For the second year in a row CIMMYT has been giving a ranking of “outstanding” in the annual performance measurement conducted by the CGIAR. CIMMYT was one of only two CGIAR centers to reach this, the highest performance level. The indicators look at a center’s overall performance in a very comprehensive way and include criteria about science quality and delivery, partnership, stakeholder perceptions, management, and governance.

CIMMYT Board Chair, Lene Lange, said “Congratulations to CIMMYT and to all of us! This is really fantastic news.” Her sentiment was echoed by the Board’s Program Committee Chair, Julio Berdegue, when he said, “Considering that the quality of the science explains half of the result, congratulations also to each member of the staff all around the world and at every level of the Center. Your very good work is the firm foundation of CIMMYT.”

The outstanding ranking will mean additional funding from the World Bank, beyond what had been budgeted for this year. That is good news, says DG Iwanaga, as it will help offset some anticipated decreases in core contributions from other partners.