[BOAI] Opening access to agricultural information in SADC

[Imma Subirats]

*Regional Workshop on Agricultural Information, Communication and Knowledge
Management (AICKM) Strategy Development and Meeting of SADC Network of AR&D
Information Management Managers*
*30th August – 3rd September 2010*
*Johannesburg/Pretoria, South Africa*

*Opening access to agricultural information in SADC*

The Open Access Working Group was born from the final regional ICART
workshop by the SADC Network of Agricultural Research & Development
Information Managers with its main aim on the development of a regional
Agricultural Information Communication & Knowledge Management Strategy
(AICKM). Though nearing project closure, the ICART project team acted as
enabler to develop capacity and a better as well as holistic understanding
of the related issues on AICKM in the SADC region, not only on regional
level but also for the development of national AICKM strategies. The last
workshop held from 30 August – 3 September 2010 successfully integrated
information professionals, scientists and ICT practitioners to share
expertise and learn from each other. One of the three parallel sessions was
on Open Access and Institutional Repositories facilitated by Imma Subirats
from FAO.

The working group drafted an initial outline of considerations on how to
position the region, whereby the different agricultural institutions
(government, education and research) in member countries can share
information and knowledge in content systems allowing interoperability but
most of all visibility. Considerations discussed were mandate, advocacy and
incentives, systems and software, resources (financial & human), content and
digitization, standards, workflow, policies and most of all how the network
can be optimised, resulting in effective cooperation. The current working
group is represented by Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Malawi, Mosambique,
Seyshelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. The
following co-ordinators will act as champions to mobilize activities and
output within the SADC AR&D Network:

   - Christine W Kanyengo (Zambia) – User Needs Assessment & Capacity
   Building
   - Poloko Ntokwane (Botswana) – Content & Digitization
   - Rejaene van Dyk (South Africa) – Advocacy & Sensitization

More information soon at http://aims.sadc.int/

Best regards,

Imma Subirats Coll
On behalf of the SADC Open Access Working Group
-----------------------------
Knowledge and Information Management Specialist
FAO of the United Nations
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome (Italy)
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