The objective of the ALP is to promote and support agricultural research and development activities in accordance with the Pakistan's long term development goals and to promote long term scientific cooperation between Pakistan and the United States in agricultural sector.
The scope of agricultural research and development activities, which the ALP may promote and support shall cover all scientific activities related to agriculture including production, processing, marketing and agricultural services. The ALP shall give emphasis, but need not limit to its efforts to the support of strategic research, which improves farm and animal productivity, and in the areas which directly or indirectly affect the achievement of these objectives. POWERS OF ALP FUND The ALP Fund shall be an independent entity and shall possess all of the powers necessary to carry out its objectives including but not limited to the powers to promote and support, by funding or otherwise agricultural research and development projects of mutual benefit encourage and support the exchange of agricultural scientists and other type of agricultural experts. OPERATIONS Pakistan Agricultural Research Council is responsible for operation of ALP Fund. The ALP Fund's operations mainly consist of selection, processing, approval, monitoring, evaluation and coordination of projects supported in whole or in part by the Fund. The primary source of such Funding shall be from the income of the Fund. The Fund shall minimize in annual operational costs in order to permit the maximum utilization of its resources to support agricultural research and development and will do so by using effectively the existing mechanisms of PARC. The Fund shall accept proposals for research and development grants from all public or private entities which demonstrate needed research and development (R&D) capabilities and financial responsibilities. The Fund shall encourage project proposals to be developed and submitted jointly by the Pakistani and US scientists. The ALP operations also include the Fund will assist applicants who submit proposals singly to identify collaborators in the other country proposals may cover any or all R&D phases including initial feasibility (pre-research and pre-development), research and development; · all proposals shall be submitted to the Director General Planning, PARC, Executive Director, ALP; · all proposals for R&D projects and feasibility studies are to be judged and evaluated by the technical experts/referees in Pakistan and overseas collaborating scientists. The final ranking will be made by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC); and · the recommendation of TAC will be submitted to BOD for final approval and allocation of ALP annual budget.
A management system will establish the ALP Fund's Programme and Priorities and its financial and managerial policies. Board of Directors shall be the governing body of ALP Fund and shall be responsible for the Fund's programme and its financial and managerial policies. The Board shall consist of:
Sr. No. | Designation | |
---|---|---|
1 | Chairman PARC | Chairman |
2 | Provincial Addl. Chief Secretaries | Member |
3 | Senior Chief (Agri and Food Sec) P&D Division | Member |
4 | Agricultural Development Commissioner, MNFS&R | Member |
5 | All Members PARC | Member |
6 | Representations of Stackholders | Member |
7 | Director General Planning & Development Division, PARC | Member/Secretary |
Terms of Reference (TOR) of BOD · adopt bylaws, rules, and procedures for the conduct of its activities; · Establish the organizational frame-work of the Fund .Appoint Technical Experts and Reviewers and Technical Advisors for review and evaluation of the proposals. .Accept contributions of property , funds, and services and exercise and delegate any other powers of the Fund not otherwise specifically assigned by this document.
Sr. No. | Designation | |
---|---|---|
1 | Chairman PARC | Chairman |
2 | All Members PARC | Member |
3 | Provincial DG Research | Member |
4 | Eminent Scientist | Member |
5 | Director General Planning & Development Division | Member/ Secretary |
The Planning & Development Division of PARC will act as ALP Secretariat. Necessary manpower and logistic facilities will be drawn from within PARC resources and the necessary operational expenditure will be met out of ALP fund.
The Director General Planning, PARC will be the Executive Director of ALP and will act as Administrative Officer (AO) of the Fund. The Executive Director will be responsible for the administration and operation of the Fund under the authority and powers assigned by BOD. The office of the Executive Director will be located at PARC. The Executive Director shall exercise all powers delegated to him/ her by the BOD. The Executive Director shall, among other things refer proposals submitted for ALP funding to the Technical Expert/Reviewer and TAC. · based on recommendations of the Technical Expert and TAC, prepare and submit to the Board for its approval the annual research and development program, their annual budget, and long-term plans for the utilization of the Fund's resources; · compile annual reports, organize monitoring, review and evaluation of ALP projects and compile the audit and financial reports; · the Executive Director may organize and facilitate various activities falling under the Fund's objectives; and · Executive Director shall maintain an appropriate system of internal control, books and records (technical and financial).
Initially concept papers will be invited on the prescribed proforma through advertisement. After preliminary evaluation of the concept papers, the sponsor will be requested to submit a detailed, full blown project proposal for final evaluation and processing by the ALP Secretariat. Successful sponsor will be notified and an agreement to implement the project will be signed between the sponsor and PARC.
The project proposals will be processed in accordance with the procedures approved by the BOD of ALP Endowment Fund. The project approval process will include Inviting the concept papers, not exceeding 3-4 pages with one page budget estimates from the scientists through advertisement in priority areas of national importance; · concept papers appraisal by ALP Secretariat through technical divisions of PARC; · invitation of detailed proposals in the light of recommendations by the technical division, PARC; · review of detailed proposals by the cooperating scientists and two national referees; · submission of detailed project proposals to TAC alongwith recommendations of national and international referees for concurrence; · implementation Agreement between the sponsor and PARC; and · issuance of Administrative approval of the project.
The Fund shall support research and development projects generally for a period of up to 3 years. Extensions beyond three years will require approval of the Technical Advisory Committee. Each project incharge shall submit to the Director General Planning, PARC an annual progress report for review. Funding of projects that do not show adequate progress may be withheld.
Monitoring, review, and evaluation of the projects will be organized by the Planning & Development Division, PARC; and annual review of ALP will be carried out by BOD
The Executive Director will make sure that the Incharge of ALP project will submit financial and technical progress reports timely and regularly to PARC on the prescribed proformae; on termination of the project, final financial report and completion report are to be submitted for evaluation and settlement of accounts with ALP Sectt., PARC; the project incharge will submit any additional information required by the ALP Secretariat; and the projects findings are to be disseminated to all the stake- holders and public & private institutions.
As a general policy, ALP does not provide for recruitment of regular staff. ALP assumes that the host institutes have sufficient trained human resources and with some essential operational/financial support, the institute will successfully run the project. However, under specific and unavoidable situations, restricted contract appointments shall be allowed as per prevalent govt. policy.
The PARC financial, accounting and auditing system will be adopted for the implementation of ALP.
An honorarium equal to one month's salary will be given to the incharge of the project per year. Honorarium to other officers/project staff associated with ALP will be admissible with the approval of BOD.