For this bounce back ICRISAT chief is rewarded with 'unprecedented' third term for steering what was described as 'a broken ship through muddy waters.'

Just a decade ago the world's foremost dry land agriculture laboratory, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru on the outskirts of Hyderabad was described as facing a 'mid life crisis'. Today, there has been a turnaround; finances are looking up, new varieties are being released and in recognition for spearheading this bounce back the Governing Board (GB) of this Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) institute appointed its current Director General, William D. Dar, a Filipino horticulturist for what it calls an 'unprecedented' third consecutive five-year term. A 2009 external review of the institute noted "ICRISAT today is a thriving research institute with a strong leadership and with a unique capacity to address poverty alleviation, food security, and natural resource protection in the semi-arid tropics."

Accepting this third term, Dar said he was 'excited to take on the awesome challenges that dry land agriculture faces due to climate change'. 

In contrast to this, a decade ago, Dar's immediate predecessor, Shawki M. Barghouti, a Jordanian agronomist had described: "ICRISAT today is akin to a ship with a broken engine being steered in muddy waters where the going is certainly not easy," (Science: 2 January 1998: Vol. 279. no. 5347, pp. 26 - 27). In addition, Indian scientists were very miffed with the snobbish attitude of the ICRISAT staff and with what they called its 'non performance'.

Dar joined ICRISAT as the Director General in January 2000 and the GB noted the "[his] excellent performance, strong leadership and big achievements in the last 9 years", while giving him a hat trick. ICRISAT achieved scientific breakthroughs under Dar's leadership like the world's first pigeon pea hybrid through the cytoplasmic male sterility system that was launched in 2007, and later the same year saw the launch of commercial production of ethanol from sweet sorghum. Earlier, the world's first pearl millet hybrid developed through molecular marker-assisted selection and breeding, was launched in 2005. After almost a decade of steadily declining budgets since 1990, during Dar's tenure, ICRISAT's annual budget doubled from US$ 24.6 million in 2003 to US$ 50.5 million in 2008.

According to Professor M S Swaminathan, member of Parliament and Chairman, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, the main reasons for the success at ICRISAT can be attributed to the fact that 'soon after Dar joined ICRISAT, he emphasized that all research should have a human face. Dar therefore placed emphasis on pro-small farmer technology.' According to Swaminathan, Dar also strengthened the partnership with Indian universities and research institutions, which 'led to ICRISAT getting substantial support from both government and non-governmental agencies in India'. For example the Tata Trusts today constitute a very important donor for ICRISAT. Similarly, Dar has been able to work closely with state and central government agencies in India and get large sums of money from them. Swaminathan emphasizes that Dar 'thus ended ICRISAT's isolation from the home country institutions'.

Welcoming this move Gurdev Khush, a rice breeder and Adjunct Professor, University of California, Davis, attributes Dar's success to his 'leadership' and for having built a highly motivated team of scientists and a strong management team, while 'establishing an excellent rapport with the donor community.' Echoing similar views ICRISAT Governing Board member Jeff Bennetzen, Giles Professor, Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, says, "Dar orchestrated a complete turnaround at ICRISAT and converted it into an efficient and altogether exemplary vehicle for the use of science to serve the poorest of the poor in the developing world." 

Chair of the External Program and Management Review for ICRISAT in 2009, Kenneth G. Cassman, Director, Nebraska Center for Energy Science Research, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA says,"in large part the recent upsurge in ICRISAT funding reflects the impact of the food and energy crisis of 2005-2008, which forced policy makers in both donor countries and in the developing countries themselves to give greater attention to food security and agricultural development." As a result, some of the major donors renewed their support and several powerful new funding sources came on line, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who adds that after the last external evaluation of ICRISAT in 2003, it was recommended that the 'ICRISAT close down its headquarters in Hyderabad and move to a location in sub-Saharan Africa.'  In response, says Cassman, "India has become one of ICRISAT's 'strongest supporters', such that the Government of India has become the second largest donor to ICRISAT programs. This is a very positive change and would not likely have happened without the food crisis and the rapid economic development in India that allows them to become a major donor."

Cassman says with regard to Dar's reappointment, that "the evaluation report notes that it is indeed 'highly unusual' to renew a Director General's contract for a third 5-year term, and that given this situation the Governing Board needs to be especially vigilant in their review of his performance. And the panel recommended that the GB adopt a multi-source evaluation process for the Director General that is rigorous and balanced and that provides the GB with more inflected and diverse inputs to the process. In addition to senior staff, the GB and DG should annually agree on a list of partners, donors and peers to be asked to participate in the evaluation."

"This is no time for complacency", warns Cassman. Despite the significant improvement in staff morale and funding, and some excellent research programs, ICRISAT faces a number of major challenges that must be addressed if it is to succeed in its mission. Now that funding resources will not be a major limiting factor, ICRISAT must improve its strategic planning capabilities, the focus and quality of its programs, its ability to participate and lead large, international collaborations on key scientific issues and the quality of its mentoring of graduate students.