Could opening access to CGIAR research outputs and knowledge (iGPGs) help you do your work? If yes, how? Please offer examples. If no, why not?

Greetings! I'm Nancy White and I'll be your host and facilitator for the next three weeks. I add my welcome to Enrica's. We are excited to begin the consultation. In this post I'll outline our plans for the next three weeks. However, I want to stress that if we discover additional or alternative conversations, we'll adapt to what emerges from the wisdom and information you bring to the consultation. So from the start, we encourage you to offer your suggestions. Goals: Our goals in the next three weeks are twofold: • To build our collective awareness around iGPGs access and use and within that context, gain your insights to help update, validate and improve the CGIAR's Strategy, • and, most importantly to get more detailed information about users, users needs, obstacles, priorities and methodologies. The Process: Over the next three weeks we will share some "starter questions" within two main discussion areas: • The Strategy - "Global Public Goods (GPGs): From Data and Information to Food" • User's Needs At the start of the third week, there is a [url=http://www.e-agriculture.org/270.html?&view=single_conf&cat_uid=17&conf… to face gathering[/url] during "e-agriculture week" in Rome. We'll share an overview of our first two weeks' discussion with them, and in turn they will send back their ideas into our online forum as a contribution to the final week. We recognize that we have a very diverse set of participants. If you don't know much about the CG, please check out http://www.cgiar.org If you have other questions about the CG, please, ask! We encourage you to share information about your context and work as you begin your contributions to the consultation. We have a separate [url=http://www.e-agriculture.org/270.html?&view=single_conf&cat_uid=17&conf… topic [/url] in case you need help with the forum software. We will also open an informal "Café" conversation space if people are interested. If there are any updates or changes in the e-consultation, we'll let you know in this forum. We thank you for your time and participation in advance. Preparation We begin our conversations on Wednesday, 12 September. Please join us in the [url=http://www.e-agriculture.org/270.html?&view=single_conf&cat_uid=16&conf…] "The Strategy - "Global Public Goods (GPGs): From Data and Information to Food" [/url] area to get started! We suggest you take a look either at the [url=http://www.e-agriculture.org/270.html?&view=single_conf&cat_uid=17&conf…] Strategy Document[/url] or the [url=http://www.e-agriculture.org/270.html?&view=single_conf&cat_uid=17&conf… [/url]in the "Additional Materials" area in the next few days as you join the conversation.

Greetings! I'm Nancy White, one of your hosts and facilitators for the coming weeks. I'm an "old friend" of the CGIAR, especially their online events. I'll be here all weeks to support the dialog, and assist you however I can. Please feel free to let me know if I can help. If you want to know a bit more about me, you can check out my [url=http://www.fullcirc.com]website[/url]. But the two most important things are that I am passionate about using our ability to connect online to make the world a better place, and I LOVE chocolate! :D