222A3: FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System
Development problem to be addressed:
239.
National programmes could produce more effective results through a
cross-sectoral, area-based approach. However, despite the existence of a large
number of country-based information systems, the information generated by the
various systems lacks integration. Information tends to be generated and used in
a circumscribed manner and tailored to a specific system, unit or area of
interest, thus contributing to a compartmentalized approach to
development.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
240. The FAO Country Profiles and
Mapping Information System will integrate analytical, multilingual information
with thematic databases and a digital map repository. It will facilitate access
to information on multiple factors contributing to national food insecurity,
fostering an integrated and multi-sectoral approach, decreasing design costs and
increasing efficiency of projects and policies.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
241.
The international community at large will benefit, particularly developing
countries lacking adequate communication infrastructures, as they will have
facilitated access to country information across sectors for coordinated
national and international development, especially during and after disaster
relief interventions. These benefits will come within reach of grass roots
populations (farmers, mountain people, fishermen, pastoral people and victims of
conflict and natural disasters).
Objective(s)
242. Analysts, researchers, project formulators and
policy makers will have a comprehensive, area-specific view of the state of
agriculture, enabling them to take a coordinated approach across sectors, to
identify specific target areas and/or populations in need of attention and to
better define technical or emergency assistance.
Major Output(s)
- Development and implementation of FAO country profiles and mapping
information system
Indicator(s)
- Number of national geographic offices using the system, disseminating its
data, or sharing data.
- List of donors and aid agencies routinely using FAO's country profiles and
maps in their project documents and evaluations.
222A5: World Agriculture Information Resource System (WAIR)
Development problem to be addressed:
243.
National governmental and non-governmental rural development organizations,
research centres, libraries and universities have a rich store of information,
of which only a limited portion is available for sharing through modern
information communication technologies such as the Internet. Their content is
often non-transferable for various reasons, such as scarce resources, low
priority given to information, and lack of good meta data (i.e. for
classification and methodological purposes). This results in poor exchange of
information amongst stakeholders, redundancies and waste of resources in data
collection.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
244. Access to quality information and
peer reviewed literature through AGRIS, AGLINET and AGORA. More effective
dissemination of quality agricultural information resources will strengthen
abilities within countries and in the international community to formulate,
develop and evaluate development programmes and policies
effectively.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
245.
Stakeholders involved in agricultural and rural development and food security,
including policy makers, rural services providers, farmers' organizations and
others. Countries will benefit by having access to the global experience in
science and technology for the agricultural sector gained by national and
international development organizations, research institutions and universities,
and from more coherent and better planned international
cooperation.
Objective(s)
246. Decision makers, scientists and development
workers will have access to a centralized gateway to multimedia resource
collections on research and development in agriculture, and will be better able
to search and retrieve information relevant to their work. Members will become
proactive participants in the management and networking of national agricultural
and research information systems.
Major Output(s)
- Tools and support for information management networks facilitating access
to worldwide agricultural information resources
Indicator(s)
- Existing formal and informal collaboration agreements between FAO and
other information providers.
222A6: Multi-Agency Programme for Capacity Building in Food and Agricultural
Statistics in Africa
Development problem to be addressed:
247. The
lack of a broad and reliable statistical base on the food and agricultural
sector, and the limited capacity of countries to produce such data still remain
major constraints to the development and implementation of effective policies
for food security and rural development in a large number of countries of the
continent. This impairs monitoring and evaluation of progress towards
development goals, including the Commitments of the World Food
Summit.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
248. An initiative supported by FAO, the
World Bank and USDA was launched for strengthening Agricultural Statistics in
Africa. This new entity is the continuation and expansion of these activities in
a new context of a Multi-Agency Programme (FAO, World Bank, PARIS21, French
Co-operation, African Development Bank, etc..). The availability of reliable and
relevant statistical information on the rural sector will support evidence-based
policy formulation and contribute to increased effectiveness of
programmes.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
249.
The rural population at large through more effective and efficient development
programmes in the rural sector designed and implemented on the basis of a broad
and reliable statistical information base.
Objective(s)
250. Enhanced access by national governments, the
private sector and development agencies to reliable and timely food and
agricultural statistics for improved sectorial planning and
monitoring.
