Systemwide Reviews in the CGIAR: Concepts, Options, and Recommendations

Study commissioned by the Oversight Committee of system-wide reviews in the CGIAR, conducted by a team headed by Martin Piñeiro and including Elliott Stern, and Dana Dalrymple. The study was considered by the Oversight Committee at CGIAR International Centers Week 2000, and circulated to CGIAR members. The Committee said it would implement the 15 recommendations of the study, and invited comments.Originally conceived as a retrospective review of the third system review of the CGIAR, the study was expanded to cover the first two system reviews, and system-level review processes in general. The study found that in contrast to the first two, the third review of the System suffered from the combination of a largely external review panel whose members were unfamiliar with the CGIAR, and the lack of preparatory work to define the issues. It considered various options for future reviews from the point of view of objectives, structure, and procedure, and made recommendations for each.There are two annexes with detailed information on the CGIAR review system, and the third System Review.