Finding the CGIAR’s role in the 21st century: developing new models of partnerships and science

Institutional Learning & Change Initiative of the CGIAR

Finding the CGIAR’s role in the 21st century: developing new

models of partnerships and science

Javier M. EkboirInstitutional Learning and Change Initiative (ILAC)

coordinator


Content of the presentation

• Why are several stakeholders disappointed with the CGIAR?

• A brief comment on the dynamics of agriculture

• What characterizes the CGIAR?• What type of organization is the CGIAR?• How can effective change be implemented in

the CGIAR?


Why are several stakeholders disappointed with the CGIAR?


They perceive that in the last two decades the CGIAR has not made an important

contribution to poverty alleviation


The CGIAR contribution

Outside South Asia, no country has notably reduced poverty through increases in the production of staples

But they have increased food security

Led by the private sector, many high value markets emerged

The CGIAR had little participation in these processes


Weakening of agricultural research and extension in developing countries

• Most developing countries reduced their investments in agricultural research

• The CGIAR lost its main partners and has struggled to define new models of partnerships

• The CGIAR has failed to define a new vision for international agricultural research that takes into account the new dynamics of poverty and agriculture


A brief comment on the dynamics of agriculture and poverty


Three important trends in agriculture in developing countries

• Emergence of high value agricultural markets

• Differentiation of farmers

• Migration and remittances


The emergence of high value (HV) agricultural markets

Trade in agricultural products is expanding

Urbanization and the “supermarket revolution”


How do small farmers participate in HV agricultural markets?

• HV export markets are mostly supplied by large farmers

• HV domestic markets are mostly supplied by larger, better endowed small farmers

• Few small farmers can sell in these markets

• Many small farmers participate as laborers


Migration and remittances

• Easier travel and improved financial services mean that people from rural areas can work in distant locations and send remittances back home

• In 2006, 150 million international migrants sent home US$300 billion

• The average remittance in LA was 300 US$/month


Migration and remittances (2)

• Only a small proportion goes to productive activities, including agriculture

• But these families are still interested in the production of staples


In short

• The rural socioeconomic environment has changed since the Green Revolution

• The Green Revolution research model has to be replaced by a new one that takes into account the greater differentiation of rural areas

• And new social needs


What has characterized the CGIAR through its life?

• It has changed continuously

• It has engaged in different types of partnerships

• It has tried different research models

• But it has not learned from these experiences!

• It lacked leadership


How has the CGIAR changed?

The CGIAR started with two very focused breeding programs

Other areas were later created to address agronomic problems (e.g. agronomy and entomology)

New centers were created in the 1970s to address regional problems and research on new crops and new activities

Economists were hired to study patterns of adoption


Changes in the 1990s and 2000s

The expansion of HV markets and the lack of a second Green Revolution highlighted the shortcomings of the traditional model of research in the CGIAR

The NAROs were severely weakened

The CGIAR lost its main traditional partners and it could not define a new model of research


How has the CGIAR changed?


Changes at the bottom

The initial partnerships included several actors interacting in international breeding networks

The new partnerships included other actors, new areas of research and new disciplines

And new science models (non-experimental research, on-farm research)


Change induced from the top

Donors and other stakeholders started to ask for compelling evidence that the CGIAR was needed

Many resources were invested in impact assessment

Donors insisted on more focused activities

Funding took different modalities

Short term, well defined projects replaced long term financing


In short, the changes included the system’s mandate, areas of expertise, research models,

governance and financing


What was the nature of change in the CGIAR?

• Most changes did not result from a deliberate plan that responded to the evolution of the agricultural sector and the dynamics of poverty

• Most reforms did not result from the analysis of previous experiences

• The changes were not given time to mature


The CGIAR could not learn

• The system did not have a mechanism to learn from the different types of projects

• And to recognize them as different research models

• The innovative partnerships never became the dominant model of operation


What type of organization is the CGIAR?


The CGIAR has

loose governance

distributed decision making

which means no leadership

strong capabilities to explore new types of projects

weak learning mechanisms


How can effective organizational change be steered in such an organization?


Building the Consortium’s leadership

It will have to be respected for – its capacity to inspire – its ability to lobby for the centers and to convey to

the centers the needs of the donors – its work with the Fund Council and the centers to

harmonize responses to new needs and opportunities

Donors will have to make sure they work together to strengthen the Consortium


Creating a shared vision of the type of changes needed in the CGIAR, including

• understanding the new dynamics of poverty and science

• defining the role of science and the CGIAR in poverty alleviation

• identifying the system’s core capacities and strategic assets

• identifying new capabilities that need to be built and setting up strategies to do it


Creating an effective management system to foster change

Encourage the trial of new research and partnership models

With new funding mechanisms and incentives that foster organizational change

IA and evaluation approaches that tolerate calculated risk taking

Using adaptive management approaches


Creating a centralized structure for learning attached to the Consortium

office that wouldSupport learning by the Consortium and the centers

Provide information to support funding decisions

Explore new partnership and research models

Investigate new incentives for the centers and researchers

Support organizational change in the centers


Thanks

Entertainment & Humor

Finding the CGIAR’s role in the 21st century: developing new models of partnerships and science