Development of Portfolio Management Tools in Crop Breeding Programs: A Case Study of Cassava in sub-Saharan Africa Provisionally Accepted

Chiedozie Egesi^{1, 2, 3} Edwige Gaby Nkouaya Mbanjo^1* Robert Kawuki^{4, 5} Béla Teeken¹ Ismail Y. Rabbi¹ Ruth Prempeh⁶ Lydia Jiwuba³ Damien Njoku³ Heneriko Kulembeka⁷ Francisca Bura Gwandu⁷ Vincent Woyengo⁸ Elizabeth Parkes⁹ Richard Ofei¹ Banda Vishnuvardhan Reddy¹ Pheneaas Ntawuruhunga⁹ John Derera¹⁰ Steffen Weber¹¹ Peter Kulakow¹

• ¹International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria
• ²Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, United States
• ³National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Nigeria
• ⁴National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Uganda
• ⁵World Coffee Research (WCR), 10940 SW Barnes Road #334, Portland OR 97225, USA, United States
• ⁶The council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crop Research Institute (CSRI-CRI), Ghana
• ⁷Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute, Tanzania
• ⁸Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KARLO), Kenya
• ⁹International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (Zambia), Zambia
• ¹⁰One Consultative Group On International Agricultural Research (One CGIAR), Nigeria
• ¹¹Other, Sweden

The response to the diverse needs along the cassava value chain, the urge to increase genetic gain, and the need for rapid varietal turnover will necessitate not only technological innovations but also transformation of public breeding programs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We developed guiding, flexible and adaptative tools for portfolio management of cassava breeding. The cassava breeding and product development pipeline process was mapped to illustrate activities of each stage, as well as to clarify key decision points. Stakeholders involved at all stages of breeding were identified. This allowed for identification of gaps and new crucial functions. To clarify accountability and reduce complexity in the decision-making at key decision points, the roles were mapped against decision-rights at each stage-gate. Cassava crop calendars for the different regions in SSA were developed to facilitate better planning. A product advancement template was developed to guide product advancement. The tools that have been developed and stage-gate mapping, will support regional efforts to establish more structured, transparent, participatory, efficient, inclusive, and demand-driven cassava breeding in the region. These approaches could be customized to other commodities.