Guidelines for the Transition from  �CGIAR’s 2022-2024 Portfolio to the �2025-30 Portfolio 

11 July 2024

Grant and Contract Services, Communications & Outreach, People and Culture, Portfolio Performance Unit, Program Finance, Project Coordination Unit, & Risk Management 

Introduction

*Email from Executive Managing Director Ismahane Elouafi (30 April 2024)

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Transition Principles & Support Teams

• End of business cycle: 31 December 2024.
• No overlap between current 2022-2024 and new 2025-2030 Research Portfolios.
• Minimize disruptions and ensure continuity in delivery of research
• Integrate and continue the critical work and partnerships established in the current 2022-2024 Portfolio.
• Transition Support Roles
• 2025-2030 Portfolio Coordination Team: Overall Coordination of design process. Ensure writing teams have access to resources, guidance and information to deliver.
• 2022-2024 Transition Support Team: Overall guidance in ensuring proper operational and strategic support connected to end of business cycle. 

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Transition Guidance Sections

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Transition Guidance Objectives

While Objective 1 is complete, Objectives 2 and 3 will be updated periodically as more information becomes available. 

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2024 Financial Reporting 

The Portfolio 2022-2024 business cycle is ending. While we prepare to transition to the Portfolio 2025 and its operational framework a contractual close-out is required; the business cycles are not designed to run concurrently. 

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These are the financial measures to guarantee a successful close-out of this business cycle:

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• ALL Initiatives and Platforms must fully implement their 2024 funding allocation by 31 December 2024 (In line with the 2024 PORB).

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• Any unspent funds by 31 December 2024 will be returned to the Window 1 pooled funding for reallocation towards the next CGIAR Research Portfolio (Revised CGIAR Window 1 Budget for 2024 - Annex III).

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• Continuity for "vital" science activities will be ensured through the mechanisms described in the next slide.

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2024 Financial Reporting 

Initiatives and Platforms expenses will not be allowed in 2025. Implementation (including all partnerships and field activities) must conclude by 31 December 2024. An exception is made for final reporting and closeout activities, subject to limited scope and clear definition of such activities.

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No additional funding will be provided for close-out, transition, or reporting. Such costs must be considered within your 2024 budget. Initiatives and Platforms (I&P) should ensure:

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• Proportionate staff time dedicated to finalizing the Type 1 Technical Reports for the initiatives and partners are budgeted in 2024. Such budget will be allowed to be incurred and reported in 2025.

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• As part of the Portfolio transition process and being conscious of the required contractual close-out of all partnership agreements; to ensure "Vital" partnership activities (Section III - Point 8), such committed partnerships with unspent funds as of December 2024 will be protected. 

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• These unspent committed funds will be exceptionally set aside and transitioned to the 2025 budget, under the same Center.

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2024 Financial Reporting 

Financial Deliverable Timeline 

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*Vital activities are key and specific activities linked to an implementation and/or agricultural cycles that cannot adhere to the 31 December 2024 hard stop. The assumption is that disrupting these activities could lead to significant losses in resources, living agricultural materials and/or the continuation of future implementation or agricultural planting cycles. A detailed process related to this financial deliverable will follow.

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Center Responsibilities

(WP leads in coordination

with ILs)

Partner Agreement 

Financial  Considerations

Partnership Management

End of Business Cycle (EBC)Administrative Close out Considerations

EBC Partner Agreement

Transactional Foundations

*FFA: Financial Framework Agreement

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Partnership Transition

Transition of Partners to the �2025 – 30 Portfolio

(Focal Points)

Partnership Management

End of Funding  Cycle Partnership Transitions to the 2025-30 Portfolio 

*Vital Activities: Specific activities linked to an implementation and/or agricultural cycles that cannot adhere to the 31 December 2024 hard stop. The assumption is that disrupting these activities could lead to significant losses in resources, living agricultural materials and/or the continuation of future implementation or agricultural planting cycles. 

Vital Activities*

(process under development)

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2024 Technical Reporting 

• Early opening of the Performance and Results Management System (PRMS) – 8 July 2024.
• Enhancement of reporting processes, systems and tools based on feedback from the L&O process.  
• 2 QA batches planned for 2024*; 1 batch planned for Q1/2025.
• Submission of Type 1 reports in December 2024. Type 1 report will feature a simplified structure, with some sections consolidated to provide a high-level summary of progress in 2024. A summative three-year section will be included to ensure compliance with the Technical Reporting Arrangements
• Ongoing support and training for Initiatives/Impact Platforms/Science Group Projects.
• Flexibility in handling exceptions.

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* This plan will be revised in September and reassessed based on the number of results reported in PRMS.

*Type 1 reports will be developed and submitted for internal approval (SMDs) before being sent to the PPU in December 2024. Sections that heavily rely on 2024 data and outcomes reported in the PRMS between December and January 2025 will be added later, in March 2025. The PPU will collaborate closely with the Initiatives/Impact Platforms/SGPs to ensure the annual technical reports are completed before final approval by leadership and publication on the CGIAR website in April 2025. 

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Tech Reporting Resources & Support

The P&R hub: your One-Stop Shop for Technical Reporting information.

