Risk Management and Resilience: Learning on CGIAR's Ways of Working

The CGIAR 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy sets the stage for doing business differently to ensure that research provides real solutions for development. To support these changes, CGIAR is committed to following seven new implementation approaches, or Ways of Working (WoWs). This brief summarizes key findings from an evaluative learning report on one of CGIAR’s Way of Working on targeting risk management and resilience as essential qualities of food, land, and water systems.

The methodology is based primarily on a structured desk review of internal and external evidence, including The Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES)-led evaluations; Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) and Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA) reviews, center- and Board-led evaluations, inception reports from the 2025–30 CGIAR Research and Innovation Portfolio, and relevant external literature. The findings indicate that CGIAR has established a strong foundation of solutions addressing climate, disease, and production-related risks and is increasingly integrating resilience concepts; however, sustained progress will require a clearer system-wide understanding of approaches to risk and resilience, stronger metrics for monitoring resilience outcomes, deeper engagement with partners, and closer alignment between foresight analyses and country-level planning to ensure scalable and durable impact across the 2025–2030 portfolio and beyond.

You can access the full report Risk Management and Resilience: Summary of Learning on CGIAR’s Ways of Working.