Abstract
As CGIAR enters its 2025–2030 strategic portfolio, partnerships emerge as indispensable to addressing complex global challenges, including climate resilience, food system transformation, and equitable access to innovation. Insights from eight independent evaluations across all three Science Groups converge on one key finding: partnerships must move from the margins to the core of CGIAR’s operations. Together, these evaluations provide 31 actionable recommendations, with emphasis on Ways of Working (WoWs) 3 and 7—embedding research in alliances for transformation and strengthening in-country integration and alignment.
Yet, partnerships remain under-leveraged, constrained by transactional approaches, weak engagement with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), funding silos, coordination gaps, and limited private sector involvement. To overcome these barriers, critical enablers include senior-level accountability, a dedicated System Office partnership unit, and sustained investment in relationship-building and co-creation.
Embedding partnerships as a strategic way of working is essential for CGIAR to achieve impact at scale, strengthen collective capacity, and accelerate transformation of food, land, and water systems worldwide.
The brief is also available in Spanish and will be soon available in French.
Citation
CGIAR Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES). 2025. Partnership: Evaluative Learning on Ways of Working in CGIAR. Brief. Rome: IAES Evaluation Function
Publisher
IAES Evaluation Function
