Questions of mandate are central in the actual operations of intergovernmental organizations within secretariats, in opinions of legal counsel, and in governing councils and general assemblies. Mandate issues can impose real constraints, or generate demands for action, or be brushed aside in some political circumstances. Overall they are a significant and perplexing part of the administrative law of international organizations. This paper explores the highly varied practical effect of mandate issues on operations of an international organization, through analysis of diverse approaches to mandate constraints and aspirations in ventures of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).