Planning in muddy waters - orientation for strategic planning in CGIAR centers

Abstract

This report is grounded on the outcomes of a Research Priority Setting Workshop held in Penang, Malaysia, during May 2002. More than a dozen research planners from the CGIAR Centers participated. There was a conscious effort to allow research managers of the CGIAR system discuss issues relating to the science program, and not just the administrative and logistical functions of the Centers. The outcomes of the workshop provided important building blocks to guide the process of strategic priority setting at the Centers in the future. The report includes a "check list" approach to assist Centers and others implement strategic planning processes. Four major elements or "cornerstones" for managing a successful strategic planning process are elaborated (i.e., process design and management; understanding the external environment; stakeholder involvement; and updating and adapting to changes). The findings of the workshop are germane not just to the Centers themselves but to many of the component elements of the CGIAR.