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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT POLICY
AND STRATEGY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA:
FROM PLAN TO ACTION
Organised by CTA
at Hotel Safari, Windhoek, Namibia
November 9-13, 2009
Workshop Report
Compiled by rapporteurs:
Mr. Tafireyi Chamboko (lead)
Mr. Zilole Phiri
Ms. Sylvia Katjepunda
Mr. Craig Morris (contributor)
January 2010

Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4
2. Workshop Proceedings ............................................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Plenary Sessions ....................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1.1 Welcome Address – Dr Hansjörg Neun, Director CTA ........................................................................ 5
2.1.2 Opening Remarks – Dr. Ibrahim Khadar, Manager, Planning and Strategic Services, CTA .................. 5
2.1.3 Workshop objectives and Presentation of CTA – Ms Christine Webster, Deputy Manager, Planning
and Strategic Services, CTA .............................................................................................................. 6
3. Setting the Stage ...................................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Why do an ICM strategy? – Mr. Peter Walton, Agricultural Information Specialist ................................... 7
3.2 Findings of the Needs Assessment Study and Priority‐Setting Exercise for Southern Africa – Mr. Craig
Morris and Ms Christine Webster ............................................................................................................ 8
4. Planning Tools .......................................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Who is the Audience for an ICM strategy? – Mr. Peter Walton ................................................................ 9
4.2 ICM Priority Setting Exercise for the Southern African Region – Mr. Craig Morris and Ms Christine
Webster ................................................................................................................................................... 9
5. How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis? – Mr. Peter Walton ........................................................................... 10
6. Information Audits and Information Access ............................................................................................ 10
6.1 Information Audits – Mr. Peter Walton .................................................................................................. 10
6.2 Information Access ................................................................................................................................ 12
6.2.1 The Revolution in Accessing Scientific and Technical Information (STI) – Dr Byron Mook .................... 12
7. Information Dissemination / Organisation and Management/ Monitoring and Evaluation ...................... 13
7.1 Information Dissemination – Dr Byron Mook ......................................................................................... 13
7.2 Organisation and Management – Information Management in your Organisation; New Partnerships;
People – Mr. Peter Walton ..................................................................................................................... 13
7.3 Evaluating Information Programmes – Dr Byron Mook ........................................................................... 13
7.4 Options for the development of an ICM strategy – How do we know we are doing the right thing? The
importance of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) – Mr. Peter Walton ....................................................... 14
8. The ICM Strategy Development Process .................................................................................................. 15
8.1 Issue 9 ‐ The ICM Strategy Development (“ABC”) Process – Mr. Peter Walton ....................................... 15
8.2 The ICM Strategy Templates – Dr Byron Mook ....................................................................................... 16
8.3 Two Critiques of an ICM Strategy – Mr. Tafireyi Chamboko and Mr. Zilole Phiri ..................................... 16
9. Implementing Your Strategy – Mr. Peter Walton .................................................................................... 17
10. The Journey Continues – After the Workshop Concludes – Mr. Peter Walton ........................................ 17
11. Closing Remarks by the Resource Persons ‐ Mr. Peter Walton and Dr Byron Mook ................................ 18
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................ 19
Appendix 1: Participants Tasks and Discussions ............................................................................................ 19
Appendix 2: Workshop Programme .............................................................................................................. 27
Appendix 3: List of Participants .................................................................................................................... 30
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Executive Summary
The Planning and Strategic Services Department within the Technical Centre for Agricultural and
Rural Cooperation (CTA) has been conducting needs assessment studies, workshops and
priority-setting activities across the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions involving hundreds of
senior policy makers, planners and decision-makers from a wide cross-section of agricultural and
rural development institutions. These activities have revealed deficiencies in the area of
information sharing and dissemination at the planning level within institutions, which makes it
difficult for institutions to effectively monitor, evaluate and learn lessons for the future. The lack of
proper Information and Communication Management (ICM) policies and plans is a fundamental
concern and is viewed as one of the main reasons for the lack of appropriate human and other
resources, and the poor formulation and implementation of ICM activities.
The ICM workshop in Namibia built on these past experiences and drew upon lessons learned
from similar workshops held in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The main purpose of the workshop
was to explore ways to increase the level of collaboration and sharing of information among
organisations in southern Africa, as well as equipping them with the tools to develop an
information policy. The specific objectives were to: (1) sensitise decision-makers on the value
and importance of effective and efficient ICM (2) equip participants with the tools to develop ICM
policies and strategies in such a way that they are willing and able to develop policies and plans
within their respective institutions and in partnership with other organisations; and (3) broaden
the net of stakeholders, as well as increase awareness and collaboration among stakeholders of
opportunities for sharing and exchanging information and data. The participants comprised policy
and decision-makers from the agriculture and natural resources sector in the southern African
region, and were drawn from CTA’s national and regional partner institutions, those institutions
that participated in the needs assessments and priority-setting exercises, and institutions that
have subsequently been identified as playing a key role in agriculture and rural development in
the concerned regions.
The five day workshop was held at Hotel Safari in Windhoek, Namibia. The opening and
welcome addresses by CTA highlighted that this form of gathering should be seen as an
“executive development programme”, and that the ICM is often thought of as the “forgotten
budget line”. This was to highlight the importance, and yet the unrecognised role of ICM in
organisations. This set the tone for the workshop in which a number of issues were covered,
ranging from the planning tools used, information audits and information access, information
dissemination, organisation and management, monitoring and evaluation, the ICM development
process and presentation of draft ICM strategies. The workshop was hands on, combining
presentations from the main resource persons and participants tasks in which participants were
expected to discuss and report in plenary. Ten practical issues/exercises that contributed
towards the development of an ICM strategy were covered by the participants. These ranged
from the initial identification of stakeholders, information audits, organisation and management
options to alliances, bargains and compromises in the development of an ICM strategy. The
closure of the workshop saw participants leaving with a draft outline of an ICM strategy
development for their organisations. Further development of the ICM strategy and the political
buy-in to produce the strategy document is now the responsibility of the participants. It was,
however, noted that the CTA is willing and can facilitate help for those institutions that want to
develop their own ICM strategies.
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1. Introduction
The Planning and Strategic Services Department within the Technical Centre for Agriculture
and Rural Cooperation (CTA) has been conducting needs assessment studies, workshops
and priority-setting activities across the Africa, Pacific and Caribbean regions involving
hundreds of senior policy makers, planners and decision-makers, operational staff including
information and extension workers from a wide cross-section of agricultural and rural
development institutions. These activities have revealed deficiencies in the area of
information sharing and dissemination at the planning level within institutions, which makes it
difficult for institutions to effectively monitor, evaluate and learn lessons for the future. The
lack of proper Information and Communication Management (ICM) policies and plans is a
fundamental concern and is viewed as one of the main reasons for the lack of appropriate
human and other resources, and the poor formulation and implementation of ICM activities.
A better understanding of the role of effective ICM among administrators and planners, and
the consequent development of ICM policies and plans will likely lead to improved resource
allocation and utilisation, for the ultimate benefit of researchers and farmers alike.
The ICM workshop in Namibia built on these past experiences and drew upon lessons
learned from similar workshops held in the Caribbean in October 2008 and from the recent
ICM workshop held in the Pacific in September 2009. The main purpose of the workshop
was to explore ways to increase the level of collaboration and sharing of information among
organisations in southern Africa, as well as equipping them with the tools to develop an
information policy.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the workshop were to:
• Sensitise decision-makers on the value and importance of effective and efficient ICM
• Equip participants with the tools to develop ICM policies and strategies in such a way
that they are willing and able to develop policies and plans within their respective
institutions and in partnership with other organisations
• Broaden the net of stakeholders, as well as increase awareness and collaboration
among stakeholders of opportunities for sharing and exchanging information and
data.