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2024 Technical Reporting guidance

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PRMS new enhancements – community of testers with representatives from all reporting entities will test these enhancements before roll-out in production

Bi-weekly emails on tech reporting updates

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Monthly meeting with the Senior Program Managers

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Info sessions – as needed

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performanceandresults@cgiar.org

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Risk Management

The Risk Management Module will remain open through 15 July for Initiatives to enter transition-focused risks. Though this is a non-mandatory activity, the review and updating of the risks will provide an opportunity to inform Portfolio design and signal the conclusion of the risk management process for the Initiatives. ​

Initiatives should review their Top 5 Risks (previously submitted in the Risk Management Module in March 2024) applying a transition lens, and: ​

1. Close risks that are no longer relevant due to the transition to the new Portfolio. This should be done by making these risks “Redundant”.  ​
2. Adjust risks that continue to be relevant. ​
3. Add new, Initiative-specific, risks related to the end of Initiatives. For instance, this could be the risk that a specific area of research be dropped because it does not obviously fall under any of the 2025-30 Portfolio Programs.

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Support Materials

• Risk Management Guidance for Initiatives l PDF
• Risk Management Module User Guide l PDF�

Need more help?

• Technical Issues: PRMSTechSupport@cgiar.org
• Support with Risks & Process: projectcoordinationunit@cgiar.org

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• Effective 01 January 2025, Initiative and Platform branding is phased out.
• Exception: 2024 reporting

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• Brand assets and guidelines for new Portfolio to follow.

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Content

Looking Ahead

Communications & Outreach

Branding

• C&O will develop and share transition plans, messaging, etc. with Initiative communicators.

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• Rollout/launch plans and comms guidelines for new Portfolio forthcoming

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• Note on nomenclature:  "Megaprograms" was a placeholder name and has been phased out. 
• Components are Programs, Accelerators, and Assets
• Specific names still being finalized, will be released soon; 29 May Portfolio Narrative list fine to use for now.

• C&O will work with Initiative communicators to inventory, preserve, and transition assets and tools:
• Newsletters
• Social media channels
• Websites/knowledge hubs/etc. beyond microsites
• Photos
• Publications

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• C&O support to Initiative communicators continues through December: 
• Graphic design
• Webinars
• Social media

Contact Janet or your Initiative communicator with questions; check InfoPoint for the latest updates.

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Staff assignments to Initiatives are scheduled to conclude on 31 December 2024. 

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An exception is made for final reporting and closeout activities, subject to limited scope and clear definition of such activities. People plans will be submitted with budgets in October 2024

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Recognizing that Centers and the System Organization are employers of records for staff assigned to/funded by Initiatives (including postgraduates)

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• Centers and the System Organization must follow internal procedures to individually notify their staff members and their direct supervisors, about the end of their Initiative assignments. 

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• Centers and the System Organization, should explore opportunities to assign staff to other programs, including the new Portfolio Programs. 

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Staff Transition Guidance to be issued

Center Roles

People and Culture

Key Guidance/Principles

Further guidance will be issued to facilitate the transition of  process, including:  

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• Selection and staffing for the new Portfolio + transferring staff from Initiatives and Platforms to the new Portfolio structure. 

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• Standard terms of reference (TOR) for Mega-Programs roles.  

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• Reporting on Program’s team composition and FTE (Full Time Equivalent). 

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All SGPs follow the CGIAR Financial Reporting Structure. 

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Financial Reports will be presented on a calendar year basis and will reflect the Center's Audited Annual figures. 

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The total yearly expenditures by general expense categories will be provided, as per the approved budget. 

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The CGIAR reporting framework excludes any other reporting conditions agreed upon between the Designated Center and the Funder or Funders at the time of agreement signing.  

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All SGPs must report their 2024 results and complete a Type 1 Technical Report as per the reporting language in the signed agreement and updated in the 2024 Technical Reporting section above.

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SGPs that have implementation beyond 2024 will be mapped to the new Portfolio’s programs.

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Further instructions on this transition and SGP oversight will be provided in due course.  

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Expenses & Partneships

Technical Reporting Requirement & Link to new

 Portfolio

Science Group Projects (SGPs)

Financial Reporting Requirements

Participant Center expenses are presented into expense categories as needed and uploaded in ANAPLAN monthly, following agreed FP&A calendars.

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Lead Centers allocate Participant Center expenses under CG Partners Expense Categories.  

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Note: All other obligations will be guided by the contractual terms in the Grant Agreements between funders & Designated Centers 

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Further Guidance Forthcoming on:

1. The reallocation process : “Any unspent funds by 31 December 2024 will be returned to the Window 1 pooled funding for reallocation towards the next CGIAR Research Portfolio (Revised CGIAR Window 1 Budget for 2024 - Annex III).”
2. Process and template for Close out and Vital Activities: more details will be shared in August ahead of the 15 October 2024 deadline. In the interim, the Senior Program Managers will initiative a process to identify Vital Activities in their respective Science Programs.
3. Management Structure and related processes, e.g., clearance of Type 1 Reports. Anticipated changes will be shared once known.
4. People & Culture – as mentioned above, further guidance to be shared on :
1. Selection and staffing for the new Portfolio + transferring staff from Initiatives and Platforms to the new Portfolio structure. 
2. Standard terms of reference (TOR) for Mega-Programs roles.  
3. Reporting on Mega-Program’s team composition and FTE (Full Time Equivalent). 

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Resources & Contact/Leads

�Transition team focal points

Additional support provided by: 

Project Coordination Unit: Nancy Ajima and Allison Poulos �Action Area MELIA Focal Points: Frank Place, Jim Hammond and Enrico Bonaiuti �The Portfolio Coordination Team: Scarlet Crawford, Roberto Rocha Correa, Pascale Sabbagh and Roland Sundstrom  

 �Guidance and Approval of the content.  

Science Managing Directors: Appolinaire Djikeng, Johan Swinnen and Sonja Vermeulen �Executive Managing Director: Ismahane Elouafi 

Consult the P&R Hub for the 2022 – 2024 Transition Guidelines, Resources and FAQs. �And the InfoPoint/Next CGIAR Portfolio Development for updates.

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Thank you!