1.KAINet: From Pilot Project to National Network of Agricultural Science & Technology Information Jane Frances Asaba, CABI

2.

• Outline of Presentation

• Introduction

• Rationale

• Kenya AGRIS Pilot Project Objectives

• Stakeholders /Ownership and Participation

• Phasing of the project - 4 Phase

• Achievements

• Challenges

• Lessons

• Financial Aspects of the Processes of Building KAINet

• Rolling outKAINet

KAINet from Pilot Project to Network 3.

• Introduction

4. Introduction

Knowledge empowers individuals, communities and nations to make effective and informed choices to sustain and develop livelihoods and thus reduce poverty.

5. Introduction

The Kenya Agricultural Information Network (KAINet) started in April 2006 as Kenya AGRIS Pilot Project, a collaborative initiative

Aim was to establish:

• Systems that promote information exchange and access among researchers and other agricultural stakeholders

• Institutional repositories& a national electronic repository of Agriculture Science and Technology

• The above had been identified by stakeholders in Kenya working together with FAO & ASARECA

• 2005 project proposal develop (KARI, FAO, CABI &

• ASARECA)

6.

• Rationale

7. Rationale

• Response to recommendations to build a Kenyan national agricultural science and technology information system identified in the SRA

• SRA

• • achieving a reduction in unemployment and poverty through application of new technologies and information as the basis for a thriving agricultural system

• • linking national research system with international information systems

• • Establishing agricultural technology dissemination system linked to extension

8. Rationale (Contd)

• Calls to promote coherence in the management of agricultural information to enhanceexchange and access

• Address issues that are critical to content development and info. exchange between users within the agricultural S&T

• Develop institutional information and communication management (ICM) policy/strategy frameworks, human capacity in ICM

9. Kenya AGRIS Pilot Project Objectives

• • To facilitate the development of institutional policies and strategies on information and communication management (ICM) in agricultural S&T in Kenya

• • To develop the basis for a national AGRIS network, including selected resource centres and the mechanism for fostering institutional collaboration

• • To strengthen human resource capacities in the key centres

• • To document the process and develop as a case study for development of a national AGRIS network

10.

• Stakeholders/Ownership & Participation

11. Stakeholders /Ownership and Participation

Five institutions in Pilot Project:

Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)

Kenya National Agricultural Research Laboratories

(KARI-NARL)

Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI)

Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)

Jomo Kenya University of Agricultural Science and

Technology(JKUAT)

12. Implementing Partners

• FAO

• CABI Africa

• ASARECA

• Equal partnership

• Funding from DFID through FAO

13. Management/Governance

• KARI coordination oftechnical aspects of the project

• • Development of work plans; Mobilizing resources

• • Monitoring activity implementation

• • Linking the national institutions with international collaborators.

• Project Management Committee (PMC)

• • One representative from each participating institutions

• • Guidance to the project activities

• Project Implementation Committee (PIC)

• • Two members from each institution (policy & technical)

• • Planning and implementation of project activities

• CABI Africa- backstopping on technical matters, Documentation, M&E

• ASARECA- backstopping on technical matters

• FAO backstopping on technical matters; ensure funding and reporting to DFID

14.

• Phasing of the Project

15. Phase 1:Planning and Consensus Building 1st April - 30th Sept. 2006

Proposal received funding from DFID (UK)

Five National institutions selected for pilot

(research, extension, academic)

Consultations at institution level common vision

July 2006 - Consensus building workshop

(policy/strategy framework & technical aspects)

16. Phase 1:Planning (contd)

Assessment of Capacity needs

Analysis of ICM Policies and Strategies

National & Institutional

Initial Capacity-building activities based on

web-enabled tools & methodologies

Birth of KAINet during a 2 ndStakeholder

workshop

17. Phase 2:Strategy building 1st Dec 2006-31st May 2007

Provide technical support to inst. in developing ICM policies & strategies

Develop network strategy & action plan (KAINET)

Development of a framework for knowledge sharing

Capacity development & support to establish info

• System(institutional repositories;On-site training - standard tools &

• methodologies; Training of Systems Administrator (AGRIS skills &

• dissemination of digital content)

Case Study Development

18. Phase 3:C apacity building, developmentof the Inst. repositories Jan 31 stMay 2008

Training in ICM

• Management of Electronic Documents

• Website Development and Management

• Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Marketing Agricultural Information Services

• Opening-up Access to S&T Information

Providing essential equipment to institutions

Development of Institutional Repositories

19. Phase 4:Establishment of the national repository & promotion of KAINet June 2008 April 2009

Complete development of Institutional ICM Strategies

Complete development of a KAINet Strategy

and Implementation Plan

Complete development of KSF & Knowledge Sharing materials

Development of a National Repository of Agricultural S&T

information

Development of a Marketing Strategy for KAINet

Consolidation of capacities built

20.

• Achievements

21.

Partnerships and team approach was enhanced among the institutions in the KAINet pilot project & with international /regional collaborators

Common tools (standards, methodologies and approaches)have been applied to support coherence to ensure information exchange and sharing

Partnerships built 22.

• Equipment to facilitate digitization and sharing of information were provided to pilot institutions

• • • Computers

• • • Servers

• • • Scanners

• • • Accessories

• • • Internet connectivity,

Essential equipment given to Pilot institutions 23.

ICM skills were built among staff working on the KAINet project and have become invaluable in implementing project activities as well as other related activities

Profile of information staff raised and

Staff making valuable contribution to institution activities

Visibility of Staff /institution work increasing

• PM&E systems established and used to monitor project activities

ICM Skills Built 24.

• Institutional repositories developed at 5 institutions (KARI-HQ, KARI-NARL, KEFRI, MoA (including AIRC/KADOC) and JKUAT and accessible on institutional LANs; currently the repository for KARI-HQ is accessible on-line.

• Repositories provide both metadata and full-text documents generated by institutions, covering materials such as annual and technical reports, research reports, journal articles, conference proceedings, strategy documents, manuals and other related materials .

Five Institutional Repositories 25.

• KAINet the Kenya Agricultural Information Network, which will enable sharing of information across the agricultural sector has been developed, together with its strategy and implementation plan. The network will be officially launched in May 2009

• KAINet Case Study developed and will be published and shared

KAINet developed s 26.

• A Knowledge Sharing Framework to facilitate sharing of information within KAINet and with its beneficiaries was developed

• A 5 year KAINet Marketing Strategy and Plan to promote KAINet beyond the pilot institutions and ensure it becomes sustainable also developed

• Marketing by print & electronic means: posters, leaflets, manuals, policy brief,mass media; websites, e-forums, visits, etc.

KAINet Knowledge Sharing Framework & Marketing Strategy 27.

• Challenges

28. Challenges

• Building partnerships & sustaining participation

• Unwillingness to share information Open Access new

• Differing institutional priorities leading to delays in some

• activities

• Limited institutional ICM policy and strategy frameworks

• Insufficient resources (human and infrastructure)

• Limited ICM skills combination(initially)

• Insufficient infrastructure incl. unstable internet at some

• centres

• Low budgetarysupport

• Lack of a central national (agricultural) information

• centre

• Prolonged government procurement procedures

29.

• Lessons

30. Lessons

Partnerships ensured rationalization of resources, sharing

skills and experiences

Planning and consensus building provided the basis for

collaboration

Embedding the project in national policies and strategies

ensured buy-in by stakeholders

Teamwork provided energy & saved time

Institutional framework added credibility to project

31. Lessons (contd)

Networking formed the basis of project operations and led

to the birth of KAINet

Knowledge sharing is required to create awareness and

bring partners on board

Constant communication essential (phone, e-mail,

D-groups) for consolidating knowledge/experiences

Sufficient time is required for consultations during strategy/

policy devpt.

ICM skills and capacities should be built from start of

project

32.

• Financial Aspects of the KAINet Project

33. Financial Aspects of the KAINet Project

Budget:

Planning & consensus building (Phase 1) Approx. US$ 50K

Capacity building & Marketing (Phases (2-4) - Approx

US$280K

In-kind contributions provided by project partners

• Travel and upkeep costs

• Use of institutional resources

• Staff salaries.

34.

• Future of KAINet

35. Rolling outKAINet

• KAINetis a national network and we expect that several agriculturalsector organisations will join and actively participate in the network once it is rolled-out

• The centres that participated in the pilot projecthave the capacity to support new members and by working together we can provide information that will act as fuel to drive and sustain a thriving agricultural system.

36. Acknowledgement

• Were grateful to:

FAO & DFID

ASARECA

CABI

Management of Implementing Institutions KEFRI,

JKUAT, MoA & (AIRC), KARI HQ & NARL

All the institutions and individuals who have

contributed to the success of this initiative

37.

• Thank you andwelcome on board !