Amman icm workshop october 2011

Regional Training Workshop on Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Information and Communication Management

for Rural and Agricultural Development

in Near East and North Africa Region

(AARINENA.RAIS):

Outputs and Lessons Learned

Magdi LatifFAO Knowledge and Capacity For Development DivisionKnowledge Exchange, Research and Extension Office



To strengthen the capacity of the Ministries of Agriculture

and agricultural and rural research institutions for effective

information management and knowledge exchange in

support of rural and agricultural development in the region

NERAKIN Initiative: Immediate Objective (2007)

“The regional initiative will add value in a coherent way to national system/networks, not substitute them.”

“Build infrastructure to network all ARC agricultural institutions through a regional portal as well as through national portals.”

AARINENA RAIS

Contributing and Supporting Partners: AARINENA, GFAR, FAO, CGIAR



To enhance rural and agricultural development in Near East

and North Africa through strengthening information and

knowledge access and exchange, providing mechanisms to:

• strengthen, coordinate, and add value to national and

regional agricultural initiatives

• improve performance of farmers and agrarian

businesses.

NERAKIN Initiative: Development Objective



1- A pilot NERAKIN Regional System for content management and information exchange.

2- Identification of technical institutions committed to

capacity building in IKM.

3- Selected national technical staff sensitized on how to use NERAKIN Regional System.

4- Pilot national knowledge and information management systems/networks (i.e. Egypt, Jordan, Oman, etc.).

NERAKIN Phase I Outputs: 2007



• Development of the regional collaborative network based on partnerships for enhanced knowledge-sharing and learning at national level

NERAKIN Phase II Outputs: 2008/9

• Development of the regional thematic knowledge networks (Starting with Biotechnology Network).

• Official launch of NERAKIN regional portal

• Training of selected national technical staff to contribute to NERAKIN system

• Securing active commitment from stakeholders to

develop national IKM systems/networks



Information Standards and Toolsfor Content Management

www.fao.org/aims

To develop and promote interoperability standards to facilitate the efficient dissemination of content.

interoperability is connecting people, data and diverse systems.

AGMES – Agricultural Metadata Element Set

AGRIS Application Profile AGROVOC Arabic/EnglishReal Simple Syndicate - RSSOpen Archives Initiative ComplianceOnline Web servicesSoftware – MySQL Open Source

ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/GI/Agris/aims/references/flyers/



NERAKIN 2011 Interface



Outputs

Regional Thematic Networks (from 2008 – present)

Regional Agricultural Biotechnology Network Near East and North Africa

Near East Plant Protection Network

Regional Aquaculture Information system

Preventive Desert Locust Management Network (EMPRES) and Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC) Regional Network];

Near East and North Africa Regional Network for Agricultural Policies.



Regional Activities for Networks

December 2008: Participated and provided contribution to Regional Agricultural Biotechnology Network Expert Consultation Meeting. Egypt, Cyprus, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia , Yemen.

December 2010: Organized regional Workshop on Knowledge Exchange Management System for Strengthening Rural Development (Near East Regional VERCON Network). Egypt, Jordon, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Tunis, Yemen.

December 2010: Organized regional Meeting on Establishment of Near East Plant Protection Network. Algeria, Egypt, Jordon, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunis, UAE, Yemen

http://neareast.fao.org/Pages/Events.aspx?I=104128&DId=10009&CId=0&lang=EN&CMSId=5000160&id=753

http://neareast.fao.org/Pages/Events.aspx?I=104128&DId=10009&CId=0&lang=EN&CMSId=5000160&id=753



NERAKIN and Regional Thematic Networks



Regional involvement in national activitiesCountries in the Region can now take advantage of a full range of conceptual models and networks that give stakeholders access to all major research on agricultural science and technology. These fall into three broad categories. projects designed to build capacity for developing effective

information management systems based on stakeholders’ needs to manage, disseminate and share relevant information and knowledge relating to agricultural development and food security policies

initiatives developed to help organizations active in agricultural science to publish and disseminate the results of their work

facilitating access to scientific literature in agriculture appearing in peer-reviewed learned journals, published commercially and sold at prices which are unaffordable in many countries



Regional involvement in national activities

National and Institutional Information and Knowledge Networks National networks

Egypt – NARIMS Jordan – NAIS Oman – MAFNET/NAKEMS

Tools for institution and country levels - Agricultural Information System (AIS), WebAgris and Web-DIMS

Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA)

Rural Information and Knowledge Networks Egypt – Virtual Extension Research Communication Network Egypt – Rural and Agricultural Development Communication

Network



Relationship between NERAKIN and National Networks



VERCON Network RADCON Network



Regional Activities for NINPs May 2007 in Egypt: Regional training workshop on “Information Systems

for Agricultural Research for Development” in collaboration with AARINENA, GFAR, FAO, ICARDA, NARIC. Participation: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Morocco, Sudan and Yemen.

