Dear Colleagues,

Collaborate, Create, Communicate..

ICT-KM 2004
INVESTMENT PLAN UPDATES

The ICT-KM 2004 Investment Plan, which was launched in April 2004, is now implementing a number of its projects. In 2005, the Program aims to ensure that the second year of implementation of the Investment Plan continues to show good progress.

For details, go to: http://ictkm.cgiar.org/html/investmentplan.html

Thrust1: ICT for Tomorrow's Science

Global Advanced Research Networks

This project aims to connect at least four CGIAR Centers by high-capacity links to global research networks with high-speed connections to universities and advanced research institutes. The application of grid computing over these networks will also be tested.

CIP was the first CGIAR Center to participate in this project and will be followed by two other Centers (ICARDA and CIMMYT) in 2005.  A pilot access grid location in IRRI was created, and the project will integrate this into CGIAR Active Directory, enabling remote access to High Performance Computing for authorized CGIAR users.  In 2005, the project will collaborate with ASTI and PREGINET on the testing of AG hardware and software, and the training staff in their use. A workshop on grid technologies covering grid computing, access grid and web services will be held in the first quarter of 2005.

Second-Level Connectivity

This project will improve connectivity at approximately 50 CGIAR remote locations (with particular emphasis on Africa ), enabling researchers and "staff at large" to better communicate and access online information resources.

The selection of locations where Internet connectivity is to be improved has been finalized, and IT staff from across the CGIAR are carrying out the necessary site surveys.

The team is developing the “ICT Briefcase”, a set of tools which will be made available to the staff in the locations connected.

Disaster Resilience and Data Preservation

Due to the presence of CGIAR Centers in places that are subject to civil disorders and/or natural disasters, it is vital that critical data be preserved to enable rapid recovery from such adverse events. This project identifies the data to be preserved and develops disaster recovery practices (such as replicating storage to remote locations) for subsequent implementation by the individual Centers. As a result, access to the CGIAR Centers’ information and global public goods will not be disrupted.

Several meetings aimed at gathering representatives from different continents were held in 2004.  These meetings comprised presentations on contingency planning and also a workshop to walk through what had been learnt. The project aims to improve the ability of at least six Centers to recover rapidly in the event of a disaster. 

An inventory of all Global Public Goods that the CGIAR holds, is being prepared by the project team.

Desktop Videoconferencing

This pilot project will evaluate the use of desktop videoconferencing at central and principal regional locations for supporting collaboration within CGIAR communities of practice. The project will carry out a survey of available technologies, vendors and service providers.

The members of the advisory committee are currently holding their first meeting at ICRISAT HQ. A specific item on the agenda is the cooperation with a national agency in India that uses videoconferencing extensively to interact with farmers and local officials connected with development.  A joint workshop with MANAGE will be held on the uses of videoconferencing in support of collaboration at field level.

Consortium for Spatial Information

The CSI project is bringing CGIAR’s geo-spatial data into conformity with global standards. It is also developing a web portal where researchers can easily access such data. The project will provide the Centers and the research community at large with user-friendly geo-spatial knowledge generation and management tools. The Consortium will considerably strengthen the community of CGIAR staff who are active in geo-spatial work.

The project’s new website http://csi.cgiar.org provides overview information and the latest updates on the CGIAR-CSI and its activities.  In addition, the project launched its CGIAR-CSI 90m SRTM Digital Elevation Database, which is also available on the website. 

A demo of the potentials of this project was developed in collaboration with ESRI and can be viewed by clicking here http://ictkm.cgiar.org/newsletter/Video - ESRI Demo.avi.

Utilization of Intelligent Information Systems for Plant Protection

This undertaking proposes to develop a plant protection expert system to assist training staff in the diagnosis and treatment of crop diseases, enabling farmers to use the resulting knowledge to increase the productivity and profitability of their crops. Implementation of this project is starting this month.

^ back to top

Thrust 2: Content for Development (C4D)

Working towards the integrated provision of CGIAR information, both within and beyond the System, it was decided that the projects in the C4D Thrust would work more effectively as one unified project with multiple activities implemented according to an integrated plan. The Project Coordinators, under the coordination of David Balson, are working collaboratively on this plan. The C4D project is seen as a vitally important component both within and beyond the CGIAR Centers.

“Content for Development: New ways of working at the CGIAR - a demonstration,” which was featured at the recent AGM, can be viewed by clicking here http://ictkm.cgiar.org/newsletter/Video - C4D Demo.wmv.

Virtual Resources Center

The VRC activity is working to provide the platform, maintenance and support for the CGIAR intranet, including extranet tools, a single sign-on and a common search engine. The “Web Content and Usage Analysis”, a sub-activity of the VRC, will determine which dissemination methods, information resources and services the users actually find most appropriate and useful through the VRC and other CGIAR web-based information services. It will also contribute directly to the monitoring and evaluation of the C4D Thrust as a whole.

The consultancy on “Inventory of CGIAR Intranet Needs and Resources” was recently completed, while the consultancy on “Evaluation of Potential VRC Platforms” is expected to be completed soon. The final feedback from these consultancies is expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2005. The VRC team is currently working on the implementation of the VRC pilot website. 

E-Publishing

The e-publishing activity will give Centers the technical infrastructure to vastly improve how the CGIAR publishes its research. A common publishing workflow approach to the production of information across the CGIAR is the overall objective of this activity. Subsequently, document creation (layout or web pages) will be largely automatic. It will also allow Centers to centralize document creation and share resources for editing and graphics work.

Three working groups were established to finalize CGIAR publishing workflow, and document standards and keywords for publishing CGIAR science. A prototype, standard CGIAR document-type definition is being created and version ‘one’ of this prototype is being planned. This is the first step toward single-referencing of CGIAR science and input to an automated layout for standard documents. Visit the e-publishing website: http://ictkm.cgiar.org/epublishing/index.htm.

Virtual Library Service

The Virtual Library Service will provide easy access, through the VRC, to the collections and information resources held by the CGIAR libraries and to other leading scientific databases, journals and reference materials. Implementation of this activity began in December 2004.

Scientific Data Standards and Exchange: Capacity Development

In tandem with the development of the VCR, this activity will train key CGIAR staff in the latest technologies and standards in use by the international scientific communities for managing scientific information. It will also develop a strategy for implementing appropriate information architecture within the CGIAR for maximizing access to this information. Implementation of this activity began in December 2004.

Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics

Drought and desertification threaten the livelihoods of more than 800 million people in the dry tropics of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. This activity aims to mobilize experts around the world to create disk, Web, broadcast and print-based learning materials about weather, water, crop, and livestock management under varying levels of drought. These will be available on an open website that will be adapted by the VASAT coalition and shared with rural families and their intermediaries through community-based telecenters.

The recent events in Southern Asia have led to the realization of the importance of early warning systems and preparedness as essential aspects of disaster reduction. Drought needs to be viewed from a similar perspective, based on a variety of socio-economic responses to extreme changes in climate, agricultural production, soils, and water conditions. The VASAT, which is premised on the idea that information is the backbone of drought preparedness, is already emerging as a significant channel.

The VASAT team just launched a monthly newsletter. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter email c.abraham@cgiar.org.

Online Learning Resources

The team of the OLR activity is working to make available an up-to-date inventory of all relevant teaching and learning resources from the CGIAR Centers through a "CGIAR Online Learning Resources" portal site that can be used by national partners with different levels of technology and skills. These training Center activities are examples of communities of practice using the tools and processes made available through the VRC to support their work, while providing their specific information "view" from the larger body of information that the CGIAR generates and maintains.

The activity held a Planning Workshop that focused on implementing the OLR activity and the implications for Centers' Training Departments. A collaborative working space was developed and research in the area of Learning Objects Metadata (LOM) was conducted to ensure that the CGIAR OLR adheres to international standards and specifications. 

^ back to top

Thrust 3: A CGIAR without Boundaries

Knowledge Management and Sharing

This project is working to encourage open and inclusive sharing of expertise and experiences among CGIAR staff members and partners in order to support learning and change and to improve the effectiveness and impact of our work. The project will generate commitment to KS primarily by supporting pilot activities on the ground in CGIAR Centers and programs, with a view to disseminating lessons more broadly.

In 2004, the project held a joint workshop with the Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) Initiative; implemented knowledge sharing activities at CIFOR; outlined a knowledge sharing strategy and initiated pilot activities with the Water and Food Challenge Program; worked with CIMMYT's Wheat Thematic Group to strengthen knowledge sharing within this dispersed group; and introduced knowledge sharing techniques into CIAT’s Annual Meeting. The project website is at: http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/cgiar/knowledge_sharing/home.htm

The project is currently developing a Knowledge Sharing Tool Kit and will review HR policies and procedures related to KS and ILAC in CGIAR Centers. A Training course on “Group Facilitation Skills” will be held in Rome in February 2005. 

