|
INTRODUCTION
REVIEW OF CAIS PROGRAMME TO 2001
Improved access to information products and services
Capacity building
WORKSHOP CONCLUSIONS
CAIS Goals
Topics of interest
Criteria for A Successful Information Network
Institutional Arrangements Required for CAIS
Priority Services
Other Conclusions
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS
Major Outputs
Major Activities
CAIS Framework
INTRODUCTION
Twenty-four key representatives
involved in providing agricultural information and communication support
services in nine Caribbean countries met in Trinidad at a Caribbean Agricultural
Information Service (CAIS) Stakeholders Meeting held from 25-27 June 2001.
Their aim was to reach consensus on the objectives, outputs, strategies
and priorities to be adopted in implementing the CAIS programme over the
period 2001-2004. To achieve this they reviewed the experiences and lessons
learnt from the first phase of the programme designed to establish CAIS,
and examined the issues arising from the delivery of information services
cited by national representatives and regional participants of the workshop.
[ top ]
REVIEW OF CAIS PROGRAMME TO 2001
CAIS used a two-pronged approach to achieve its goal, which is "To
facilitate improved access to agricultural technology and marketing information
to support competitiveness in the agricultural sector". This involved:
Improving access to information
products and services.
Building capacities to
manage information including collection, organisation, analysis and
dissemination.
To date the CAIS Secretariat, with the support of CTA, has achieved the
following:
Improved
access to information products and services
Directly producing and disseminating information products and
services (e.g. technical manuals; bibliographies; directories; CD-ROM
and hard copy technology information files; contact database for PROCICARIBE;
operationalising of electronic knowledge networks and operating a question
and answer service).
Facilitating the dissemination of information produced by the
CTA and other collaborators and sponsors.
[ top ]
Capacity
building
Advocating and facilitating the establishment and strengthening
of national information networks.
Providing training and development opportunities (e.g. Website
design and development, editing, technical writing, and records management).
Assisting institutions in developing tools and methodologies for
information and communications management.
Conducting needs assessments to determine the information and communications
management capacity at the national and institutional levels (e.g. Information
Communication Technology (ICT) and data locator surveys).
Conduct of pilot projects (e.g. centralised vs. decentralised question
and answer services and rural information cafés) to identify effective
approaches to meeting the information needs of regional stakeholders.
[ top ]
WORKSHOP CONCLUSIONS
CAIS
Goals
Working group discussions outlined a framework for implementing CAIS that
will focus on working with public, private and NGO groups in the Caribbean
region to develop a system of national networks. These will be co-ordinated
at both the national and regional levels. A focal or coordinating institution
selected by the network members will manage the national-level coordination
while CARDI will continue in the role of regional coordinating agency.
The long-term goal is to create an electronic, virtual, one-stop-shop
for information available nationally as well as regionally.
[ top ]
Topics
of interest
Some topics arose as being of particular concern to all participants.
These included the issue of sustainability, the use of a participatory
and client driven approach, the need for sensitisation and marketing,
ownership at the national level, as well as the value of networking and
partnerships.It was agreed that the workshop should identify the constraints
and general experiences of the existing networks to inform the implementation
of CAIS.
[ top ]
Criteria
for A Successful Information Network
The meeting identified a number of criteria upon which the success and
sustainability of information networks depend. These were drawn from key
lessons learnt from the CAIS Pilot experience, as well as from issues
arising from the delivery of information services cited by national representatives
and regional participants and are as follows:
An enabling environment
- Presence of a national information policy that can inform an agricultural
information policy.
- A national information system.
- Procedures for institutionalising cooperation across departments.
- A critical mass of physical and human resources assigned to the management
of data and information resources.
- A cadre of personnel trained in the use and application of ICTs.
- A budget to support planned activities.
Resource management approach (information must regarded as a valuable
resource and managed accordingly. This includes user needs analysis, priority
setting, sound financial management strategies, marketing, and cost recovery)
A strategic rather than operational focus (activities must be guided
by a Strategic Information Plan)
A marketing approach (network work plans must include marketing
activities related to assessment of client needs, evaluating client satisfaction,
product development and increasing market share)
Ability to set priorities (to match resources and client needs)
Ability to establish and maintain partnerships (to increase access
to resources and therefore impact)
Developing creative resource management strategies that lead to
decreased reliance on donor funding.
Ownership at the national level
Effective leadership and coordination at the national and regional
levels
[ top ]
Institutional
Arrangements Required for CAIS
CAIS consists of a system of national networks coordinated at the national
level by a focal or coordinating institution selected by the network members.
