A regional engagement framework for biodiversity informatics in response to regional and national priorities

Fatima Parker-Allie1st October 2011

Background• At GBIF 16 the governing board endorsed the recommendation to have a series of regional

meetings with the aim of improving the coordination of activities between the country nodes and the secretariat as well as to support collaboration amongst nodes at a regional level.

• South Africa was then nominated to lead the process

• The GBIF-Africa meeting, held in Entebbe, Uganda (Aug 2010) was a milestone for Biodiversity Informatics on the continent.

• It brought together 18 GBIF participants, associate participants and international organizations from across the continent, with the key objective of promoting continental collaboration, improved regional coordination of activities and improved interaction with the GBIF structures.

Background• A review of the Nodes showed that many members are at different stages of development, some

have been operational for a number of years, while others have just recently joined the GBIF network.

• Thus a review of status /institutional arrangements, achievements and challenges were conducted, which formed the basis of an action plan.

• This action plan included 3 broad areas of intervention to improve regional activities

– Improving institutional capacity

– Enhancing institutional data and information management policies

– Developing and strengthening partnerships

• In addition to the above, it was recognised that a formal mechanism for coordinating African activities must be developed.

Start up Node

Operational

Advanced

Development trajectory for Nodes

Rationale for an African Coordinating Mechanism

• The development of a concept document for the establishment of an Africa coordinating mechanism (ACM), was one of the key strategic priority for 2011.

• The aim of this document is to mobilize resources through the African Ministers Committee on Science and Technology (AMCOST) which is a component of the African Union network, or alternatively through NEPAD.

• It has been identified that the African Coordinating mechanism needs to be established to facilitate the development and implementation of the African strategic plan.

• This mechanism is also intended to respond and engage with GBIF, and is needed to effectively give voice to Africa’s Biodiversity Informatics needs, and to ensure active engagement with GBIF around Africa’s needs and activities as a developmental region.

The African Coordinating Mechanism

Task team established at the GBIF-Africa meeting, to look at structure and function (Sep 2010)

Task team meeting to draft concept document (March 2011, DST, Pretoria)

Document ready for review and discussion by Node Managers at 2nd GBIF-Africa meeting (Sept 2011)

Document to be refined and referred to HoD’s for endorsement (current)

2nd GBIF-Africa meeting13th -14th September 2011

Meeting was attended by 28 delegates from 18 countries and international organisations.

Purpose:

• a.) Initiate the implementation of the Africa Regional Strategic Plan

• b.) To finalise the Africa Coordinating Mechanism

• c.) Prepare for GBIF18

Africa Strategic Action Plan

• Significant headway was made with the implementation of the Africa Strategic Action Plan

• This was done by identifying three key priority areas which will be addressed over the next 2 years 2012 – 2013, and were aligned with the GBIF workplan 2012/13.

• Groups have been identified to drive the regional strategy in each of these work areas, with a leader, having been elected.

Capacity Building

Strategic Regional Engagement

Data publishing

strategy and action plan

Regional Activity

MDG’sIPBES

CBD

2020 Aichi Targets

WCMC – biodiversity indicators

Many nodes are

operational

Bridging the research –

policy-decision

making divide

Regional and international

Partnerships

CEPDEC, SEP-CEPDEC, JRS

GBIF Infrastructure

IPT, standards & tools

Data Mobilization

>14.5 m records

Training activities in

biod. inform

The role of the Node

• In order to have regional impact, node activities need to be coordinated.

• To reap the most reward from the GBIF engagement, it is important to note that the role of the Nodes goes beyond mobilising data

• It moves from mobilising data, to building capacity in biodiversity and biodiversity informatics, strengthening institutions, and then developing tools and products which have relevance for policy, decision making , conservation planning and sustainable use.

Some Areas of intervention by Nodes

• Some key questions should be: “How do we adequately utilize our Nodes so that it contributes to products that address our national needs and priorities?”

• Another key question “how can we best utilise the Nodes and GBIF infrastructures, to address international obligations such as the CBD biodiversity targets.

Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3)• This report is a product by the CBDs and the United Nations

Environmental Programme –WCMC.

• The 1° sources for the GBO-3:– An analysis of the current status and trends of biod., conducted by the Biodiversity

Indicators Partnership – coord. By UNEP-WCMC.

• This provides a key area for Nodes to be involved and contribute baseline data

Aichi 2020 Biodiversity Targets• Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning,

knowledge management and capacity building

Regional Engagement

• The GBIF-Africa nodes have contributed much to the arena of biodiversity informatics and information management on the continent.

• The regional engagement process has enabled nodes to make the necessary alignments between the country, regional and GBIF strategic plans for the first time.

• However, in order to move from working at the national level, to the regional scale, a coordinated approach towards information management on the continent is key.

• Thus, the ACM is key to strategic, coordinated action in BI.

• However, an appropriate funding model, to support regional engagement is critical to ensure sustainability of regional engagement.

Funding framework for informatics on the continent

PRIMARY FUNDING

JRS -FOUNDATION, 11%

MAC-ARTHUR

FOUNDATION, 5%

GBIF-CEPDEC, 5%

GBIF, 21%

INSTITUTION, 21%

GOVERNMENT, 16%

GBIF-SEP-CEPDEC, 21%

The primary source of funding for node activities were identified as:

GBIF and GBIF related programs (47%),

Governments (16%),

Host institutions (21%),

JRS foundation (11%) and

Mac-Arthur foundation (5%).Data : Africa Report

Sustainability

• Ideally, through support of the ACM, we will leverage funding from national

governments and Africa wide initiatives such as Nepad, AMCOST and

international donors, to build sustainability and enhance ownership of

informatics on the continent.

AC

Other funding org

GBIF

Africa Community/Gov

Other funding org

GBIF

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to all the Nodes, Heads of Delegation & GBIF for your contributions to this initiative.