Report from TAC on Its Review of the 2000 Centre Financing Plans

TAC's comments presented at International Centers Week 1999 on the 2000 financing plans submitted by the CGIAR Centers and considered at TAC 77. TAC's review compared the plans with levels of spending endorsed by commodity, sector, and activity at the CGIAR Mid Term Meeting 1997. The plans were assessed in aggregate in terms of their implications for systemwide priorities and strategies and consistency with the 2000 CGIAR research agenda, and center medium term plans.The review identified livestock, water, and germplasm improvement as areas of underinvestment, as well as chickpea, groundnut, millets, and banana. Rice and wheat were identified as instances of overinvestment.TAC noted with concern an ongoing trend of diminishing unrestricted funding, and its potential ramifications for center flexibility in responding to new challenges.