations, a great deal is accomplished behind the scenes during discussions between the study team and the management of the centre. These discussions often initiate necessary changes even before the matter formally comes to CGIAR. This has been the case particularly with EMR reports, which have tended to raise sensitive managerial issues pertaining to style of management, organizational design and human resources management. EMR has led to toning up of administration, improvement in the research environment, and enhanced donor-centre-client relations. The review system is highly dynamic, professionally sound and administratively efficient. As a result of EPR reviews, significant changes in research organization, structure, quality and outlook have occurred in the centres.
The EPR and EMR systems have many good features, worthy of emulation by NARS.
Impact of international agricultural research
It is now well accepted that international agricultural research has substantially contributed to increases in food production. Half of the area devoted to wheat and rice in developing countries is now planted with dwarf varieties, providing some 50 million tons of additional food, enough to feed 500 million people.
The CGIAR system has been successful as a result of clearly defined and prioritized objectives, a mission orientation, a quest for proven technology, a professional scientific management and viable systems of research and development.
The success of international agricultural research has to be seen in the context of outputs of the individual research centres and linkages with NARS, with consequent synergistic effects.
IARCs' performances
The success of individual research centres in carrying out their mandated research can be attributed to:
· their mission orientation towards solving problems of subsistence agriculture, in most cases through a multidisciplinary scientific approach;· their location in tropical countries and associated focus on food crops, which encouraged improving productivity of food crops in tropical environments;
· the autonomy, flexibility and sound management of the CGIAR system allowing the best use to be made of human and natural resources;
· CGIAR's commitment, which enabled a critical mass of dedicated scientists from all over the world to come together and work toward a single goal. Interdisciplinary team efforts and economies of scale have made it possible to attack more effectively the complex problems of raising and stabilizing the yield of individual species;
· their international mandate, which promotes a broad vision and encourages plant crosses of wider adaptability, which then through the networking system can be evaluated for suitability under diverse environments;
· their international status, with independent boards of trustees, insulating them from direct political influence by governments and preventing diversion from their core activities to meet short-term political considerations; and
· professional management of the centres.
Linkages with NARS
The relationship between IARCs and NARS is symbiotic. The most important contribution which IARCs have made is the flow of germplasm and segregating material at various stages of collaborative research, with no political barriers. Outputs of their research are freely available to NARS. In addition, they also provide the services of an international galaxy of scientists without any direct cost.
Contrary to some doubts, the emphasis on international agricultural research has not been at the expense of national research and extension effort. On the contrary, the spending on international agricultural research has stimulated spending on national agricultural research, and has catalysed, strengthened and streamlined NARS. They have transferred technology and knowledge through participation in collaborative networks, and benefitted from professional advice in re-orientation of priorities, improved techniques and methods, training of national scientists and joint seminars. The type of contributions made by a Centre has been constrained by the stage of development and capacity of NARS.
Evaluation studies of linkages between IARCs and NARS have reported great appreciation of professional contacts, particularly during collaborative research and through networking; of the flow of germplasm and segregating material, provision of genetic materials and breeding techniques; and of support in strengthening research and extension systems (Anderson, Herdt and Scobie, 1988).
Even though the success of IARCs is well established, this model is not easily transferable to NARS because of the paucity of resources, particularly scientific manpower and funds, in the developing countries. Nevertheless, national systems are gradually being reorganized to establish viable linkages with the international system.
AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE
In the last 30 years, food availability in the world has changed dramatically in both quality and quantity. However, new problems have emerged.
Regions like Asia, which were considered to have almost attained self-sufficiency in food, are rapidly becoming again net importers of food, because of the rapidly increasing population. Africa still remains deficient in terms of food production, and the gap between food production and demand is widening at an alarming rate.
The initial breakthrough in production technology in wheat and rice for favourable environments has clearly shown the need for research for unfavourable ecologies or stress environments.
It is also now well recognized that technology alone cannot solve the problem of agriculture in developing countries. Socio-economic research, marketing and policy research and sustainability research, coupled with environmental aspects of research, are required to derive the best return from biological research.
Awareness of second-generation problems is increasing, such as new problems caused by previously minor diseases and pests, and the need for relevant research is paramount and should receive much higher priority than in the past.
Post-harvest technology for adding value to produce and improving the return to the producer are becoming more important.
Some commodities which were neglected in the past by researchers have attracted more attention now, and the existing IARCs are expected to give them the necessary attention.
The emergence of NARS and their increasing strength and cooperative advantage for applied and adaptive research necessitates the collaboration of IARCs and NARS to tackle these' problems. IARCs can be expected to play a more significant role in basic strategic research in the commodities of common interest, and to find solutions to problems of high priority. In future, they will have to become more dynamic and alive to the changing needs of their client countries. Both IARCs and NARS are faced with challenges which can only be met by a dynamic approach.
REFERENCES
ACIAR [Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research]. 1989. Research helps feed the hungry. p. 14, in: An Act of Faith. Canberra: ACIAR/ADIAB for CGIAR.
Baum, W.C. 1986. Partners Against Hunger: The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Washington, D.C.: World Bank for CGIAR. See page 241.
ISNAR. 1987. International Workshop on Agricultural Research Management. Report of a Workshop, 7-11 September 1987, ISNAR, The Hague. The Hague: ISNAR. See pp. 216-217.
Jain, H.K. 1989. Organization and structure in national agricultural research systems. ISNAR Working Paper, No. 21.
Anderson, J.R., Herdt, R.W., & Scobie, G.M. 1988. The CGIAR and its partners. In: Science and Food. Washington, D.C.: World Bank for CGIAR.
Taylor, A. 1988. Organization and structure of national agricultural research systems in anglophone sub-Saharan Africa. ISNAR Staff Paper, No. 88-19.
