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1 W rn rn a C W m m B rn a -a

2 This report provides an update, since MTM97, on the progress made in each of the AEG projects. t also reports on developments in the AEG following the suggestions and decisions that resulted from the discussions in Cairo. Strengthening the AEG Expansion of membership The process of selecting and appointing three new members is being managed by the CGAR Secretariat and the Cosponsors. The three appointments are required to fill the positions vacated by Mrs Chelimsky and Prof. Muchnik and expand the membership to four. 0 Establishment of a Secretariut at UNDP The Secretariat is in the process of being established at the New York offices of UNDP. The process of selecting a permanent Executive Secretary is being managed by UNDP and the notice advertising the post has been widely circulated. The timetable is for interviews to be held just before or during Centers Week. Dr Peter Matlon, recently appointed to the UNDP Sustainable Energy and Environment Division has been appointed Acting Executive Secretary until the Executive Secretary takes up the position. UNEP secondment to the CGAR Dr Carlos Zulberti commenced work with the AEG at UNDP early in September. Discussions on his work program were held with the Chair of the AEG and the Acting Executive Secretary.

3 Strengthening consultation Centers The AEG uses three avenues of consultation with the Center Directors: individually, at CDC meetings and through the Chair of the Priorities and mpact Committee of the CDC. n addition, there is regular interaction with the Center staff nominated as the AEG contact person and with staff responsible for the conduct of studies associated with AEG sponsored projects. Members Reporting to members wili continue at MTM and CW meetings. n addition, members are involved during the development of particular projects. The assistance of members provided to date is gratefully acknowledged. TAC TAC and the AEG have mechanisms in place to ensure close cooperation between the two groups, including regular interaction between the two secretariats. The two Chairs have scheduled discussions during Centers Week 1997 on areas of common interest and on the feasibility of holding joint meetings. The AEG is working closely with TAC in the development of a CGAR Logframe which could provide the framework for data collecting and evaluation purposes. CGAR Secretariat The CGAR Secretariat receives copies of all meeting records and reports of the AEG and regularly participates in AEG discussions. Secretariat staff continue to be most helpful to the AEG as its modalities evolve.

4 AEG WORK PROGRAM The AEG has considered its workplan in the light of recommendations on relative priorities, the financial implications of decisions to strengthen the AEG and the funds available to the AEG. The status of the elements of the AEG portfolio are detailed below. Annual report on CGAR impacts The decision that the AEG should assemble an annual report on CGAR impact for 1997 was taken at MTM97. The limited time for producing the report was further complicated by the absence of key Center staff on annual home leave. These constraints led the AEG to focus on producing a pilot report assembled using material from the nost recent Center annual reports available to the AEG (usually 1995) and from material forwarded from a number of Centers. t must be emphasised that the report does not attempt to be encyclopedic and the work of the Centers may not be reported in all possible areas. The report is based mainly on the information available in the Annual Reports used and not on fully-substantiated impact assessments. The approach taken by the AEG has been to develop a format which will be useful for providing a view of the system-wide impact of the CGAR. The approach taken to this pilot report also means that Centers are not equally represented. The AEG will be seeking feedback on the future design and content of the report so as to integrate its production with Center activities and to ensure it adds value to reports regularly produced by Centers. The AEG will work closely with Centers to develop guidelines for future reports based on the feedback it receives. Methodological review and synthesis of existing CGAR ex post impact assessments The project arose from a strong recommendation of the A&E workshop at the Hague that the AEG should first examine what we have already done. The project provides feedback to the System on the quality of its recent assessment efforts and gives some perspective on the impact of the System since The project reports are tabled at CW97. The reports provide a broad methodological review of a large number of studies and an in-depth analysis of a smaller set of comprehensive studies of Center impact. We believe that this work will make a valuable contribution to improving the quality of impact reporting in the CGAR. The analysis points to the need for systematic collection and reporting of information on intermediate products and indirect outcomes as well as on adoption and direct outcomes. t also raises the issue of the quality of reporting studies with respect to the linkage of Center activities to observed

