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ODINAFRICA Project Document

Workplan

Project Management structure

 In order to ensure the effective implementation of the project, an appropriate project management structure needs to be established which will not only ensure that the project is implemented in-line with the main objectives and within the available budget, but which will also ensure that national and regional priorities identified by the Member States are fully taken into consideration in the workplan.

 We remark that the project document includes MAIN OBJECTIVES and related activities only. This will result in ACTIVITY ENVELOPES. The way these envelopes will be used by the individual member states and regions will be decided by the Member States during Annual Project Management Workshops, typically organized during the last month of each operating year.

 During the meetings of the sessional groups on ODINAFRICA during the 20^th Session of the IOC Assembly (June/July 1999) it was recommended to identify regional coordinators for each region: one for the IOCINCWIO region, one for the IOCEA region, one for the Mediterranean region and one for the Southern Africa region. It was also recommended to appoint a general coordinator. However, taking into consideration the budgetary implications of supporting these 5 coordinators it was agreed that 3 coordinators will suffice: one for the IOCEA region and Mediterranean, one for the IOCINCWIO region including South Africa, and one general project coordinator. Furthermore it was proposed that the IOCINCWIO regional coordinator will also take up the function of general project coordinator. However, a final decision on this matter will be made during the first Annual Project Management Workshop (Sub-activity 1.1) in 1999.

Main Activity Workplan and Timing

 Note: g indicates time period when activity takes place or which financial support covers

Note: ¨ indicates external expertise is required for this activity: expertise Partners are listed under

MAIN ACTIVITY 1: Project Management

·         Sub-activity 1.1: Annual Project Management Workshop ¨

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 1.2: Project Staffing and Management costs

Rationale: This includes the cost of project staff, both at the local (national) level and at the regional level. The national project staff cost will be absorbed totally by the cooperating institutions.

 Timing:  

MAIN ACTIVITY 2: Providing assistance in the development and operation of National Oceanographic Data (and Information management) Centres and establish their networking in Africa

 ·         Sub-activity 2.1: Organization of national coordination meetings to identify suitable host institutions for NODC/DNA (including information management)

Rationale: in order to fully benefit from the IODE system and the project Member States will be requested to formally establish NODCs or DNAs (including information management centre) as per IODE guidelines. Financial assistance (and expertise, where required) will be provided for the organization of national coordination meetings to decide on the most suitable host institution for the NODC/DNA.

Timing:

·         Sub-activity 2.2: Formal establishment of NODC/DNA (including information management centre)

Rationale: in order to fully benefit from the IODE system and the project Member States will be requested to formally establish NODCs or DNAs (including information management centre) as per IODE guidelines.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 2.3: Provision of Hardware and Software Package

Rationale: in order to ensure that the data and information centres can fully participate in the technical aspects of the project (and in a harmonized way) a standard hardware and software package will be provided. This will also facilitate problem solving. Hardware will be provided for both the data and information centres.

Timing:  

 ·         Sub-activity 2.4: Provision of support for operational expenses data and information centre

Rationale: support will be provided for day-to-day operational expenses required to operate the data and information centres (telecom, Internet access, office supplies, overtime,…). Emphasis will be placed on development of products and services leading to self-support of the data and information centres.

Timing:  

MAIN ACTIVITY 3: Providing training opportunities in marine data and information management applying standard formats and methodologies as defined by the IODE

 ·         Sub-activity 3.1: Development of ODINAFRICA/IODE Resource Kit   ¨

Rationale: In order to ensure standardization of software, formats methodology as well as training curricula, and to enable students to self-study subsequent to group training courses, a comprehensive PC-based training package (CD-ROM) will be developed by a group of IODE experts based on the IODE Resource Kit. The ODINAFRICA Kit will include substantial data and information sets relevant to Africa.  The kit will be updated annually.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 3.2: Regional Data Management Training Course   ¨

Rationale: Three regional data management training courses will be organized covering all responsibilities and their technical aspects covered by NODC/DNA as well as data product development.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 3.3: Regional Data Management Training Course Follow-up and Support   ¨

Rationale: In order to ensure that the trainees can make optimum use of the knowledge gained during the training courses and to ensure implementation of 'take home' tasks assigned during the courses a small team of experts shall be contracted to provide Internet-based follow-up and support.

Timing:

·         Sub-activity 3.4: Regional Information Management Training Course   ¨

Rationale: Three regional information management training courses will be organized covering all responsibilities of RECOSCIX cooperating institutions, as well as library management and library services.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 3.5: Regional Information Management Training Course Follow-up and Support  ¨

Rationale: In order to ensure that the trainees can make optimum use of the knowledge gained during the training courses and to ensure implementation of 'take home' tasks assigned during the courses a small team of experts shall be contracted to provide Internet-based follow-up and support.

Timing:

MAIN ACTIVITY 4: Assist in the development and maintenance of national, regional and Pan-African marine metadata, information and data holding databases

·         Sub-activity 4.1: GODAR Participation: identification, repatriation and digitization of Africa related datasets from outside (and within) Africa  ¨

Rationale: a large amount of data relevant to Africa are archived throughout the world but are not available to African scientists. This sub-activity will assist in the identification, repatriation and digitization of these data, within the framework of the GODAR project.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 4.2: Development of national and regional meta databases

Rationale: the MEDI format and MEDI software will be used to develop national and regional metadata bases covering national data holdings (describing also the data sets recovered under sub-activity 4.1). One volunteer data centre will host the regional (African) metadatabase on a WWW site.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 4.3: Development and maintenance of national and regional data archive

Rationale: in order to ensure the easy availability of datasets for the preparation of data and information products a computerized database system will be developed at the national (and possibly regional) level.

Timing:

MAIN ACTIVITY 5:Assist in the development and dissemination of marine data and information products responding to the needs of a wide variety of user groups using national and regional networks

·         Sub-activity 5.1: Support for national workshops on data/information service/product requirements for the sustainable management of coastal resources and the coastal zone

Rationale: support will be provided for workshops at the national level to identify data and information product requirements based on national ocean programmes, ICAM plans and other relevant policy documents and policies.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 5.2: Support to the RECOSCIX networks  ¨

Rationale: the RECOSCIX networks will be provided with support to continue their 'traditional' information services (query handling, document delivery), as well as to assist in the effective dissemination of information products to end users.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 5.3: Support for development of data and information products

Rationale: As a follow-up to sub-activity 5.1 support will be provided for the development of specific data and information products.

Timing:  

·         Sub-activity 5.4: Support for public awareness creation on the project services and products

Rationale: support for specific activities by the data and information centres to publicize the products and services provided/developed by the project and the centres. Emphasis will be placed on development of products and services leading to self-support of the data and information centres.

Timing: