Frequently Asked Questions

posted January 2009

Have a question that isn’t answered below? Please let us know by sending an email to cgiar@cgiar.org.

What is the outcome of the 2008 Change Management Initiative?

At the 2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM08) in Maputo, Mozambique, the CGIAR Members adopted the proposal for a Revitalized CGIAR, the culmination of the Change Management Initiative. Click here to read the reform proposal. The reforms set out in the proposal will strengthen the CGIAR to better serve the billions of people who depend on agriculture.

How will the agreed changes to revitalize the CGIAR be implemented?

A transition plan will be implemented to bring about the agreed changes in CGIAR over the course of 2009. A Transition Management Team (TMT), led by the CGIAR Chair, has been set up to provide leadership to keep the transition process on track. During the transition, changes will be monitored to ensure the reform process is on the right track by making sure they meet the criteria of: clear strategic focus; increased research output, outcome, and impact; greater efficiency, effectiveness and relevance; simplicity and clarity of governance; enhanced decentralized decision making; and active subsidiarity to capitalize on complementarities of the Centers.

What is the time frame for the transition and when will the new CGIAR be operational?

The Consortium and new Fund are expected to be established by the end of 2009, with the new CGIAR fully operational in May 2010.

How will the implementation progress be communicated to the stakeholders?

The Transition Management Team (TMT) will articulate the next level of detail of the CGIAR reform by bringing people together and linking between different groups/task teams forces during the implementation phase. The TMT will post and update information regularly regarding the progress of the transition process on the CGIAR website. In addition, the TMT will communicate regularly the progress on implementation to all the partners.

What is “TMT”?

“TMT” is the Transition Management Team that has been set up following the adoption of the proposal for a Revitalized CGIAR, by the 2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM08) in Maputo, Mozambique in December 2008. The purpose of the TMT is to provide leadership to keep the CGIAR transition process on track, which will include the establishment and functioning of the Consortium and the CGIAR Fund. In implementing the transitional arrangements, the TMT will articulate the next level of detail of the reform. It will ensure that each proposed changes adds value to a new and improved CGIAR that is more effective in delivering positive development outcomes and higher impact s on poverty and hunger.

Who are the members of the TMT?

TMT is chaired by Katherine Sierra, CGIAR Chair, and has the following members:

• Jonathan Wadsworth (Department for International Development, UK)
• Stephen Hall (CGIAR Alliance Executive Chair; Director General, WorldFish Center)
• Mark Holderness (Executive Director, Global Forum for Agricultural Research)
• Ren Wang (CGIAR Director)

Rudy Rabbinge (CGIAR Science Council Chair) will act as Advisor to the TMT Chair and Iftikhar Mostafa (CGIAR Secretariat Governance and Partnership Advisor) will serve as Secretary to the TMT. The following associate members will be called on to provide specific advice as needed:

• Isabel Alvarez (Head of Research and Technology Development Service, FAO) will advise on connecting the new CGIAR with multilateral organizations
• Ruben Echeverria ( Incoming Director General, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); Executive Director, CGIAR Science Council) will advise on scientific matters
• Vicki Wilde (Director, CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program) will advise on gender and diversity matters

Will there be an AGM in 2009?

A final CGIAR Business Meeting will take place in 2009. Thereafter, CGIAR will cease to organize AGMs. A biennial global conference on agricultural research for development will be organized by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) in collaboration with the Consortium and Independent Science and Partnership Council.

Will there be ExCo Meetings in 2009?

There will be two ExCo Meetings in 2009 – one in the middle of the year and another towards the end of the year.

What is the status of the Change Steering Team (CST) and Working Groups?

The Change Steering Team (CST) along with the four Working Groups and stakeholders have been instrumental in the reform process of CGIAR. During the implementation phase the Transition Management Team (TMT) will use the CST as a sounding board on emerging issues.

How will the TMT inform stakeholders about developments?

The TMT will post and update information regularly regarding the progress of the transition process on the CGIAR website.

What are the specific engagement entry points with Centers?

The Alliance Board and Executive have formed a Consortium Planning Team to establish the Consortium of Centers. The Centers have already been involved with the Consortium Planning Team on the structure of the Consortium as well as on the Strategy and Results Framework and Mega programs.