Participants
The comprised policy and decision-makers from the southern Africa agriculture and natural
resources sector, drawn from:
• CTA’s national and regional partner institutions
• Those institutions that participated in the needs assessments and priority-setting
exercises
• Institutions that have subsequently been identified as playing a key role in agriculture
and rural development in the concerned regions.
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2. Workshop Proceedings
2.1 Plenary Sessions
2.1.1 Welcome Address – Dr Hansjörg Neun, Director CTA
The CTA Director highlighted that information and communication management (ICM) is
often the “forgotten budget line”. There was need to sensitise policy makers, decision
makers to include ICM/ICT in the budgets and allocate resources.
The Director also noted the following points in relation to the workshop:
• CTA annual seminar 2009 highlighted the role of the media in agriculture and rural
development;
• The media have an important role to play in creating awareness;
• The media are vital instruments when organisations want to talk to the wider public;
• There was need for right strategies to communicate with the media;
• There was need to build trust between journalists and the people;
• There was need for communication plans in organisations;
• A strategy document remains a working document due to the pace of changes in
ICTs;
• That information is the number one commodity which multiplies when being shared.
2.1.2 Opening Remarks – Dr. Ibrahim Khadar, Manager, Planning and Strategic
Services, CTA
Dr Khadar welcomed the participants to the workshop and suggested that the workshop
should be renamed “Executive Training Programme” for the following reasons:
• It was participatory and aimed at presentation of ideas, suggestions and introduction
of concepts;
• It was a skills-based training programme to benefit individual participants and their
organisations;
The workshop was being held concurrently with three others on trade, a training course on
use of the Smart Toolkit for monitoring and evaluation and knowledge management and
development in Africa during the Information and Knowledge for Development (InK4Dev)
joint meeting week in Windhoek, Namibia. The workshop should therefore help participants
to think and understand the concepts of planning knowledge management.
Dr Khadar highlighted three domains that would be provided by the workshop, and these
are:
• Strategic planning;
• Operational; and
• Interpersonal relationships.
There was therefore need to understand the integration of the above three domains. This
helps to create a strong team building comprising the three domains. Lastly, the workshop
was also aimed at discovering the missing links through collaborative efforts.
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2.1.3 Workshop objectives and Presentation of CTA – Ms Christine Webster, Deputy
Manager, Planning and Strategic Services, CTA
The presentation noted that the workshop was a follow up to the needs assessment studies
that were conducted and aimed at understanding the local situation and hence the strategy
was to use and work with local consultants who had a better appreciation of the conditions
on the ground.
Workshop Objectives
These were outlined as follows:
1. Decision-makers sensitised and made more aware of the value and importance of
effective and efficient ICM
2. Confident and better skilled workshop participants able and willing to commit to the
development of ICM policies and plans within their own institution and in partnership
with others using appropriate ICM tools
3. Networking and collaboration among participating institutions enhanced
The workshop is direct response to an identified priority in Southern Africa for assistance
with ICM policy and strategy development
Mandate of CTA
CTA’s mandate is “…helping agricultural and rural development organisations in Africa, the
Caribbean and Pacific to develop information and communication management (ICM)
policies and programmes to reduce poverty, promote sustainable food security, preserve the
natural resource base
Objectives of CTA
• To improve availability of and access to appropriate information for ACP agricultural
and rural development
• To improve information and communication (ICM) capacity of ACP agricultural and
rural development organisations
The main beneficiaries of the programme are farmers and agricultural and rural development
organisations that benefit from the use of the following products and services:
• CTA’s corporate website; and
• Web portals such as: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) update;
Knowledge for Development (K4D); Anancy – the virtual library with 13,000
documents
• Print and electronic publications such as Spore, Agritrade and co-publications;
• Rural radio and GSM networks,
• Participatory Spatial Information Management and Communication (PGIS) projects,
• Support to attend CTA and non-CTA training and capacity building courses,
• Support to attend (co-)seminars and study visits,
• Question and Answer Service (QAS) AS, SDI, CDROM databases, LANTEEAL.
CTA provides technical assistance to ACP organisations for the preparation,
implementation and monitoring of projects; the development of ICM strategies, products
and services; and for IT use and human resources development. CTA also has offers an
internship and has a young professional development programme.
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3. Setting the Stage
3.1 Why do an ICM strategy? – Mr. Peter Walton, Agricultural Information Specialist
Why do an ICM strategy?
This is in recognition of the following realities:
• Change in information management environment;
• Change in information technology management (technological changes, access to
information changes, interconnectedness, storage, processing, acquisition
techniques changes);
• Different information needs;
• New kids on the block (NGOs, CBOs, are all part of the information landscape);
• Change of audiences.
How do we respond to these changes?
Three options exist:
• Maintain the status quo.
• Do what you know best.
• Do something about it.
There is need to do something about it. In most Ministries of Agriculture, objectives often
mentioned are information access and information dissemination. Information management
is hardly mentioned which is about access, dissemination, organisation management of
information-related activities and knowledge assets.
Strategic significance of information
• It helps you to know what to do and how to do it.
• It helps in good decision-making.
Information strategy
• Directs priorities
• Is a shared vision
• Assists define relationships, information-related activities in planning, managing, and
evaluation.
This presentation highlighted that in relation to governments, policy comes first whereas in
relation to organisations, strategy comes first. Polices are operational procedures.
An information strategy normally:
• Sets broader objectives of the organisation;
• Sets how information activities will achieve broader objectives of management, how
they relate to each other.
Information Strategy for Agricultural Development
Strategies are dangerous. They are based on predictions but changes are bound to occur in
the course of a strategy’s life. There is increasing complexity of converging technologies.
There is too much information and too many users and hence we tend to use specialists to
provide the information for us. We need to set priorities in order to concentrate on priorities.
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The strategy allows us to set priorities. There is competition for human resources with NGOs
and the Public sector. Organisations must therefore know how to use resources efficiently.
There is therefore need for partnerships with public sector, NGOs, universities etc.
The key issues in ICM strategy development were highlighted as:
• Content,
• Technology, and
• Management.
Organisations cannot invest in all these issues. There is need to decide on priorities and
invest in those priorities. In terms of content, we need to know who are the main users, their
information needs, and possible spillovers, while if we must invest in technology we must
decide on what technology, hardware, software, connections, and people. For management
we must decide what policies we follow and structures, e.g. outsourcing, as opposed to
buying or licensing access to information.
Lessons learnt
We need to find a champion who can promote the ICM strategy, who can win battles and
raise funds. We need to be aware that ICM is a political document and that it may contain
inherent threats to senior management because of technological changes; to scientists
because of content fears; and to information professionals because of new technologies. We
need to be entrepreneurial: “build it and they will come” i.e. preparation for potential
customers by showing what ICTs can do.
3.2 Findings of the Needs Assessment Study and Priority-Setting Exercise for
Southern Africa – Mr. Craig Morris and Ms Christine Webster
The presentation gave background to the Needs Assessment in Southern Africa and
included:
• The period covered (2006-2007)
• The objectives of the needs assessment
• The process followed.
The overview of the presentation included:
• Regional information and capacity building needs of organisations and countries.
• The strategies proposed to improve ICM in the region were “AgInfo’ which includes
fishery, forestry and rural development.
• The definition of ICM which placed emphasis ...”on value of that information
identified and exploited to the fullest extent.”
Key operations of ICM
This was exemplified in the form of a house in which the base is formed of ICM policies and
strategies.
ICM Actors
A summary of the ICM actors was given and these ranged from Government Ministries, input
suppliers, farmers associations to informal and formal networks.
ICM Options
A number of ICM operations were given in terms of their goals, strengths, weaknesses and
intervention strategies, and included:
• Assets, Information and ICM
• Obtaining information
• Information Acquisition
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• Organising information
• Repackaging and communicating information, and
• Managing information.
