Planning for the future

Methodology

The major steps involved in achieving these objectives are presented below.

Detailed User needs Study for Information GPGs

A comprehensive user needs study is necessary for making informed decisions re programming and projects and was strongly recommended by the community that participated in the online consultations in March 2005. There should be a large return for a relatively small investment.
More specifically this activity will:

• identify what information GPGs actually exists;
• identify priority current and potential users and their critical information GPG needs;
• inform the development of a future investment plan; and
• inform "CGXchange" and "Improving CGIAR Effectiveness through Knowledge Sharing" project planning.

Consultants will be contracted by the CIO to implement this activity. The current information GPGs inventory will be updated. Recent user studies, both within the CGIAR and externally, will be reviewed and any relevant results consolidated. A survey of current and potential users will be designed and implemented (web, email, mail and telephone). Follow-up telephone interviews will be carried out.

This study should be conducted between May and September 2007.

Consultations

"Consultations" include activities that inform the CIO and the Program concerning needs and future directions for (1) developing future investment plans; and (2) for system-relevant ICT-KM actions and activities that enable the CIO to take advantage of opportunities to add value to Program and project interests. While difficult to predict specific activities, they are likely to include:

• consulting externally at existing workshops/conferences about needs and future directions (These consultations are more geared to our partners and potential partners whereas the user needs study will be looking both internally and externally. The Nairobi and New Delhi workshops have already taken place; additional opportunities are under discussion with FAO, IIALD and GFAR);
• piloting innovative approaches to service delivery for the CGIAR and partners;
• locating and re-enforcing synergies between projects, partners and communities;
• short strategic briefing papers;
• linking and consulting with GPG2 Gene bank Rehabilitation project.

Building Partnerships

From earlier work on developing an information GPG strategy it was clear that partnerships will be an essential element of a formal strategy. It may be necessary to bring key partners and/or potential partners to face-to-face events where building partnerships is one of the desired outcomes.