Abstract
The evaluation is one of the five CRP commissioned evaluations requested by the CGIAR Fund Council, to assist and inform he planning and approval process for Phase II of the CRPs.
To assist CRPs in this effort, IEA provided quality assurance advice and support, as well as quality validation and review of processes and outputs.
The evaluation team began work in early May 2015: a number of overarching questions were formulated to explore the extent of added value generated by the Dryland Cereals.
1. Does the Dryland Cereals provide an effective framework and procedures for prioritizing research? Is research becoming strategically better focused on development outcomes as well as delivering the long-term high quality scientific research achievements which underpin these?
2. Is the Dryland Cereals generating synergy among centers and improving integration among disciplines and teams? Is knowledge being shared, technologies exchanged and capacity being built across countries and partners?
3. Is Dryland Cereals research becoming better aligned to the needs of smallholder farmers, consumers and other beneficiaries? Are gender and diversity issues being integrated into research planning and implementation and in the articulation of uptake pathways?
4. Is the Dryland Cereals developing a broader range of partnerships which contribute to research outputs and realization of outcomes? Is this adding value and likely to enhance the global benefits from Dryland Cereals research for poor producers and consumers?
5. How has Dryland Cereals managed resources to realize the new vision of the CRP; how have the multiple sources, levels and allocation of funding influenced incentives for bringing about change?
6. Are the governance and management structures, practices and reporting lines of the CRP efficient and effective? Is there clarity and a common understanding of the roles and operational procedures of different components of CRP management within the lead and partner institutions?