A strategic approach to ICM was outlined which was basically a multi-pronged approach.
This led to the priority setting exercise.
4. Planning Tools
4.1 Who is the Audience for an ICM strategy? – Mr. Peter Walton
The presentation covered stakeholders, how they are involved and stakeholder consultation.
Stakeholders
• People in the organisation
• People outside the organisation
How are they involved?
• Through consultation (top down or bottom up).
• Or combination of top down and bottom up.
Stakeholder consultation
How are they consulted? This can be done through the following methods:
• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Focus groups and peer group discussions, and
• Observations.
4.2 ICM Priority Setting Exercise for the Southern African Region – Mr. Craig Morris
and Ms Christine Webster
The following gives the major highlights of the presentation:
• The background to the priority setting exercise which was mainly based on the needs
assessment studies conducted in Southern Africa between 2006 – 2007;
• A SWOT analysis which revealed potential strategies for meeting information and
ICM capacity needs;
• A priority exercise in 10 countries in 2009 aimed at validating proposed strategies
and identify priority strategic interventions for nations and regions;
• The methodology of the exercise including the Strategic Option Statements (SoS)
ranking matrix;
• The results in which there were 18 proposed strategies (6 – 9 per country).
The results of the ranking of the strategies showed the following as the priorities for the
Southern Africa region:
• Develop an ICM policy/strategy
• ICT training
• Information Audit.
Secondary priorities for the region were:
• ICM training
• Extension materials training
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• Increased marketing of CTA’s products and services, and
• ICM awareness raising activities.
Projects identified to address priorities included:
• ICM policy and strategic planning
• Audit of information resources and ICM/ICT capacity
• Training in information and communication technology (ICT) for managing and
communicating information.
Partners for implementation were identified as:
• Regional organisations and networks (e.g. SADC-AIMS)
• National Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
• Other specific partner organisations identified in the country needs assessments
• National Question and Answer Services (QAS)
The beneficiaries were both direct and indirect. Direct were the institutions in the agriculture
and natural resources sector, and indirect, but ultimately the beneficiaries were farmers,
fisher folk, foresters and (poor) people living in rural areas.
5. How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis? – Mr. Peter Walton
The presentation noted that organisations need to conduct strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis at the organisational level and develop ICM
strategies based on the analysis. Strengths and weaknesses mainly relate to issues internal
to the organisation while opportunities and threats relate to external environment.
6. Information Audits and Information Access
6.1 Information Audits – Mr. Peter Walton
In his presentation Mr. Walton emphasised the following points in information audits:
• The different types of audits that can be done within an organisation (IT assessment,
financial assessment and knowledge assets). It is important to look behind the
perception identified in the SWOT analysis during the information audit process.
• The process of information audit includes the gathering of data and information,
analysing the findings and reporting. The information audit process should be
included in the strategy document.
• Information audits show, a.o., how IT is used / deployed within the organisation and
gives a clear picture of the cost of information.
• Mutual understanding and consultation with all stakeholders were key during the
information audit process.
• Information audits help the organisation to identify the information and knowledge
assets and indicate the extent of their usability, accessibility and credibility.
• An information audit is not an easy process and it may take some time to complete.
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The following points should be noted for information audits:
• Auditing is the 2 nd step in the assessment stage of doing an ICM strategy (the SWOT
analysis is the first).
• During the audit be curious, look around asking “What’s this? What’s it used for?”etc.
• It is a voyage of discovery – may unearth hidden assets.
• In the IT assessment, focus on the use of the technology, not the technology itself.
• In the financial assessment, realise that all information (ICM) costs, so look at hidden
costs.
• Small expenses can release capacity, e.g. buying a cartridge allows printer to be
used, so assess (plan for) all such costs.
• Need to anticipate all costs before implementing an information project.
• Training (for ICM) costs but returns value.
• In the audit, seek participation of all stakeholders in the organisation to raise
awareness of the audit and to get wide support.
• Budget for time and effort required to do the audit.
Summary of Discussions on Information Audits
The following table gives the questions and answers for the main issues raised during the
plenary discussion on information audits.
Question Answer
How often should an information audit be
done? Does is it end with the review or
(introduction) of ICM?
How does E-readiness assessment relate
to information audits?
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The assumption is that there is no ICM policy. The audit
is done at the start of the strategy development process.
The strategy will include monitoring and evaluation to
remain constantly aware of ICM status.
It is more or less the same thing. Essentially the IT
assessment phase of the audit – assess potential for
ICT employment.
Who is responsible for information audit? Can use members of the original SWOT analysis team
but need widespread support from management and
operational staff. Some issues may be sensitive so
support is essential. The importance of support from, for
example, the Chief Executive Officer will make a
How far should the audit extend to include
other stakeholders?
Should the audit end (with
implementation)?
Tips for identifying information?
How to sell the audit?
difference to the situation.
One needs to talk to stakeholders to understand how
your organisation fits in (to have a common agenda).
Building trust and cooperation with other stakeholders is
important and this can be done with an open mind and
transparency.
That is depends on the main focus. Set realistic
deadlines as it can take a few weeks or it could take
three months. Be organised to expedite the process.
Be inquisitive, poke your nose into everything and follow
the trail.
Call an initial meeting and discuss the purpose and
value of doing an audit – it’s for us. This also helps
reduce the threat of change it might impose.

6.2 Information Access
6.2.1 The Revolution in Accessing Scientific and Technical Information (STI) – Dr
Byron Mook
The following points were raised:
• There is too much information available and too little information accessible; this
creates an imbalance between identification and access to information.
• Lack of appropriate policies, technologies management structure and procedures
impinge on the access to STI.
• Organisations are poor in capturing experimental data.
• STI refers to test and image data (books, journals), experimental, environmental and
business data related to science, technology and information. The assumption is that
STI is the core business of all agricultural organisations.
• Currently, the information providers such as libraries are more interested in
ownership and subscription than access and transactions. Libraries tend to own
books and subscript to journals. The challenge is to move from subscriptions to
transaction - the issue of concern should be to get the information when we need it
and not ownership.
• The four revolutions of STI were identified as: (1) new players (e.g. the private
sector), (2) new technologies (e.g. formats), (3) new cost structures, and (4) new
issues (e.g. copyright). Anyone with a Personal Computer (PC) and Internet
connection can now publish (i.e. micro-publishers). Other new players are the new
mega-publishers such as Elsevier and Google.
• New technologies brought e-journals and e-book, websites and other social
networking that improve access to information.
• New cost structure - influences the access to information. It creates a knowledge gap
between the North and South. Northern knowledge becomes less and less
accessible because of cost. Twenty years ago a researcher in Africa could go to the
library and read a journal that the library subscribed to, but that may not be case the
today.
• The new issues discussed as a result of STI revolution were copyright and fair use,
death of traditional libraries and rise of consortia and accessing only what we need,
when we need it. The issue of copy right was deliberated at length. There was
general and urgent need to for research to change their paradigm and publish in
open access, to reduce the cost per view and allow access to information in
developing countries. The issue of copyright and fair use should be part of ICM
policy.
• The potential remedies to the revolution of STI are more emphasis on abstracts,
more reliance on DOCDEL and active support for new technologies.
• In order to address some challenges of the STI revolution, the organisation must be
an information organisation that invests in people, content and strategy in
technology. The organisation must be an active negotiator rather than a passive
consumer. The organisation should know what they want and how to get it.
General comments – Because strategies are political documents, they should provide a
clear vision of where the organisation wants to go (and how much it will cost to get there).
This will increase the chance of obtaining funding and support.
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7. Information Dissemination / Organisation and Management/
Monitoring and Evaluation
7.1 Information Dissemination – Dr Byron Mook
The focus of this presentation was on the need:
• To identify users and how to reach them in order to disseminate information. Users
identified included producers (farmers), communicators (extension staff), funders,
policy makers, and colleagues.