^ back to top

ICT-KM 2

An online consultation to define the scope of a new phase of the ICT-KM Program, which will expand its activities to include science-related information systems and open access to our partners, will be launched in February 2005.

This online consultation, which will include internal and external partners, experts and CGIAR staff, will help define how the CGIAR can better manage and sustain the critical information systems it holds as GPGs. The focus of this consultation will be on integrated and collaborative approaches between CGIAR Centers and national, regional and international partners, maximizing the value and use of these GPGs. The ICT-KM2 will build on the work of the ICT-KM 2004 Investment Plan and the first phase of the GPG investments.

The two-week online consultation for ICT-KM2 will start on 28 February 2005 and will result in a project, or projects, designed to address the challenges and opportunities identified during the dialogue. If you are interested in participating, please contact the ICT-KM Program staff at ictkm@cgiar.org.    

^ back to top

ICT-KM PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN

The ICT-KM Program has adopted the IDRC's Outcome Mapping Methodology as its overall Program Monitoring and Evaluation tool. A seminar attended by all Investment Plan Coordinators and colleagues from a cross-section of CGIAR disciplines was organized in Rome in June 2004. The ICT-KM Program Evaluation will document the degree to which the Program contributes to the CGIAR overall change agenda and monitor the progress of the Program activities. The Program Evaluation is coordinated with individual projects and assists them in the development and implementation of their own internal evaluation plans.

At the end of the first quarter of 2005, we will release a report documenting the lessons from the Program activities and practical applications, communication and learning are central to the ICT-KM Program’s efforts to encourage a System-wide culture of learning and knowledge sharing. 

^ back to top

OTHER ACTIVITIES

System-Wide Software Acquisitions

In 2004, in collaboration with the Information Technology community and the consortium of CGIAR libraries, the Program facilitated the purchase of several system-wide software applications and subscriptions, thereby achieving savings in excess of USD500,000 for the CGIAR Centers.

This year, the Program will build on the successes of 2003 and 2004 and look for additional cost-saving opportunities with regard to ICTs and libraries. The Program will focus on developing a sound arrangement to leverage our global capacity to make purchases and other joint activities. A list of potential joint purchases will be developed.

An external consultant is currently reviewing the joint journal subscriptions of the CGIAR libraries. Together with the CGIAR Information Managers, the consultant is developing recommendations on how to handle the joint subscriptions in the most cost-effective and mutually beneficial manner that will also be of maximum benefit to the CGIAR scientists and their research.

In May 2004, a two-year extension on the current CGNET contract for the provision of messaging and web-hosting services was signed. This new contract has resulted in significant savings in the area of voice and internet connection rates, as well as providing a series of new services. In 2004, the Program collaborated with the IT community to reach consensus for the re-tendering of this contract. A new contract is expected to be in place in March 2006.

ICT-KM Website

The new ICT-KM website http://ictkm.cgiar.org/index.html – which was launched in November 2004 – provides overview information and the latest updates on the Program and its activities. It has a new look and substantially more information. With a maturing Program, and many projects well underway, we will keep you informed about events, the progress of projects and opportunities for partnerships. A new section called "Behind the Scenes" will introduce you to the colleagues who are working collaboratively to realize our mission.

Please visit us often to stay abreast of our efforts towards creating a CGIAR without boundaries.

^ back to top

ICT-KM Program Management Structure

Supervision:

The program is managed by the Chief Information Officer who reports to the Director General of the WorldFish Center , its host Center. In an effort to streamline the reporting of all the system office units, the Center Directors’ Committee has decided to disband the ad-hoc ICT-KM Subcommittee of the CDC. Let me take this opportunity to thank the members of the committee for their guidance through the first two years of life of the Program.

Advisory Group

The ICT-KM Program seeks active involvement of an ICT-KM Advisory Group composed of representative staff from across the CGIAR System.

In 2004, the Group saw the departure of one of its members and also welcomed three new members.  The Program expressed its sincere thanks to Mr. Tiff Harris, the past Deputy Director General of ICRAF, for his contribution and support to the ICT-KM Program during his term as an Advisory Group member.