5 effects, detail on scope and methodology and the context within which conclusions are presented. The Consultant also found that Centers have concentrated on applied research activities and direct effects (such as yield increase). Basic research and intermediate effects and longer-term outcomes are given much less attention. The AEG endorses the conclusions of the reports and looks forward to working with Center management and staff to improving the impact of their impact work. Depending on the responses from Centers, the AEG will consider a number of options for capitalising on the lessons learned from this work. One option is to develop a set of best practice guidelines for reporting impact studies during mpact of CGAR germplasm improvement on food production This topic was chosen because of the large proportion of the research effort of the CGAR in the past 15 years directed at germplasm improvement. The project will utilise the considerable economic evaluation expertise already in the System. The study will examine the impact of the major crops being worked on by the CGAR with each crop study being coordinated by a lead Center. The scoping and design phase of the project has been undertake by Prof Greg Traxler from Auburn University. The proposal and its implementation was the subject of discussion at a meeting of a number of Center economists which was held at Sacremento in August The design is being modified in the light of these discussions. The project will be funded outside the AEG s core budget and the AEG has prepared a proposal for support of the studies involved.

6 Assessment of the adoption of CGAR agricultural innovations This project also arose from the Hague workshop last year where Centers requested training in case study analysis as an effective tool for impact assessment. The individual studies will be reported in the international literature as well as the CGAR literature. The results of the individual studies will be synthesised to provide system-wide conclusions on the factors affecting the adoption and impact of CGAR innovations. The studies in the project are: Study 1 : Hybrid maize in Ghana Lead Center : CMMYT Study 2: Cassava processing in Brazil CGAR Center: CAT Study 3: CGAR and NARS post-production innovations in the Philippines and Vietnam CGAR Center: RR Study 4: Comparative study on factors critical to the adoption of CRSATDJARS groundnut innovations in Vietnam, ndia and Malawi CGAR Center: CRSAT Study 5: Comparative study on factors critical to the adoption of CRSAT/NARS sorghum germplasm innovations in ndia and Nigeria CGAR Center: CRSAT Study 6: Small holder dairy technology in Kenya CGAR Center - LR Study 7: - Crop descriptors lists (DL) CGAR Center: PGR Study 8: nternational musa testing programme (MTP) of NBAP CGAR Center: PGR Study 9: Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management CGAR Center: CFOR Study 10: Strengthening planning, monitoring and evaluation in LAC CGAR Center: SNAR The individual studies are scheduled to be completed by May 1998 following which they will be synthesised to provide system-wide conclusions for presentation at CW in October A paper providing an overview of the methodology will be available at CW 97.

7 mpact of CGAR innovations on poverty This project aims to determine whether there is evidence of a decrease in poverty levels among groups of people in those situations where there has been a demonstrated improvement in production level as a result of an introduced CGAR innovation (germplasm or technology). The MTM in Cairo encouraged the AEG to produce a report as soon as possible on this topic. The AEG has commissioned a feasibility report on the study from Prof Cordray at Vanderbilt University and expects to receive a joint study proposal from FPR in association with Prof. Cordray. Essential data for evaluation The objective of this project is to identify data essential for the evaluation needs of the CGAR. Data collection can be expensive but is essential for establishing baselines, tracking diffusion of technology and for monitoring purposes. Especially in the natural resource management area, considerable attention needs to be given to the development of long-term data sets. The AEG is participating with TAC in the development of the CGAR Logframe which it will use as the core framework for data collection. Discussions are to be held with USAD, FPR and other agencies during CW on the use of GS in data assembly. Natural resources management The AEG has commenced the process of scoping a study in this area. The process will involve close consultation with members and Centers. Dr Zulberti from UNEP wiil develop a framework paper on the assessment of natural resource management impact over the course of his secondment to the CGAR. t is anticipated that UNDP will participate in this project. ncubator projects We also have a number of projects on an incubator list. These are projects which have been suggested to us and which we think would be useful to do. They will be commissioned as resources permit. The projects are concerned with: - Biotechnology and science impact - nsti tu tional strengthening - Post harvest technologies - ntegrated pest management - Biodiversity The AEG would appreciate feedback on the priority of these areas.