CAIS information management functions need to be institutionalised at
three levels - local institution, the national coordinating institution,
the regional coordinating institution. It is important that networking
is institutionalised by each member of the network (i.e. responsibilities
formally recognised and resources provided by the respective institutions).
Local level
This is the most important level of CAIS implementation which needs to
develop systems to collect, process, store, and disseminate information
to meet the needs of its primary and secondary clients - once the information
and communications function has been approved and properly established.
Each institution should compile and maintain contact information on its
clients and their areas of need as well as all partner and collaborative
institutions within the country.
National level
Networking must be owned by and driven at the national level. However,
national networks cannot rely on donor funding to be sustainable. Efforts
must be made to increase the level of funding from regional governments
and optimise the impact of these funds by reducing duplication of efforts
within and across national boundaries through networking. The local institution
identified by CAIS to be the focal point for coordinating the activities
of CAIS in the country must have the necessary allocation of time, money,
personnel and physical resources. Identifying resource constraints, planning
and organising capacity development activities to improve information
management are some of the functions of the national coordination or focal
point institution.
Regional level
The regional coordinating institution for CAIS (which is CARDI) places
the coordinating function within the Information and Communications Department.
It provides financial support, and full-time staff to manage the day-to-day
affairs and associated work plan.
CARDI should ensure that the Regional Coordinator is given the necessary
resources and support to facilitate the implementation of the programme.
The workshop participants advised that the focus of the CAIS Secretariat
be shifted from the direct provision of information products and services
to the development and strengthening of national networks. They also suggested
the investigation of the option to obtain support for a role for the CAIS
Regional Co-ordinator as a Caribbean member of the CTA Advisory Body.
[ top ]
Priority
Services
The Secretariat
Other priority services to be provided by the Secretariat include:
Sensitisation, marketing and communications.
Development of guidelines, templates related to and providing technical
assistance in the areas of - design of information systems to ensure compatibility,
information policy, database development, design of information products
and services for different user segments, user needs analysis, priority
setting.
Facilitating the sharing of information and improved communications
among networks.
Developing information products and services that are needed by
and will support the operations of national networks (e.g. regional contact,
skills, donor and other databases; and applying copyright laws).
Building information and communications management capacity including
but not limited to providing training in priority areas (Management of
Information Systems [MIS], network management, web design and development,
cataloguing, managing a documentation centre, operations of a QAS, desktop
publishing, priority setting, project management change management, communications
and marketing).
Establishing and maintaining linkages with extra-regional collaborators
Establishment of linkages outside of the agricultural sector (e.g.
national library system, information services providers in tourism and
manufacturing sectors but not limited to donors).
Full integration with and complimentary to the existing networks
and information services so that duplication is avoided.
National & Secretariat
level
It was agreed that the CAIS national networks and Secretariat must place
emphasis on:
Sensitising regional leaders and decision-makers to the importance
of information and the need for regional institutions to have an enabling
environment (policy, staffing, systems, finance and commitment) for the
delivery of information and communications services to their clients.
Capturing indigenous practices and knowledge as a means of building
competitive advantage and generating income for regional innovators.
Collecting and repackaging information that assists the region
in addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by globalisation.
Building levels of provider and user information literacy as well
as general information and communications management capacity.
Capturing Caribbean information in digital format.
Establishing Question and Answer Service capacity at the national
level (i.e. decentralising the delivery of QAS)
Developing information products and services that meet the needs
of the different user segments.
Establishing working linkages with and providing services to the
private sector (farmer associations, producer associations, medium and
large manufacturers and processors). The volume of information actually
disseminated is currently biased towards researchers and students.
The work plans for the national networks and secretariat, which
must be based on measurable outcomes.
[ top ]
Other
Conclusions
Networks must be aware of and comply with Copyright laws in the
delivery of products and services to their clients.
CAIS must not duplicate but should complement the objectives and
activities of the existing networks.
There needs to be improved linkages between producers (the private
sector) and agricultural institutions (in the public sector) to facilitate
the flow of information from the private sector to these institutions
and finally to the end users.
More documents need to be digitised for the Digital Library (under
CARINFO) and the existence of these digitised documents needs to be advertised
to targeted end users.
There needs to be more emphasis on marketing of the services of
information providers to increase the demand for and impact of these services.
Data on use of these services suggest that there may be a low level of
awareness of the availability and utility of these services.
CAIS should spearhead the preparation of a comprehensive document
outlining the role of the various entities and networks involved/impacting
on agricultural information products and services in the Caribbean region.
