TRIP REPORT
IUCN-ROSA/AfricaLink Southern Africa Program
Harare, February 12 to 14, 1997

Jeffrey A. Cochrane
Revised February 20, 1997

Persons Visited:

IUCN-ROSA, The World Conservation Union, 6 Lanark Rd., Belgravia, PO Box 745, Harare, Tel. 263-4-728266/7, fax 263-4-720738

• Jacquie Chenje, Information Manager, jac@iucnrosa.org.zw
• Reford Mwakalagho, NETCAB Manager, rjm@iucnrosa.org.zw
• Graham Farmer, Chief Technical Advisor and Remote Sensing Specialist, gfarmer@fstau.stellar.zw,
• Jim Holland, MANGO, jholland@mango.zw
• Erik Loken, USAID-Zimbabwe

A Regional Environmental and Natural Resource Management Information Program

Electronic mail will be used for routine communications, electronic conferences on particular programatic issues, distance-learning educational activities, planning and administration. The aim is to increase the frequency of communications with members and partners, and to decrease the unit cost of those communications. Communications at present are typically accomplished by ordinary post, voice telephone, or courier service (e.g. DHL).

The World Wide Web will serve as IUCN-ROSA's primary "bulletin board" of key information of interest to its members and partners. The other organizations participating in this connectivity and information management program may also establish their own Web "presence," coordinated for easy cross-referencing and non-duplication. Together, these sites will constitute a major Southern Africa environmental and natural resource management resource, available not only to members and partners in the region, but also to environmental organizations, donors, and governments world wide.

Establishing A Southern Africa Environmental Web Site

The major providers are reported to be experiencing numerous technical difficulties, explained by some informants to be due perhaps in part to poor relations with the government monopoly telecommunications provider. There are reports of a new relationship between the government provider and a consortium of multinational telecommunications carriers, Global One, to improve local service, but no definite implementation date has been specified.

IUCN-ROSA will have to do careful market research to decide where best a Southern Africa environmental web site should be housed. If the selected host proves unsuitable, it is a relatively simple matter to move to a new host. While moving to a new host often involves a change in the address of the web site (and therefore advising all patrons of the web site of the name change, changing business cards and letterhead, etc.), this problem can be avoided if IUCN-ROSA registers a private domain name for its site. Fortunately, this has already been done, using the name <iucnrosa.org.zw>. A brief explanation of domain naming on the Internet is provided in the appendix.

Technical procedures for the daily operation and management of a Web site for IUCN-ROSA and partners are also explained in the appendix. Simply stated, a single "full-Internet" account is required to add, delete, and update the files that constitute the site. Such accounts are available locally for about Z$500 (USD$50) per month.

IUCN-ROSA may be able to acquire a full-Internet or "PPP" account at a reduced rate since it is already an important customer of one of the local Harare Internet service providers. SACCAR in Gaborone negotiated an office-wide UUCP email account as well as a full-Internet account for one terminal all for the price of the email account alone. A local SADC office reports having obtained an enterprise email service with full Internet dialup access for about Z$500, an extraordinarily low price for such a high level of access, which is probably not available to new subscribers.

With full-Internet dial-up access, a color scanner, and appropriate graphics software, an information manager at IUCN-ROSA would have all the tools required to manage a regional environmental Web site. Page design and layout would be accomplished in house by a staff person with training in hypertext markup language (HTML) and graphic design. Art work would be digitally scanned and included on HTML pages. Text would be converted from existing word processing documents, or composed for specific purposes.

This design work for the Web site can be contracted locally, though for a Web site with high volume and frequent changes, it may be more cost-effective to have this capability in house. A useful compromise is to contract out the basic "look and feel" of the Web site, or to ask the graphic arts department of an affiliate organization to undertake the work. For example, the contractor might design the Web logo and an attractive border that will appear on every page. This template can then easily be adapted by in-house staff with only minimal training.

Once pages are designed, they are saved to HTML files on the IUCN-ROSA computer. These pages are then available for viewing on that computer, or can be printed. They can also be saved to a diskette and shared for viewing on other computers. This is useful for any review and approval process that might be instituted.

Once pages are ready for "publication" on the Web site, the IUCN-ROSA information manager connects the IUCN-ROSA computer to the remote Web server at the local service provider via a telephone link. Once connected, the information manager uploads the newly created files and deletes outdated files from the remote server, all while sitting at the computer within IUCN- ROSA. See the appendix for more detail.

A Regional Help Desk for IUCN-ROSA/AfricaLink Partners

• Management of a partner initial-connectivity program
  
• Technical support backstopping for partners
  
• Appropriate technical training for partners
  
• Network information management consulting
  

In discussions with IUCN-ROSA, it was determined that having staff of the regional help desk based in Harare would greatly facilitate planning and implementation. An alternative site in Lusaka was considered because of its proximity to Harare and because of the presence there of a highly respected Internet service provider with experience within the NGO community. However Lusaka was rejected due to concerns raised by the USAID Mission there.

In Harare, it is recommended that IUCN-ROSA first consider working with an organization experienced in providing Internet services to a clientele similar to that of IUCN-ROSA's members, i.e. to NGOs, small research institutes, and the like. The MANGO organization is suggested as one possibility, particularly since MANGO is affiliated with SANGONeT, the Southern Africa NGO Net organization in Johannesburg with whom AfricaLink has already contracted for help desk services in the region.

Alternatively, one of the commercial Internet firms might be approached. There may be independent private consultants in Harare willing and capable of undertaking the task. The Gondwana organization, directed by two Belgian nationals based in Harare, might also be interested in offering the regional help desk service. Gondwana has already prepared a proposal to establish initial connectivity for IUCN-ROSA partners in the region, and might be willing to consider offering the additional services of a regional help desk.

Management of a Partner Initial-Connectivity Program

Given the problematic infrastructural situation in many African countries, technical difficulties are commonplace. Untold numbers of organizations have invested in expensive equipment for Internet communications only to find their systems unusable. Access to technical support is key to overcoming these difficulties. A program has thus been designed that seeks to strengthen the end user's relationship with the most immediate source of technical support, the local Internet service provider.

What follows is a suggested program for IUCN-ROSA, its collaborating organizations, and staff of the Regional Help Desk in Harare to consider. AfricaLink and IUCN-ROSA would of course welcome the advice of the Regional Help Desk in Harare in improving this strategy:

1. IUCN-ROSA and its collaborating organizations will prepare a list of key partners with whom Internet connectivity is deemed essential. This list will be presented to the Regional Help Desk. in Harare.

2. IUCN-ROSA will coordinate the funding of packages of assistance to be made available to each partner.
   

   a) The standard package will include a modem, installation of software and modem configuration, basic initial training, and three months of basic subscription service. The average cost of this package for each partner in the region is estimated to be $800.

   b) The contents of the package can be reformulated for special circumstances. For example, some partners might wish to combine this assistance with that from other sources to install Internet access via a LAN, rather than at a single workstation within the organization. Others may require a computer purchase, or an upgrade of a telephone line.

3. The Regional Help Desk in Harare will prepare a letter to be sent to each partner on the list.

   a) The letter will specify that the Regional Help Desk in Harare, with funding coordinated by IUCN-ROSA, will finance the partner's initial connectivity to the Internet.

   b) The partner should submit to the Regional Help Desk in Harare by a specified date a proforma invoice of the costs of the basic Internet connectivity package specified above, or a proposal for the alternative use of equivalent funds.

   c) The Regional Help Desk in Harare will provide to each partner the relevant portion of a list of local Internet service providers in each country from which proforma invoices can be solicited.

4. Upon receipt of the proforma invoices, the Regional Help Desk in Harare will review with IUCN-ROSA and other funders of the program the costs involved. The support list will be prioritized if necessary.

5. Based on the proforma invoices and the priority list thereby established, the Regional Help Desk in Harare will prepare bank checks payable directly to the service providers indicated on the invoices, and deliver these checks to the respective partners. The partners with check in hand will then contract for the services required.

6. The Regional Help Desk in Harare will clearly specify and assure adequate understanding of the policy that this program supports initial connectivity only. It is the responsibility of each partner to secure funding to cover recurring costs once connectivity is established. The Help Desk may provide advice, particularly on how expenditures for fax, international telephone calls, and courier delivery can all be reduced to pay for Internet connectivity. IUCN-ROSA and its collaborators in this program may also assist organizations that find it difficult to absorb recurring connectivity costs, but this additional assistance is not part of this initial connectivity program.

This strategy is designed to foster a relationship between the partner and its local Internet service provider in order to secure as much local access to technical support as possible. Alternative strategies do not always foster such a relationship. For example, some donors decide in behalf of their partners what service provider shall be used, and pay the service provider directly. Other donors become service providers themselves rather than seeking to support the existing service provider industry in each country. These alternative strategies pose problems in terms of cost and sustainability that the AfricaLink strategy delineated here is designed to resolve.

Technical Support Backstopping for Partners

While focusing on rapid increases in their subscriber base to cover initial capital investments, many Internet service providers have failed to invest substantially in their customer service

departments. While customer support is excellent in some countries, it is poor in others. AfricaLink's experience has been that once partners are connected to Internet accounts, in many cases some additional technical support is required, particularly to "backstop" the local service provider, or to serve as a kind of "interpreter" for the partner and the service provider.

For example, a service provider may install a new account at the office of a partner. After several days, the software stops functioning as expected. The partner calls the service provider, but has difficulty understanding the service provider's explanation. The service provider cannot schedule a technical support visit for several weeks, and further insists that the fault can be corrected by the partner. An impasse is reached. The partner becomes frustrated, and turns for assistance to the Regional Help Desk.

The Regional Help Desk listens carefully to the partner's explanation, and contacts the service provider for additional information. A diagnosis is made. The Regional Help Desk may provide detailed instructions in a fax or DHL to the partner, send special software, consult global resources such as the manufacturer's technical support hotline, or in the most problematic cases dispatch a technician to the scene. The Regional Help Desk might also use the fact that it is coordinating a substantial number of clients of the local service provider to pressure the service provider to provide better service.

Specific tasks proposed for the Regional Help Desk are as follows:

• Maintain a database of targeted and connected partners containing contact information, funding provided, and connectivity status.
• Periodically (monthly, quarterly) contact all partners to determine connectivity status and update the database.
• Provide a special IUCN-ROSA/AfricaLink Help Desk electronic mail address to which all partners can send requests for technical assistance.
• Respond appropriately to electronic mail and other requests for assistance from partners.
• Collaborate with other AfricaLink Help Desks for cost-effectiveness in delivering technical backstopping support.

Appropriate Technical Training for Partners

The standard format of a training experience seems to be a major workshop held within the region for a specific purpose. Costs include airfare, lodging and per diem for all participants, facilities rental, and salaries for all trainers and consultants. Costs can be quite high. For a one-week event it is reasonable to budget $2000 for each participant plus $8000 for each international trainer and consultant. A one-week workshop for 30 participants and four trainers would therefore cost perhaps as much as $100,000.

AfricaLink has requested and the RCSA has made available about $7,000 for training activities. Additional funds are available, originating in whole or in part from USAID, within the training budgets of the individual IUCN-ROSA regional partners. Cost-effective solutions are available to make good use of these funds. Design of these solutions will be undertaken collaboratively by all the AfricaLink Regional Help Desks.

Four types of training events are proposed: practicums contracted through local service providers, online tutorials (sometimes called "distance learning"), workshops for participants within a single country in partnership with the local private sector, and regional workshop "add-ons" held in conjunction with regional meetings already scheduled for some other purpose.

Training -- Service Provider Practicums

Many service providers offer regular seminars to help their clients understand how to use their technology more effectively. It is in their interest to do so, since a knowledgeable customer base calls for technical support less frequently. Service providers are also often willing to offer specialized trainings for groups of their clients at reduced rates.

Staff of the proposed Help Desk in Zimbabwe, in collaboration with staff of other AfricaLink help desks including the Southern Africa Help Desk at SANGONeT, will be asked to explore with particular service providers the kinds of local training experiences that can be made available to members and partners in each country. If necessary, the help desks can develop materials that can be duplicated and distributed to service providers in the region to help strengthen their local customer service capabilities.

Training -- Online Tutorials

For the Help Desks in Harare and at SANGONeT, one appropriate initial topic for online tutorials may be effective communications techniques using electronic mail. Specifically, it is proposed that the help desks lead a tutorial on the effective use of electronic conference tools. Topics to be covered will include:

1. Introduction to ListServ/ListProc technology, how it works, where the messages go, etc.
2. Appropriate message styles for conferences
3. Conference etiquette
4. Conference "proceedings" (archives, document retrieval using email commands)
5. Practice in sending and receiving conference messages
   

For future online tutorials and electronic workshops, it is the responsibility of USAID, IUCN- ROSA, and other participating organization staff to propose appropriate topics. AfricaLink and the help desks can assist by helping staff understand the capabilities of the technology and by assisting in adapting content to fit the technology. Specific content in most cases remains the responsibility of staff of the participating organizations.

Training -- Locally Based Workshops in Partnership with the Private Sector

The service provider has the opportunity to address an audience that will include many existing clients but potentially many new ones, and can discuss with all of them the advantages of new services and merchandise of use to them in their work. At the same time, IUCN-ROSA members and partners can offer tutorials using the service provider's equipment and electronic network access to demonstrate how the technology can be used for specific program purposes.

How these seminars and workshops are organized will depend in each country on the interests of the private-sector service provider, the nature of the technology available there, and the presence of particular groups of IUCN-ROSA and other USAID partners. If there is in country, say, 15 staff all working on a particular natural resource management issue, a seminar might there be organized specifically to introduce natural resource management Internet offerings. If on the other hand there is no single programmatic area having a large number of local staff, a more general curriculum might be developed.

The SANGONeT Southern Africa Help Desk will maintain a database of USAID partners in each country, with a copy distributed to the other AfricaLink help desks, including the one proposed for Harare. This database can be used to determine what kinds of local workshops will be most appropriate in each country. AfricaLink funds from the RCSA, as well as training funds from the participating organizations, can be used to develop appropriate course materials. The private sector can be approached to provide meeting facilities and network access.

An initial pilot workshop is proposed to be held in Botswana, tentatively from May 15 to 16, organized primarily by AfricaLink and SACCAR, but to which IUCN-ROSA Botswana members and partners can be invited to participate. Info-Botswana will be approached to determine if there is interest on their part. SACCAR itself has 12 computers in boxes that might be unpacked and used for the event. The proposed topics for about 30 participants are:

1. Info-Botswana electronic mail and Internet tools (half day)
2. Case Study: Using Netscape to learn about commodity export rules in South Africa (quarter day)
3. Case Study: Using email to find out about commodity export rules in South Africa (quarter day)
4. Practicum with unstructured but supervised access to networking facilities; with participating choosing from suggested tasks to undertake, or providing tasks of their own (half day)
5. Presentations and discussions from existing users on the ways the Internet is used in their work (half day)

Key advantages of having a workshop such as this in a country for scientists and others from that country are:

1. Practicums on a technology platform that is actually available to the participants
2. Establishment of a local "users group" for mutual support
3. Availability of follow-up technical support from the host service provider

Training -- Regional Workshop Add-Ons

The various IUCN-ROSA members and partners have already scheduled periodic meetings that bring together people from around the region. Airfare, lodging, per diem, and facilities charges are already allocated for this purpose. A half day or additional day of information technology workshops can easily be attached to these meetings at a modest additional cost.

Proposed for a generic half-day session suitable for a meeting of programmatic scientists are the following topis:

1. Technical information about the Internet tailored to the group's needs and interests, e.g. how the Internet works, what is the World Wide Web, or how electronic mail messages reach their destinations (one hour).
2. Case studies on how the Internet is applied in their specific program area (two hours)
3. A bibliography of reference materials available online in their specific program area (one hour).

Depending on available funding and facilities, perhaps in partnership with a local Internet service provider in the private sector or at a university, evening practicums can be scheduled. A computer facility would be rented with workstations at which participants can themselves implement the searches and other techniques discussed in the day's sessions.

A pilot workshop of this nature, to be organized by AfricaLink, SACCAR, and the SANGONeT help desk, is proposed for the July meetings of the Southern African Roots Research Network (SARRNeT) to be held in Maputo from May 19 to 24. In Maputo, Internet access is available through Eduardo Mondlane University. Preliminary discussions are being initiated by SACCAR with staff there to determine the feasibility and costs of making this access available to workshop participants. A proposal will then be prepared for the leadership of SARRNeT.

The proposed Maputo workshop immediately follows the previous week's workshop proposed to be held in Botswana. The conjunction of the two pilot workshops would enable the AfricaLink Advisor to participate as backstop technical consultant, though actual implementation in each case would be carried out by SACCAR with the assistance of SANGONeT and the local service providers. Lessons learned can be applied to a future workshop for an IUCN-ROSA member or partner.

Network Information Management Consulting

Types of information dissemination and sharing activities that might be undertaken include:

1. Publication of a newsletter on the World Wide Web. In place of a print distribution for subscribers without Web access, an electronic mail or diskette Web version can be distributed to be viewed locally with a Web browser and printed to paper. Significant savings in printing and mailing costs can be realized.

2. Development of a Web reference and abstracts service providing Web links of particular regional interest. Each week a dozen or so new links would be added on a "Hot List" page with a hypertext link to the original. Program staff would review the articles or information resources on the Web, either identifying them for themselves or receiving them from the IUCN-ROSA information manager. These staff would then compose a brief abstract. These abstracts would then be filed on topically organized summary pages. Printouts of the summary pages can be distributed periodically to those without Web access, and requested articles can be sent by electronic mail or ordinary post. A special Internet address, <reference@iucnrosa.org.zw>, can be created for this purpose.

3. Placement of an environmental and natural resource management publications database on the World Wide Web. It is proposed that a system comparable to that used by USAID for its "Yellow Book" and for the online AfricaLink Registry be used. The data are maintained in a Microsoft Access database on a Windows NT Workstation. A suitable HTTPD compliant Web server, such as O'Reilly's WebSite, is installed to provide access to Web pages for the public. Also installed is software called Cold Fusion, which accepts Web page forms from the public, uses them to query the database, and then creates a Web page with the desired information to be returned via the Internet to the requesting party. If a local service provider in Harare does not have this capability, the database can be placed on a SANGONeT server in Johannesburg that is already operational.

4. Steve Johnson of the CBNRMP in Lilongwe expressed interest in a publications abstracting service. Partners would subscribe to the service and have their names entered into a database. Associated with each subscriber would be a field indicating areas of interest. As publications are received and reviewed, key words are assigned and used to generate an electronic mail address list from the subscriber database. The abstract or full text of the document is then sent to the subscriber. The process could be automated and operated from the database server at SANGONeT. One copy of each abstract or article would be sent electronically over the expensive link from Lilongwe to Johannesburg, while copies for each subscriber would then be sent over the generally less expensive links from Johannesburg throughout the region.

5. Introduction of a World Wide Web query service. For the many partners who do not have or cannot afford access to the Web, IUCN-ROSA can receive queries and conduct Web searches, returning the retrieved information to the requesting party by electronic mail, on disk, or in printed form. As IUCN-ROSA's information department develops sophisticated skills in Web searching, it can further assist even those with their own Web access who may not know how to find the information they require.

6. Placement of the full text of important reports and documents on the World Wide Web. This is self-explanatory and is simple to accomplish. A document already prepared on disk may require perhaps 10 minutes per page to convert to a format suitable for Web publication. The process is thus somewhat labor intensive. If IUCN-ROSA wishes to mass produce documents on the Web on a regular basis, software can be obtained to ease the labor requirement. Publication of documents on the Web eliminates in many cases the need to post documents by ordinary mail or DHL, since documents can be freely downloaded from the Web by anyone wishing a printed copy. Those without Web access can be sent a disk copy for local Web browsing or for printing.

These are some of the information management tasks for which the Regional Help Desk in Harare might provide assistance. Specific contractual arrangements will be required between IUCN-ROSA and the Help Desk.

Appendix: Technical Background on Managing a Remote Web Site

The standard format of WWW files is called hypertext markup language (HTML). It uses standard characters from an ordinary American style keyboard (i.e. ASCII characters) to tell Web browser software what text to display, in what font, in what color, on what color and style of background, with associated graphics, and so on. For example, this line of HTML

<IMG SRC="kente.gif" ALT="AfricaLink" HEIGHT=71 WIDTH=70 ALIGN=RIGHT>

means to display an image from the source file kente.gif, with the alternative name "AfricaLink" for Web browsers that cannot or choose not to display graphics, with image dimensions of 71 by 70 pixels, placed on the right side of the screen. Software are available, e.g. HotDog, or HTMLEdit, that ease the task of learning HTML syntax.

Graphics files must be in "gif" or "jpg" format. Digital graphic images can be scanned into this format by a digital scanner. Graphics can also be "borrowed" from non-copyright Web sights. Any image visible on the Web can be downloaded to a file on the local computer. Graphics design software, e.g. PaintShop Pro, are available to manipulate these images, add text, change size, reduce or enhance color intensity, etc. These software generally have the capability of "capturing" anything visible on the computer screen. Thus a spreadsheet can be displayed using, say, Lotus123, and a picture of this spreadsheet can be captured from the screen for display on a Web site.

HTML pages can be designed on any computer. They can then be viewed on that computer or on any computer connected in some way to that computer. HTML files can be saved to diskette and transported to another computer for display there. Generally, HTML files are placed on an Internet Web server so that any computer connected to the Internet can view the files.

To transfer finished HTML files from the IUCN-ROSA computer to the Web server of a local Internet service provider, IUCN-ROSA can deliver the completed files to the service provider on diskette, or it can upload its files electronically. For electronic uploading, IUCN-ROSA will require FTP (file transfer protocol) access to the IUCN-ROSA subdirectories on the local Web server. The local service provider must offer FTP, and must provide read/write authorization on those subdirectories for IUCN-ROSA. Normally, only someone logged in with IUCN-ROSA's user name and password would be capable of editing IUCN-ROSA's HTML files on that server.

With FTP access configured, staff of IUCN-ROSA would ordinarily establish a PPP connection to the Web server via ordinary telephone lines. Trumpet Winsock software is typically used on a Windows3.1 computer. Windows95 has PPP capability under "dial-up networking". With the PPP connection established, special FTP software is then started on the IUCN-ROSA computer. Windows95 includes this software, though alternatives are available that are more user friendly. Software called WSFTP or CuteFTP are commonly used on Windows3.1 computers.

With an FTP session established on top of the PPP link, files are copied and deleted just as if the remote Web site were another disk drive of the local computer. As soon as a file is copied to the Web server, it becomes visible to any computer on the Internet. For example, a file in the "/etc/httpd/iucnrosa" subdirectory on the Web server called <www.harare.iafrica.co.zw>, with the name "welcome.html," might be viewed by a Web browser pointing to <http://www.harare.iafrica.co.zw/iucnrosa/welcome.html>.

Appendix: Internet Domains and Subdomains Significance for IUCN-ROSA and its Partners

Registration of a primary domain generally costs $50 per year for the domain name, e.g. <iucnrosa.int>, and perhaps a bit more to register subdomains, e.g. <www.iucnrosa.int>. A local Internet service provider will generally manage the registration process for a small fee, generally US$100 or less.

The selection of an address name for IUCN-ROSA is important because it expresses the identity of the organization to the Internet world, and because it defines to some extent the flexibility with which IUCN-ROSA can transfer its Internet account to another service provider in the future. For example, it would not be allowed for IUCN-ROSA to transfer the <iucnrosa.org.zw> name to a server in Zambia, since the country suffix would not be the same.

The actual route by which electronic mail messages pass through the Internet to reach IUCN- ROSA is determined by a unique number, called an Internet Protocol (IP) number. IP numbers are four-part numbers, such as 161.105.35.1. Internet service providers obtain "blocks" of these numbers from the Internet Information Center (InterNIC), which is the primary coordination body of the Internet. Internet service providers then allocate their numbers to particular computers. Each number uniquely identifies one computer.

IP numbers are difficult for people to remember, but easy for computers to process. Domain names (i.e. <sadc.int>) were created because they are easy for people to remember. Each domain name is associated with an IP number in a worldwide registry that is also coordinated by the InterNIC, but also by the primary domain name holder in each country (e.g. <.bw> for Botswana held by Botswana Telecommunications Corporation). When an Internet address (containing a domain name) is typed into an electronic mail message, the computer consults a "domain name server" or DNS to determine the IP number associated with the domain-name address. Computers use the number, not the domain name, to route mail.

IUCN-ROSA has already obtained the domain name <iucnrosa.org.zw>. This domain name is controlled within Zimbabwe, possibly by the University of Zimbabwe. Alternatively, IUCN- ROSA could obtain the name <iucnrosa.int> which would likely be allocated by the InterNIC itself in the United States. Irrespective of the name, upon registration, all Internet routing computers in the world will know that the computer associated with the name is the computer that serves IUCN-ROSA in Harare.

If at some future time IUCN-ROSA should find a need to transfer its business to a different Internet service provider, it can arrange for that new provider to host its domain name, provided the name has the appropriate suffix. In other words, IUCN-ROSA can "house" its <iucnrosa.org.zw> address with any service provider in Zimbabwe. If it obtains the <iucnrosa.int> domain name, it could then "house" that name with any service provider in the world. Changing hosts would in that way not change the name. Upon re-registration, the underlying IP number changes in the worldwide domain-name registry, but the <iucnrosa.org.zw> or <iucnrosa.int> address remains constant. There is no need to change business cards or official letterhead. There is no need to advise all IUCN-ROSA contacts of any change of address.

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February 20, 1997