I suggest, that part of CGIAR's strategy is to work hard on "branding" by sorting out all their data base and harvest key or major "brands" that they can raise awareness among segmented users/audiences (policymakers, researchers, extension workers, farmers, etc). If indeed the harves is full, CGIAR can at least prioritize which products should be given utmost "branding attention." Say for example, for the first phase, work on a top branded product/information that is common to all CGIAR centers, and let this product (knowledge product, material product, or whatever) be 1) trumpeted or carried by champions (well known personalities from all walks of life, say a champion for policy makers, a champion for farmers, etc). Creating a strong memory recall among "segmented" users can become key strategy for CGIAR as it strives to connect effectively with its audience. 2) "webertizing" these CGIAR brands by uploading/crosslinking with all development-oriented websites...

Hi, I am Lorna, Head of Knowledge Management Unit of SEARCA based here in the Philippines. I think that this is a great move for CGIAR to try to open up its doors so that many likeminded clients (with the same passion for R&D to make food available for the food) can access its works. For the past years in my life as communication officer, the name CGIAR was just in the background. Until last year, in Vientiane, I was able to participate in the Water and Food Forum which was hosted by CGIAR, and there I knew a little bit more about its mission and works. The WAter ad Food Forum was a multidisciplinary forum and for me, it opened a wide venue for a face-to-face interactions among fellow research, development, and communcation practitioners. The insights gleaned during that forum are helpful in crafting the next planning cycles not only for CGIAR, but for the rest of the participants who represented differet organizations with similar objectives. Since my organization's mandate aligns with that of CGIAR too (poverty reduction and food security), in my line of work in the area of Knowledge Management, getting to know more about CGIAR's research works/results, experts' data base (for example), is like tapping into a river of information resources -- very much helpful as these resources become inputs to my organization's objective of knowledge sharing and exchange among our Southeast Asian clents (we focus on policy makers and researchers). I hope to contribute to the discussions in the next days about how knowledge management practitioners can benefit from CGIAR's information resources, and vice versa, how CGIAR can benefit from their clients. I think you are in the right road and it's great to be joining your discussions. Cheers. Lorna