.:: Information Management

Bridging the rural digital divide in Asia-Pacific

FAO introduced the strategic initiative Bridging the Rural Digital Divide (BRDD) at the World Summit for the Information Society in 2004 to assist developing countries and countries in transition to resolve the rural digital divide through the effective use of information and communication. FAO and its partners are working on developing an integrated set of activities in a cohesive, strategic manner to strengthen human and institutional capacities to harness information and knowledge more effectively for agricultural and rural development. The BRDD initiative takes a unique approach, focusing on the urgent challenges related to the rural part of the digital divide, which as yet has not been addressed in a cohesive way by the international development community.

FAO recognizes that knowledge and access to information are essential for combating hunger and poverty effectively and that the rural population must play an active role in the process. The BRDD initiative centres on three key outputs as cornerstones of the strategic role of information and communication in reducing hunger and fighting poverty:

Information content in digital format that is relevant to agricultural and rural development and food security and is developed, mobilized and exchanged by governments, rural service providers and communities. Relative to this output, the fundamental framework of principles for mobilizing the global knowledge base in digital form is being developed to ensure accessibility and retrievability

Development of innovative conceptual models that contain mechanisms and processes for information exchange and communication among rural policy-makers, service providers, communities and households. Standard guidelines and tools are being formulated, tested and disseminated to address the range of demands and capabilities of different users, based on active partnerships and collaborative lesson-learning

Empowered networks and communities of practice for exchange of these new mechanisms and processes among key stakeholders. Information exchange and communication among formal and informal associations will be made more effective by the application of standard tools and processes

Sharing information to improve food security

The Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) aims to help those living in developing countries to improve their food security through rapid increases in food production and productivity by reducing year-to-year variability in food production on an economically and environmentally sustainable basis and by improving people's access to food, in line with the 1996 World Food Summit Plan of Action. The regional SPFS Asia programme focuses on achieving these goals in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka. This four-country programme is unique in having an information management project, formally known as the SPFS Asia Information Management Component (GCP/RAS/182/JPN), to allow for the exchange of information among the four countries and with the general public in pursuit of improved food security.

The major output of this project is the SPFS Asia Information Management System (SAIMS), a tool that is available on the Internet. This system facilitates management and fosters the exchange of project data, field-tested technologies and documents among the geographically dispersed users in this and similar food security projects and promotes the SPFS by disseminating information about projects to various audiences.

FIVIMS India pilot project (TCP/IND/2903)

The Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information Mapping System (FIVIMS) is an interagency initiative to promote information and mapping systems on food insecurity and vulnerability. The Government of India approved a pilot project that aims at assisting in the development and testing of a mechanism for collecting, compiling, analysing and communicating relevant key information on food insecurity and vulnerability to its officials and decision-makers at various administrative levels in the states of Orissa and Himachal Pradesh. One important objective of the pilot project is to identify the information needs of FIVIMS users at all administrative levels and to design a simple monitoring system for tracking progress in reducing food insecurity and malnutrition on a sustainable basis.

Case studies of rural information systems and networks

Under China’s Action Plan for the Programme of Rural Market Information Service During the Period of the Tenth "Five-Year" Plan, information systems managed by the Ministry of Agriculture Information Centre and information service centres in rural communities have been established to form linkages between the local, provincial and central governments. There has been remarkable progress in the use of modern and traditional information and communication technologies (ICT) for disseminating information. As part of the BRDD initiative, FAO and the Government of China partnered to research and develop a selection of case studies on practices and conceptual models for information and communication networks. These case studies will help other locations within China to choose and model their own development according to their own situation. They will also provide development models for other countries.

The first publication of case studies and findings was produced in 2004.

Research continues to build on the number of cases available and validate the models being developed. Expansion of the body of BRDD case studies and models of best practices are now ongoing in India and other countries in the region, with support from the FAO regional office.

Asia-Pacific AGRIS network development

FAO coordinates the international information system for agricultural sciences and technology (AGRIS), which became operational in 1975, as an initiative to build a common information system on agriculture and related subjects. Crucial to its success are the regional and national organizations that have worked with FAO. Participants at the Consultation on Agricultural Information Management (COAIM) noted that a new vision was needed for the AGRIS Network and its participating resource centres and agreed that FAO should work with member nations to strengthen the Network’s role so that it can become "a key enabler and catalysing agent to establish a new model of agricultural information management" in the twenty-first century.

The renewal of the AGRIS initiative goes far beyond the creation of bibliographical databases. It aims to reach new partners beyond the traditional ones in documentation centres. FAO and its partners envision the creation of an integrated network of resources and publications using new technologies, such as the Internet and CD–ROMs. Participation in the AGRIS network is open to any organization able to participate, thereby actively moving away from a focus on centralized national hubs. FAO is working with its partners to facilitate the creation and maintenance of collections of agricultural information resources, documents in full text and other types of information (e.g. maps, images, etc.) at national and subnational levels, focusing on unconventional literature (also known as "grey" literature).

FAO is also developing and disseminating, in consultation with member governments and partners, a basic set of information management standards and guidelines as well as tools, such as Web-AGRIS and the Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK). In Asia and the Pacific, this is occurring in collaboration with the regional AGRIS network, including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Scientech Documentation and Information Centre, the Indian Centre for Agricultural Research, PhilAgriNet, SEAMEO SEARCA, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the Thai National AGRIS Centre at Kasetsart University.

Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK)

Effective information management is increasingly critical in the digital era, involving a range of issues covering standards, smart working practices and software. FAO has initiated a partnership-based e-learning programme known as the Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) that trains individuals in the effective management of agricultural information.

IMARK consists of a series of modules on CD-ROM, offered free of charge, to introduce the latest concepts, approaches and tools for information management. Using interactive tutorials specifically designed for individualized self-paced learning, IMARK can reach an internationally widespread audience that might otherwise be unable to access such resources. Each CD-based module focuses on a specific area of information management and builds capacity by introducing basic concepts and guiding the user through a series of interactive lessons describing specific workflows and topics. Software applications and tools developed by FAO and partner organizations are provided on the CD and introduced in a series of practical exercises. Each lesson contains performance measures to enable users to assess their progress and understanding of the materials.

The first two modules, "Management of electronic documents" and "Digitization and digital libraries" are now available. In addition to the learning materials, each CD provides users with immediate access to customized help, search and glossary facilities, as well as reference materials and case studies demonstrating real-life applications of the concepts and procedures being learned. This is supplemented by an Internet-based online community, which provides support to users and allows them to exchange views and information.

Role of information in sustainable livelihoods

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are recognized as essential components of the development process, yet they are rarely well integrated into development strategies and programmes. FAO, in collaboration with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), initiated a study in 2001–2002 that included a literature review and field trips to three countries to analyse the role of information in livelihoods. This resulted in recommendations on how agencies can capitalize on and integrate the best elements of traditional communication methods and revolutionary ICTs within the livelihoods approach. The results of this first phase, including the key findings and a series of more detailed country reports for Ghana, Uganda and India, are presented in a Web site.

The World Bank joined the initiative in the second phase, which began in September 2003. Additional missions to Viet Nam and other countries in Africa and South America have expanded the background information available to support the initiative.