Progress is built on iteration and fertile foundations

“In any uncertain endeavor, a bias for action gets you started, but progress will require iteration.”

– Amy Edmondson, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well.

During the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment’s (SPIA) meeting in 2023 at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) headquarters in Mexico, it was impressive to see just how much higher the no-till beds were compared to the surrounding terrain. Decades-old conservation agriculture plots had built up over time into a rich bed, using the previous season’s crop residue as a fertile foundation. Progress requires iteration, in this case, season after season of new growth.

Likewise, CGIAR’s independent science for development advisory, impact assessment and evaluation workstreams, supported by Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES), have been establishing a fertile bed for our ongoing independent activities to support CGIAR in 2024. Our 2023 Annual Snapshot will inform you of these activities.