The three new Advisory Group members are: Mr. Douglas Dunstan, representing the CDDC; Mr. Michael Hailu, representing the Communications and Knowledge community; and Ms Esther Mwangi, representing the System-wide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights ( CAPRi ).

We take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to all Advisory Group members for their contributions and support towards the Program, and look forward to working together to achieve our vision of a CGIAR without boundaries.

New Faces in the CGIAR IT Community

We would like to welcome the new Information Systems Unit Manager from ICRISAT, Mr. Pradyut Modi, and the new ICT Head of IWMI, Ms Ruwanthi Fernando, to the IT community. 

^ back to top

TECHNICAL CORNER...

System-Wide Reviews

The Program is engaged in a broad and deep consultation involving CGIAR staff from across the System and external partners into what needs to be addressed in our efforts towards a more unified CGIAR. Studies/reviews conducted in 2004 include Software Evaluation for Incognito Software; CGIAR Web Usage Analysis; and CGIAR Web Disk Usage Analysis.

Specific mention should be made of the CGIAR collaboration software review. A consultation involving 58 staff from within and outside the CGIAR was led by Bellanet. The consultation, conducted online, aimed at identifying various appropriate options for supporting virtual collaborations. These applications will be available for use by CGIAR Centers, inter-Center initiatives and collaborations with external partners.

Active Directory and Exchange 2003

Most of the CGIAR Centers have migrated to Microsoft Active Directory and are, therefore, ready to upgrade to Exchange 2003. The new Exchange server includes many new features that promise to make the life of the 'mail addicted' CGIAR staff easier, especially the frequent travelers!

Good Practice Notes

The past year afforded a number of opportunities to share experiences and knowledge with the communities of practice as well as with external ICT experts, all of which have helped shape the Program's position in the CGIAR. As far as knowledge-sharing is concerned, nothing solid can be accomplished without the full and active participation of all involved. Together with the appropriate System Office unit, the Program will continue to develop and disseminate good practice notes relevant to ICT and KM practices.

^ back to top

DID YOU KNOW THAT…..? 

Global Open Agriculture and Food University Launched

In Mexico , the CGIAR launched the Global Open Agriculture and Food University . This new program will offer long distance learning using information communications technologies in collaboration with partner institutions in developing countries. The University will draw upon 35 years of CGIAR science research, as well as the work of the CGIAR's many national agricultural research partners and collaborators across the globe. To view the entire article, please go to: http://www.cgiar.org/enews/december2004/story_13.html.

Being a CIO…

An extract from the book “The New CIO Leader”, which discusses the new personnel competencies that must be reflected as the CIO staffs up in the twenty-first century, can be found at: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4525&t=technology.  

^ back to top

TECHNOLOGY WATCH

This column is dedicated to keeping a regular watch for emerging ICTs of potential interest to the CGIAR.

The old library card catalogue took a step further into cyberspace when Google and the libraries of four universities and the city of New York announced a partnership with the potential to make millions of books available and searchable online.  Click here to view the article: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/12/14/google/index.html.

^ back to top

UPCOMING EVENTS

ICT-KM 2 Online Consultation

The two-week online consultation for ICT-KM 2 will start on 28 February 2005. If you are interested in participating, please contact the ICT-KM Program staff at ictkm@cgiar.org.    

CGIAR Women’s Leadership Courses 2005

This year, the Gender & Diversity Program will celebrate its 10th anniversary of CGIAR women’s leadership courses by offering the following programs: 

1. 10th Anniversary Advanced Women’s Leadership Course and Celebration

Hosted by ICRAF in Nairobi , Kenya ; 26 June – 1 July 2005

and CIMMYT in Mexico City : 11–17 September 2005

2. 10th Annual CGIAR Women’s Leadership and Management Course

Hosted by ICARDA in Aleppo , Syria : 22 – 28 May 2005

The deadline for enrollment in these three courses is 18 February 2005. For further information, please contact the G&D Program Leader, Vicki Wilde, at v.wilde@cgiar.org. 

^ back to top

Collaborate, Create, Communicate...

this is the motto of the ICT-KM Program. We believe that by expanding the CGIAR's opportunities to work together and communicate we will produce better science to help poor in developing countries.

Your comments are especially welcome. Please visit the Website, http://ictkm.cgiar.org/ or write to ictkm@cgiar.org with comments and/or ideas for the next monthly update.

Working together for a better future,

Enrica