IMARK

Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK)

URL	www.imarkgroup.org
Commercial?	No
Type of site	Capacity Development
Registration	Optional
Available language(s)	English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese
Launched	2001
Current status	Online

The Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) is a partnership-based e-learning initiative developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and partner organizations to support individuals, institutions and networks world-wide in the effective management of information and agricultural development. IMARK consists of a suite of distance learning resources and tools on information management.^[1][2][3]

Contents 1 About IMARK 1.1 Objectives and Scope 1.2 Basic Principles 1.3 Technical Requirements 1.4 Module List 1.5 IMARK Partnership 1.6 Steering Committee 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

About IMARK

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations initiated a partnership-based e-learning programme in 2001 to support information management.^[4] IMARK is targeted at information professionals in developing countries. Each IMARK curriculum is designed through a consultative process with subject matter experts, field practitioners and representatives from the target audience from around the world. The IMARK initiative is a response to demand for enhanced information and knowledge management in the effort to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), especially those related to hunger and the information society, in the context of bridging the digital divide.^[5] The development goal of IMARK is to improve the capabilities of people concerned with information management and knowledge sharing.^[6][7][8]

Objectives and Scope

The development goal of IMARK is to improve the overall effectiveness of programmes in agricultural development and food security by enhancing access to information by key stakeholders.^[9]

The specific objectives of IMARK are:

• Building institutional capacity at national and local levels to manage and share agricultural information more effectively;
• Increasing the awareness, understanding and skills of individuals responsible for information management in agricultural agencies, institutions and networks;
• Facilitating the development and adoption of internationally accepted standards and guidelines in agricultural information management;
• Adding value to face-to-face training activities in agricultural information management through a blended learning approach;
• Supporting educational initiatives in agricultural information management and information management in general; and
• Building electronic communities and networks through open and efficient sharing of information resources and knowledge.^[10][11][12]

Basic Principles

A set of basic principles have been established to guide the development of IMARK in order to ensure that an internationally widespread audience can have full access to such resources online and offline. The basic principles also serve to ensure that contributing partners and organizations take responsibility for their contributions, while benefiting from the collective pool of educational content and resources to support their own capacity development initiatives.

Technical Requirements

The IMARK interface was developed using Adobe Flash in combination with XML which allows the same application to be used for the different languages, as most of the textual information is maintained in the separate XML files. The interface serves as the common platform for a wide range of subjects and materials to be covered under the overall IMARK distance learning curriculum to be delivered on CD or via the internet. IMARK has been designed to ensure that learners who do not have access to the latest generation of computer equipment and software can access IMARK materials, as the modules are targeted for use in developing countries. The CD versions operate on a Pentium I class computer with as little as 32 Mbytes of RAM. Learners subject to low bandwidth and/or high connectivity costs can order a CD by e-mail and through the IMARK website.

Module List

Knowledge Sharing for Development (English: 36 lessons)

• The module was developed to provide organizations and communities with the necessary tools and methodologies required to develop their knowledge capacities, and enable them to work more effectively. The module also describes the social dynamics and facilitation options for building trust and supporting participation. It presents a range of possibilities for creating content collaboratively, and the related issues around intellectual property rights (IPR). This Unit also gives a panoramic of the possibilities for internet-based communication and knowledge sharing.^[13]

Web 2.0 and Social Media for Development (English, French, Spanish: 11 lessons)

• The module provides an overview of the basic concepts behind Web 2.0, social media, user generated content and social networking. The module describes a wide range of social media tools that enhance the ways in which information is created and published, and which provide the means to collaborate and share resources online. It also describes how to take advantage of those tools for more effective networking, collaboration and exchange of knowledge.^[14]

Digital Libraries, Repositories and Documents (English: 40 lessons)

• The module covers the processes relevant to the creation and management of digital libraries and repositories, including digital file formats, metadata management, database management and the preservation of digital information.^[15]

Management of Electronic Documents (French, Spanish, English, Chinese: 27 lessons)

• The module covers effective and efficient management of electronic documents and associated images from the various stages of the overall workflow process including acquisition, collection, indexing, archiving, management, and dissemination.^[16]

Digitization and Digital Libraries (French, English, Spanish: 31 lessons)

• The module provides both the conceptual and practical bases for the digitization of document collections, and in the creation and provision of access to digital libraries, introducing the workflows, processes, technologies and skills involved.^[17]

Investing in Information for Development (French, English, Spanish: 19 lessons)

• The module is aimed at assisting information managers in developing an information strategy for their organizations, and in establishing new structures and procedures for effective information management.^[18]

Building Electronic Communities and Networks (French, English, Spanish: 29 lessons)

• The module covers electronic networking for peer groups and communities of practice and will teach users about the approaches, methods, and tools which help to build groups and communities, enhance communication and stimulate active participation.^[19]

Networking in Support of Development (English: 4 lessons)

• The module describes how different information and communication technologies (ICT) in a country - local, national and international - fit together to provide a workable means of communication, and the issues that affect each level.^[20][21]

IMARK Partnership

The underlying concept of IMARK is based on the premise of a truly collaborative initiative, with the Steering Committee acting as a catalyst and working with strategic partners to build a knowledge base to bring new concepts, approaches, tools, and attitudes for effective information management to an internationally widespread community. The initiative has brought together and built upon existing resources, extensive experience and subject matter expertise, while substantially reducing duplication of effort in capacity development in the information management sector. Partners’ contributions fall into the following categories:

• lead role in developing a course;
• subject matter expertise;
• existing training materials;
• tools and applications;
• financial support;
• translations and adaptations;
• peer review and testing;
• dissemination; and
• evaluation.^[22][23]

Steering Committee

IMARK has over 30 partners and collaborating institutions since its inception in 2001, and its activities are coordinated through a Steering Committee whose members are: the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Commonwealth of Learning (CLO), Groupe de Recherches et d'Echanges Technologiques (GRET), Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (Cirad), Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) and UNESCO.^{[24][25][26][27]}

See also

• E-learning
• Information management
• Virtual education
• Lifelong learning
• Blended learning
• Online course syllabus
• Online learning community
• Distant education
• Capacity development
• E-agriculture
• AGRIS
• Virtual learning environment
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Agricultural Information Management Standards (AIMS)

References

External links

• Official IMARK Website
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations