Technical Advisory Committee Seventieth Meeting, 30 July - 4 August 1996: Report of the Meeting

Report of TAC 70 held at CIAT in Cali, Colombia, July 30 - August 4, 1996, Don Winkelmann presiding. TAC discussed the implications of the new CGIAR financing arrangements for its work, and recognized the importance of ensuring continuation of high priority strategic research. The Committee noted the discussion by the CGIAR meeting in May 1996 (MTM96) of various inputs to priorities deliberations, and the broad endorsement of TAC's priorities and strategies document.TAC commented on draft guidelines for preparation of the center medium term plans for 1998-2000, and prepared for visits by TAC working groups to the centers. It also revisited the principles used in the classification of CGIAR activities, a topic to be discussed further at TAC 71. The TAC chair presented additional quantitative analysis on poverty considerations in the review of priorities.Since 1997 funding would be somewhat lower than the level recommended by TAC and approved by the CGIAR at MTM96, a subset of TAC would meet in September to review revised center proposals and implications of funding cuts for CGIAR priorities. TAC approved transfer of several complementary activities to the research agenda proposed at MTM96, and commented on the project portfolio made available through the efforts of the CGIAR Secretariat.TAC discussed generic issues with regard to systemwide activities, particularly the transition from the initiative to the program stage. It considered various future stripe and center reviews, and commented in detail on a progress report on the study of marginal lands research. The King Baudouin Award went to ICRISAT for breeding improved pearl millet. TAC discussed a number of strategic issues concerning its own role in the changing environment of the CGIAR. It also heard reports on various matters, including one from the IAEG.