January 2008 in Oman: Regional Workshop for Strengthening National ICM Focal Units in Near East Region for strengthening and developing the agricultural information systems and Identifying stakeholders and beneficiaries of IS, and their needs. Participation: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco , Lebanon ,Libya ,Oman, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen

October 2008 in Syria: Official launch of Near East and North Africa Rural and Agricultural Knowledge and Information (Nerakin-RAIS)

May 2009 in Egypt: Regional Training Workshop "Building National Capacities in Information and Knowledge In Support of Agricultural Research for Development in Near East Region“ - AARINENA, FAO, GFAR, and ICARDA. Participation: Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen



Lessons Learned

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT: The need to create an enabling environment that recognizes the value of connectivity;

PEOPLE, NOT ONLY TECHNOLOGY:Networks depend on and work with people and not on technology alone;

Institutionalization of networks;

Acquiring knowledge-sharing culture that is based on collaborative methods and exchange mechanisms;

Network Facilitation: The significance need to network facilitation with face-to-face meetings; and

Sustainability: The need to ensure sustainability and self-financing.



Thank You For Your Attention



National Outputs - Rural Information and Knowledge System/Network

Egypt Virtual Extension Research Communication Network (VERCON) is a conceptual model developed by FAO that any country can adapt to strengthen linkages between extension officers, researchers, farmers and other stakeholders involved in agricultural and rural development in their areas. It was designed to improve agricultural advisory services to farmers. It should be noted here that VERCON-Egypt was implemented under the TCP modality and was successfully completed in 2001-2002.

FAO also assisted Egypt in formulating a UTFN project for national capacity development designed to boost effective information management and knowledge exchange in rural and agricultural development. This Rural and Agricultural Development Communication Network Project (RADCON), which was set up between 2004 and 2008, is now fully operational and consists of sustainable and dynamic information and communication system that responds to the needs of 50 poor farming communities.



October 2007 Back end Interface



October 2007 Back end Interface



Regional Outputs - Regional Thematic Knowledge Networks

FAO has continued to work closely with regional partners such as AARINENA, ICARDA, GFAR and AOAD. The goal in all cases has been to establish and develop thematic networks of professional staff and collaborating centers for sustainable agriculture and food security.

• In collaboration with AARINENA and GFAR, FAO worked on developing the Near East and North Africa Rural and Agricultural Knowledge and Information Network (NERAKIN - http://www.nerakin.net/).

• This system consists of a regional network gateway along with some 17 national knowledge and information portals. NERAKIN was launched in October 2008 and is designed to help member countries strengthen their regional networking and knowledge Sharing.

• FAO, in collaboration with AARINENA, also developed and facilitated the Regional Agricultural Biotechnology Network (RABNENA- http://www.rabnena.net/), a virtual community of professional staff and collaborating centers related to biotechnology.

http://www.nerakin.net/).%20This%20system%20consists%20of



http://www.rabnena.net/



Regional Outputs - Regional Thematic Knowledge Networks

• FAO, in collaboration with AARINENA, also developed and facilitated the Near East Plant Protection Network (NEPP-NET- http://pp-neareast.net), a virtual community of professional staff and collaborating centers related to plant protection.

• FAO provided the technical support necessary to develop a website for the Preventive Desert Locust Management Network (EMPRES) and the Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC). It is now fully operational (http://crc-empres.org/).

• In 2008 and 2010, FAO also assisted in developing the Near East and North Africa Regional Network for Agricultural Policies (NENARNAP – http://www.nenarnap.org/). The primary objectives of NENARNAP are to enhance the capabilities of agricultural policy analysts and institutions to collect, document, synthesize, exchange and disseminate information on agricultural policies.

http://pp-neareast.net/

http://crc-empres.org/

http://www.nenarnap.org/



Outputs - Regional Thematic Knowledge Networks

Consideration was given to building capacities further among policy makers, managers of agricultural institutions and information managers; the goal is to promote investment in agricultural in formation and knowledge management and to spread awareness of the importance of creating effective information management strategies, structures and procedures within their respective institutions.

