- Easy MTP has left the building...
- Knowledge Sharing Workshop kicks off
- A Science Week with a difference
- Now we’re cooking! Good practices for managing research data
- Ensuring quality training and education in the CGIAR
- Consortium on Spatial Information (CSI): Stocktaking, strategic positioning and a new funding opportunity
- ICT-KM Team News
Snippets
Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries through Knowledge and Innovation
The International Food Policy Research Institute's ISNAR Division held an international consultative conference in Addis Ababa at the Hilton Hotel April 7 – 9, 2008 on "Advancing agriculture in developing countries through knowledge and innovation." Scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from a wide range of sectors came together to exchange ideas and experiences (positive or negative) on how knowledge and innovation (technological, organizational, and institutional) are affecting agricultural advancement. The conference showcased innovative research in the field and provide a forum to identify further areas for research and cooperation.
The ICT-KM program is a sponsor of this event and delivered a paper to the conference and will be contributing a chapter in the resulting book on knowledge and innovation experiences for improving developing-country agriculture. The book will show knowledge and innovation frameworks, applications, methods, and empirical research results.
ESA training meeting and workshop and wrap up meeting
At the end of 2007, the ICT-KM program entered into agreement with CIP to take leadership of a project for the Americas Centers (CIAT, CIMMYT, CIP and IFPRI) that focuses on enterprise security activities for these Centers. These activities have included improving the security of Centers network infrastructure; fortifying the CGIAR global network security by including analysis of the CGNET NOC; securing intellectual property, and training information systems security personnel.
One of the key components of this project is the ESA training meeting and workshop and wrap up meeting being held in Lima from 31 March through 11 April. Participating are two participants from each of CIAT, CIMMYT, IFPRI, plus guests from Bioversity, ICARDA, WorldAgroforestry and ILRI (total 10). This packed ten days will include a CISSP (Certified Information Security Systems Professional) certification preparatory course; a CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certification preparatory course; a ESA project review which also benefits from the guest participants in pulling together the threads of the ESA project with a similar global project (Enterprise Security and Business Continuity Project) that wrapped up in 2007.
Latest word from Anthony Collins, the ESA project manager is that the consensus view emerging from the meeting is that the ESA group will be forging ahead in stimulating the establishment of a base-line of agreed best practices on information systems security and standards for the CGIAR.
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The ICT-KM program has supported a number of exciting pilot initiatives to strengthen Centers' capacity to apply KS principles and methods. Successful interventions at CIAT, CIFOR, IWMI and CIMMYT in 2006 have led to further initiatives in scaling up knowledge sharing to support institutional innovation.
The new Director of Communications at the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), Michael Hailu, has been a long-time champion and advocate on the value of better knowledge sharing in improving management and sharing of the knowledge that results from Centers' work. Michael invited the ICT-KM team to help design and facilitate the World Agroforestry's science week (3-8 March in Nairobi).
The theme of the 2008 Science Week at ICRAF was "Making a Difference through high-quality science" and brought together 100 participants from all across ICRAF's global programs. The ICT-KM program team of Simone Staiger-Rivas, Fiona Chandler and Nadia Manning worked with Michael and his team at ICRAF is designing a Science Week that would be innovative, informative and interesting.
The ICT-KM team contributed by introducing and designing sessions that would ensure greater participation and generate shared understanding among staff and management of the center on issues associated with science, research quality and the new ICRAF strategy. Such approaches as a 'chat show' to stimulate open discussions on the new strategy; 'impact pathways' to help develop plans for the Global Research Projects, and designing space to facilitate wider communication were all trialed and welcomed by the participants.
Nadia and Fiona, who attended the meeting also contributed to the meeting, modeling KS approaches through presentations at two seminars. Nadia held a mini-workshop on "Knowledge Sharing in Research: opportunities for increasing the impact of science" and Fiona with a session on "Writing a Winning Proposal".
To all intents and purposes the Science Week was a success. At the end of the Science Week Michael said "I was worried whether we would be able to pull it off. Everyone said it was the best Science Week they had in a long time!! I took a risk proposing a new approach to running the Science Week, fully relying on the ICT/KM Team and I am glad it paid off very well."
On a final note, the Director General, Dennis Garrity, wrote to Enrica Porcari, "I want to convey to you my heartfelt thanks, and those of the entire staff of WorldAgroforestry, for the great contributions of Fiona and Nadia to the success of our Science Week. By most accounts it was the most successful Science Week event that we can remember, and a considerable part of that success was made possible by the presence and guidance of Fiona and Nadia. They introduced and facilitated some truly innovative and exciting features.
We sincerely appreciate your support for their participation. And we look forward to building on this success be depening our collaboration with You and the ICT-KM during the coming months and years."
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