UN REFORM: INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF

UNCLAS ROME 000465

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO DAS MILLER, IO/EDA - BEHREND, KOTOK,
IO/S - ABRAHAMS
USDA FOR FAS/ICD - WBRANT, LREICH, RHUGHES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC EAGR EAID KUNR FAO
SUBJECT: UN REFORM: INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF
FAO SLATED TO BEGIN MARCH 13

REF: (A) 05 ROME 2082, (B) 05 ROME 2083,
(C) 05 ROME 3385, (D) 05 ROME 4027


1. (U) Summary: A Committee of the FAO Council charged
with oversight of the comprehensive Independent External
Evaluation (IEE) of FAO has just approved the selection
of a high-caliber core team of evaluators and decided
that the IEE would formally begin on March 13, subject to
firm assurance that $2.1 million in funding would be
available for CY 2006. Thus far 16 developed and
developing countries have made voluntary contributions to
the IEE process, with $1.8 million currently available or
reasonably assured, out of a total requirement of
$4.3 million. The IEE of FAO, the largest such
undertaking in the UN system, was spearheaded by the U.S.
and could serve as a model for reform of the UN technical
agencies. A significant USG contribution to the IEE (in
addition to $250,000 already given) would spur other
donors to step forward and help assure the success of
this important effort toward UN reform. End summary.


2. (U) After a year of preparatory work during which a
broad consensus emerged among FAO members, the FAO
Conference in November 2005 endorsed draft terms of
reference (TOR) and oversight arrangements for the IEE
(see ref D and previous). According to the TOR, the
evaluation "...is to be comprehensive, external,
professional, and fully independent from the Secretariat
and member governments. The focus will be on relevance,
efficiency and intended and unintended results, including
outcomes and impacts and their effectiveness and
sustainability." The IEE will encompass (1) FAO's
technical work (operational as well as normative),(2)
management and organization, (3) governance, and (4)
FAO's role in the multilateral system. A Committee of
the Council for the IEE (CC-IEE) was created to oversee
the evaluation. The Committee is chaired by Brazilian
Permanent Representative Perri; U.S. Alternate Permanent
Representative Brakel is co-chair.


3. (U) At its meeting of February 14, the CC-IEE
decided that evaluation work should be initiated on
March 13, subject to the firm assurance by that date that
$2.1 million will be available for CY 2006. The first
task of the evaluation core team will be to draw up an
Inception Report in accordance with the TOR that would
provide a proposed road map for the evaluation, including
budgetary requirements, key deliverables and timing. The
Inception Report would preferably be finalized and
presented for consideration by the CC-IEE before the end
of April 2006. As foreseen in the TOR, the findings of
the IEE would be expected to be available in time for the
FAO Conference in November-December 2007.


4. (U) In addition, the Committee decided to invite the
following individuals to make up the evaluation core team
(they had previously been interviewed in person by the CC
Bureau and a working group for candidate selection):

-- Keith Bezanson (Canada) - team leader;

-- Uma Lele (India/USA) - core team member for technical
work of FAO;

-- Michael Davies (UK) - core team member for management,
organization and administration;

-- Carlos Perez del Castillo (Uruguay) - core team member
for governance; and

-- Thelma Awori (Uganda) - core team member for FAO's
role in the multilateral system.


5. (U) The Committee recognized that the core team
would be supplemented as needed by specialist consultants
who would complement the background and experience of
core team members. Two independent Quality Assurance
Advisers will be selected to assist the CC-IEE in its
consideration of the Inception Report and its oversight
of the evaluation.


6. (U) U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative Cleverley
was asked to chair a working group of the CC-IEE to
coordinate financing efforts for the voluntarily funded
IEE. This group has developed a strategy to raise
awareness and seek contributions from all FAO members,
while recognizing that the industrialized and oil-
exporting countries would contribute at a higher level
than other members.

7. (U) The IEE will cost approximately $4.3 million.
As of February 14, a total of 14 developed countries
(Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland,
Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK, USA) and two developing countries
(India, Saudi Arabia) had formally contributed or pledged
funds to the IEE process. Thus far, $1.8 million in
contributions or pledges is reasonably assured for CY

2006. Another $0.8 million in "indications of possible
further contributions" has been received, leaving a
shortfall of at least $1.7 million. Sample
contributions/pledges thus far: UK - $523,000, Germany -
$477,000, Canada $254,000, Switzerland - $173,000,
Finland - $140,000.


8. (U) IEE Core Team Leader Bezanson -- competent,
dynamic, and impressive -- participated in part of the CC-
IEE meeting on February 14. He conceded that conducting
the evaluation would be a challenging exercise, but
expressed confidence in the core team. He pledged to
conduct the IEE in a transparent manner, while assuring
independence. He committed to provide the CC-IEE with
regular feedback, and to avoid surprises. He expressed
his determination that the IEE be forward-looking,
presenting its recommendations in a manner that "opens up
political space" for reform. He added that, if the
evaluation results are not provocative, the team would
have failed.


9. (U) According to Bezanson, the core team will begin
its work by reading deeply into FAO and developing an
inventory of key questions. The team will then assemble
in Rome during the last week of March and the first week
of April to begin extensive consultations with the widest
possible range of stakeholders. Each team member will
then submit a list of empirical questions to Bezanson,
which he will craft into a first draft of the Inception
Paper that will be posted on the evaluation website for
member comments.

COMMENT


10. (U) More than a year of patient diplomacy and
preparatory work has paid off well, as evidenced by this
week's official green light for the IEE to begin in mid
March. The TOR and the oversight mechanism adopted by
the FAO Conference guarantee an evaluation that will be
comprehensive, professional, and independent. The IEE
continues to enjoy broad support and buy-in from a cross
section of FAO members. The successful selection of a
geographically diverse, gender-balanced core team of
evaluators that includes highly respected experts of
international stature provides additional reason to
believe that the evaluation will be credible, and will
lead to serious proposals to strengthen and reform FAO.


11. (U) In all likelihood, contributions and firm
pledges anticipated within the next four weeks will bring
the IEE Trust Fund up to the threshold of $2.1 million
that was established as a precondition for formal start-
up of the evaluation. Nevertheless, there remains a
significant funding gap. The USG, which was a leader in
the development of the IEE concept now needs to assume a
leadership role in its funding. We are working to expand
the number of contributors, but given the size of other
industrialized countries' contributions, the US does not
appear at this point to be participating at an amount
commensurate to its influence or interest in reform.

CLEVERLEY