The document provides an update on recent activities of the Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) of the CGIAR. It summarizes that the ISPC has welcomed new council members and a new executive director. It also notes that the ISPC hosted a science forum in April 2016 and is currently conducting an independent program review of CRP full proposals, with feedback to be provided in June. The update lists some areas of improvement seen across CRP proposals, such as stronger theories of change, more non-CGIAR partners, and better integration of gender issues. It outlines next steps in the review and funding process over the coming months.

1. ISPC Update
Maggie Gill 26 May 2016

2. Staffing changes – Council &
Secretariat
• Patrick Webb and Rodomiro Ortiz joined
Council October 2015
• Holger Meinke joined Council May 2016
• New Executive Director Leslie Lipper since 1
March
http://ispc.cgiar.org/

3. Science Forum 16
• Held in Addis in April 2016
• Topic: Agricultural research for rural
prosperity: rethinking the pathways
• ~ 200 participants
• Great help from ILRI and wonderful
Knowledge Share Fair
http://ispc.cgiar.org/

4. Independent program review
• CRP full proposals received on 4 April in April
2016
• 53 external reviewers covering CRPs and
platforms and cross-cutting reviews e.g.
Theory of Change, Gender and Youth etc
• ISPC also provided reviews and over last 3
days moderating panel discussed preliminary
draft commentaries
http://ispc.cgiar.org/

5. Early feedback on what has
improved across System?
• Theories of Change & Impact Pathways at FP
and CRP levels
• Partnership strategies and new partners (9.1-
24.6% of budget to non-CGIAR-partners)
• Budgets for impact assessment (0.2-5.8%)
• Gender issues embedded in research design
• ………
http://ispc.cgiar.org/

6. http://ispc.cgiar.org/Alignment with SRF

7. 7
Alignment with donor priorities

8. 8
Alignment of Flagships with donor priorities

9. http://ispc.cgiar.org/Funding per Flagship

10. http://ispc.cgiar.org/
Timescale moving forwards
• 16 June commentaries will be sent by ISPC
to CO
• 16 June at 15.00 Montpellier time meeting
with virtual dial-in facilities to discuss
Portfolio level issues
• 11-12 July System Council discussion of
commentaries

11. http://ispc.cgiar.org/
Timescale moving forwards
• 31 July CRP responses to ISPC requests
• (Annexes/rewrites of sections)
• August – ISPC review responses and submit
To System Council for discussion ~26 September

12. 0
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7
Leadership and
partnership
Budget
Cross-cutting
themes
ToC and Impact
Pathwats
Strategic relevance
Possible ways of providing feedback at FP level

13. 0
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5
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7
Scalability
Alternative suppliers
Donor priorities
Alignment with
SRF/SDGs]
Timeline to delivery
Agreement on future criteria?

14. http://ispc.cgiar.org/
Future role of ISPC
• Task Force report was not agreed by FC pending
agreement on new governance structure
• Science WG proposed ToRs for ISPC
• New governance structure means SC reviewing
ToRs over summer
• ISPC continuing with exploring processes for
Foresight and Prioritisation in interim