Terms of Reference (ToR) for IAI External Review Committee (ERC)

This document outlines the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the External Review Committee (ERC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). Prepared by a Working Group in June 2001, the ToR establishes the mandate, membership, and focus for an external evaluation of the IAI's institutional and programmatic development to provide a "compass" for the institute's next decade.

• The External Review Committee (ERC) is mandated to conduct a credible, transparent, and timely review of the IAI's activities, focusing on institutional and programmatic development. The review is intended to be forward-looking, offering recommendations to define the IAI's path for the following ten years and assessing the institute based on the Objectives found in Article II of the Agreement.
• The ERC should consist of approximately 6 senior members with high international visibility and reputations in global environmental change. At least half of the members must have no direct involvement with the IAI, and the committee chair must be selected from this non-IAI group. The membership should represent international global change science, national governments, and international development assistance agencies, and may include former chairs of the Executive Council (EC) and Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).
• The review's primary focus is to determine how the IAI has benefited governments and people in the hemisphere. Success is measured by the IAI's ability to expand collaboration among member countries, enhance national capacity to meet international environmental agreement commitments, and complete scientific projects that improve social well-being.
• The ERC is tasked with evaluating specific institutional and programmatic issues using indicators of impact. Key areas of inquiry include the evolution of the funding base, the effectiveness of IAI management and structure, the development of research networks, and the transition of the scientific agenda to include social, engineering, and medical sciences.
• The evaluation process was scheduled to begin in August 2001, with the final report and recommendations due for completion within one year, to be considered at the CoP 2002.
• The ERC is to be supported by a secretariat that may include up to two experts or consultants specializing in program evaluation, with additional logistical and analytical support provided by the IAI Secretariat.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2001). Terms of Reference (ToR) for IAI External Review Committee (ERC). https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/15_TORExtEv.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Terms of Reference (ToR) for IAI External Review Committee (ERC). 2001. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/15_TORExtEv.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Terms of Reference (ToR) for IAI External Review Committee (ERC) |date=31 July 2001 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/15_TORExtEv.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2001terms, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Terms of Reference (ToR) for IAI External Review Committee (ERC)}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2001}, month = jul, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/15_TORExtEv.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }