The document summarizes the recommendations of an ISPC Task Force on strengthening ISPC's role in providing strategic guidance, foresight analyses, assessing research results, and prioritizing agriculture research. The Task Force recommended that ISPC expand its role in foresight and prioritization, ensuring science quality across the CGIAR System, developing a strategic vision for partnerships, and continuing to promote rigorous impact assessment. It also recommended additional staffing and resources for ISPC to fulfill its expanded roles. The draft report was submitted to the Fund Council for initial feedback and will be revised based on any comments before finalization.

1. ISPC Task Force
Report (draft)
ISPC 12; 15 September 2015

2. Methodology
• 9 members representing 3 major research
funders + representatives of Centers, Center
Boards, IEA, CO and CB plus ISPC Chair and
Exec Director
• 3 virtual meetings
• Review of documents on good practice within
other funding organizations and of work done
by ISPC to date
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

3. Task to consider how to
strengthen ISPC’s role in
• Providing strategic guidance to FC/SC
• Foresight analyses
• Assessing and reporting of research results
• Prioritization
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4. Principles endorsed
• Independence from decision-making – not independence
from the System
• Need to simplify current complexity of the System as a
whole
• Broadening of interpretation of ISPC’s role in partnership
• ISPC should not be involved in monitoring but should be
expected to follow up on action taken to respond to issues
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

5. Vision
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ISPC should provide intellectual leadership in
giving scientific direction to the CGIAR at the
System level in terms of : scientific foresight and
prioritization, assessment and delivery of
science quality, strategic approaches to
partnerships and the development of a rigorous
impact culture across the System

6. Recommendation F&P
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Foresight and prioritization
• ISPC to conduct scientific foresight exercises to
inform the development of a prioritization
framework
• Timing of major foresight work would relate to
revision of the SRF but smaller studies would
continue on an annual basis
• ISPC should also lead the development of a
System-wide Foresight and Prioritization
network

7. Recommendation Science Quality
• Expand remit to ensure science quality is consistent
across the System
• Requires closer engagement with IEA and SO but also
with science committees of Boards and Independent
Science Committees of CRPs to bring all relevant
knowledge on the issues together
• ISPC, IEA and SO to develop a framework for closer
working between these entities which will be reviewed by
the external evaluations of ISPC, IEA and SO scheduled
to start in 2016
• Continue reviews of cross-disciplinary working
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

8. Recommendation Partnerships
• ISPC should expand its role on partnerships to develop a
strategic vision along the whole of the AR4D continuum
• Requires close engagement with GFAR and the SO as
well as Centers and CRPs e.g. convening a network on
partnerships for impact
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

9. Impact assessment
• ISPC to continue pressing for rigorous assessment of
impact CRP and System level, supported by adequate
funding
• ISPC should explore the possibility of collaboration with
other bodies (e.g. the EC) on assessing the impacts of
agricultural research
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

10. Recommendation general
• ISPC should ask for a regular opportunity at FC/SC
meetings to raise strategic science and partnership
issues for discussion
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

11. Resources required
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Current
resource
–staff
Current
resource
-
activities
Additional
staff resource
Additional
activities
resource
Proposed
new total
staff
Proposed
new total
activities
Foresight and
Prioritization
172 90 400 300 341 390
Science Quality and
relevance
370 80 100 600 180
Partnerships 139 170 83 150 252 320
Impact Assessment 484 505 Continuation
of SIAC
Continuation
of SIAC
484 505
Communication 29 82 50 82 50
Chair and 6 Council
members
415 80 0 495
Exec Director +
Admin support
546 50 596
Operating costs 245 50 295
Grand total

12. Next steps
• Draft has gone to FC for initial feedback by 28
September
• Draft with TF members if they wish to share with
their broader constituencies
• Redrafting to be completed by 13 October
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome