TRIP REPORT
ICRAF/AfricaLink Program Transition
February 5, 1999

Nairobi, February 5, 1999, 9:00am: USAID/REDSO/ESA

Dennis McCarthy, Agriculture and Food Security Team Leader
Hudson Masambu, Agriculture and Food Security Team

ASARECA Financial/Procurement: REDSO requested AfricaLink facilitation of the USDA mission to strengthen ASARECA’s financial and procurement capacity. As a result, an email was sent to ASARECA’s executive secretary to confirm a meeting time on the 15^th or 16^th of February in Entebbe, and to request that information be gathered in advance about ASARECA’s financial accounting networking requirements.

ICRAF/AfricaLink: The sketch agenda for the meeting later that morning at ICRAF was discussed. REDSO staff noted several of the issues and said they would raise them at an ASARECA meeting in Entebbe the following week, the week prior to the AfricaLink Advisor’s visit.

Regional Agricultural and Natural Resource Management Networking: A general discussion of REDSO’s and PSGE’s roles in support of ASARECA was held, including a clarification of the Agricultural Food Security Team. REDSO posed a number of specific questions about the status of network connectivity in the region, which led to a discussion of the central role played by ICRAF under the AfricaLink activity. REDSO indicated an interest in playing a greater part in discussions with ICRAF and ASARECA about AfricaLink support for regional networking.

Status of Regional Networking: The ultimate objective of networking was discussed. Discussion focused on the degree to which connectivity is presently being used to do better science, and on how an indicator might be constructed to measure progress.

Nairobi, February 5, 1999, 10:30am: ICRAF

Michael Hailu, Information Programs and AfricaLink Regional Coordinator
Marco van den Berg, Information Technology and Support
Lucy Theuri, Administrative Assistant

Mr. Hailu, who has been the principal coordinator of AfricaLink activities in East Africa, is leaving ICRAF in early April. The principal purpose of the meeting was to discuss transition to new AfricaLink management within ICRAF.

The meeting began with Mr. Hailu. He explained that Bob Haggan, formerly of IRRI, and a specialist in public awareness programs, editing, and publishing, will assume an interim 6 month position at ICRAF to replace Mr. Hailu, who presently devotes approximately 25 per cent of his time to AfricaLink management. Mr. Haggan will likely be assisted by Marco van den Berg, who manages information infrastructure for ICRAF. During the 6-month interim period, a permanent replacement for Mr. Hailu will be recruited.

Mr. van den Berg joined the meeting. Discussion focused on the non-technical nature of the AfricaLink East Africa Coordinator position. Mr. van den Berg agreed that administrative, strategic, and bureaucratic issues are almost always more critical than technical issues in determining the success of an information and communications technology program.

Several other important issues were also addressed by Mr. Hailu:

• The African Development Bank grant paperwork is presently being processed. Funds may not be available for months.

• The status of the proposed Regional Agricultural Information Network of ASARECA is unknown, but decisions may be taken during a European Union assessment visit the following week.

• Lucy Theuri will provide to the AfricaLink Advisor a contact list for all network coordinators, and these will be organized into an AfricaLink-sponsored electronic conference. With the departure of Mr. Hailu, the AfricaLink Advisor will now play a more direct role in communications with these coordinators.

• It was agreed that every ASARECA network should have an electronic conference, facilitator, and Web site. Mr. Hailu will consider this issue, especially over the next four weeks as he programs the remaining funds in the ICRAF AfricaLink grant.

• $40,000 remains in the ICRAF AfricaLink grant from PSGE. A portion will be used to address basic connectivity problems with the five or six important research stations in Rwanda, perhaps to include a wireless solution based on the outcome of the wireless email experiment underway in Uganda. A portion may also be used to conduct an end-of-grant assessment of the ICRAF/AfricaLink program, perhaps including the hiring of an independent consultant. A portion may be used to hold a training of some kind in Nairobi, taking advantage of the new Winrock training facility. Decisions about these activities will be made over the next four weeks.

