Below is some more detailed description and guidance for filling out the 2019 Plan of Work and Budget (POWB).

If you find anything to improve please let us know and we will try and adjust this in the next cycle.

Guidance on word count: 1 Page DIN A4 Times New Roman or Calibri 11pt is roughly 400-500 words

Table 2A Planned Milestones

Note 1: Please make a note under the table if there has been any change in the FP outcome from the original proposal, and also ensure that this change is up to date in your other program documentation. (It is understood that the discoveries made as the research progresses may lead to changes in the proposed outcomes.)

If you are adding new milestones, please also indicate a maximum of one or two sub-IDOs to which your new/revised milestone should be attached. Any significant change of direction should be explained in the narrative (section 1).

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Note 2: Please include a max. number of 3 milestones per proposed FP 2022 outcome.

A milestone should mark a specific point of progress, expected to be reached in the coming year. It can be for example the completion of a significant activity, such as completion of a major trial or set of trials, or a survey; the release of a particular technology onto the market; or the production of significant new evidence about the effects of a policy or variety.

Milestones may also mark important decision points in the research, for example ‘Results of trial X will inform decision on whether to continue developing technology Y or take a new direction’. (It is understood that not all research will be successful, and that clear decisions to withdraw or redesign a particular research line are a sign of good research management.) Milestones do not need to be quantified, but they should be measurable (see Note 3).

Many milestones could be taken from the submitted Proposal, but you may want to improve the wording for clarity, or to change the milestone completely (as mentioned in Note 1).

When you write a milestone, put yourself into the position of Funders and other readers who are not specialists. Include (in as few words as possible) enough information to explain why this is a milestone towards the outcome indicated, if it is not obvious from the title. Spell out acronyms every time. (This information will be accessed by readers online who may not be able to see other rows of the table.)

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Note 3: Means of verification. How will program management, or an external observer, know that your milestone has been achieved? This should be very brief, e.g. ‘trial report from trial XX’, ‘annual report of bilateral project XX’, ‘report of PMU meeting’ etc.

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Note 4: CGIAR Cross-cutting markers 2-1-0 - see initial guidance below.

These were adapted from ‘DAC policy markers’ of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, also used by the International Aid Transparency Initiative. The System Management Office will consult with gender and other cross-cutting specialists and develop more specific guidance on the use of these markers

CGIAR cross-cutting markers 2-1-0 guidance (provisional - being checked with cross-cutting specialists):

CGIAR cross-cutting marker 2 - principal objective

Definition: Principal objective: The milestone directly aims at advancing gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC; it would not have been implemented without that objective.

Checklist:

• Is the main and explicit objective of the milestones to promote gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC?

• Is gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC fundamental in the design of the milestone?

• Are the expected results of the milestone to promote gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC?

CGIAR cross-cutting marker 1 - as a significant objective

Definition: Significant objective: The milestone partly aims at advancing gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC; however, it would have been implemented even without that objective.

Note that disaggregation of results by gender or youth is necessary but not sufficient for allocating a score of 1.

Checklist - To distinguish from a score of 0 (Not Targeted) the answer to ALL of the following questions should be YES

• Is gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC relevant and important in achieving the expected milestone?

• Is there (or will there be) any work managed by CGIAR or partners which significantly addresses issues of [gender/youth/ capdev/Climate Action] as part of achieving this milestone?

• Is there or will there be clearly recorded information on capacity development/climate action activities and results related to this milestone?

• For gender and youth: is all relevant data disaggregated?

CGIAR cross-cutting marker 0 - Not targeted to gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC

Definition: Not targeted: The milestone does not target for that objective. This does not mean that it is completely irrelevant – for example you may still disaggregate results by gender.

The milestones has been screened against but found not to target the gender equality/ youth/ CapDev/ CC objective (answer of NO to one or more questions above).

CGIAR cross-cutting marker - N/A - not applicable

Definition: Not applicable: specific upstream technical areas.

Is this a highly technical area where the markers are not directly relevant (e.g. a tool for measuring a particular genetic marker)?

Carefully consider before allocating a score of N/A whether the milestone is truly ‘free of social issues’. For example, screening germplasm can be gender blind or gender-sensitive.

Source: Adapted from SIDA toolkit on OECD gender policy marker

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Note 5: Please estimate the risk to achievement of this milestone this year (L=Low risk, very likely to be achieved). It is understood that research is risky and that planned milestones may not be achieved for a variety of reasons. Most programs will include a balance of some high-risk, high-return research with lower-risk research.

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Note 6: If you select Medium or High Risk, please indicate the single most likely risk to delivery of this milestone from the following drop-down list:

1. Research/science - inherent risk in unknown cutting edge research or science

2. Financial - funding not fully confirmed or at risk of being cut

3. Partnership - risk that partners won’t be able to deliver a key piece on time

4. Internal resources - risk that key staff, infrastructure or equipment not available at time needed

5. Weather - for example, drought or heavy rain affecting field trials

6. External environment (political, economic, legal, market) - e.g. risk of non-delivery due to conflict, economic/market changes

7. Other please state: ________________________

These are pilot categories for this year and we welcome your comments on their usefulness.

Table 2B Planned Evaluations/Reviews, Impact Assessments and Learning Exercises

Please complete the following table to share any impact assessments, adoption studies, evaluations, reviews or other learning exercises that are planned for the coming year, for example to provide evidence for reporting on Outcome-Impact Case Studies.

Delete examples provided below and replace with your own. Please make sure that the title of study is self-explanatory. Spell out acronyms every time. (This information will be accessed by readers online who may not be able to see other rows of the table)

Column 4: When describing the studies, please keep in mind two possible audiences:

a) Other parts of CGIAR, including evaluation, audit and assessment bodies, who may wish to check your plans to suggest collaboration on studies, or to avoid duplication.

b) External stakeholders who will not understand the acronyms and need things spelling out clearly.

Table 2C Planned major new collaborations

Please list most relevant new internal (among programs, and programs and platforms), or collaborations with non-CGIAR partners for the coming year. using the following table.

When describing the collaborations, please keep in mind two possible audiences:

a) Other parts of CGIAR who may wish to check your plans to suggest additional collaborations or to avoid duplication

b) External stakeholders who will not understand the acronyms and need things spelling out clearly.

Please make sure that the description is self-explanatory. Spell out acronyms every time. (This information will be accessed by readers online who may not be able to see other rows of the table).