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Introduction
Regional
workshop on natural resources and food security information
management and data sharing. Pretoria, 4 to 6 June 2002.
Organized
in cooperation with and hosted by the Agricultural Research
Council: Institute of Soil, Climate and Water.
Background
Improving access to timely, accurate, and comprehensive
data and information can help improve the management of natural
resources and increase food security in southern Africa. Even
though various national and international initiatives have
made the region fairly rich in data, their activities have
not always translated into better access and use of that data
for decision-making. Often data are collected and used by
the individual projects or programmes for their own purposes.
Once an initiative is finished, the data and institutional
capacity is quickly lost. Improving this situation means putting
in place procedures, systems and supports that enable better
coordination, management and sharing of information between
local, national and regional institutions and programmes.
The
Global Terrestrial Observation System (GTOS) along with southern
African national and regional institutions are holding a workshop
that will bring together a diverse group of decision makers
and experts to discuss these information management issues
and to define potential solutions that will strengthen the
region's capacity to manage and share environmental and food
security information.
Objectives and expected results
The workshop will:
a.
Identify the current status of country and
regional information management initiatives and how ·
· they can be leveraged and enhanced to meet
broader needs.
b.
Define specific issues and impediments to
information exchange at national and at regional
· · levels.
c.
Identify potential solutions to these challenges.
d.
Identify potential mechanisms and resources
(technical, human and financial) needed to
· · promote information
exchange at the national and regional level.
e.
Begin to build consensus with the stakeholders
on the best way forward.
The
outputs of the workshop will be a set of recommendations,
proposed solutions and follow-on actions that can be implemented
by the invited partners to improve information management
and exchange at the national and regional level.
Sponsorship
The FAO Integrated Support to Sustainable Development
and Food Security Programme (IP), funded by Finland, and the
Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) will sponsor the
workshop.
Expected participants
Twenty-five
decision-makers of government ministries and agencies (from
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe), regional
institutions and international organizations that are potential
beneficiaries of improved information management and exchange
are expected to attend the workshop.
Preliminary programme
The workshop programme will include:
Day
1: Tuesday, 4 June 2002
1. Country presentations on natural
resources and food security information management, and links/relationships
with regional institutions.
2. Presentation on natural resource and food security initiatives
and activities within the region by SADC-FANR.
3. Regional natural resources and food security information
management and sharing:
Introductory Presentations
..Stakeholders
· Needs
· Benefits at the national
and regional level
· Examples and lessons
learned
· Draft information management
and exchange framework components
Day
2: Wednesday, 5 June 2002
4. Information management and exchange
·
Organizational, institutional, spatial data
issues
·
Concepts, principles, and components
·
Information Resources Centres - roles, responsibilities,
services
·
Information exchange process and protocols
5.
Key issues and solutions
·
Organizational, institutional, data (custodianship,
availability, pricing, etc.)
·
Detailed solutions definition
·
Core/framework datasets
Day 3: Thursday, 6 June 2002
6.
Information management and exchange framework
·
Next Steps
·
Activities
·
Schedule
7.
Summary and wrap-up
Information
about the venue can be viewed at http://www.leadershipdev.co.za
Qualification for participation
Participants should be in positions of managerial or decision-making-responsibility
at governmental ministries and agencies or regional institutions
with programmes or activities relating to natural resources
and food security. Each country will nominate a representative
who will be required to prepare and deliver a short presentation
on their activities and experiences on information management,
data sharing, and relationship with regional institutions
and initiatives.
Participants should have a good understanding of:
a.
National spatial information management
initiatives.
b.
Work done on information exchange (spatial and non-spatial)
from the local to the national and
·
·
regional level.
c.
Issues and obstacles to information exchange and management.
Candidates
with compelling reasons why information management and exchange
would lead to the improvement of the performance of their
programmes or activities will be selected on a priority basis.
Applications from female candidates are particularly encouraged.
Participants should arrive by the mid-afternoon on June 3
and leave not leave the workshop before 17:00 on June 6.
Language
Applicants must have a good knowledge of English, which will
be the working language of the workshop.
Participants
Approximately fifteen core participants will be selected by
GTOS from nominations submitted by the governments and institutions
of developing countries (i.e. Botswana, Namibia, South Africa,
Zambia and Zimbabwe) to GTOS. Another ten resource persons
from regional institutions and international organizations
will be invited for their expertise. All applicants will be
informed on the outcome of the selection process.
Financial arrangements
Participants from developing countries will be offered financial
support to attend the workshop. Funded participants will be
provided with a round trip air ticket (most economic fare)
between the airport of international departure in their home
country and Johannesburg International airport, South Africa.
The sponsors will also cover boarding expenses and pocket
money for all the participants for the duration of the workshop.
Deadline for nominations
A completed application
form properly endorsed by the applicant's agency/organization,
should be submitted through GTOS Secretariat, no later than
1 May 2002.
An advance copy of the application form may be sent directly
to the GTOS Secretariat to expedite the selection process
(e-mail: gtos@fao.org or
fax: +39 06 5705-3369).
Points of contact
For information regarding the agenda and programme and the
submission of nominations for attendance, please contact Mr.
Géraud Servin, GTOS Programme Officer, at the above
address and fax number, or at the following e-mail address:
geraud.servin@fao.org.
Documentation
Document
1 - Agenda 
(83
KB)
Document 2 - Group break out questionnaire
(116 KB)
©
FAO :: Global Terrestrial Observing
System - GTOS :: 24 May 2002
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