• The means to reach them included training, publications, computers, phones, mass
media (radio, TV), local media.
• The issues of what to invest in were addressed and these included new structures,
new procedures, and new people as these would impact new ways of accessing and
distributing information (organisation & management).
• In dealing with dissemination of information, it was noted that copyright and
intellectual issues needed be taken into account: “Fair use” i.e. how much of a work
was being copied, the economic impact on the copyright holder, nature of use, and
type of work being copied.
• It is expected that publishers, users, custodians of information produced should
police “fair use”.
7.2 Organisation and Management – Information Management in your Organisation;
New Partnerships; People – Mr. Peter Walton
The focus of this presentation was on information management activities and resources
needed. Activities included acquisitions, production, storage and retrieval of content and
dissemination. Resources needed included policies, an effective organisational structure and
procedures, alliances, people and technology.
Examples of information management issues that managers need to address included:
• Statistics for managing and dissemination of information; use of extension services
including electronic media to improve access.
• The need to set priorities on investment options e.g. in people and skills, clearly
defined job descriptions which must continuously be assessed; organisational
structures which need to be changed from time to time.
• Procedures to meet company’s objectives and coordinated for dissemination of all
types of information products and services.
• Organisational capacity to cope with the management of various activities.
• Collaborative ventures and partnerships.
• Development of a well coordinated information unit containing all information –
related staff and activities.
7.3 Evaluating Information Programmes – Dr Byron Mook
The presentation identified two levels:
• Organisational level, and
• Programme levels, both of which needed to be evaluated.
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The following must be identified:
• Actors, including who pays, who manages, who is implementing and who the
intended beneficiaries.
• What’s the value base of the evaluation?
• Decide on objectives i.e. What is it you are evaluating?
• Why you are evaluating? e.g. Management in order to improve performance and
increase accountability.
Impact in order to measure benefits, there is a need to decide on indicators and understand
what are you measuring?
• Attitudes, knowledge skills?
• Behavior?
• Organisation and/or social economic change?
• Intervening variables?
Spend time on a “logic model, with elements”:
• Inputs
• Activities
• Outputs
• Outcomes (impacts)
Use SWOT analysis:
• Strength, e.g. Good plan for evaluation.
• Weakness, e.g. Unclear objectives for evaluation of political opposition, poor data.
• Opportunities, e.g. Performance improvement, mobilisation of future resources.
• Threats, e.g. management failure, lack of use of evaluation results.
Measure the benefits of your information to consumers by assessing, inter alia: Increased
yield; increased technology transfer to farmers and skills, increased future performance of
the organisation, increased accountability of your organisation towards funders.
7.4 Options for the development of an ICM strategy – How do we know we are doing
the right thing? The importance of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) – Mr. Peter
Walton
In identifying and selecting options, define strategic objectives which must be:
• Specific
• Measurable
• Realistic
• Related to overall corporate strategy.
Examples of strategic objectives may include:
• Credible and appropriate agricultural information accessibility in a useable form by
stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Credible and appropriate agricultural research information, including historical data
accessible in a usable form by stakeholders in a timely manner.
• A national agricultural information network established to facilitate better access to
and use of agricultural information in the country and to enhance communication
between stakeholders.
Identify other options e.g. does an option address SWOT analysis by:
• Improving on strengths?
• Addressing weaknesses?
• Exploit opportunities?
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• Negating threats?
• Does it fit with information audits?
Selecting options
Selecting options is about risk:
• Organisation: the new strategy may affect management and operational staff.
• Political – challenges to government policy encroaching on an organisation’s area of
interest or mandate.
• Financial implication – is it affordable?
• Technical – need new ICTs? Can they be supported? Are they suitable?
8. The ICM Strategy Development Process
8.1 Issue 9 - The ICM Strategy Development (“ABC”) Process – Mr. Peter Walton
The discussion highlighted the following:
• A = Alliance - ICM development process involves alliance which brings up the issue
of trust and mutuality. It must be absolutely clear what alliance is, its purpose,
commitment and obligations. The alliance must be formalised or there can be other
written instruments, for an example a code of conduct, to guide an informal alliance.
• It was deliberated that informal agreements can be problematic. Another concern
regarding alliances is the matter of ownership (of the data, information, products,
etc), which can impact relationships. In some instances ownership maybe shared but
it must be an equitable relationship. This must be clearly stipulated in the formal
agreement. When forming an alliance it is clear that some organisations carry a
greater burden of responsibility.
• B = Bargain - Management and financial issues must be very clear in any formal
agreement. People are making their time available for joint action therefore it must
clearly indicated who does what. Bargains have the advantage of combining the
resources of organisations and variations of skills and capacity could be a benefit to
the programme. Organisations bring funding to the alliance or they may access donor
funding as a group.
• C = Compromise – any agreements involve compromise of one form or another.
The parties involved have to agree on a set of standards in order to achieve common
goals. The extent of money and management contribution must be clear. In the
agreement one partner may have a greater financial and management burden, and
as a result one partner may lose flexibility and the freedom to act independently.
• The issue of selling and marketing of strategy was highlighted. People that are
enthusiastic about the strategy can be used as champions to sell the strategy. It is
important to clearly communicate the strategy to all affected parties to reduce the
fear of uncertainty induced by change and ensure participation - “the strategy is
political statement”. A strategy document can succeed as political statement but fail
as a plan (e.g. in Iran) or it can succeed as planning document but fail as political
statement (e.g. India).
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Comments and questions
In South Africa, a good example was given where alliances were benefiting from sharing
databases of agricultural statistical information. It is important to bring managers on board
early so they understand the purpose of the alliance. In Ghana, when developing a project
on agricultural information system, all stakeholders were involved at the beginning until the
implementation of the project (including the principals of institutions). Building a strategy is
long process and involving people should start at a very early stage.
8.2 The ICM Strategy Templates – Dr Byron Mook
The aim of this presentation was to show various components that can be included in the
ICM strategy. Two models were discussed in detail; the IMARK template and the logic
model. It becomes very clear that there are common elements that are included in ICM
document such as;
• Justifications
• The strategy development process
• The current ICM situation
• Resources requirement (people, money, things)
• Management
8.3 Two Critiques of an ICM Strategy – Mr. Tafireyi Chamboko and Mr. Zilole Phiri
Two critiques of ICM strategies for the Information Policy for Agricultural Research (IPAR) of
the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organisation (AREEO) of the Islamic
Republic of Iran were assessed. Mr. Tafireyi Chamboko and Mr. Zilole Phiri looked critically
at the content of the ICM strategies. The critiques helped the participants to understand how
strategic plans and policies are developed and how to come up with content for ICM strategy
document. The presentations gave the examples of processes of strategic plans and
policies.
Lessons learned from IPAR and AREEO ICM strategy
• It is important to distinguish between a policy and strategy document.
• Justifications must be very clear in the strategy document (vision and mission
statement)
• There must be a unit dealing with information management.
• Team composition in the process of developing an ICM strategy is very important. All
relevant stakeholders must participate in the process.
• Resources requirements such as financial, human, physical and databases must be
included in the ICM strategy document.
• ICM strategy should outline how information could be integrated, shared and be
made more accessible.
• Descriptive information maybe useful in the development of strategic plan.
• Developing a strategic plan is a process that requires a systems approach and
thinking.
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9. Implementing Your Strategy – Mr. Peter Walton
The focus of this presentation was on what happens after one has developed the ICM
strategy, selected the options, determined priorities, and identified activities. Implementation
needed to be planned in much the same way as the development of the ICM. There is need
to communicate the implementation process. However, a major question was whether the
organisation can do this on its own. It was noted that one has to consider the partnerships
that would have been formed through the ICM development process, and this included the
alliances, bargains and compromises made in the process.
