Colleagues,

This is the time when many people reflect on the past year as they also contemplate the new one. I am sure many of you are taking time to do so, both as individuals and as members of the ILRI family. As an ILRI family member, there are many, many aspects of 2016 that can be reflected upon. Over the past few days I have been doing some reflecting of my own.

At the global level, I have been contemplating the seemingly recent rapid retreat from the concept of the world as a ‘global village’ –one in which we understood our interrelatedness and cared for each other, and one where multilateralism and multiculturalism prevailed. That is the concept in which I am fully invested and have spent most of my professional life working towards. It is with some dismay, therefore, that in an increasing number of influential countries, a large proportion of people, if not a majority, seem to have lost faith in the ‘global village’ concept and as a consequence are starting to look more inward –thus globalization is seen as a failure, multilateralism as a weakness and multiculturalism as a potential threat. This notion is, of course, in stark contrast to our view at ILRI where we see our ‘globalness’ as a real strength and our diversity as a virtue, as we strive to help developing countries to sustainably grow and prosper through livestock research. We must continue to cherish these precepts and do all we can to preserve them as I am confident that, with time, those who may have retreated will return.

Closer to home, I have also been reflecting on the considerable strides we have made during this new set of CGIAR reforms to improve the CGIAR system overall by strengthening its governance and operational modalities. We have discussed these matters in many of our Town Halls, so I will not revisit the topic here, except to express confidence that, as a System, we are in a better place now than we were when I reflected on these matters a year ago. Let us continue to emulate the example of our colleagues in Addis Ababa making our campuses real CGIAR Hubs, and our CGIAR Center and CRP partnerships seamless and stronger.

Internally, I have been brooding over the challenges we faced pursuing our expanded research programs in the face of declining funding for the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs). I reflected too, with some disappointment, on the fact that after almost doubling our size between 2011 -2014, our growth has stymied since then, because of increased pressure on development assistance envelopes on which our funding depends. However, more pleasant reflections are about our very successful Institute Planning Meeting when we cemented plans for our new research program structure, (implementation starts now), as well as reviewed and committed to our other institutional plans to make ILRI the ‘go-to place’ for international research and development. Warmer still are my reflections on the difference ILRI is making, by your individual and combined efforts, at national, regional and global levels, through the number of outstanding presentations, reports and publications in high impact journals, the number of stories from the field on impact of our research, and the awards and recognition so many of you have received. Thank you very, very much for these contributions. Remembering that each and every employee has an important role to play in ILRI’s success, my gratitude is extended to all of you for all contributions from where ever you have made them.

With 2016 behind us, what then have I been contemplating for 2017? The list is quite long but here are the top six priorities of focus:

• The first priority on my mind is returning our budget to a growth trajectory, without which our purchasing power will decline over time in real terms with extremely negative consequences. This is attainable but will take a determined and collective effort.

• This year the CGIAR commences implementation of the Phase 2 CRPs. This presents us with the opportunity to astutely lead the Livestock Program which embodies most of ILRI’s research, and to get firmly behind those CRPs and Platforms in which we are partnering. Our new Program structure is designed to drive these endeavors, and efforts at resource mobilization, mentioned above, will be critical to success.

• This year, we must orient much of our research away from a thematic approach to that of product development and delivery; this is, of course, not feasible across all research areas but is applicable to a large proportion, especially in the Biosciences Division.

• Our efforts to place livestock higher up the global development agenda must be redoubled so that developing counties can benefit from their livestock, the sector can receive investments in research and development commensurate with its contribution to agriculture, and blunt the frontal attack that is underway on domestic animals (particularly ruminants) as the pervades of all things bad. We must, however, not become blind advocates of livestock as that will damage our credibility but rather use the means indicated in our Strategy (2013- 2022) – it is the evidence that we and our partners generate that must be used to leverage the required influence.

• We must make the Regions (staff and research) part of ILRI’s DNA by giving stronger effect to our Regional Strategies and strengthen our partnerships with Chinese, Indian and South African Governments and institutions, among others. This will allow us to leverage their capabilities, build bigger and stronger critical mass, acquire more funding and exert our influence as a global Center. It will also allow us to bring more staff into ILRI from South, East and South East Asia, who are vastly under-represented in our institution today.

• The ongoing efforts to make ILRI ‘fit for purpose’ must be continued. This includes but is not limited to making ILRI the employer of choice and place to be, providing not just efficient but effective services and other support to our research and related programs, and maintaining and modernizing our infrastructure. We must also make ‘participation’ in the ‘happenings’ at ILRI a stronger part of our culture. As with voting in the exercise of citizenship, participation is critical to the vibrancy of an institution.

I can almost hear the murmur among you that this is too long a list to contemplate but a careful look will reveal that these are all inter-related efforts — each one contributes to all others and as indicated already, many are things we are already doing and need to do more of and do it faster. If we were able to execute this agenda and do so really well, 2017 will be a very successful year for ILRI. Can we do it? Yes we can!

On this first day of the new year, do let me take this opportunity to say a very special thank you for your commitment and support, and wish all you and your families a Happy, Healthy and very Successful 2017.

Jimmy Smith| Director General