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-----Original Message-----
From: Lill.Lundgren@scc.se [mailto:Lill.Lundgren@scc.se]
Sent: Sunday, 12 May, 2002 18:26
Subject: Information Service Adviser
My name is Dr. Lill Lundgren and I work for a Swedish consultancy company
in natural resources, Scandiaconsult Natura. Currently we are providing
technical assistance to the newly established National Agricultural and
Forestry Institute (NAFRI) in Lao PDR and are looking for an Information
Service Adviser to help NAFRI to develop a long-term strategic plan for
information services.
The ToR for the position is attached.
Yours sincerely
Lill Lundgren
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Terms of Reference for the Information Service Adviser
Introduction
Lao PDR has very little information, information systems or even a culture
of information. Quite a tremendous knowledge exists in the country but
documentation has just only started. In the agriculture and forestry
sectors, accessible information to provide recommendations, advice and
support to development activities is lacking, although research in these
fields has been going on for quite sometime. There is a broad range of
clients and beneficiaries for information services in these areas ranging
from policy makers to rural people. However, a national or even a sectoral
framework for information services is non-existent. The rural people are the
most important group in agriculture and forestry development activities. The
people are, however, unlikely to read or even know about any publications of
the sectors. The path and mechanism to provide direct service to rural
people is almost absent. However, the mechanism to provide policy advice has
recently been established within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
through its Scientific Council for Agriculture and Forestry but still is in
its infancy stage.
In the new Sida-supported four years research programme of NAFRI, which is
going to begin in February 2001, a programmatic approach to research in
support of the implementation of the national policy on upland development
is a mall approach. The proposed programme places emphasis on indigenous
knowledge based participatory on-farm research within the ultimate objective
to generate appropriate technology options aiming at increasing productivity
and sustainable use of forest and agricultural lands and has also a strong
emphasis on institutional strengthening and capacity building to support
research activities and dissemination of results to different users.
With these challenging objectives and the varied nature of clients and
beneficiaries, appropriate information and information systems and services
are seen as key to achieve. And, it is highly expected that the adviser
would help NAFR.I in designing and developing an appropriate framework for
its information services to implement the above-mentioned programme
successfully.
Tasks and responsibilities of the adviser
* Assist in the development of long term strategic plan for the
development and strengthening of agriculture and forestry information
services for NAFRI, taking into considerations:
- the needs for different types and kinds of information of different client
groups in the
country and the importance of those information for each of them;
- existing organizational structure and capacity of NAFRI;
- roles of NAFRI partner institutions and other actors involved; and
- NAFRI institutional co-operation, networks and linkages established or
foreseen to be
established both nationally and internationally; etc.
* Assist, based on the proposed strategy or overall framework, in the
development of medium term operational plan for information services of
NAFRl.
* Design an appropriate and effective information and communication
system and a national network for information collection, discussion and
dissemination and provide suggestions on the roles of different actors and
on NAFRI capacity and capability development with regards to information
technology and services.
* Assist in the development of systems and working routines within the
Database Management and Strategic Planning Division of NAFRI and its
Information Service Component of UAFRP in regard to information services.
* Contribute to building up capabilities of NAFRI staff in specific
subjects, which are found necessary through short term or on the job
training.
* Support to strengthening of the co-operation as well as interaction
and information exchange between different centres within NAFRI as well as
between NAFRI and relevant networks and institutions in the region.
* Collaborate with senior staffs of NAFRI, advisers of the Lao-Swedish
Upland Agriculture and Forestry research Programme and other centre relevant
projects.
* Promote gender sensitivity in any aspect of information services
development.
* Systematically report plans and achievements through a system of
reports starting with an inception report, followed by monthly reports,
analytical annual reports and a final report at the end of the assignment.
Reporting relationship
The Adviser will report to the Co-ordinator of the Information Service
Component.
Timing
Duration of the assignment is one year starting as soon as possible.
Duty Station
The Information Adviser will be based at the Database Management and
Strategic Planning Division at NAFRI Headquarter.
---------------------------
Jean Collins, Fisheries Branch Library
Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations
Via delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome
Italy
Phone: 39-06-57054742 Fax: 39-06-57052476
E-Mail: jean.collins@fao.org
Ariel IP: 193.43.36.30/168.202.17.12
FAO Home Page: http://www.fao.org
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