The presentation highlighted the importance of communicating because implementation is
about change, therefore one needs to communicate to achieve the following:
• End uncertainty.
• Communicate strategic goals.
• Achieve its political potential –“a strategy is a political document”.
• Promote your organisation (and yourself?).
10. The Journey Continues – After the Workshop Concludes – Mr.
Peter Walton
What Now for the Participant?
The following are some of the options for the participant:
• Become an IMARK Learner. The IMARK module “Investing in Information for
Development” comprises 19 lessons divided into six units, each taking 20-30
minutes.
• Host national sensitisation workshops.
• Develop institutional ICM strategy and policies.
• Avail yourselves for mentoring and support from CTA.
Each participant received a CD of the IMARK module from CTA. The Imark website was
given as (www.imarkgroup.org) for further information and the principal CTA contact is Ms
Christine Webster (webster@cta.int).
CTA has also developed a website (www.ink4dev.net) where a number of resources would
be uploaded and would also set up a Wiki for the participants. One would have to register
first on the website and this would act as a means to keep in touch.
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11. Closing Remarks by the Resource Persons - Mr. Peter Walton
and Dr Byron Mook
The workshop purpose was to explore and increase the level of collaboration and sharing.
Specific objectives of the workshop were to:
• Sensitise decision makers on the value and importance of ICM effectiveness and
efficiency.
• Equip participants with the tools to develop ICM policies and strategy in such a way
that they are willing and able to develop policies with specific institution and in
partnership with other organisations.
• Broaden the knowledge of stakeholders as well as increase awareness and
collaboration among stakeholders.
• Open opportunities for sharing and exchanging information and data.
It was noted that the CTA is willing to help those institutions that want to develop their
ICM strategies. The resource persons (Mr. Peter Walton and Dr Byron Mook) also offered to
assist institutions or participants intending and willing to develop strategy documents.
________________
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19 | P age
Appendices
Appendix 1: Participants Tasks and Discussions
Participant Task 1
Question: Who are currently the three main stakeholders in your organisation when it
comes to internal information activities? And Why?
Participant Task 1 – Working Group Reports
The main stakeholders identified included:
• Decision makers (mangers influencing decisions at all levels)
• Users (e.g. universities, students)
• Operational staff (e.g. researchers)
• Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
Main external stakeholders identified included:
• For Farmers Unions
o Government
o Suppliers of agricultural inputs
o Marketers, commodity companies
• Universities
o Publishers, professional organisations and end users
o Users of information (farmers)
o Policy makers/government ministries
• Extension Agents
• Educational and Training institutions
Methods used to consult them included:
• Face to face
• Electronic systems (SMS, websites etc.)
• Focus group discussions/Group participation or workshops
What problems/constraints?
• Financial resources
• Skills
Participant Task 2 – SWOT analysis
Question: Undertake a SWOT analysis of the information environment in your
organisation; identify information and knowledge assets; assess the IT; assess the
financial factors.
Participant Task 2 – Working Group Reports
SWOT analysis conducted by participants in the workshop identified, among many, the
following for their organisations:
Strengths
• Availability of print and electronic information resources
• Agricultural officers
• Organisation system
• Availability of ICM infrastructure e.g. library
• Improved ICT
• Representation of staff in all districts
• Strategically placed information dissemination facilities

• Strong farmer organisations
• Staff development programmes
• Information infrastructure investment
Weaknesses
• Mortality of farmers who have knowledge
• Climatic changes
• Dependency on government support
• Government influence on employment issues
• Weakness in ICT management/availability
• Inadequate funding for ICM
• Staff adaptation problems in a new technological era
• Human capital flight
Opportunities
• Partnerships development
• New technology acquisition for electronic information accessibility
• Improved funding from government after Government of National Unity (GNU)
formation
• Improved cost recovery from students
• Cooperating stakeholders
• Department partners
• Ability to work with national broadcasters
Threats
• Quality of information - staff leaving organisation
• Other farmer organisations
• Political problems
• Competition form other radio stations
• Lack of electronic information resources and ICT facilities
• Limited funding
Participant Task 3 – Working Group Reports
Question: The aim of this task was to help the participants to identify major
information and knowledge assets within their organisation and indicate the extent of
their accessibility, usability, credibility and uniqueness.
Feedback from group work:
The following were the feedback from the group discussions and are not in a particular
order:
• Library
o Accessibility - academics, students, general public, and the computer
network.
o Usability – people can borrow materials
o Credibility – a credible one-stop information hub on agriculture
o Uniqueness – able to subscribe to wide range of sources not held by any
other local organisation
• Archives
o Accessibility – the National Archives Network
o Usability – easy to use through Internet
o Credibility – information is credible because of government source
• Databases
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Question: What information technologies are deployed within your organisation? For
each of them identify:
• The technologies
• Those that are helpful and used?
• Those technologies that are not so effective, and why?
• Those technologies which might be useful but which are not fully utilised, and why?
Summary feedback from working groups
The following gives summary of the feedback from the working groups to the above
question(s).
Technologies Helpful/Used Not so Effective Might be Useful
Computers • Processing documents
• Database management
Internet/Email • Research
• Communication
• Providing information on
website
• Sending file attachments
• Manage and maintain
mailing lists
Mobile Phones • Short Message Service
(SMS)
• Communication
• Marketing information
Television/DVD • Marketing the
organisation
• Training
• Information
Landline Phone/Fax • Communication
Scanners • Scan documents
Video/Digital Cameras • Documentation and
sharing farmers’
experiences
Flash Discs • Moving/Transfer files
Printers/Photocopiers • Develop hard copies for
distribution
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Currently Head
Office and Provincial
offices are
networked. The
district offices where
most of the Union’s
activities take place
are yet to have the
facilities.
Might need to fully
extend the facilities
to farming
communities. No
network coverage
Participant Task 4 – Where and how do I get my information?
Questions: 1. Where do you get your information? Which of the following are the
most important to you in 2009?
The Web (www) (general)
The Web (specific, for example AGORA)
Books
Journals (hardcopy)
Journals (electronic)
Abstracts
Colleagues in your organisation
Colleagues in other organisation
Other

2. Which of the above sources do you think will be most important to you in 2014?
3. For each of the three sources that you predict will be most important in 2014 what
problems do you anticipate?
• What strategic decisions (if any) will you need to make now in order to address these
future problems?
Participant Task 4 - Feedback from group discussions
The response to the first question was influenced by the type of work the members of groups
are/were doing, and the following were indicated as being important:
• The Web (general)
• The Web (specific websites)
• Books
• Journals (print and electronic)
• Colleagues in your organisation (collaborators, networks, partnerships)
• Others – adverts, magazines, fairs, etc.
Note that the organisational profile dictates source use/importance.
The following were chosen as the most important sources in 2014
• The Web (general)
• The Web (specific websites)
• Journals (electronic)
It is anticipated the increasing cost of journals will further restrict use. New forms of
distributing information (e.g. social networking) will affect preference.
Strategic decision to address future problems
• Policy on organisational knowledge
• Consortia to increase buying power (but may have some hidden cost)
• Digital divide - Some anticipated problems include Internet connectivity, costs,
deepening digital divide.
High social mobility of skilled personnel means that strategies to preserve information in
organisational repositories need to be in place.
Participant Task 5 – Who gets my information and how?
Questions: 1. Who are the main consumers of your information? Which of the
following are most important to you in 2009?
• Policy makers
• Funders (both international and domestic)
• Information producers (for example, publishers)
• Colleagues within your organisation
• Communicators (for example, extension agents and/or teachers)
• Agricultural producers (for example, farmers)
• Other
2. Which of the above consumers do you think will be most important to you in 2014?
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3. Which of the following delivery mechanisms do you think will be most important for your
two highest priority consumer groups in 2014?
• Training (face to face)
• Training (distance)
• Publications (hardcopy)
• Publications (electronic)
• Computers
• Mobile phones
• Mass Media (for example, radio and television)
• Local media (for example rural radio)
• Other
4. What strategic decisions will you need to make in order to adjust your target groups and
delivery mechanisms for 2014?
Participant Task 5 – Working Group Reports
Q1. The main consumers of information were ranked as follows:
11. Communicators
12. Agricultural producers
13. Colleagues within organisation
14. Students
15. Colleagues from other organisations
16. Libraries
17. Funders
18. Policy makers
Q2. Ranked as follows:
1. Farmers (young and old)
2. Communicators and Colleagues (internal and external)
3. Policy makers/Funders
Q3. Policy makers
• Face-to-face
• Publications
• Donors
• Hardcopy or electronic
Q4. Strategic decisions for 2014
For farmers:
• Publications hard copies, suggest infrastructure (e.g. libraries) be put in place.
• Mobility be improved
• Face to face – coverage in some areas will still be limited.
• Alternatives – mobile phones coverage be improved
Participants Task 6 – What are my O & M options?
Questions: 1.Who if anyone or any unit plans the overall information activities in your
organisation? Plans here mean financial, staffing, facilities planning for activities.
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2. When it comes to implementation, is there any unit which oversees that? If so, how does
coordination work? If there is no one or no unit, is that a problem?
3. Do you have a systematic way of evaluating and monitoring the ICM implementation
activities? If so, who does this, if not, is this a problem?
Participants Task 6 – Working Group Reports
Although the group reports varied depending on the group composition, it was generally
agreed as follows:
Question1: Management is responsible and this is done on an ad hoc basis.
Question 2: In some cases there is a unit because coordination is very important to avoid
duplication of activities. If there is no coordination, this leads to waste of resources.
Question 3: At the organisation level, there is no systematic way but at the unit level, there is
some systematic way. It is a problem because activities that are not coordinated spend a lot
of money and there is duplication of activities. It is also difficult to get feedback and learn
from lessons.
Participants Task 7 – How do l evaluate my ICM performance?
Questions 1. Will you build an M & E component into your ICM strategy? If so, what will be
your objective(s) for this M&E? Which of the following will be most important?
• To measure the benefits of your information to consumers?
• To increase the accountability of your organisation to funders?
• To improve the future performance of your organisation?
• Other
2. What will you try to measure? Which of the following is likely to be most important?
• Inputs
• Activities
• Outputs
• Impacts
3. If you decide to focus on impacts, which of the following are likely to be most important
and why?
• Changes in consumer attitudes?
• Increases in consumer knowledge/skills?
• Changes in consumer behaviour?
• Changes within your organisation?
• Socio-economic changes in society as a whole?
• Other
Participant Task 7 – Working Group Reports
The following gives a summary of the responses to the participants tasks as presented in
plenary.
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Q1: Yes, to satisfy consumer and to improve future performance. In donor driven projects,
this is done for accountability and to satisfy donors.
Q2. Important in what one tries to measure would be outputs.
Participants Task 8 – Options
Questions: 1. Thinking back to your initial SWOT analysis, formulate a strategic objective
statement which indicates where you want to be in the future?
Question 2: What steps will your organisation need to take to achieve that strategic
objective?
Question 3: And what are the implications of those steps in terms of people, money, things
and management?
Example
Question 1: Develop ICM policy and strategy that provides for relevant IT infrastructure,
requisite skills for the timely provision of information to farmers by the end of 2010?
Question 2: Steps
• Identify stakeholders
• Stakeholder consultation
• Information audit
• SWOT analysis of the information environment of the organisation
• Produce draft policy and strategy document
• Approval of the strategy and policy document
Question 3: Implications
• Resources (financial). Mobilisation of resources, including the need for donors, e.g.
CTA.
• Skills
• Stakeholders (time and commitment).
• Management (commitment).
Participants Task 9 – Alliance, Bargains and Compromises – Working Group Reports
Reports from the implementation phase of the (Malawi, Zambia and Swaziland Group)
The presentation noted that two organisations from Zambia will enter into an alliance and
these are the National Agriculture Information Service (NAIS) and Livestock Development
Trust (LDT). They will enter into a formal alliance with all the necessary documentation.
The functions of the two organisations in the partnership are summarised below:
NAIS LDT
1. Communication of agriculture related Have breeding centres for different types of
information using mass media
livestock.
2. Have implementation structure throughout Train farmers from all corners of the country.
the country.
3. Do not generate information but rely on Sell animal breeding stock to other people in
other sources such as LDT
the country
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The benefits that accrue from the alliance are summarised below:
LDT NAIS
Produced DVD and articles. Sources data on livestock records on the
Aired programmes will be marketing
strategy for the organisation. Information to
be used in mass communication.
Produced DVDs and articles that will be
used during trainings.
database of LDT
Information to be used in mass
communication.
Back up information on the produced
documents.
The Compromises
LDT will be prioritised when airing the programmes since they are in an alliance comparison
to those that are not in alliance. NAIS will be given time to film even at short notice. Both
organisations will have to reduce some of their own activities to publicise / market the
activities of their partner, and to provide the necessary mutually-beneficial information and
services.
Methods of communication
• Consultative meetings – inviting different levels of people within organisation.
• Consultative workshop involving different stakeholders.
Participants Task 10 – Draft your own ICM strategy
Participants were given a chance to draft their own ICM strategy for their institutions. The
following issues were discussed during the process of drafting the ICM strategy.
The ICM strategy should include:
• An Executive Summary – sales pitch.
• Background – context and strategic issue.
• Objectives – what you want to achieve.
• Options – discussions about alternatives, risks factors.
• Outputs – products and services, audience, markets.
• Activities – to achieve outputs.
• Inputs – investments, organisational structure, resources and skills.
• Implementation plan – timeliness, responsibilities.
Observations made during the processes and presentation of ICM strategy;
• It is easy to come up with vision and mission statements.
• The main challenge is to complete the template. There must be mechanism in place
to collect information to include in the document.
• The content and management of the strategy were lacking in the presentations.
• It is difficult to think about activities (economies of scale, how to involve other
organisations).
• There are financial and time implications in the process, because all relevant
stakeholders must be present.
• The possibility of using an external consultant must be taken into account.
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Appendix 2: Workshop Programme
TIME
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ACTIVITY
Monday – 9 November PLENARY SESSION
8.15 am – 8.45 am Registration of delegates
9.00 am – 9.45 am Opening session
Welcome address –
Dr. Ibrahim Khadar, Manager, Planning & Corporate Services, CTA
SADC representative
Presentation – Workshop objectives & CTA – Ms. Christine
Webster, Deputy Manager, Planning & Corporate Services, CTA
Introduction of delegates
SETTING THE STAGE
9.45 am – 10.15 am Presentation - Why Do An ICM Strategy? – Mr. Peter Walton,
Agricultural Information Specialist / Regional Coordinator Pacific
Needs Assessment Studies
10.15 am – 10.45 am Tea / coffee break (+ official photo session)
10.45 am – 11.30 am Presentation – Information and Communication Management (ICM)
Futures - Dr. Byron Mook, ICM Specialist
11.30 am – 12.15 pm Presentation – Findings of the Needs Assessment Study and
Priority-Setting Exercise for Southern Africa – Mr. Craig Morris, Joint
Regional Coordinator, Southern Africa
Discussions
12.15 pm – 1.30 pm Lunch
PLANNING TOOLS
1.30 pm Welcome address and session chair – Dr. Hansjörg Neun,
Director, CTA
1.30 pm – 1.45 pm Presentation – Format of Activities for the Next Three Days - Mr.
