Contributions

1.11 Intellectual asset management

The GLDC strategy abides by the CGIAR Principles on the Management of Intellectual Assets (CGIAR IA Principles)⁹⁴ and their Implementation Guidelines. The primary outputs of the program are technologies that are International Public Goods (IPGs) that will be disseminated according to agreed practices of the CGIAR for effective translation of research outputs to impacts. There are examples of innovative Intellectual Property (IP) management within GLDC, as with the multi-stakeholder public-private partnership of the HPRC⁹⁵ and the Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP)⁹⁶. These constitute GLDC expertise in managing its germplasm and in private-sector partnerships for the use of cutting-edge technology for rapid delivery of high impact. GLDC will manage issues of IP with integrity, fairness, equity, responsibility and accountability in all Flagship Programs wherever it operates.

1.12 Open access management

GLDC will adhere to the CGIAR Open Access and Data Management Policy⁹⁷ and be guided by the CGIAR BigData Platform for timely and widespread dissemination of the results of its R4D activities. GLDC will leverage the existing primary databases and platforms of its various participating Centers. The main database for experimental planning, analysis and reporting will be Dataverse⁹⁸. In addition, GLDC will use other specialized and shared databases such as the Breeding Management System (BMS)⁹⁹, Grin-Global, aWhere, ESRI webGIS platform to make available its results to the global research and development community.

1.13 Communication strategy

GLDC communications will contribute towards four specific objectives: i) uptake on new technologies; ii) building broader awareness of solutions; iii) resource mobilization; and iv) effective coordination among all partners. This should not be a replication of the Centers’ communications but instead be developed along with each participating Center, partners and the FP leaders. Communications for resource mobilization will require strategic communications focused on the higher level big issues that the CRP is addressing as well as promoting the ‘value added’ by the CRP. Effective communications among all partners will require internal communications tools and activities to be put in place. This will be important to ensure two-way engagement across the different disciplines, countries and organizations. The GLDC Integrated Communication Strategy will be implemented by communication specialists and ~10% of W1/2 budget will be directed towards explicit communication activities.

1.14 Risk management

The GLDC Theory of Change articulated a set of anticipated risks and proposed mitigation strategies (Section 1.3). This articulated strategy is linked to associated risks and mitigations in each FP. That said, a major risk is funding instability and scale. The project can adjust its ambition with respect to scale, but the variability of W1/W2 funding will impact significantly on success. Mitigation will be dependent on successfully marketing GLDC as a prospectus for bilateral funding, attractive to donors because of its vision, target beneficiaries, stakeholder network, innovative interventions and track-record in delivery.

The social and political volatility in some target countries interferes with the planned trajectory of the R4D pipeline in these countries. This either creates delays in execution or curtails research for a prolonged period of time. Mitigation can occur through research in areas with similar agroecologies within other target or spillover countries of the program.

1.15 CRP budget narrative

The proposed five-year budget (2018-2022) for GLDC is $413M, with $84M allocated to 2018 (Tables 8-11). The annual budget includes $11.5M for W1/W2 in 2018, increasing by 5% pa. thereafter, and so totaling $64M over 5 years (15% total budget). The balance of $349M is to be funded by W3 and bilateral projects (85% total). Approximately $403M is allocated to FPs (including the GLDC Innovation Fund and Research Leadership roles) and $8.9M for Management Support Costs.