A final meeting was held with Lucy Theuri, assistant to Mr. Hailu. Mrs. Theuri is responsible for data entry into the AfricaLink Directory, and has encountered two difficulties. The first is the generation of statistics. The Directory will be modified if possible to allow her to download all Directory data in spreadsheet form. The second is the management of network descriptive information. Mrs. Theuri’s login status will be adjusted to permit editing network descriptions.

Nairobi, 5 February 1999, 3:00pm: CIP/ILRI

Michael Hailu, ICRAF AfricaLink Regional Coordinator
Peter Ewell, CIP program leader

The status of networking specifically within the Southern Africa Root Crop Research Network (SARRNeT) was discussed. The previous coordinator of AfricaLink programs in Southern Africa was retrenched in the SACCAR restructuring by SADC, and records about previous assistance to SARRNeT under AfricaLink are therefore not easily accessible at present. Funding for further AfricaLink assistance depends largely on a decision by the RCSA. These various complications were discussed.

Discussion turned to the overall organization of AfricaLink activities in light of the impending departure of Mr. Hailu and the restructuring of SACCAR. Under the status quo, a middle-level manager develops appropriate strategies and implements AfricaLink in each region. The need for a middle-level manager was apparent when strategies were tentative, requiring constant revision based on lessons learned. Alternatives to the status quo were discussed.

One possible alternative suggested by Dr. Ewell would be to place an AfricaLink networking liaison as an assistant in the ASARECA secretariat. This would be a junior-level staff member primarily responsible for the routine monitoring of the connectivity status of network members, and the maintenance of records in the AfricaLink Directory. The position might be funded through an IARC. This networking liaison would communicate regularly with network coordinators, administer simple questionnaires at network meetings, and generate reports for ASARECA to guide ASARECA in the disbursement of assistance.

Dr. Ewell noted enormous differences in the capacity for communications in the ten years he has been involved in research programs. He is particularly pleased with the effectiveness of electronic networking for preparing events, sharing submitted papers for symposia, and managing the production of proposals. He appears noncommittal about the need for networks to "do" research via the Internet. He favors an electronic conference (list server) professionally facilitated for every network. He is less sure about the efficacy of Web sites.

Nairobi Analysis

Network coordinators seek resolutions to four basic problems, and this was agreed by all with whom discussions were held in Nairobi:

1. Basic (minimum email) connectivity for remaining members of networks who tend to work in particularly problematic locations where, for example, wireless solutions may be appropriate.

2. Efficient access, affording network members the capacity to participate actively in networks, requiring either desktop access or direct access to a computer room terminal, rather than access through an intermediary such as a secretary or receptionist.

3. Dependability of communications throughout the network, so that network coordinators can rely exclusively on email in reaching all network members.

4. Training for the effective use of the Internet (email and the Web) for the business of the network.

The question then is how these problems can best be resolved. Each problem is addressed in turn:

1. Basic connectivity solutions at problematic locations tend to be site specific. A site visit by a skilled technician, usually representing a prospective service provider, is the standard recommendation for addressing the problem. Grants of funds may be considered for necessary equipment (often a radio, antenna, and the special radio "modem") and an initial service period.

2. An AfricaLink standard of sorts has been established for what constitutes efficient access, namely that individual network members have direct access to a keyboard at convenient times, either on their desktops or in a computer laboratory. Grants of funds may be considered for necessary equipment (often a dedicated computer and a telephone line).

3. Assuring reliability has proved especially problematic. One solution involves contracting nationally in particularly problematic countries for help-desk services. Another involves establishing a regular program of connectivity monitoring (regular, periodic verification of each network member’s connectivity status) managed by a regional technical coordinator (e.g. ICRAF), by each network coordinator, or by a regional programmatic coordinator (e.g. ASARECA).

4. Training can take many forms, tailored to need. The best teacher for the use of the Internet is the use of the Internet. A coach is often helpful in the early months. A suggested solution is paid professional facilitation for each network, helping members understand how to develop and maintain electronic networks of collaborators, how electronic conferences (list servers) function, and how the Web can be used both as a ready reference and a place of publication.