Highlights from SPAP meeting

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SPAP MEETING

by Pascale Sabbagh | November 12, 2013

IMG_0022The PIM Science and Policy Advisory Panel (SPAP) met in Washington DC on October 23-24, 2013. Panel members attending included Hartwig de Haen (University of Göttingen), Lidinwe Sibanda (FANRPAN), Sukhadeo Thorat (Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Council for Social Science Research), and Alberto Valdes (Universidad Catolica de Chile). Christopher Barrett (Cornell University), Jikun Huang (Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), and Johan Swinnen (University of Leuven) sent regrets, and will provide input separately. The role of the SPAP is to provide the PIM management team and the Lead Center (IFPRI) Director General with strategic guidance to ensure that the program achieves its goals.

During the meeting the participants heard presentations from PIM’s research leaders about early results from PIM’s portfolio. Several examples of impact of PIM’s policy research were featured, from enabling African governments to establish biosafety regulatory systems, to influencing the European biofuel policy through evidence from CGE modeling.

Partnerships, both with CGIAR centers and with non-CGIAR partners, were at the center of discussions.

Panel members commended the ambitious scope of the program, the quality of the research, and the way in which attention to gender is integrated across all seven of PIM’s “flagship projects”. The SPAP provided a set of recommendations pertaining to the program monitoring and evaluation, emerging topics to include in the next phase, as well as relationships with key partners. There was a consensus on the need to continue and enhance PIM’s contribution to strengthening the capacity of developing country institutions.

The PIM management team will take these recommendations into consideration in setting priorities for 2014 and 2015, and in preparation of the second phase of the program.

PIM SPAP meeting Oct 23-24_Agenda

PIM SPAP meeting Oct 23-24_Key recommendations