[ top ]
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations for the implementation
of the next phase of CAIS during the period 2002-2004 next steps for CAIS
were as follows:
Major Outputs
At least six national networks
established and functional by 2004.
At least six Question and
Answer Services established and functioning at the national level by 2004.
At least 10 regional/sub-regional
workshops conducted and 100 participants trained in priority areas related
to the management of information and communications.
The following information
products/services provided to Networks by the Secretariat:
- Databases (contact, donor,
skills, and regional development programmes/projects).
- Electronic library containing resources related to network management, policy formulation, designing information products and services and developments in information and communications technology.
- Operation of electronic
fora or other mechanisms for encouraging dialogue.
- Additional (other than
CTA) donors/collaborators identified and providing resources/support to
national networks.
- Increased access to CTA's
products and services.
[ top ]
Major
Activities
The design and implementation of a communications and marketing plan
for CAIS (to regional and extra-regional stakeholders including donors).
The conduct missions to Member Countries (those most ready to establish
networks) and provide support in the establishment of national networks.
Providing support to national coordinators in the identification, mobilisation
of resources, monitoring and evaluation of projects to be undertaken by
network members.
Coordinating the hosting of regional and national workshops.
Providing technical assistance in the establishment and strengthening
of national QAS.
The upgrade of the CAIS Website, the production and publishing (with
a bias on Web publishing) of information products of common interests
to the national networks.
The impact of CAIS will be
determined by the adequacy of institutional structures at the level of
each member organisation, the national coordinating institution, and the
regional coordinating institution. Adequate institutional structures will
include policy, staffing, systems, finance and organisational commitment
and will.
[ top ]
CAIS Framework
|
Framework
Element
|
Recommendations
|
| (i) Target
audiences needs and services including QAS |
- Agencies/associations
rather than individuals
- Ministries/key government
agencies
- Private sector -
producer and farmer associations, manufacturers (e.g. feed companies,
hatcheries, etc)
|
| (ii) Priority
information resource subject areas |
- Marketing
- Production
- Weather
- Agri-business management
- Production planning/forecasting
- Post harvest (including
issues related to food safety)
- Regulation and policies
|
| (iii)
Type and structure of network - national, regional |
- Electronic - a virtual,
centralised/regional one-stop shop for information.
- A system of national
networks coordinated at the national and regional level by focal
institutions (see diagram)
- System that allows
networking at three levels - people, institutional and electronic.
- Structure that is
based on existing resources (each network must reflect current
level of ICT development).
- Structure based
on commitment and sense of mutual cooperation (no bureaucratic
structures).
- Built around national
and regional coordinating agencies that have the necessary resources
and recognition as a leader in the sector.
- Networking should
be institutionalised within member institutions and national level
through appropriate policies.
- National and regional
coordinating agencies should be responsible for building capacity
and facilitating the development of common resources for use by
networks (e.g. databases)
|
| (iv)
Institutional arrangements and sustainability including marketing
|
- Regional development
funds should be channelled through the CAIS Secretariat to national
level
- Networks should
not rely on donor funding and should seek to maximise access to
government funds through the national budget
|
| (v)
Policy Activities |
- Facilitating the
formulation of policy related to information and communications
managemen
|
| (vi)
Question and Answer - Who should deliver what and how |
- QAS should be operated
by the individual member institutions.
- Frequently answered
questions should be posted on member institutions' and the CAIS
Websites.
- Attempts should
be made to recover costs from targets groups that are able to
pay for services delivered
|
| (vii)
How should ICTs be used by CAIS |
- Need to ensure compatibility
among network members.
- ICTs should be used
to increase access to international resources (databases, experts).
- ICTs should be used
to encourage direct one-to-one communication at the institutional,
national, regional and international levels.
- ICTs should be used
to monitor the development of the networks and national information
systems to ensure compatibility and members keep abreast of technology
developments.
|
| (viii)
Capacity Building needed. What focus? |
- Building users information
literacy
- Development of Telecentres
- Assistance in the
acquisition of hardware/software, communication equipment, packaging
of information (e.g. CD ROMs) and Website development.
- Provision of training
in project management, management of information systems, hardware
and software use, information marketing, information technology,
policy formulation and change management.
- Provision of standards/templates
for the development of information products and services.
- Increasing communications
capacity in rural areas.
|
| (ix)
Links with regional and global information systems and services |
- Priority should
be given to establishing links with the SIDALC, PROCICARIBE, CAMID,
CAGRIS, AGROINFO, CGIAR, FAO
|
| (x)
Sensitisation at various levels |
- Sensitisation activities
should be targeted to policy makers, middle management, junior
staff and end users.
|
[ top ]
|