Major Output(s)
- Assessment studies and formulation of food and agricultural statistics
component in target countries
- Collection, analysis, storage and dissemination of data in target
countries
- Capacity building through regional undertakings
- Technical supervision of progress in specific countries
Indicator(s)
- Periodic analysis of FAOSTAT data provided by countries
- Number of staff trained in target countries
222P1: Agricultural Resources, Income and Food Security Statistics
Development problem to be addressed:
251.
Complete and accurate agricultural resources and income and food security
statistics are essential to formulation, monitoring and evaluation of
economically-sound food and agricultural policies and to supporting appropriate
decision making.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
252. The entity will ensure statistical
data on agricultural population, labour force, prices, resources and incomes and
major food security dimensions.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
253.
People working in agriculture, people suffering from food deprivation and the
public at large are to benefit from food and agricultural policies taking
economic and environmental factors into consideration.
Objective(s)
254. To provide analysts and policy makers in
governments and development agencies with: a set of up-to-date and world-wide
statistical series and indicators relating to land use, population, labour
force, agricultural inputs, prices, income, investment, resources and food
security issues; and statistical profiles with integrated presentation of key
indicators of the agricultural sector.
Major Output(s)
- Agricultural inputs, resources and environmental statistics
- Agricultural prices, income and investment statistics
- Statistical Profiles for Agriculture Sector and Rural Development Analysis
- Government Expenditures in Agriculture
- Food Security Statistics
- Household Surveys
Indicator(s)
- List of international and regional organizations, aid agencies and
governments routinely using food security and agricultural resources and
income statistics in their policy, programming and evaluation processes.
- Typical use made of food security and agricultural resources and income
statistics.
222P2: Agricultural Production, Trade Statistics and Food Balance
Sheets
Development problem to be addressed:
255.
Complete and accurate statistical data regarding crop and livestock production,
trade and utilization statistics need to be maintained so as to support economic
analysis and forecasting, and the development, implementation and evaluation of
effective policies and programmes for food security and rural
development.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
256. This continuing programme activity
complements the preceding in terms of FAO's core statistical work, covering the
key areas of agricultural production and trade statistics and food balance
sheets (FBSs).
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
257.
Ultimate beneficiaries will be producers and consumers, as well as investors,
benefiting from improved policy outcomes as well as more accurate forecasts by
analysts. Better use of resources through investment in agriculture and related
infrastructure.
Objective(s)
258. To provide users in FAO and the world
community at large with a set of consistent and up-to-date series and indicators
relating to production, trade and utilization - crop and livestock - statistics
to analyze and monitor the food and agricultural regional and global situation
and to support decision making.
Major Output(s)
- Agricultural production statistics
- Agriculture trade statistics
- Supply Utilization Accounts (SUAs) and Food Balance Sheets (FBSs)
Indicator(s)
- List of international and regional organizations, aid agencies and
governments routinely using FAO agricultural production, trade statistics and
FBSs in their policy, programming and evaluation processes.
- Use made of agricultural production, trade statistics and FBSs.
222P3: Agricultural Surveys and Statistics Development
Development problem to be addressed:
259. The
lack of timely, reliable and comprehensive agricultural data in many countries
represents a critical constraint to policy making and development planning, as
well as monitoring the performance of the sector and improving food security. To
overcome this development problem, this CP supports the development of
integrated systems of food and agricultural statistics including the design and
implementation of comprehensive agricultural census and survey
programmes.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
260. This CP supports the development of
methodologies and technical tools for agricultural censuses and surveys and
contributes to the production, by countries, of harmonized and improved basic
data which will contribute to better planning, evaluation and policy setting in
the agricultural sector.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
261.
Planners and administrators in the public and private sectors will benefit by
having a better information base for decision making with the ultimate benefit
flowing to society at large.
Objective(s)
262. Improved availability, reliability, timeliness
and usefulness of statistics relating to food and agriculture at the national
level for improved sector planning, monitoring and evaluation of policies and
programmes addressing food security issues.
Major Output(s)
- Agricultural Censuses and Surveys
- Strengthening of national capacities in agricultural statistics
Indicator(s)
- Participation in the Programme for the World Census of Agriculture
- Development of National Systems of Food and Agricultural Statistics
- Capacity building
222P5: Programme for the Improvement of Language Coverage
Development problem to be addressed:
263.
Members have re-emphasized the importance of the equal treatment of language in
the activities of the Organization and in the production of its
outputs.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
264. The funds provided under this
entity will enhance FAO's ability at corporate level, to provide its information
products and outputs in the required languages, particularly by meeting eventual
funding gaps in individual entities.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
265.
Members and civil society world-wide will benefit from the availability of FAO's
messages and information products in all official languages.
Objective(s)
266. Ensure that information and normative products
generated under all programmes are accessible in the required FAO
languages.
Major Output(s)
- Integrated multilingual publishing environment
- Support to multilingual publishing activities
Indicator(s)
- Extent of increased availability of information in all official languages
through FAO's Web site and published outputs.
- Increase in the number of hits on FAO's Web pages from countries belonging
to various linguistic groups.
222P6: WAICENT Corporate Information Management and Dissemination
Systems
Development problem to be addressed:
267. While
information communication technologies, in particular the Internet, have greatly
facilitated timely access to corporate information systems in both developed and
developing countries, the problem remains to locate and retrieve specific
information. Some developing countries also have limited access to information
communication technologies, constraining their integration into the evolving
global market. Their exclusion is further heightened by the lack of multilingual
information and information systems.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
268. This entity will facilitate the
search for, and access to FAO's collection of information by governmental and
non-governmental institutions and civil society organizations that will be
better able to assess the state of food and agriculture in respective countries,
and to establish and implement more effective policies and programmes aimed at
food security and sustainable agricultural production.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
269.
The international community at large benefits from WAICENT as it provides timely
access to a vast multilingual repository of information on food and agriculture.
Developing countries lacking adequate communication infrastructures will benefit
from facilitated access and retrieval of authoritative information on food,
agriculture and sustainable rural development in a variety of
forms.
Objective(s)
270. Decision makers, researchers, planners and
evaluators, in particular in developing countries, will be assured timely access
to multilingual information on food, agriculture and rural development through
the Worldwide Web and other media such as CD-ROM.
Major Output(s)
- Enhanced access to the FAO's Web sites and repositories
- Multilingual information management components to facilitate access to
FAO's information through Internet and other dissemination tools
- Support to thematic information systems and related expert networks
Indicator(s)
- Number of monthly hits/visits to the FAO's Web site.
- Estimated percentage of the FAO's Web site content which is available on
CD-ROM in developing countries.
- Use made of information.
222P7: Standards, Norms and Procedures for Improved Access to Agricultural
Information
Development problem to be addressed:
271. The
major constraint to integrating information from different sources and to
providing an effective search and retrieval capability is the lack of uniform
standards, norms and procedures that guide information collection, processing
and dissemination and lend it coherence to manage it. Without such standards,
national agricultural information systems will remain isolated and many
professionals will not benefit from national and international information
resources on agricultural research and rural development.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
272. This continuing programme activity
will develop uniform standards for collecting, archiving and disseminating
information and knowledge that will help national communities and international
organizations have access to more reliable information at a lower
cost.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
273.
Countries and various user groups will benefit from improved access to
information, while better informed national policies in support of rural
development and international cooperation initiatives are of interest to all
populations.
Objective(s)
274. The adoption of international standards and
methodologies for the collection, storage and dissemination of electronic
information pertaining to food and agriculture, enabling better management of
national information systems, and resulting in increased utilization of
available information.
Major Output(s)
- A reference framework for the organisation, classification and cataloguing
of information in FAO's areas of expertise
- Clearinghouse for the adoption and implementation of information
management standards
Indicator(s)
- Number of countries adopting the standards and/or providing information to
FAO in a standardised way.
- Partners participating in the Clearinghouse.
222P8: Facilitation of WAICENT Outreach
Development problem to be addressed:
275.
Complementary to entities 222P6 and 222P7, the problem to be addressed is the
limited access to, and exchange of, information and knowledge related to
agriculture and food security at local, national, and regional levels. This is
to be remedied by the development and strengthening of systems for information
management and exchange at all levels, with a strong emphasis on the use of new
information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of bridging the
Rural Digital Divide.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
276. The programme entity will provide
the mechanisms for effective dissemination and uptake of methods and tools for
managing and exchanging agricultural information, developed under the WAICENT
Framework. These new tools and methods, when applied, will facilitate the flow
of information to and from rural stakeholders, helping to bridge the rural
digital "divide" and thereby enhancing livelihoods.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
277.
