The document provides updates from the ISPC Chair covering several topics: 1) There have been changes to the ISPC Secretariat including the departure of the Executive Director and recruitment of a new director. 2) Three ISPC Council members will be leaving in 2015 and the process of recruiting new members is underway. 3) A Task Force examined strengthening the powers of ISPC and their report will be discussed. 4) ISPC has taken on the role of prioritization and applied multiple methods though funding constraints impacted modelling work.

1. Update from ISPC
Chair: April-Sept 2015
ISPC 12; 15 September 2015

2. Points to cover
• Secretariat changes and recruitment process
• Council changes
• Task Force
• Prioritization
• CRP pre-proposal review
• Science Fora 2015 and 2016
• Partnership and Development corridors studies
• SPIA
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

3. Secretariat changes
• Peter Gardiner left on 31 July due to FAO’s
retirement rules. Peter is now working in the
CO
• Tim Kelley is now officer in charge
• Paul Harding is working with Tim on a range of
issues
• Recruitment for the new Executive Director
finally got underway at end of July – deadline
for applications this week
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

4. Council changes
• 3 members leave us in 2015 – Jeff and Takuji at end of
September, Marcio at end of December
• Process for recruiting new members started in February,
interviews didn’t take place until end August. Process is run
by an independent Selection and Nomination Committee
• 2 candidates were nominated by the SNC, who are here as
observers although their nominations still need to be
endorsed by the FC
• We will be advertizing in November for 2 more members,
once the FC has formally commented on the
recommendations of the Task Force
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

5. Task Force on strengthening powers of
the ISPC
• TF set up on recommendation of the MTR, endorsed by the
Options Review
• The composition of the TF was: Brian Keating (CSIRO),
Hans-Joerg Lutzeyer (EC), Nora Lapitan (USAID), Yusuf
Abubakar (FC), Marion Guillou (CB), Wayne Powell (CO),
Sirkka Immonen (IEA), Rodney Cook (Board Chair
Representative), Vish Nene (Center Representative); Peter
Gardiner (Secretary), Maggie Gill (Chair)
• Held 3 virtual meetings and reviewed experience from
outside CGIAR
• TF report is open for discussion in this meeting
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

6. Prioritization
• FC12 (Brussels) asked ISPC to take on prioritization,
confirmed during FC13 (Bogor)
• Start delayed until SRF was finalized
• Multi-method approach considered
• Funding for the modelling approach was not as much as
hoped and ISPC was not involved
• Donor survey was conducted prioritizing at sub-IDO level
• Expert opinions were sought against a range of criteria
• Results to be discussed in open meeting
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

7. CRP pre-proposal review
• 13 pre-proposals + EoIs received on 17 August
• Reviews by External reviewers, Council members and
Secretariat staff
• Initial drafts of commentaries completed
• Closed meeting on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will
finalize reviews and score individual Flagships
• Commentaries will be amended and submitted by the
Chair on 28 September to the FO
• ISPC hosting meeting in Paris with Consortium, DGs and
donors to discuss what is missing from the portfolio to
enable the Consortium to make proposals to the FC on
how to address the gaps
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

8. Science Fora
• SF13 – Nutrition and Health Outcomes: targets for
agricultural research – led to a special section in the
journal Food Security which was published in June
• SF16 planned for 12th-14th April 2016 in Addis Ababa,
co-hosted by UNECA and with a contribution from IFAD
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome

9. Strategy and trends studies
• Development corridors…..
• Partnership study – draft available in dropbox, will be
discussed by ISPC and then finalized
http://ispc.cgiar.org/ISPC 12, Rome