TRIP REPORT
Southern Africa Technical Support
Johannesburg, Gaborone
May 23-31, 1997

The AfricaLink Advisor visited Southern Africa in order to arrange additional technical support for USAID partner networks in the region.

Persons Consulted

• Chris Nkwanyana, Principal Programmes Officer, cnkwanyana@saccar.info.bw
• Chris Lungu, Information Program, clungu@saccar.info.bw
• Dr. Bruno Ndunguru, bndunguru@saccar.info.bw

• Robert McColaugh, Agriculture Programs
• Wade Warren, Regional Telecommunications Program

• Na'eem Jeenah, AfricaLink Southern Africa Help Desk, africalink@sn.apc.org
• Simone Shall, simone@wn.apc.org

Electronic Discussion Conferences

A number of electronic discussion conferences were implemented nearly a year ago for use by SACCAR networks. The USAID server in Washington was used for this purpose. Given that SANGONeT is now providing technical support for SACCAR networks, it was deemed advisable to move these conferences to a server in the region. SANGONeT staff agreed to provide a price quotation.

Workshops

Based on the experience of the Maputo workshop, it was decided to schedule a series of workshops to take place during the remainder of the fiscal year ending in September. SACCAR agreed to determine a schedule. SANGONeT would have primary responsibility for implementation. Funding would be provided by USAID/RCSA.

Two types of workshops were proposed. The first, like the Maputo workshop, would be designed around the needs of particular programmatic networks. The second would be more nationally oriented, designed to address the specific software and infrastructure issues facing Internet users in a particular location.

The task order was drafted in Johannesburg and discussed with staff of SANGONeT. A final draft was then carried to Gaborone for discussions with USAID/RCSA. USAID/RCSA then approved the task order. SACCAR proposed the following tentative schedule, to be confirmed with directors of research and network coordinators in each instance:

30/6-4/7 Maize and Wheat Improvement Research Network (MWIRNeT) Swaziland

14/7-16/7 Malawi

28/7-30/7 Zimbabwe

11/8-13/7 Lesotho

1/9-3/9 Angola

15/9-17/9 Tanzania

Only the first workshop will be network program oriented. It is suggested that this Swaziland workshop for MWIRNeT be expanded into a national training workshop as well. The other five proposed workshops are all nationally oriented.

SACCAR is to write to the directors of research in each country in order to prepare an invitation list. IUCN-ROSA has also been contacted to determine if it wishes its member organizations to participate in any of the workshops.

NRM Information Management

The workshops are designed to introduce network members to the tools of the Internet that may be useful in their work, and to acquaint them with available technical support systems. In addition to this broad program of technical support for network memberships, a more targeted program of technical support for network leaders is to be developed. Leadership in the Community Based Natural Resource Management Program (CBNRMP) have already approached AfricaLink with a request for assistance in facilitating the flow of information within the region.

A task order was developed to permit SANGONeT to provide the requested assistance. This task order requests SANGONeT to develop, host, and maintain a database of natural resource management abstracts and full-text articles, with a companion facility for regular updating of the database from the CBNRMP office in Malawi. It would also nclude a facility for electronic notification and distribution of pertinent records to regional and international scientists and policy makers in this field. The draft task order has been approved in principle by USAID/RCSA, but details and final approval will be pursued in direct consultation with the CBNRMP leadership in Lilongwe.