Improved information management, dissemination and exchange systems in countries
will enhance access to available information and knowledge bases by stakeholders
at all levels involved in agricultural development and food security, including
policymakers, rural service providers, farmers' organizations, and
others.
Objective(s)
278. Enhanced ability of individuals,
organizations, and communities in countries to access and exchange information
and knowledge, as well as improve the efficiency, quality and relevance of
information being exchanged among the various stakeholder groups involved in
agricultural development and food security.
Major Output(s)
- Adaptation of WAICENT methodologies, tools, and applications for
information management to support national agricultural and food security
systems in countries
- Training and distance-learning materials for agricultural information
management
- Support to enhanced visibility of WAICENT
Indicator(s)
- Estimated number of people using WAICENT methodologies and tools
worldwide, and by country.
- Estimated number of people accessing FAO's information available through
WAICENT
222P9: Management and acquisition from FAO and other providers of
information collections, including the Virtual Library
Development problem to be addressed:
279.
Agricultural and rural development depend on knowledge drawn from different
sources, including the latest researched and scientific methodologies, pilot
projects, and experimentation in the field. However, this needs to be organized
into qualitative collections containing the most relevant and up-to-date
information.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
280. When repositories are
well-organized, information is more readily available and more easily found by
researchers, analysts, scientists or experts. This subsequently provides policy
makers with more timely information to address food security issues in
countries.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
281.
The public at large will benefit from the possibility to access high quality
information from repositories focussed on agricultural and rural
development.
Objective(s)
282. availability of repositories of highly
relevant expertise in agricultural and rural development; increased capacity of
countries to assess appropriate, verified methodologies and measures to be
applied at the national level.
Major Output(s)
- Archival and preservation of FAO's technical information
- Information repositories relevant to agriculture and rural development
Indicator(s)
- Content of the Corporate Document Repository (volumes)
- Content of the FAO archives (volumes)
222Q1: Management of FAOSTAT/CountryStat and Coordination of Statistics at
FAO
Development problem to be addressed:
283.
Improved coverage, availability and quality of food and agricultural data is an
essential basis for decision making and for other analytical uses.
Proposed contribution to problem
resolution:
284. Complete, accurate and available
statistical data for sound policy development and decision making. This entity
will build on significant investments to upgrade FAOSTAT.
Intended end beneficiaries and benefits:
285.
Ultimate beneficiaries will be producers and consumers, benefiting from improved
policy outcomes by using FAOSTAT/CountryStat.
Objective(s)
286. Wide availability of statistical data of
acceptable quality and broad relevance to analysts and decision
makers.
Major Output(s)
- FAOSTAT/CountryStat database operation, maintenance and management
- Coordination of FAO statistical activities, and inter-agency statistical
activities
- Maintenance and development of agricultural classifications
- FAO Statistical Yearbook
- Evaluation of quality of statistics
Indicator(s)
- Improved coverage of agricultural domains in International Statistical
Classifications
- Uptakes of statistical data/publications by users
222S1: Technical Support Services to Member Nations and the Field
Programme
287. As this entity largely
represents on-demand services to Members which by their nature are difficult to
plan in advance, no formulation of rationale and objective is
provided.
Major Output(s)
- Advice/assistance to countries on socio-economic indicators relating to
agriculture and associated databases
- Advice/assistance to countries on Supply Utilization Accounts (SUAs), Food
Balance Sheets (FBSs) and Trade
- Advice/assistance to countries on development of integrated systems of
food and agricultural statistics and agricultural censuses
- Contributory support to entities in other divisions and PAIA
- Meetings of statistical commissions and statutory bodies
Indicator(s)
- Direct advice to member countries
- Field Programme Support
- Capacity building
222S2: Assistance to Countries in Capacity Building for Agriculture and Food
Information through WAICENT
288. As this entity largely
represents on-demand services to Members which by their nature are difficult to
plan in advance, no formulation of rationale and objective is
provided.
Major Output(s)
- Field Programme Support: Field missions and projects identified and
formulated concerning national information services, systems and networks
- Advisory Services to countries: Ad hoc advisory services to governments,
Regional and Subregional Offices concerning WAICENT corporate activities,
AGRIS/CARIS and establishment and strengthening of national information
systems and networks
- Support to non-FAO bodies, Support to Programme Entities in other
Divisions, Secretariat Servicing of Statutory Bodies
Indicator(s)
- Number of countries applying the technical advice and recommendations