SPIA's mandate focuses on expanding and deepening evidence of CGIAR research impact on five impact areas, while fostering a culture of impact assessment within CGIAR. In response to new demands, SPIA is:

• Expanding the number of countries where CGIAR-related innovations and policy influences are systematically tracked.
• Framing causal evidence of impact within One CGIAR’s five impact areas.
• Supporting CGIAR in strengthening the generation and using rigorous impact evidence.

The current SPIA workplan entails three inter-related pillars:

1. Country studies of CGIAR reach at the System level
2. Causal impact assessments
3. Use of rigorous evidence

SPIA operates with a core panel of 8-10 members, supported by a dedicated professional team. Working within CGIAR, SPIA collaborates closely with Impact Assessment (IA) focal points and related researchers to strengthen evidence generation. Beyond CGIAR, SPIA serves as a bridge to the broader impact assessment research community, engaging with academics and external experts. To ensure independent and rigorous evaluation, SPIA also contracts external researchers to assess the reach and impact of CGIAR innovations.