Get involved with the CGIAR Mega-program Consultations

Message from Mr Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary, GFAR

Following requests at the recent (July 2010) CGIAR Fund Council meeting, the CGIAR Consortium Board has now compiled and made available a list of all the consultations with partners that are being organized by the CGIAR Centers around their development of proposed Mega-program concepts. The purpose of these consultations is to ensure that perspectives of national partners and end-users are taken into account in the design of the Mega programs in order to make the CGIAR’s work as relevant and impact-oriented as possible. Funding to support these consultations will come from the CGIAR Fund to the lead CGIAR Centers responsible for convening the consultations.

Support to the CGIAR is a significant and valued investment. Nonetheless, this support is only a part of the investment and transformative action required for agricultural research and knowledge to bring about the desired large scale development impacts. However, when this is suitably blended with wider national and regional investments, it can serve as a significant catalyst for much larger change.

The wider actions, capacities and investments required for AR4D outputs to be transformed into development outcomes touching the lives of millions of people were discussed in the GCARD 2010 process and outlined in the Montpellier Action Plan and are the focus of GFAR over the years ahead. GFAR, through the Research Fora and stakeholder networks of each region, will be actively discussing these linkages over the months to come and building a coordinated and mutually accountable approach to addressing the capacity needs and collective actions required in each region, as highlighted in the GCARD 2010.

As you will notice, the consultations for developing the proposed Mega programmes are organized around a tight timetable. We urge you all to connect with those leading each of the proposed Mega programmes (CGIAR contact points are included in the list) to establish how you can contribute to the development of these Mega programmes. Your contributions will help to assure that international investments into the CGIAR programmes are tailored and targeted to meet the needs of your region and country and are cast in a way to ensure that all can lead to effective impact for the target end users.