• FAO and a large number of international and regional partners were responsible for putting and promoting together the Coherence on Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD) initiative, which is aimed at making agricultural research information truly accessible to all (http://www.ciard.net/).

• During a workshop held in 2009, the CIARD Manifesto was revised on the basis of feedback received from member countries in the region and subsequently this was endorsed at the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) held in France in 2010. In addition to the Manifesto, the CIARD initiative facilitates access to practical tools that can help to support coherent approaches to enhancing access to agricultural information.

http://www.ciard.net/



NERAKIN Interfaces

Front end Interface( Regional or National)The front end components provide the information retrieval/browsing functionalities, and are available to any site user.

Back end InterfaceThe backend components provide the data management functionalities that enable system administrators to input/update/delete data items into the NERAKIN database.





NERAKIN CAPABILITIES

• Meeting the International Data Exchange Requirements

for Information Standards and Tools for Content Management (AGMES – Agricultural Metadata Element Set, AGRIS/ Organization/ Experts/ Projects Application Profile, A/E AGROVOC thesaurus, Software – MySQL Open Source, and Open Archives).

• Open System Architecture

The system is fully dynamic, built and developed under object oriented concepts using the latest technology and modern object oriented language

• Portability It is capable to be deployed easily in other machines and portable devices



• User Friendly

It has a friendly interface and it easy to use and simple to configure.

• Dynamic Workflow Back end Interfaces

The system has a dynamic workflow in the advanced Content Management

System (CMS).

• Centralized and Distributed System

The NERAKIN architecture on the one hand will enable all participating

institutions to upload their materials in a centralized system, and on the other

hand will allow for the development of distributed systems at institutional

levels.

NERAKIN CAPABILITIES



• A collaborative system and effective communication,

• Exchange of information and knowledge,

• Enhanced technical cooperation,

• Reduced costs of operation,

• Synergies in information management,

• Use of agreed standards, methodologies and tools.

Benefits of partnerships & networking



Success Factors for Regional Network

1. Commitment for contribution/collaboration at national level;

2. Focus on capacity building at national level;

3. Existence of a regional information strategy;

4. Development of a Secretariat role for regional activities;

5. Focus on community of practice amongst the info specialists;

6. Raising awareness of ICM issues at Manager./political levels;

7. Formation of strategic partnerships amongst the major

stakeholder organizations.



Good Practices in National Networking

Existence of a clearly defined strategy and objectives Tangible commitment to the strategy from major players including

government Assurance of adequate funding resources for the network members Strong but sensitive leadership provided by a national focal point Participatory approach in the national network with appropriate

recognition of all partners Development of information repositories of documents

(metadata/full text) and people/organizations/activities Adoption of a single model for IM with common formats and

standards Focus on content quality Focus on development of human resources



Operational Framework in National Networking

Assign and build capacity of Coordinating/Focal Unit that includes

National Admin/Focal point. Develop the system steering committee that includes a national

coordinator, technical director and members. Assign stakeholders who will be responsible for managing their own

information (1- Institute Admin 2- Data Entry Users). Connect institutional entities that are not connected and enhance the

infrastructure within the different connected institutions (hardware installation).

Install software system in institution servers (Plug and Work). Building capacities of institution staff on the use of system (training). Data collection/validation/publishing and feeding to system. Conduct awareness workshops and promote the system.



AARINENA Regional/Inter-Regional Thematic NetworksEstablished in collaboration with GFAR, FAO and ICARDA

Other Regional Specialized Networks



Activities

Expert Consultations (Oct. 2005 & Sep. 2007)

Task Forces (Advocacy & Content Management)

Regional ActivitiesNational Pilot Networks



Relations between NAKEMS and MAFNET and Other Future Institutional Systems in Oman

Using RSS Aggregators

Relations between NAKEMS and MAFNET and Other Future Institutional Systems in Oman Using RSS Aggregators



Knowledge Community Networks Map



NERAKIN and Regional Thematic Networks – RSS Aggregators



NERAKIN and National Networks – RSS Aggregators



Relations between NAKEMS and MAFNET and Other Future Institutional Systems in Oman

Using RSS Aggregators

Technology

Amman icm workshop october 2011