What's next for the CGIAR?

Published on 17 February 2020, this article by Wijnand van Ijssel of the Dutch Minisitry of Foreign Affairs, outlines the current discussions on the future of the CGIAR. In 2019, a working group from across the CGIAR system (funders, research centers and programs) was asked to look at possible improvements to the efficiency of the system, recommending organizational change to One CGIAR. The five recommendations comprise:

• One compelling SDG2 research strategy and program for 2022-2030 around five impact areas: nutrition, poverty, gender, climate and environment, and with an emphasis on Big Lifts.
• One unified governance structure around a Common Board and an empowered executive management team.
• Institutional integration with integrated operational structures, one set of system policies and services (like HR, audits, financial management etc.), and crucially, One CGIAR at country and regional level, coming together locally to make a real difference not just around the research project, but servicing country needs and challenges.
• A new research modality structure.
• More collective donor behaviour with more and pooled funding (targets 50% pooled funding by 2022 and 70% pooled funding by end 2024).