RUFORUM has asked an ICT advisor to help plan and implement an institutional repository to collect and share the organization's intellectual output openly online. An institutional repository functions like an online library. The advisor recommends determining a repository platform and IPR policies, then implementing the repository so RUFORUM's resources are accessible to its community and scientists worldwide. The advisor also suggests enhancing RUFORUM's website for knowledge management through social networking analysis, usability changes, harmonizing e-learning, and expanding stakeholder directories. Input from RUFORUM members will be important to successfully improve knowledge sharing.

1. RUFORUM Knowledge
Management & Information
Dissemination
Lisbeth Levey
ICT Advisor to RUFORUM

2. RUFORUM Asked me to:
• Assist in the planning and implementation of an
institutional repository.
• Conduct a critical review and make
recommendations on the best ways to use the
RUFORUM website to enhance its information
sharing and knowledge activities.
• Help implement website changes.
Goal: RUFORUM knowledge management and
information dissemination that serve the needs of
the RUFORUM constituency and scientists
worldwide.

3. What is an Institutional
Repository?
• An institutional repository is like an online
library. It collects, preserves, and
disseminates in digital form the intellectual
output of an institution, in this case
RUFORUM.
• Resources in the RUFORUM institutional
repository will be freely available to anyone.

4. What Can a Repository Contain?
Journal articles
Theses & dissertations
Monographs
Case studies
And more…
All full text
All freely available and open access

5. Examples of Repositories
• Makerere University research repository
(http://dspace.mak.ac.ug/)
• ILRI (http://mahider.ilri.org/handle/10568/1)
and other CG centers
• World Bank open knowledge repository
(https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/)
• Addis Ababa University electronic theses and
dissertations (http://etd.aau.edu.et/dspace/)

6. Makerere University Repository

7. Visibility & Searching
• The repository must be visible to the outside
world. Resources should be indexed in:
– Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com/)
– Scirus (http://www.scirus.com/)
– CAB Abstracts (http://www.cabdirect.org/)
– AGRIS (http://agris.fao.org)
• The repository will only fulfill its function if
researchers can find the resources in it.
• This means that the repository must have a good
internal search engine.

8. Next Steps for RUFORUM
• Determine which repository platform to use.
• Institute appropriate IPR policies that will both
protect the rights of authors to publish their
research results and will enable RUFORUM to
populate the repository as an open access
resource.
• Implement the repository and make it a resource
that puts important resources in the agricultural
sciences in the hands of the RUFORUM
community and scientists world wide.

9. Enhancing RUFORUM Website for
Knowledge Management & Outreach
• Analysis of and focused use of social networking.
• Analysis of effectiveness of RUFORUM website and
make changes, as necessary.
• Harmonization of e-learning and OER on the site
• Expanded stakeholders’ directory, which will include:
– Multilateral agencies, development organizations, and
foundations
– Nongovernmental organizations, associations, and
networks
– Agricultural trade associations and commodity exchanges
– Universities (with a focus on RUFORUM members)
– Open data, research institutes, and research organizations

10. What Will it Take?
• The RUFORUM secretariat is committed to this
work.
• RUFORUM has an excellent ICT team.
• The interest and input of RUFORUM
consortium members is the third ingredient
necessary to enhance RUFORUM’s ability to
manage the knowledge created under its aegis
and disseminate these resources widely.

11. These are complicated issues…
Please email me at levey180@gmail.com if you
have any questions.