Report of the Sixth External Programme and Management Review of ICRISAT

Sixth external programme and management review of ICRISAT completed in February 2009 by a panel led by Kenneth Cassman. The review panel found a remarkable turnaround in the five years since the Center’s 2003 review thanks to strong leadership and improved staff morale. The budget grew by 70% and is projected to continue growing over the next five years. Two regional programs have been established, one in WCA and the other in ESA, each with a regional Director and responsibility to plan, resource, and implement a research agenda to address region-specific constraints to food security and poverty. Funding for SSA programs rose to 60% of ICRISAT’s total budget, and the Panel found substantial evidence of spillover from ICRISAT’s germplasm research at headquarters to the SSA programs and the national agricultural research systems (NARS). The report was discussed at ExCo16.