Peter Walton, Agricultural Information Specialist / Regional
Coordinator Pacific Needs Assessment Studies
1.45 pm – 2.15 pm Issue 1 – Who is the Audience for an ICM Strategy? – Mr. Peter
Walton, Agricultural Information Specialist / Regional Coordinator
Pacific Needs Assessment Studies
2.15 pm – 3.00 pm Participant task 1 – Identification and Prioritization of Stakeholders
– Mr. Peter Walton (introduction to exercise)
3.00 pm – 3.45 pm Task 1 – Working group reports
3.45 pm – 4.00 pm Tea / coffee break
4.00 pm – 4.30 pm Issue 2 – Priority ICM Strategies for the Southern African
Region – Mr. Craig Morris, Joint Regional Coordinator, Southern
Africa
4.30 pm – 4.45 pm Issue 2.1 – How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis? Presentation –
Mr. Peter Walton, Agricultural Information Specialist / Regional
Coordinator Pacific Needs Assessment Studies

TIME
ACTIVITY
4.45 pm – 5.15 pm Participant task 2 – Undertake a SWOT analysis of the information
environment in your organisation; identify information & knowledge
assets; assess the IT; assess the financial factors
5.15 pm – 5.45 pm Task 2 – Working group reports
JOINT EVENING SESSIONS WITH KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
(KM) GROUP
6.00 pm – 7.30 pm International and Regional Initiatives in Information and
Communication Management
FAO, SADC, ICART, AIMS, etc. …To be confirmed
Tuesday – 10 November INFORMATION AUDITS & INFORMATION ACCESS
9.00 am – 9.15 am Issue 3 – Information Audits – Mr. Peter Walton & Mr. Craig
Morris
9.15 am – 10.00 am Participant task 3 – An information audit in my organisation
10.00 am – 10.30 am Task 3 – Working group reports
10.30 am – 10.45 am Tea / coffee break
10.45 am – 11.15 am Issue 4 – Information Access – Dr. Byron Mook
11.15 am – 12.00 pm Participant task 4 – Where and how do I get my information?
12.00 pm – 12.30 pm Task 4 – Working group reports
12.30 pm – 2.00 pm Lunch
2.30 pm – 4.00 pm
JOINT PLENARY SESSIONS
Official opening ceremony for INK4DEV Week
4.30 pm – 6.30 pm INK4DEV Fair
7.30 pm – 9.30 pm Cocktails & BBQ
Wednesday – 11 November INFORMATION DISSEMINATION / ORGANISATION &
MANAGEMENT / MONITORING & EVALUATION / OPTIONS
9.00 am – 9.30 am Issue 5 – Information Dissemination – Dr. Byron Mook
9.30 am – 10.15 am Participant task 5 – Who gets my information and how?
10.15 am – 10.45 am Task 5 – Working group reports
10.45 am – 11.00 am Tea / coffee break
11.00 am – 11.30 am Issue 6 – Organisation and Management (O&M) – Information
Management in your organisation; New partnerships; People –
Mr. Peter Walton
11.30 am – 12.15 pm Participant task 6 – What are my O&M options?
12.15 pm – 12.45 pm Task 6 – Working group reports
12.45 pm – 2.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm – 2.30 pm Issue 7 – Monitoring & Evaluation – How do we know we’re
doing the right thing? The importance of M&E – Dr. Byron Mook
2.30 pm – 3.15 pm Participant task 7 – How do I evaluate my ICM performance?
3.15 pm – 3.45 pm Task 7 – Working group reports
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3.45 pm – 4.00 pm Tea / coffee break
4.00 pm – 4.30 pm Issue 8 – Options for the development of an ICM strategy –
How do we know we’re doing the right thing? The importance of
M&E – Mr. Peter Walton
4.30 pm – 5.15 pm Participant task 8 – What issues do I include/exclude? In how
much detail?
5.15 pm – 5.45 pm Task 8 – Working group reports
JOINT EVENING SESSIONS WITH KM GROUP
6.00 pm – 7.30 pm National initiatives in information & communication
management …To be confirmed
Thursday – 12 November THE ICM STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
9.00 am – 9.30 am Issue 9 – The ICM Strategy Development Process – Mr. Peter
Walton
9.30 am – 10.15 am Participant task 9 – Alliances, Bargains & Compromises
10.15 am – 10.45 am Task 9 – Working group reports
10.45 am – 11.00 am Tea / coffee break
11.00 am – 11.45 am Three Critiques of an ICM Strategy – Dr. Byron Mook (Chair)
11.45 am – 12.30 pm Drafting your own ICM strategy – Mr. Peter Walton
12.30 pm – 1.45 pm Lunch
1.45 pm – 3.00 pm Participant task 10 – Draft your own ICM strategy
3.00 pm – 3.30 pm Discussion – On-going issues as the drafting proceeds
3.30 pm – 4.00 pm Tea / coffee break
4.00 pm – 5.30 pm Participant task 10 – Draft your own ICM strategy (cont’d)
Friday – 13 November PRESENTATION OF DRAFT ICM STRATEGIES
9.00 am – 9.15 am Presentation – Observations on the drafting process – Dr.
Byron Mook / Mr. Peter Walton / Mr. Craig Morris
9.15 am – 10.30 am Presentations – Draft ICM strategies from five national teams
10.30 am – 11.00 am Tea / coffee break
11.00 am – 11.30 am Presentation – Reflections on what we have accomplished - Dr.
Byron Mook / Mr. Peter Walton
11.30 am – 12.00 pm Presentation: The Journey Continues (after the Workshop
concludes) – Discussion of opportunities for self-paced or group
learning using IMARK; support and advice, e.g. mentoring;
national initiatives; social networking (e.g. D-groups, wiki) – Mr.
Peter Walton
12.00 pm – 1.00 pm Joint Closure of the ICM Workshop with Participants from the
KM Seminar
1.00 pm – 2.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm – 3.30 pm Debriefing CTA + ICM team / resource persons
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Appendix 3: List of Participants
ANGOLA
Prof. Nsalambi David
Coordinator of Research
Veterinary Research Institute (IIV)
P.O. Box 127 Central
Luanda
Tel: +244 923 521079
E-mail: dmbuthye@yahoo.fr
BOTSWANA
Dr. Mataba Tapela
Deputy Dean
Botswana College of Agriculture
P/Bag 0027, Gaborone
Tel: +267 3650172
Fax :+2673928753
E-mail: mtapela@bca.bw
Mr. Orman Roy
Principal Agricultural Research Officer
Information & Public Relations
Department of Agriculture Research
Ministry of Agriculture
P/Bag 0033 Gaborone
Tel: +267 71892329
Fax: +2673928965
E-mail: oroy@gov.bw
Dr. O.I. Oladele
Senior Lecturer
Technology Transfer and Extension
Education
University of Botswana
College of Agriculture
P/Bag 0027
Gaborone
Tel +2673650230/74658247
Fax +267 3928753
E-mail: oioladele@bca.bw or
oladele20002001@yahoo.com
LESOTHO
Dr. Sebolelo Molete
Senior Lecturer
Deputy Dean and Member of the
Executive Committee Lesotho Question
and Answer Service
Faculty of Agriculture
National University of Lesotho
P.O. Roma 180
Tel +266 22340601
Fax: +266 22340000
E-mail: sfmolete@nul.ls
Mr Tankiso Mofilikoane
Chief
Agricultural Information Services
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
P.O. Box 14934
Maseru-100
Tel +266 22312330/58486284
Fax: +266 22310918
E-mail: tgmofilikoane@yahoo.com
Mr. Mohlalefi Moteane
President Lesotho National Association of
Farmers Union (LENAFU)
P.O. Box 7523
Maseru-100
Tel: +266 22310016
E-mail: moteane@ilesotho.com
MALAWI
Mr. Anderson Chikomola
Principal Agriculture Extension Officer
AGRESS
Department of Agricultural Extension
Services
Ministry of Agriculture
Box 30145
Lilongwe 3
Fax: +265 1 750 384
Mobile: +265 888506540
E-mail: anchikomola@yahoo.com
Ms. Candida Nakhumwa
Monitoring Evaluation & Communications
Manager
National Smallholder Farmers’ Association
of Malawi (NASFAM)
P.O. Box 30176
Lilongwe 3
Tel: +265 9 99405 861
Fax :+265 1770758
E-mail: cnakhumwa@nasfam.org
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NAMIBIA
Ms. Sylvia Karorua Katjepunda
Private Bag 1330
Mandume Ndemufayo Street
Windhoek
Tel: +264 61 206 3243
Fax :+264612063816
E-mail: skkatjepunda@unam.na
Mr. Desmond Cloete
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Directorate of Extension and Engineering
Services
Private Bag 1024
Rehoboth
Tel:+264 62522527/8
Fax:+264 62523265
E-mail: ceaohar@iway.na
Mr. Fidelis Mwazi
The Sam Nujoma Marine & Coastal
Resources Research Centre
(SANUMARC)
P.O. Box 462
Henties Bay
Tel: +264 64 502 632
Fax: +264 64 502608
E-mail: fmwazi@unam.na /
mwazi09583@alumni.itc.nl
Ms. D. Thamina
Acting Chief Agricultural Training Officer
Tsumis Arid Zone Agricultural Centre
Private Bag 1031
Rehoboth
Tel : +264 62 682009 /+264 812 686637
Fax : +264 62 682010
E-mail :
tsumis@iway.na/dthamina@yahoo.com
SOUTH AFRICA
Mr. Craig Morris
Regional Coordinator NA studies
Agricultural Research Council - Animal
Production Institute (ARC-API)
c/o School of Biological and Conservation
Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Private Bag X01
Scottsville 3209
Pietermaritzburg
Tel: +27 (0)33 2605507
Fax: +27 (0)33 2605708/5105
E-mail: morris@ukzn.ac.za
31 | P age
Mr. Steve Galane
Director
National Department of Agriculture (DoA)
– Directorate Agricultural Information
Services
20 Beatrix Street, Arcadia
Pretoria, 0001
Tel: +27-12-319 7312/ 83 635 7346
Fax: +27-12-3196943
E-mail dars@daff.gov.za
Mrs Huibré Lombard
Regional QAS coordinator
Programme for Agricultural Information
Services (PRAIS)
Library and Information Services
University of the Free State
Nelson Mandela Drive 1
P.O. Box 301
Bloemfontein, 9300
Tel: +27-51-401 2225
Fax: +27-51-4446343
E-mail: huibre@ufs.ac.za
Mr Albi Modise
Chief Director of Communications
315 Pretorius Street
Pretoria
Tel : +27 12 310 3123
E-mail: amodise@deat.gov.za
Dr Chris Morris
Information Society Technologies
PO Box 395
Pretoria
Tel:+27 12 8412509
Fax: +27 12 8414720
E-mail: cmorris@csir.co.za
SWAZILAND
Mr. Zilole M.K. Phiri
Senior Assistant Librarian &
Head, Faculty of Agriculture Library
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Swaziland
P.O. Luyengo, M 205
Tel: +268 527 4023
Mobile: +268 6072899
Fax: +268 527 4441
E-mail: zphiri@agric.uniswa.sz

Mr. Phesheya Dube
Principal Programmes Officer
Swaziland Broadcasting and Information
Services
P.O. Box 2488
Mbabane
Tel: +268-4048633
Mobile: +268 66133410
Fax: +268-4046953
E-mail: pdube@realnet.co.sz
Ms Bonisile T. Dlamini
Editor/Agricultural Info Officer
Ministry of Agriculture
P.O. Box 161
Mbabane
Tel: +268-404 6362 / 6033285
Fax: +268-4044700 / 4049525
E-mail:dlaminiboni@gov.sz/sbonbonie@yahoo.co.uk
ZAMBIA
Mr. Stubbs Malambo
Chief Agriculture Information Officer
(Broadcasting)
National Agricultural Information Services
(NAIS)
P.O. Box 50698
Mulungushi House
Lusaka
Tel: +260-955 887 252
Fax: +260-1-264781
Email:stubbs_malambo@yahoo.com
Ms. Chibila Beyani
Senior IT Officer
Livestock Development Trust (LDT)
P/Bag 173
Woodlands, no 30G Sable Road
Kabulonga
Tel: + 260-211 264 817/966 727 467
Fax: +260-1-263128
E-mail: ldt@zamnet.zm
Dr. Watson Mwale
Director
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Zambia Agricultural Research Institute
Mount Makulu Central Research Station
Private Bag 7
Chilanga
Tel: +260 1 278130
Fax: +260 211 278130
E-mail: watsmawale@yahoo.com or
zaridirector@zari.gov.zm
ZIMBABWE
Mr. Tafireyi Chamboko
Department of Agricultural Economics and
Extension
University of Zimbabwe
Mount Pleasant Drive
P.O. Box MP 167
Mount Pleasant, Harare
Telephone: +263 912349599
Fax: 263 4332102
E-mail: chamboko@africaonline.co.zw
Mr Paul Zakariya
Director
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU)
102 CNR Fife Avenue
P.O. Box 3755
Harare
Tel: +263-4-700855
Fax: +263-4-251862
E-mail: pzakariya@zfu.org.zw
Mr Joseph Gondo
Acting Principal Director
Department of Agricultural, Technical and
Extension Services (Agritex)
P.O. Box CY 2505
Causeway, Harare
Tel: +263-4-790319
Fax: +263-4-790319
E-mail: gondojoseph@yahoo.com
Mrs Wadzanayi B. Vere
Executive Director
Self Help Development Foundation
17 Nirvana Road
Hatfield
P.O. Box 4576
Harare
Tel: +263-4-570106/572933/570611
Fax: +263-4-570139
E-mail: wvere@africaonline.co.zw
32 | P age

SPECIAL GUESTS
FAO
Dr Justin Chisenga
Information Management Specialist
FAO, Regional Office for Africa
P.O. Box GP 1628
Accra, Ghana
Tel: +233 21 675000/7010930 Ext. 2106
or 2145
Fax: +233 21 668427/7010943
E-mail: justin.chisenga@fao.org
Ms. Jane Frances Asaba
Information Scientist
CABI Africa
ICRAF Complex
PO Box 633-00621 Village Market
Nairobi
Kenya
Tel: +254 20 7224450/62
Fax: +254 20 7122150
Email: J.Asaba@cabi.org
EUROPE
Dr. Hansjörg Neun
Director
ACP- EU Technical Centre for Agricultural
and Rural Cooperation (CTA)
Postbus 380
6700 AJ Wageningen
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 317 467 130
Fax: +31 317 460 067
E-mail: neun@cta.int
33 | P age
Dr. Ibrahim Khadar
Manager, Planning & Strategic Services
ACP- EU Technical Centre for Agricultural
and Rural Cooperation (CTA)
Postbus 380
6700 AJ Wageningen
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 317 467 159
Fax: +31 317 460 067
E-mail: khadar@cta.int
Ms Christine Webster
Deputy Manager, Planning & Strategic
Services
ACP- EU Technical Centre for Agricultural
and Rural Cooperation (CTA)
Postbus 380
6700 AJ Wageningen
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 317 467 180
Fax: +31 317 460 067
Email: webster@cta.int
CONSULTANTS
Dr Byron Mook
Marcusallee 41
D-28359 Bremen
Germany
Tel: +49 421 4318658
Email: byron@mook.org
Mr Peter Walton
Agricultural Information Specialist
PO Box 886
Sanderson NT 0813
Australia
Tel: +61 8 8927 3669
Fax: +61 8 8945 9854
Mob: +61 407 383 418
Email: p.d.walton@bigpond.com